by Maia Star
“Sven!” I scream, my hand still outstretched.
But he barely lifts his head.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Hayden
I hear Sven’s call.
It’s faint from where I am, yet the call makes me stop dead and just listen. More than likely he’s calling because he found Erika or Maxen. Or maybe both. And now he’s either being overwhelmed or having difficulty fighting because Erika is near.
Snarling to myself, all I can think about is how my mate and best friend are in danger, and so, without a second thought, I shift into my dragon form and lift off from the ground, soaring above the Redwoods so I can hopefully get a bird’s eye view of everything that’s going on in the forests. Because I was going at full speed, rushing around the forest, I’m probably farther away from where Sven is fighting than I’d like to be.
So it’s hard to locate exactly where his roars came from.
Either way I’m too hyped up on adrenaline to slow down, so I just fly in the direction I think is the closest. When I spy a dark scaled dragon flying somewhere off to my right, I flag it down with a curt cry.
Reed and I land on the forest floor seconds later, and we both shift. He comes up to me, arms wide open, an expression of extreme worry on his face. “That was Sven’s call, right? He must have found Erika. Do you know which way his call came from?”
I hesitantly nod. “I can’t be sure, but I think it’s somewhere in this direction.” Lifting my hand, I point off diagonally to my left. “Please tell me you heard it from over there too.”
Reed nods and grins. “Yeah. That means Maxen is over there too. Sven is fighting him one on one, and we both know that means Maxen will get the upper hand eventually, especially in this tight forest.”
“Then we need to hurry. If either of us spy Sven, Maxen, or Erika, we’ll make a similar call, okay?” With a single nod, I punch him in the shoulder. “Good, then let’s hurry.”
So we shift again, rising quickly into the sky, barely able to think of anything other than saving those two. We’ve all made mistakes here, and we’ve all pushed Erika to the brink of frustration by not ending this sooner. But now we have a chance, a chance that Sven is creating for us by being the first to find them. I gotta remember to treat him to his favorite restaurant later.
Soaring in the direction of Sven’s call, Reed and I fly side by side, doing our best to scan the forest below. We hear the sounds of battle, of deep, bear-like grumbling, and see fire in the distance. My gut is twisting at the idea that Sven might actually take Maxen down before us. He might be the sole hero.
But then we nearly zoom over the battle site, and I figure out quickly that Sven won’t be the sole hero anytime soon.
Shifting, I spy Sven’s crumpled body near the edge of the clearing on his stomach, his arms outstretched further into the forest.
“Sven!” Reed and I both scream as we sprint over. I come to a sliding stop on my knees as Reed takes a defensive position in case Maxen comes out to attack. I wouldn’t put it past him to wound Sven and leave him here to lure us into a trap.
Sliding my hands underneath him, I gently roll him over so that his face isn’t pressed into the earth, allowing him to breathe. Sven sucks in air, dirt and mud caking his body, claw wounds all over his body, bleeding wildly. “Shit!” I swear as I press two hands to a wound the size of my palm on his neck. “Sven, can you hear me? How are you feeling?”
Sven chuckles. “You...can probably guess...how I’m feeling.”
“Was it Maxen?” Reed says, a flair of anger to his voice. I look up to see Reed trembling, his fists clenched. “Where is that prick?”
“We need to patch you up, buddy,” I say, my brows creasing, my rage flowing wildly deep inside.
Sven pants, his body covered in sweat, but shakes his head. “No, no...he has Erika. Go after her...first. Patch me up...after.”
Reed kneels. “Which way? Deeper into the forest?”
“Wherever my fists were...pointing when you landed.”
Reed and I exchange a knowing glance.
But now we have an even tighter time limit. We need to not only save Erika, but get back in time to save Sven.
“We’ll find Erika, Sven,” I say, clutching his hand and grinning down at him. “We won’t screw up this chance. I promise.” Nodding at Reed, I rise to my feet. “And don’t worry; we won’t forget you back here. So just rest while we take Maxen down. Then we’ll come back and patch you up. We’ll treat you to dinner afterward too.”
Sven smiles. “Save our mate.”
Reed and I stiffen at his use of “our.” But we grin, nonetheless.
“Just take it easy, big guy,” Reed says as I jog past him. “We’ll be right back.”
And then Reed turns to follow me as we run into the forest. On foot, Maxen will never see us coming.
Erika will be back in my arms within minutes.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Erika
I have no idea how long Maxen has been running with me in his jaws. Every step he takes throws me around like a ragdoll, and my brain is taking a real beating. My head now pounds like crazy. It hurts so bad. I can barely tell which way is up. On top of that, every once in a while, Maxen’s teeth bite into my sides, arms, and legs. His slimy tongue is pressed against my back to keep me in place. It truly feels like I’m being carried away by a horrific monster aiming to roast me in a stew for dinner.
Even if I’m disoriented by the constant jerking and the sheer speed at which my ex is running, I still find ways to fight back as best I can. I poke at his eyes, punch his nose, try to kick his chin when he swings me wildly. I scream constantly. It bothers him, but he doesn’t stop.
At least, not until I wiggle my free arm into his mouth and start scratching his tongue and gums. It feels disgusting, and his horrid breath makes it hard to breathe, but if this will get him to come to a stop, then I’ll do it.
And it works. Maxen growls and slides to a stop, dropping me on an arched redwood root. I cry out at the hard hit to my spine but seeing Maxen shake his bear head to get rid of the pain I inflicted, I know this is another chance to escape.
I climb to my feet, one hand absently held over my stomach, and rush away.
I haven’t gotten any hard hits to my abdomen yet, keeping my baby safe, but it’s a matter of time. Maxen doesn’t know I’m pregnant, and I want to keep it that way.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Maxen shift back to his human form. He’s still gripping his tongue, trying his best to soothe the pain, and then he glares me at. “Don’t you dare run from me again!” he shouts as he comes after me.
I start to climb a steep slope when he rushes up behind me and grabs my arm and hair. With his meaty fingers, he yanks me back, nearly tearing my hair from my scalp. I yelp at the pain and try to punch him with my free fist. He takes the attacks bravely, though, and then wrangles me to the ground where he straddles me and screams incoherently in my face. Spittle lands on my cheeks and I shut my eyes, flailing my arms wildly to get him off me.
“Stop it!” he shouts. “Stop! It!”
Slapping me hard across the face, I stop. Not because I want to obey but because the force of his hand shocks me to stillness. Glaring up at him, I spit in his face.
“You’ll regret that,” he mutters, staring down at me. “You’ll regret all of this. Why can’t you just realize that you can’t win? You’re never going to leave me. You’re mine forever. Deal with it.”
“I am not yours. I’m not just going to deal with it,” I growl back. “Why can’t you just stop this? Why do you have to be abusive?”
“This is love, Erika,” he says, his face angry and twisted. “I can’t ever abandon the people I love.”
Just then, I peer over his shoulder and see two men emerge from behind a tree. My eyes widen as Hayden and Reed charge forward as silently as they can, running to either side to create a pincer attack. Maxen notices my attention is elsewhere and turns in time to see Reed rus
h towards him. “Ah! The lizards are back!”
He rises to meet Reed’s charge, not noticing Hayden. Hayden slams into Maxen, taking them both to the ground. Reed similarly jumps in, trying to pin the bear shifter down. But before I can even rise to my feet, Maxen is howling loud enough and flailing madly enough to chuck them both off of him. They land by me as they leap back up to their feet, each stepping in front of me as Maxen shifts into his bear form.
“Get back, Erika; we’re taking this jackass down,” Reed growls.
He pushes me back when I don’t step away immediately and the two shift into their giant dragons, standing in Maxen’s way. The bear, though, doesn’t seem the least bit fazed and rushes them anyway. Reed spews fire at the charging bear, a heat so intense I can feel it from here, while Hayden goes to meet Maxen’s charge.
Hayden and Maxen clash just beyond the impact of the fire, which forms a line on the ground, forcing Maxen back. The dragon and bear slash and roar and slam into each other, trying desperately to get the upper hand. My heart thumps to the rhythm of each attack, and I can’t tear my eyes away again.
Reed charges over the line of fire as well, attempting to corner the bear, but Maxen has other plans. As soon as Reed crosses, he darts around them both, running straight for me. I feel a sense of deja vu as the bear is inches from me once again. I spin to avoid him, and suddenly his paw is scooping me up...and sending me flying through the forest into the air. Maxen rushes off in the opposite direction.
Apparently, he can abandon me if it means his life will be saved.
But now I’m hurtling dozens of feet in the air. I cry out, and then I see one of the dragons charge ahead of me and shift, human arms outstretched, ready to catch me.
I land in Reed’s arms moments later, and we fall to the ground. He softens the landing for me, so I come out unscathed. He smiles at me.
I’m too busy looking for Hayden to smile back.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Hayden
I know instinctively that Reed and I are on the same page. When Maxen goes to toss Erika, Reed is already shooting off to catch her. I chase Maxen.
It wasn’t an impossibility that Maxen would forsake Erika for his own life. That’s just the kind of man he is. And yet it still makes me beyond angry. How can he even call himself a shifter, leading a life of abuse towards people like he does? I have so many questions, so many reasons to poke his mind, yet I know I’ll never get the answers I seek. All that matters now is that I kill him.
Chasing down Maxen in the forest isn’t easy, but he’s not exactly trying to hide where he’s running. He’s frantic. Afraid of dying. I don’t think he was expecting Reed and me to catch up, because he’s scrambling to live another day. If he leaves now, he’ll come back to try again.
I can’t let that happen.
Shifting back to my human form as a way to more easily get around in the forest and to lure Maxen into attacking me, I rush forward with abandon. He takes the bait, looking over his shoulder, turning on a dime and opening his jaws to snap me up. I leap over him and shift, my shadow instantly engulfing him.
In a matter of seconds, I fall and crush him, placing one foot on his neck and the others on his limbs, keeping him on his back. He doesn’t shift back, but instead, roars wildly in my face.
The next second, his neck snaps, and Maxen’s roar cuts off. It’s completely silent, save for my huffing and puffing. The bear underneath me goes limp, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. I stare down at him, unsure if he really is dead or not, and even when I gently climb off of his body, I still wait to be proven wrong.
But after a few minutes seeing absolutely no movement, no breathing, I realize this fight is over.
Maxen is dead.
I switch gears since there’s still more to do. Like save Sven’s life, for instance.
Hurrying back to the clearing where Reed and Erika are, I quickly embrace them both.
“What happened?” Erika asks. “Did he slip away again?”
I shake my head. “Maxen is dead. It’s over.”
Erika just stands there, clearly unsure of how she feels about his death. As much as I want to comfort her, my mind is still on Sven. “Look, Sven still needs our help. Can you stay strong right now, Erika? We need to get back to him and wrap up his wounds before he bleeds out.”
Erika, without missing a beat, nods. “Yeah, he takes priority right now. Let’s go!”
And so we rush off, Reed carrying Erika in his arms so we can move faster. We get to the area Sven is still resting in minutes later to find him sitting up, shivering. He spies us and grins from ear to ear. “It went well, I take it?”
“Maxen is dead,” I say, kneeling down. “We can talk about that later, though. We need to get you home. Now.”
Sven grunts. “Fine. What, are you gonna carry me?”
I nod, stepping back. “I'll carry you all. Reed will keep you both steady on my back.” So I shift and kneel down, allowing the three to climb onto my back. Reed helps Sven climb up, though Sven utters a series of rapid swears as he’s forced to stretch and hurt his wounds to get up. Once everyone is seated and Reed’s got a tight hold on Erika and Sven, I lift off, angling towards the cottage.
In less than a quarter-hour we’re back in the cottage, Sven laying on a couch while Erika and Reed wrap bandages all around his wounds. He’s not bleeding out as fiercely as before, so my mind begins to wind down and I come to sit down in a chair next to the trio after guarding the door. It’s a habit I won’t get rid of anytime soon.
Silence permeates the room as we sit, all staring at each other.
Eventually, Erika clears her throat. “It’s really over, isn’t it?”
I nod. “How are you holding up?”
“As well as anyone can, I guess…”
“And the baby?” Reed asks, leaning forward. “Is...do you think the baby is okay?”
Erika’s smile is enough to brighten the whole room. She pats her stomach. “Yes...my baby is fine.” She pauses and looks to each of us in turn. “I know I’ve said this before, but I want to reiterate this now. I love every single one of you. And, I want you all to share me and the baby. If you can’t, then I’ll be leaving .”
Sven grunts as he tries to sit up, but I place a hand on his shoulder, forcing him back down. He grumbles at me but turns his attention on Erika. “I think I can probably speak for us all right now, but none of us wants to lose either of you. We’ll share you because that’s what we need to do.”
I look to Reed and see him smiling. “I agree. There’s no way I can stomach losing you after all this.”
Now all eyes are on me.
“Well, Hayden?” Erika asks, her voice quiet and gentle and pleading. “Will you stay with us?”
I bellow out laughter, slapping my knee. “After everything we just went through to keep you here, you think I’d leave?” Shaking my head, I meet her eyes. “I’m here with you all until the day I die.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It’s hard to put into words how vibrant my life has been this past year since Maxen was killed. Instead of one partner, I had three and a baby to pop out down the line. Every day was wild and fun, and I actually began to smile daily.
Even now, I’m smiling, living the best life I possibly could with the people I love the most.
“Hey, Erika! Want any more orange slices?” Hayden calls from a dozen feet away, crouched over our oversized picnic basket.
I glance over my shoulder and shake my head. “I’m good for now.”
“What about Felicity? She want anything to nibble on?”
Grinning, I look back at the baby girl bundled in my arms. Most of her body is wrapped in a warm blanket. Felicity is snoozing quietly, her eyes shut, her tiny wisps of red hair nearly hidden in the folds of the blanket. Her little nose wrinkles as a breeze passes over us.
“She’s fine,” I say, quiet enough so as not to wake her.
Then Reed is scooching over, gazing down at ou
r baby. “I swear, every time I see this girl, I just want to cry a river of happy tears.” He gently pokes her nose, causing her to make a soft sound. “I can’t get over how squishy she is. She’s gonna be as handsome as me.”
“No, she’ll look as tough as me,” Sven says, coming up from the pond and leaning over to block the sunlight. “I bet she’ll be pretty tall.”
Reed shoves him off to the side. “Move, you elephant! Don’t cover our darling girl in shadows. All babies need sunlight to grow. That’s a hard fact right there.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, still grinning like a fool. I can’t stop staring down at my child, at my baby girl. She’s beautiful beyond words.
Felicity was born a month ago. She was a bit late, but I didn’t blame her for taking her time. It’s not like there was any reason to rush being born. There was no Maxen to deal with, no fears to think about. All I wanted was to see her healthy and happy...and so far, I’ve gotten what I wanted.
“Man, seriously, though,” Reed says. “I wonder what type of girl Felicity will grow up to be.”
“Maybe she’ll be into music and ask us to learn how to play the guitar or drums,” Hayden says, coming over to sit in front of me, completing our little circle.
“Or she might develop a love for film,” Sven says, rolling his shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind helping write a script or star in one of her student films.”
I laugh. “As if she’d put one of her fathers in the film.”
“Hey, I’m a great actor!” Sven says. “I could even be a Hollywood star if I really tried.”
The rest of us are laughing our heads off as Sven smiles.
Felicity stirs as I rock back and forth, and she’s making all sorts of sounds as her eyelids flutter open.
“Oh, she’s awake!” Reed says. “Look, look, our baby girl is awake.”
