by Lauren Dane
Their bond got thinner and thinner, and he knew in his gut that Michelle was going to die and that could not happen.
Dimly, he noted that Dave had positioned himself close enough to take Josh down should he lose his shit when Michelle died.
“You’re telling me she’s dying.” His voice was flat.
Grace turned to him, her face grave. “Yes. Unless...”
“Damn it, Josh. Now! It has to be now.” Akio squeezed his shoulder hard enough for it to hurt.
“I haven’t even asked her!” But even as he said it, he knew it didn’t matter if she hated him forever for changing her without talking to her first. At least she’d be alive for it.
Cade approached him slowly, his palms showing. Josh’s wolf uneasily prowled just beneath the human skin. Josh went very still, breathing in to assure himself that Michelle still lived and that the male standing there was his Alpha as much as Tracy, Nick and Gabe were.
“I’d be honored to do the change, Josh. But it has to be now.”
He blew out a breath, and Akio put his arms around him and held Josh tight, burying his face in Josh’s neck. “Do it.”
Josh hugged Akio back and looked to Cade. Nodding.
“Do it while I get these bullets out. I don’t want her healing with anything inside her that I’ll have to remove later.” Grace didn’t look up as she worked. “Josh, she’s going to live and be strong, and she’s only going to know you made the choice that saved her life.”
“Even if she’s mad, she’ll be alive,” Josh muttered.
“Yes. Listen, we had to change Ben over when he nearly died. He’s got forever with my sister Tegan because of that. He doesn’t regret it one bit.”
Cade got rid of his clothes and shifted so fast it left Josh blinking. The more power a wolf had, the faster he could shift.
“I’m done,” Grace told Cade and then she turned to Josh. “Hold her hand. Talk to her. She needs to hear you.”
He’d been bitten and turned a decade ago. It wasn’t by choice and he’d been unconscious for most of it so he didn’t really know what to expect. His wolf pushed into the forefront and took over, allowing the man to keep his skin.
He put his face in her neck and breathed her in. “Beautiful, I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Hold on and fight. When you wake up you’ll be stronger and faster. You’ll be a wolf, and if you’re mad about that, you can’t do anything unless you survive. So if you want to kick my ass you have to live to do it. You hear me? Don’t you let go. Stay with me, Michelle.”
Cade snarled and bit. Michelle cried out and arched, trying to get away, even though she barely held on to her life.
Josh knew tears ran down his face, but he held on to her hand and kept talking to her. Urging her to fight and embrace the wolf racing through her veins. The wolf that would save her life.
Chapter Fifteen
She awoke from dreams of the forest. Of running. Of pain, quicksilver, burning through her like fire.
She remembered dying. Of the way she’d lost more of her anchor to her body as her essence and magick bled from her. And Josh’s voice. His hands on her and his voice urging her to fight. Telling her he loved her.
She heard her heartbeat. Smelled blood and pain and... Josh. Other Weres too. Other types of magick.
Teeth. She gasped, choking on her spit at the memory of teeth, and began to cough, expecting there to be pain.
Hands on her and a voice. A female voice and then Josh. That gave her strength to open her eyes. “Why is a woman here?”
The words, as they left her body, had a life of their own. She couldn’t quite grasp the thoughts but everything was different.
Josh’s face swam into focus. “There you are, beautiful.” His smile wavered at the edges. He was pale, but he smelled good. He smelled hers. Had she been able to smell him like this before?
“Who’s the dish?”
The female in the room laughed and stepped into Michelle’s vision. Inside her, an irrational anger stirred that such a pretty woman stood so near Josh. She pushed it back and nearly puked when a growl came from her lips.
Michelle knew she blushed as heat blasted her neck and cheeks.
“I’m wildly flattered. I don’t think I’ve been thought of as a dish in years. Maybe never. I’m Grace Warden. I’m Supreme Alpha here in North America. I’m also a doctor. Is it all right if I check you over? Take your vitals and the like?”
“Yes, sure. What happened?”
“Can I keep her hand while you do?” Josh asked, his voice rusty.
She squeezed the hand in hers. “Better not let go.” She croaked this out and realized how thirsty she was. When she got the energy to speak again, she’d ask for water.
“Never.” He brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Knuckles covered in dried blood.
Grace efficiently moved, measuring, doing her doctor thing as Michelle struggled to stay awake.
“You’re doing better than the last time I checked you.” Grace smiled down, brushing the hair from Michelle’s forehead. “I’m going to tell you that you were shot sixteen times. Your kidneys were both destroyed, three shots to your lungs, your intestines had multiple holes. You lost so much blood I’m quite frankly shocked you were still alive when they got you here to me. The only explanation is that you’re a badass bitch, as my sister-in-law Nina would say.”
Grace held a glass of water with a straw to Josh, who brought it to Michelle’s lips, and she drank greedily.
“Take it easy or you’re going to throw it back up.”
She might have been exhausted and weak and woozy, but her brain wasn’t broken. And she knew with all that damage, it had to be two months later, which wasn’t true as Josh wore the same clothes and was still covered in blood. Her blood. It was hours later, not weeks or days.
“Want to tell me why I’m still breathing after all that damage?”
Grace stood back, and Josh got closer, brushing his lips over hers, over her eyelids, rubbing his face against her cheek and things that had knotted up inside seemed to ease. She responded to him with a rumbled sigh, and she knew right then, before he said anything.
“You were going to die.” This man of hers who kept his control even when things got very bad, who protected her and soothed her, lost it then as tears ran down his cheeks. “I couldn’t lose you.”
“I’m like you now.”
He nodded and then shrugged. “Yes. No. Not quite. You’re better. I mean, aside from being shot sixteen times. Cade is the one who bit you. I’m strong, but if I’d bit you, you’d have been out a few days. It’s only been seven hours. You’re a strong wolf. A live one. I know you’re angry we didn’t ask you first. I apologize—”
“Hush! Did you really think I’d be mad that you saved my life? Am I that high strung and difficult then?”
He paused, his look of anguish softening to humor and affection. “Yeah? Well you’re beautiful and really good with a gun so I guess you can afford to be difficult. Occasionally. It’s just that I never brought it up to you much less asked and your life is...well, utterly changed.”
“I’m alive. To be with you. To find Allie’s killers. I’m. Alive. Thank you.” And really considering the last ten days or so, being alive as a wolf fell into the plus category.
Grace smiled and thumped Josh on the head with a folder. “See? I told you.” She smiled down at Michelle. “They were all so worried, and I said you seemed a practical sort and would prefer a life with Josh and vengeance for what these monsters did to your friend to death over a silly thing like being so near death you couldn’t be consulted about being turned.”
“I’d laugh but I might vomit if I do.”
“By all means, you’re free not to do that. Josh has been waiting to move you until you woke up but
he’s going to take you to one of our guest rooms so you can sleep. You’re going to need it to let your wolf get acclimated. You’ve done a lot in the last week. Mated, anchored, turned. Your wolf needs as much rest and time with the human as the human needs the same.”
Michelle had a million questions, but she was so tired she couldn’t think. But she did need to tell them about what she’d seen at that house back in Portland.
“Have to tell you what I saw. We rushed here for a reason.”
Grace looked to Josh, who sighed heavily. “I told you,” he said.
“What?”
“Stubborn.” But he smiled when he said it.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Grace nodded at Josh, who bent and picked Michelle up. “Let him get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better after that. Then Cade and I will come up once you’re settled in bed and you can tell him then. And, I hope you don’t mind, but one of the de La Vegas wants to hear what’s going on too.”
Josh growled, and Grace winked at Michelle before she addressed Josh. “This one is Renee, she’s Jack’s mate and a witch. I think she’s going to bring her sister Kendra, who is the female Alpha of the jaguar jamboree. She’s also a witch who took on a cat so she’s eager to meet you. You’ll like her, and we can avoid all this silly boy stuff you guys do anytime another male gets near your mate.”
“What about me? I wanted to scratch your eyes out earlier when you stood near Josh.”
Josh made a grumbly sound that vibrated through her, and she stiffened when she realized the wolf inside her moved. Like, actually moved.
He carried her up some stairs as Grace followed. “It’s all right. You get used to the wolf inside. She’ll help you. But she’ll rise when I’m near. My wolf always does when you’re around.” Josh kept his voice calm and quiet, and she couldn’t help but snuggle into him.
“I think we might be able to have Josh sitting with you when they come in. You’ll be possessive, that’s how it works, but it should be fine.” Grace opened a door to a lovely guest bedroom. “There’s a bathroom through there. Akio brought your bag so you have clothes to change into. Get cleaned up. I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.”
She was already mainly naked as he sat her gently down while he turned the shower on before helping her out of the gown thing she’d been wearing.
His hands shook and she leaned out to take one in her own. “I’m here.”
He fell to his knees and buried his face in her lap. “Christ. You nearly weren’t. You nearly died. You don’t... I can’t... I’ve never in my life felt worse. Thank you for being alive and okay. Thank you for not being mad.”
She tipped his chin up. “Only you could manage to look gorgeous with smudges of blood all over you. Are you all right? I’m sorry, I should have protected you it’s my job too, after all.”
He stood, pulling his clothes off and tossing them in a corner. That second consciousness inside her belly perked up as pride rushed through her. He was all hers. This beautiful, masculine, powerful male.
“In.” He pointed at the shower. Though all that sternness fell away when he put a hand at the small of her back and helped her in carefully. “I’m fine. I killed a few mages, but not all of them. But I will. There’s nowhere on this planet they can hide from me.”
“So some of them got away?”
“I’ll handle it all. So just stand there and look beautiful and let me do the work.”
“Are you mad at me?” she asked, her voice sleepy as he got her hair nice and wet. One of his arms was banded around her waist, helping her stand. Her legs were rubbery, and she kept going very hot and then very cold.
He gently soaped her hair. “Why would I be mad? I’m... I’m fucked up ten ways right now because you nearly died and I have this driving need to run with you. To grab you and run and never look back because I can’t bear the thought of actually losing you. I came close enough. People want to kill you and my wolf is really not down with that. And you have a wolf too. And my wolf finds that really, really hot.”
He shook again as he babbled, struggling to keep control. The talking helped keep the man in charge.
Her voice softened as she gave over to the way he touched her. “The bond is different now. More intense and I wasn’t sure that was possible. You’re feeling some really powerful stuff.”
He tried to remain clinical as he soaped the blood off her skin.
“I can’t believe I don’t even have open wounds.” She passed her fingertips over the pinked skin where she’d already healed so much.
“Just be glad it’s better. A few hours ago it was much worse.”
She hugged him, staying snuggled into his body even as his cock got so hard he felt he should probably apologize.
“You saved my life, Josh.”
“Cade did.”
“No, Cade turned me. You saved my life.” He realized she meant something more than just the gunshots and tears flooded him again. She was the best thing in the world. The finest gift he’d ever been given.
“Um,” he tried to speak when she moved, slick from the soap, and her skin slid against his cock and he arched. “Sorry. You just...”
She tipped her head back. “Good to know I’ve still got it. We can take care of that, you know, before the room fills up with shifters.”
“You were shot sixteen times. I can wait to fuck you until you’ve had some time to recover. I’m a werewolf, not an animal.”
“Only you could make me laugh a sentence after you mention how many times I was shot.”
Through their link he felt her wave of dizziness, and he got her rinsed off while he held her up.
“Plenty of time for fucking when you’re recovered.” He turned the water off and helped her out, drying her off carefully, and then he assisted in getting her into soft yoga pants and a shirt.
“Come on, into bed with you, and I’ll let people know you’re ready. You’ll tell them what you saw and you’ll rest and that’s an order.”
“An order?”
“Yes. Don’t push me right now, Michelle. I’m on the edge. My wolf is not happy at all that anyone will be coming in here when you’re weak.”
“You’re here to protect me.” She said it so matter of fact that he knew she simply accepted it as fact. And that eased some of his anguish.”
She continued. “Is everyone okay? I can’t believe I didn’t ask. Akio? Dave?”
“Ed, the wolf who was driving, was shot twice. He dove to knock you down as I was doing the same. But we were both too late. Akio is fine. He went off to eat because Cade ordered him to. He hadn’t left your side since we brought you in.” Thank God for his friend and their anchor. He might have lost it without Akio’s support.
He pulled the blankets back and helped her into bed before he went to the door and let the wolf just outside know Michelle was ready to talk.
Josh moved back to the bed and grabbed a chair.
“No.”
He looked up at her. “No, what, beautiful?”
“I need you to sit here with me. Please. I need...”
He understood and settled next to her on the bed. “You need to be touched. And I get it. I need to touch you so that works out just fine. Shifters, the whole lot of us, we find a great deal of comfort in touching and being touched. You’re on the mend and newly changed so you’ll need it more.”
She snuggled into his side, sucking in a breath. He sucked in his own gasp when she licked his neck.
“You taste so good. Even better now.” Her lips brushed over his skin as she spoke and sent shivers through him. “Wow, I can feel your arousal. I mean, here.” She squeezed his cock. “But through the bond too. It’s...wow. So wow.”
He smiled. “When you’re ready for it, I’m going to fuck the hell out of you. Just sayin’.”
Her arousal twined around his through the bond, and he had to put a pillow over his lap before everyone came in.
Akio entered the room first and moved right to them. He approached the side Josh was on, knowing how possessive and on edge he would be after his mate nearly died. Even with an anchor.
“Hey, little witch.” Akio kissed her forehead. “You’re looking a far sight better than you were an hour ago. Don’t fucking try to die again or I will kick your ass.” And then he settled in the chair Josh was going to sit in.
Grace came in next with a tray she handed to Josh. “Eat. There’s a mug of soup there for you, Michelle. If you feel up to it, just sip it here and there.”
Cade followed and smiled at Michelle. “There she is, my newest wolf. Welcome, Michelle. And congratulations on the bond with Josh.”
“Thank you.” Michelle cleared her throat. Josh knew how tired she was getting but she’d soldier through. “And I understand you’re the one who turned me to save my life, so thank you for that too.”
“Some years ago, a short while after Grace and I were mated, she was shot and seriously injured. Of course my very stubborn mate refused to change into her wolf before she knew my sister, who had been critically wounded, was all right. I know, first hand, what it feels like, that sick, helpless nausea as you watch the person you love more than life itself on the verge of death. So it was my honor to make sure Josh didn’t have to face the rest of his life without you at his side. And now you’re one of mine too.”
He sat at the foot of the bed in a chair Dave brought in.
“I’m going to ask Kendra and Renee to come in now, all right? Then you can tell us all what you saw at once and after that, get some rest.” Grace posed it like a question, but Michelle heard the steel in her tone. This was a woman used to being obeyed.
And really, sleeping in Josh’s arms was going to be her reward so she’d make it through.
Immediately, when the two witches came into the room, the wolf inside her seemed to press against her insides. Josh took her hand and squeezed it. “Drink some of that soup.”
