I can hardly crack my eyes by a millimeter, but my other senses work just fine and the first thing I know before I see blurry shapes is that Julia was here. Her scent is so thick in the air I feel my wolf stretch awake and rear its head up.
He wants her here, right now, touching us, and I feel the same way when her scent invades my nose, making my cock go hard and ready for sex. I try to snarl and reject the idea that I want Julia Silverton, the spoiled little bitch, but my throat lets off an immediate protest, reminding me that it was ripped almost clean out by that fucking animal scentless bastard.
Sonofabitch. I should be dead, I think, breathing through the pain inside me long enough to take in my injuries. I hurt everywhere, as if a fucking truck came at me and then backed up again just for shits and giggles. My neck is raw, throbbing and wet with a bloody bandage. My head is one massive contusion and my body—
I panic when I try to move myself up, the strength it takes to move so much as a toe making me break out in a cold sweat. I can’t move anything below my hips with anything more than a toes twitch and—
“Wake up, fucker. I don’t have all day to stand around here protecting your weak ass. I have a mate to get back to.”
Forcing my eyes open, I blink rapidly to see Banner Kilter standing at the foot of the hospital bed beside the insane feral he and his mate have taken in like a stray dog.
“Cass—?”
“Don’t say her name. Do not even think about her right now,” he snarls, making my mouth quirk because all these males are so damned predicable.
“Okay?” I rasp, holding in a whine when my throat feels like someone just took a cheese grater to it. With gusto.
I taste blood with every grated word and wince at the quality of my voice, wondering if I can just pray for death now and be blessed with it.
God, I feel like shit, and I have no one else to blame but myself for being foolish enough to care about Julia and Cass. Should have let those bastards kill them and rid myself of them, but instead I turned into a pussy and saved them, almost getting myself killed in the process.
Dammit. This shit is officially fucked, I think, suspecting that I am half dead and about to be tried for capital treason.
“She…Julia…”
“They’re fine, asshole. You did one good fucking thing in this life by saving my mate because I promise you I would have ripped you apart without bothering to shift if one hair on her head had been harmed,” he says and snarls, the gold of his eyes flashing a level of violence that should scare me.
If I cared. All I care about right now is why my legs won’t fucking move and the pain that even thinking is causing me.
“Julia?”
“She got her little ass dragged out of here by the council. My mate saved your ass with her testimony, but they’re going to rake Jules over the coals. Alpha isn’t happy after she claimed and blooded you.”
The words take a while to register, but when they do, I feel everything inside me still and plummet. Julia Silverton blooded me.
“You’d have died before we reached the clinic with your sorry ass if she hadn’t done it. The way I see it, the moment she did that you started owing her your loyalty. It takes a lot for a female like Jules to go against everything her daddy says for a male who kidnapped her in the first place.”
I sneer at him, curling my lip to tell him I don’t give a shit about his Alpha or little Miss High and Mighty when I feel a scratching itch inside my skull and try to close myself off.
Oh brother dearest, too late! I’m already in.
Get the fuck outta my head.
Can’t. Needed to talk to you before you run your big fat mouth off and get Jules and Cass in shit with the Alpha.
Hannah—
They’re testifying that you’re some low-level agent for the resistance and that your purpose in kidnapping them was to save them from orders handed down. Don’t hurt them and make their sacrifices for nothing by proving what a bastard you are.
I didn’t ask—
No, but you got your ass saved anyway. Look, be real here, you’re screwed if not for what Cass and Julia did. There is so much evidence mounting against you it’s not funny.
Like I fucking care what they think they have on me. I haven’t slipped anywhere besides with Julia and Cass. They can dig and fucking dig; it won’t make a difference.
Aaahh, but you forget brother, you took them, and if Nick finds proof that you did it for any other reason than to ‘save’ them, your ass is grass.
I snort, finding her sense of humor amusing because this is Hannah, she’s sarcastic no matter what she’s talking about.
I told you, no proof.
And I told you, keep your mouth shut. We may not like each other Blain, but I love Cass and Julia’s…okay. I don’t want those two females hurt because you wanna throw your dick on the table for the measuring contest.
Christ, the shit that comes out of your mouth.
My mate adores it. Now promise me, Blain. You promise me you’re going to stick to this story. You tell anybody who asks that you were lower level, about to defect, but stumbled upon a reworked scent formula, and you were trying to get it to the pack.
I go still, recalling that conversation of Cass and Julia’s that I eavesdropped on. I don’t know why it touched me so much that Cass insists on thinking the best of me, but it did. As did her conviction that she’s my friend no matter what.
The idea of anyone loving me just for me, warts and all, is new and not something I know how to deal with. As is the thought of being blooded by my Fated, a female I cannot stand. Most days.
Fine. I’ll sing that song if it’s so important to you. I couldn’t give a shit about Julia, but Cass is a good female.
Hannah snarls, and I feel myself go tense when she huffs.
Do what you want. You just ensure you don’t fuck with my friends.
I snort, closing myself off to her and look down the bed where Banner and his wild mutt are stationed.
“What the hell are you doing here anyway?”
“Julia had to leave so her father could have her questioned. He’s on a fucking mind bend since Jules claimed you as hers, and she didn’t want you alone, unprotected. Can’t say as I blame her since I’ve had to partially shift at least twice to hold off visitors.”
I go still, my eyes narrowing, and look over at Lync, who seems much more aggressive than usual.
“Visitors?”
“Let’s just say those bastards on the enforcer teams heard some rumors and decided you don’t need to be investigated as much as you need to die.”
I hear the words, feel the lack of movement from my legs, and know deep down that if these males weren’t here I’d be defenseless.
“You said she blooded me? Why am I not healed then? My fucking legs won’t move and—”
I pause, calling up my wolf, but besides a growl and his awareness I feel nothing else. He’s weak and the tingling I usually feel when he comes forth is absent, letting me know that there’s no way I’m shifting and healing any time soon.
“And she’s blooded you at least three times that I know of. It’s the only reason your elite ass hasn’t died yet. It keeps you alive, but you’re not healing fast enough to make much difference.” He sighs, cursing when his phone rings.
I ignore him, keeping my eyes on Lync, and flinch when he comes over to me and grabs my arms, shifting me up when he notices that I can’t move my lower half and my arms feel like limp spaghetti.
“What! Jesus, you’re fucking kidding me. No Logan, I don’t know. He’s weak; he still needs her blood. Of course, I do, man, I promised Cass, and I don’t lie to my mate. Nick knows this will…I fucking know!” Banner yells, glancing at me with a grimace.
I ignore his anger, choosing to focus on the fact that I am well and truly screwed right now. Julia blooding me this much…and my body still being this messed up? Not a good sign. As it is, I’m terrified to think about whether or not I’ll be okay.
> “We both know what he’s doing here, Logan. No, I am not fucking taking this shit lying down. Do you know what Cass will feel if something happens to this bastard? She’ll cry. I can’t stand it when she looks sad. Fine. Make sure you get shit ready then.”
He ends the call and turns to stare at me, his mouth firming into a hard line.
“Tell me, Seers, why did you save my female?” he asks.
I look at him, take in the tension he can’t hide, and instead of giving him a glib answer, something I usually thrive on, I tell him the truth, at least the way Cass sees it.
“She’s my friend, Kilter. She’s the only person in this world I give a shit about because she is good and kind, and she needs to be kept that way. I wasn’t going to let anyone snuff that light. Not then, not ever.”
That seems to do the trick because he turns to Lync with a snarl and nods his head.
“You ready to have the Alpha up your ass and going crazy?”
Lync grunts, shifting his shoulders in a rolling movement that makes me think of a wolf in the wild about to attack.
“Listen up, folks! It seems Jules has gone and renounced her Alpha in that meeting with the council. I should have known Nick would drive her to it since the male’s only objective is to keep you two apart.”
“That isn’t a problem.”
“It is if the only thing keeping you alive right now is her blood.” He growls, shaking his head tiredly. “Nick doesn’t want this mating.”
“I didn’t ask—”
“Well, thankfully for you, you didn’t have to since the female stepped up to the plate and made that life or death decision for you! She’s put a fucking lot on the line for you, asshole. She’s lost her parents—for all intents and purposes. The pack is already gossiping about the two of you, and her own father is leading a lynching mob straight to her door.” He snarls.
The words make me flinch, and I swallow, not knowing what the hell to make of this. Just recently Julia has been yelling her hatred of me as far and wide as possible. Now she’s…mated me? What the hell is going on?
“I don’t understand.”
“You and me both, fucker. I don’t give a shit one way or the other but to say that my mate’s ass is on the line here, and so is a female I consider a friend. You wanted to save them? Now’s your second chance. You tell those bastards whatever they need to hear, and you do not leave Jules in the wind on this. She’ll need something from you if you live. I just hope your mangy ass can be male enough to provide it.”
“You have no idea—”
“And I don’t care. My mate is the soul of love and kindness, and for whatever reason she looks at you as a friend. I don’t like it, I don’t want it, but what she wants is what she gets. I give less than two shits if she lied to those fucking pansy-assed council members. The only reason I’m here at all is because you saved her in the end, and I owe you a life debt. This is me paying it. The rest is all your own shit, but I am warning you, you fuck with Jules, you hurt her in any way, and I will forget that I don’t want my mate to cry and I will rip your head off.”
I consider this, accepting his love for his mate, a female even I cannot bring myself to harm and tilt my head.
“Is she okay? Those drugs I gave her only last for so long. I hope to God the quacks you have here have found a cure.”
Banner goes still and turns to look over at me, his eyes narrowing.
“So Cass was right? You developed something to help her?”
I shrug, looking away only to look straight into the glowing eyes of a male that scares children with all that hair and…oddness. Lync. He grunts, as if he’s saying something and turns to Banner with a chuff.
“Fuck. Yeah okay. So we gotta make sure lover boy lives. Jesus, I woke this morning thinking it was gonna be a good day. Fine! Lync, go get Al. She’s gonna have to make sure I can move him. I’ll call Logan once we’re okay to go.”
Lync lopes off without another grunt, thankfully, and I wince when I turn my head towards Banner, staring the male in the eyes. He doesn’t like me; I can see it in his sneering stares and the curl of his lips. If not for Cass, I bet he’d have been one of those visitors who came to show me a good time.
I don’t care though. This male is going to keep me alive and possibly help me get through this long enough to come up with a plan to divert the Alpha. Jesus, I hate that male so fucking much.
“So here’s what we have.”
Althea enters the room, scanning a chart, and comes over to look down at me. She snaps on gloves and starts poking around, ignoring my growls of pain when she pulls off the bandage at my throat and inspects it.
“Still healing. Slowly. I did bloodwork on all of you after Banner went nuts because Cass’s scent was gone.”
“Temporary scent drug.”
“Yeah, I know. The good news is that it is temporary. The bad news is that for both you and Julia, it’s taking longer to wear off. Once Banner blooded Cass his blood got rid of the effects, but with you and Jules, well her blood is struggling to renew fast enough to heal you both. The longer she bloods you, the longer it takes to get out of your system and vice versa.” She sighs, shaking her head.
“Then give me other blood. Surely—”
“I can’t do that. The Alpha ordered me to stop treatment on you completely. The only thing keeping you alive is, Julia. Your wounds are not healing fast enough, and without her you’d start bleeding again.”
“But if she’s suffering—”
“I’ve been giving her my blood to try and flush the drug. It’ll take longer, but soon she’ll be right as rain and then her next blooding should heal you and give you enough strength to shift.”
“I can’t move my legs,” I say, snarling when she flicks the blankets off my feet and runs a claw over the skin.
I feel it, but I don’t see so much as a twitch. Sonofabitch.
“You sustained some bruising on your spinal column. The swelling is the problem, but like I said, it won’t heal until Julia is better, which means you won’t heal either. You could take blood from someone else but then—”
“It would make the Fating null and void.” Banner growls, his eyes closing on a tired sigh. “So any which way we look at this, Nick wins.”
“I’m afraid so. Look, I don’t exactly enjoy saying this, but he knows what he’s doing. If he can’t execute Blain, then he’ll settle for letting him die naturally. I just…this isn’t what I wanted to be a doctor for. Having the Alpha tie my hands…”
Banner nods, rubbing her shoulder for comfort, and turns to look at me.
“I don’t know what that male has against you; I don’t really want to know. All I do know is that any which way you cut it, he’s winning. So you have a choice here. You stay here and die slowly, or I take you to Julia. If I do that, I want your promise as a male that you will not hurt her.”
Not hurt her? Part of me wants to annihilate her for the things she said down in that basement, and yet another makes me want to protect her. This can’t be good for Julia, having her father, her Alpha go against her.
“My vow as a male, I would never harm, Julia,” I rasp, wincing when my throat scrapes and blood bubbles up.
“We need to move him fast. The blooding is wearing off. If we wait, he’ll start bleeding internally again and then there’s nothing I can do. Lync, you carry him—slowly. Don’t make any sudden movements, okay? Banner, take the drip. I told Grogan it’s just saline, but it’s a clotting agent that will keep him from bleeding out. Here’s a replacement.”
I listen as Althea explains how to change the bags and gives Banner a package of bandages, ointment, and gauze.
“Tell Julia the blood is for her. I’d offer mine to Seers, but I can’t…I can’t take the risk,” she says softly, looking into my eyes.
“I understand, and I thank you, Doc. I’ll be okay.”
She nods, her eyes going dull, and turns to walk out of the room while Banner looks down at the bag in his hand wi
th a glare.
“This situation is so fucking messed up I can’t even begin to say what I want to. You better make sure this is worth my trouble, bastard, or I’ll—”
“Yes, yes, I heard you. Rip my head off. Christ, at least be more inventive with your threats. Hannah was right, it must be an elite thing—intelligence,” I mutter, smiling when he snarls and throws me a glare.
“Come on, Lync. I think it’s best you carry the bastard, or I’ll drop him a coupla times on the way there.”
It hurts like a motherfu—
“Christ, your claws,” I grate, hearing Banner laugh when Lync looks down at me without expression.
He grunts, pulling me up into his arms and carrying me like a baby, the pose undignified in the extreme but not something I can complain about because the pain is so intense it takes everything I have not to roar. Grinding my teeth, I breathe through every step he takes, the inability of my legs to move making anything impossible. I couldn’t get out of here under my own steam even if I wanted to.
“He won’t let me in there,” I tell Banner when we reach the pavement outside, and he turns left to walk down the main road.
“He doesn’t have a choice unless he wants to let Jules out of there. Right now, it’s one of two, put you in there with her, or let you both go. Can’t have it any other way.”
I feel a certain amount of satisfaction that Nick Silverton is losing here, even if it involves me in a cell with his daughter….
“Pain.”
“Yeah, well, it feels like I got skull fucked by a rabid dog and my throat was violated by a cactus,” I rasp, as Lync marches down the street, snarling at anyone who dares to stare, the sound of gasping and running feet making me grin.
I think I like this bastard, I really do.
Walking to the Alpha’s house takes minutes, especially with Banner near jogging and Lync’s long stride. I’m in a cold sweat by the time we make it though, the pain that streaks through me—making my nerves feel like fire—is spearing through my back and legs.
“Pain.”
“Yeah okay, it’s not a fucking secret, feral.”
“Ju,” he rasps when we get to the door and Banner pounds on it.
Greyriver Shifters Page 98
