by Jinx Neale
“Mr. Hunter? It’s Clara.”
His father was answering. Brock felt a brief surge of relief.
“Have you heard from Zane? Brock thinks there might be trouble.” Clara listened for a moment. “I’ll tell him. We’re on our way to meet him right now.” She disconnected the call. “Your parents are at the hospital in Lake Placid.”
A fresh frisson of fear. “Is there something wrong?”
Clara shook her head. “Just a routine checkup for your mom. He’s calling Ryder to send out the pack.”
That was good news, but Ryder didn’t have Brock’s connection to his brother.
“Is there some specific threat you’re worried about?”
“There’s a cougar who been sniffing around his girl, Faith. If Zane is distracted by worrying about her, Vaughan Catesby might be able to get the drop on him.” Brock set his jaw. “I can’t lose him, Clara. He’s next in line to be alpha—and my brother.”
Clara touched his knee. “I understand. Drive faster.”
* * *
Faith huddled on the sofa, the cup of hot cocoa Zane had made clutched in her hands. She couldn’t seem to get warm, despite the flames leaping in the hearth.
“Feeling better, sweetheart?”
She nodded but Zane shook his head. “You’re shaking like a leaf, baby. Here.”
He put the cocoa on the coffee table and sat down, pulling her into his strong arms. Faith laid her head against his chest, the strong beat of his heart a soothing rhythm. She still couldn’t believe that this dynamic, gorgeous man was hers. Gradually, she relaxed into his embrace, her breathing slowing to match his.
“It’s all good now, Faith.”
She nodded, trying to forget Vaughan and everything that had happened. Would he come after them again? No, she wouldn’t think of that right now. She would concentrate on how good it felt to have Zane hold her. She was one lucky girl.
“You hungry?”
“I don’t know. My throat hurts.”
He kissed her hair. “It’s okay. We’ll just sit here for a while.”
That sounded just fine to Faith. She must have fallen asleep, for when she opened her eyes, twilight had painted the windows dark blue. The only light inside was the glowing embers in the fire. Something shifted in darkness. Faith froze, her blood chilled. Her frantic gaze swept the cabin, falling on a familiar figure. Zane was outlined by the sliding door. She exhaled in relief.
“Zane?”
He turned his head. “Ssh. There’s something out there. Stay here.” The door slid open, and Zane slipped soundlessly through it.
Faith was off the couch in a moment, following Zane into the dim light. She walked across the deck as silently as possible. She saw movement below on the grass, something slinking along the cabin, and opened her mouth to scream. An unearthly yowl shattered the silence, following by a ferocious growl. Zane, in wolf form. She strained her eyes to see. More sounds, scuffling, scraping. The moon cleared the clouds, illuminating the two animals below, locked in a death struggle. Vaughan had come after them.
Zane twisted and snarled beneath the cougar as its jaws closed on his throat, worrying the flesh through his thick coat. Vaughan was going to kill him. Faith looked wildly around for a weapon, but there was nothing but her. There was no time. She had to save him.
Every muscle in her body contracted as a fiery wave of power rushed through her veins. Her skin prickled with a thousand points of stinging sensation. Pain ran like a flame along her spine. Her limbs contracted and then stretched, muscles screaming as the impossible became her physical reality. Another wave of pain washed over her, an agonizing spasm. Oh, God, it hurt. Faith howled and launched off the deck, pouring all her strength into one huge leap. She plowed through the air, claws reaching. She was too slow, the cougar too vicious. She would never get there in time.
Faith stretched, claws extended, raking the cougar’s back as she landed. Vaughan wrenched away from Zane to protect himself. He swung a vast paw at Faith, and she flew through the air, crashing into the side of the cabin. Dazed, she staggered onto four paws, whining. Something was broken. Faith limped forward, desperate to reach Zane. The iron smell of their mixed blood scented the air.
And then Alton Lynch walked around the side of the cabin, shotgun in hand, and froze at the sight of the three monstrous animals. Faith swung around to watch him, her wolf’s brain still full of red thoughts. Her human brain recognized Alton for a greater immediate threat. Alton lifted the gun as Faith yipped a warning bark.
Vaughan spun around, snarling, as he swiped at the man threatening them—Alton pulled the trigger. The cougar staggered but didn’t stop, its vast haunches gathering for another attack. Vaughan sprang into the air. Alton swore and fired again. This time, Vaughan dropped like a stone.
The barrel of the gun swung toward Faith. And then a streak of gray flashed in her peripheral vision, leaping at Alton, knocking him to the ground. Zane. Alton’s hand shot out, fumbling for the gun. Zane grabbed his throat, shaking his shaggy head. Faith heard the wolf tearing through skin and bone, and then Alton fell back, a look of surprise on his dead face.
“Zane!” Brock burst into the yard in human form, followed by a woman with red hair.
Clara, Faith thought dimly, as she tottered toward her mate. So much pain. She whimpered, collapsing before she could reach him. And then Zane was there, nosing her fur, whining as he searched for her injuries.
Clara dropped beside her. “Faith, can you hear me? Stay still. It’s going to be all right.”
Soothed by the woman’s voice, Faith laid her head on the ground, as Zane crouched down beside her, licking her jaw. The world wavered and pain crashed over her like a wave. She raised her human hand to touch the ruff of fur around her mate’s face, and everything went black.
Chapter Eleven
Faith ran through the forest, the ground soft and moist under her feet. Her nose was full of intoxicating scents: the clear, cold air; the wet mineral scent of the creek; a whiff of prey that made her mouth water—rabbit or deer. Something ran behind her, gaining on her. Faith ran faster, stretching her wolf’s body to cover the miles as she flew through the woods. It was getting closer. She could hear it panting, feel the hot breath on her neck. She braced for impact and… woke up in a narrow bed, the light streaming through the blinds. Confused, she tried to sit up. God, it hurt everywhere.
The door swung open and a large man with tousled hair and pale blue bedroom eyes strode into the room, quickening his pace when he saw her.
“Faith, you’re awake. Thank God.”
Zane. That was his name. She had been in a bad place and he had come for her. “The cougar?”
“You’re safe, baby. No one’s going to hurt you now.”
Faith slipped down against the pillows. “I had the strangest dream. I was running in the forest on all fours like an animal.”
Zane pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. He picked up her hand and kissed it lightly, sending a surge of heat up her arm. “We can talk about all this later. When you’re feeling better.”
She lifted her other arm, feeling the twinge of the IV stuck in it. “What happened to me? I feel like I went ten rounds with a women’s wrestling team.”
“Close enough. You were hurt, Faith. I brought you to the hospital. You had three cracked ribs, a sprained ankle, and a concussion. They kept you in overnight.”
Faith tried to process this information. “I was here all night? The last thing I remember is getting up and you were gone.” She frowned, trying to remember. “Everything else is just gone, except…”
“Except for what?”
“There was an odor, strong, musky, like a cat.”
“Cougar.”
“Cougar,” she repeated. Her eyes widened. “Vaughan.”
Zane’s fingers tightened. “He’s dead, Faith. He won’t ever hurt you again.”
“My head aches.”
“I’ll call the nurse.”
“W
ait.” She pulled on his hand. “Alton was there. Is he okay…”
Zane paused, his lips pressed together.
“Just tell me.”
“Alton Lynch is dead.”
“Dead. Did I…”
“No, Faith, no. He tried to kill all of us. Vaughan charged him, and Lynch fired two rounds into his chest.” Zane’s voice dropped to something low and feral, almost a growl. “I’m the one who ripped out his throat.”
“You saved my life,” she whispered.
“And you saved me. You alerted us to his presence. He could have killed us all.”
The nurse bustled in just then and gave her a tablet. “You should be resting,” she scolded. She glanced at Zane. “Mr. Hunter, why don’t you go grab a coffee. We have some things to do.”
“I’ll be in the cafeteria,” Zane promised, and Faith nodded, reassured.
The nurse, Becky, helped her to clean up and brush her hair. “How about some breakfast?”
“Okay.”
Faith closed her eyes, the scenes of the previous day running through her mind like a movie on constant rerun. She remembered the agony of the change, the fierce kick of adrenaline as she dived off the deck, and the blood… so much blood.
Zane was suddenly at her side, his voice gentle and concerned. “Hey, now, what are you doing? Are you crying?”
“No,” she sniffled.
Zane’s arm encircled her shoulders as he sat down and carefully pulled her into his arms.
“It’s reaction, Faith. You have been through one hell of a lot in twenty-four hours.”
“Yeah.” She slumped against his chest, the thumping of his heart comforting. “I want to go home.”
“Maybe tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
Becky came in with her breakfast of porridge, juice, and fruit, which Faith ate with surprising appetite. Afterward, she felt sleepy and lay watching Zane as he read the newspaper. Becky had told her that Zane stayed with her all night. The future lay ahead, misty and undetermined, but Faith had a strong feeling that Zane would be in her life. And that made her feel warm all over.
“Zane?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I love you.”
He glanced up and smiled. “Well, that works out just fine, because I love you, too.”
Faith folded her hands under her cheek. “Yeah?”
“When I saw you in the diner and Lynch attacked you…” Zane shook his head. “It was like getting kicked in the gut. I recognized you in that moment, as the other half of my soul, my true mate. Everything else—tastes, habits—those are the things we work around. This,” Zane reached for her hand and placed it over his heart, “this is the bond that matters, the cord that binds us together forever.”
“That was so romantic.”
“Mock me at your peril. Your bottom looks real nice all red and spanked.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I wasn’t mocking you. What you said was beautiful.”
“Okay, then.”
“Okay,” Faith echoed and closed her eyes, secure in his love and his watchful presence. Her love, her mate.
* * *
Faith winced as Zane’s truck rattled over the road up the mountain. He had insisted that she return to his cabin to convalesce, and Faith didn’t have the energy to argue. Truth was, his cabin felt like home, because that was where Zane was. Damn, she had it bad for her wolf. He settled her on the couch and the phone rang.
“Mom, hi.”
He listened for a moment.
“Faith is going to be fine. She’s sore right now and tired, but as soon as she’s up to it, a shift to wolf form will take care of everything.”
They chatted for a few more minutes and Faith drifted off. She woke up when Janet tapped at the front door.
“Mom, come in. I made tea.”
Faith watched mother and son as they interacted. There was so much love between them.
“Look who’s awake.” Zane smiled down at her with a cup of tea in one hand. “Feeling better?”
She nodded, accepting the cup.
Janet bent over her, one hand on Faith’s forehead. “No fever, that’s a good sign. You okay, love?”
“It’s good to be home.”
Janet squeezed her hand. “I need to borrow Zane for a moment.” Her eyes were sad as she met Faith’s gaze.
Faith nodded in understanding. It was time Zane learned the truth. Mother and son went out on the deck. Faith sipped tea as Zane talked with his mother. She watched Janet touch her son’s arm, telling him her awful truth. She saw Zane’s face freeze as he tried to take in what she was saying. His shoulders slumped and Janet held him as he cried. Her heart ached for Zane. The Hunter family shared a fierce love and this was going to hurt them all so much.
Faith wiped her own eyes, wishing she could spare him this pain. Janet left for home from the back steps and Zane remained outside, his neck bowed. She struggled to sit up, waiting. Zane slid the door open and walked inside, defeated, his face blank. Faith opened her arms. He stumbled across the room and fell into her embrace. Ignoring the twinge in her ribs, Faith held on tight. It was all about Zane now. She could feel the tension in his muscles, the pain that radiated from his soul.
“I’m sorry, Zane.”
“You knew?”
“Janet told me after our shopping trip. She asked me not to say anything. She wanted to tell you herself.”
Zane sighed. “Sounds like Mom. What is my dad going to do without her?”
* * *
Three months later
Faith opened her eyes. Dawn lit the window with a pearly light. Her husband slept deeply beside her, one arm curved around her waist. She stroked his arm, and he murmured in his sleep, pulling her in tighter. Although Faith wanted to drift back to sleep in Zane’s arms, she forced herself to slide out of bed and walk down the hall to the kitchen. It was going to be a difficult day for everyone.
Janet’s health had been steadily declining all autumn, until she and Alec had decided it was time for her to leave. Faith’s eyes filled with tears. She would miss her mother-in-law so much. Janet had been more of a mother to her than Faith had ever known.
She turned on the coffee machine and looked out the window, where tendrils of mist twined through the trees. The rising sun would burn off the fog. A glimpse of movement near the driveway caught her eye, where a large wolf with a brindled coat trotted away from the house. Alec, come to check on them. Faith stroked the swell of her belly. Since she had announced her pregnancy, there were always pack members keeping watch. It was their way, Zane had explained. Shifters didn’t have a lot of children, so a new cub was an important event.
Janet had wanted so badly to stay until the baby’s birth, but she couldn’t wait any longer for her final transformation. Faith closed her eyes in pain as she remembered the conversation she’d had with Zane about this just a few days ago.
“It’s the only way to save herself,” Zane had explained. “In human form, the brain tumor will kill her. When Mom becomes a wolf permanently, she will be healed.”
“But why can’t she just become a wolf until she’s cured?”
“It doesn’t work that way. Shifting takes a tremendous amount of energy. Just check our grocery bills.” Zane touched the curve of her cheek with a gentle finger. “We can cure most injuries when we shift, but not this. The weaker Mom gets, the harder it is for her shift. And if she can’t shift, the tumor wins.” Zane traced her lips. “It’s part of us, the part that science can’t explain. When Mom makes the shift permanent, not only will the tumor disappear, but her aging will slow down to a barely perceptible advancement.”
“Are you telling me that shifters in wolf form are immortal?”
“No, just extremely long-lived. We can be still be killed, but disease is no longer a problem.”
“So, Janet will live a very long time without her family?”
“No, I think my dad will join her before too long. Just as soon as he think
s I’m ready to lead the pack.”
“I don’t know what to feel,” Faith wailed. “I’m so happy your mother isn’t going to die and so sad that she won’t be with us. I know how much she wanted to hold the baby.”
“That’s the hardest part, isn’t it? But once Mom becomes a wolf, she won’t think like a human anymore. Human ties will become less important. She will go deeper into the woods and we probably won’t see her again.”
“Oh, Zane, it’s not fair.”
He pulled her close and kissed her hair. “But she will be alive, to run in the forest, free from care and pain.”
Faith cried quietly for a few minutes, safe in her husband’s arms. “And us? Will we become wolves as well?”
“It’s a choice. Some choose to live a mortal life; others prefer to live as wolves.”
Faith’s memory of that conversation was painful, and she shook her head as she shifted to her plans for today. After pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she filled a pan with water to cook potatoes for the salad. A huge ham had been smoking overnight. Janet and Alec had decided to make their family farewells privately, meeting separately with the other twenty-odd pack members who lived nearby. This dinner would be for the immediate family, and Faith dreaded seeing the people she loved in so much pain.
But she was proved wrong about that, having misjudged the resilient hearts of her new family. Dinner was loud and full of laughter. Afterward, Faith slipped away alone upstairs to the nursery, where she took a private moment to cry, until Zane came after her.
“Mom’s leaving, baby. Are you okay?”
Faith wiped away her tears and found her courage. She followed Zane downstairs. He squeezed her hand and left through the front door. Janet, wrapped in Brock’s arms, smiled at Faith over her son’s head and nodded. It was time. Janet gently pushed Brock away, walked over to the sliding glass door, and stepped out onto the deck where Alec waited. He pulled her into a hug, holding her close for the last time. Janet lifted her face for his kiss. Their emotions were so raw that Faith looked away from this very private moment.
