Kaboom!
The building shuddered and Grace screamed.
Shielding her from the snapping flames, he darted through the inferno and out of the back of the building. He gently sat her down behind the tow truck.
The abundance of fresh air caused her lungs to seize. She coughed to catch her breath and an ashy taste coated her tongue.
The creature brushed her hair from her face. Blisters and burns dotted his palms, although he didn’t seem to register any pain.
“You’re hurt.” And not just his hands. Blood seeped from the wound in his left shoulder.
“My Grr...aayy...ss...”
Above the screaming sirens, an angry howl crescendoed from inside the fiery building. In the midst of the flames, another creature rose.
Gnashing its teeth, the werewolf stood. The tension in its body and posture were a clear warning to his opponent.
“No!” Grace wrapped her fingers into the creature’s fur. “Don’t you dare go back in there.”
The werewolf responded with a tender guttural vocalization she found reassuring until it spun from her and charged into the raging inferno.
“Rafe!” Grace darted after him.
“No!” Tristan intercepted her, grabbing her as another, larger explosion rocked the entire block. They slammed to the ground. Tristan held her tight, despite her frenzied struggle.
“Rafe!” Grace screamed until her voice gave out, her legs gave out and all her hope died.
Chapter 40
Grace’s eyes fluttered open to the blinding glare of fluorescence. An oxygen mask sat like a weighty octopus on her face. Instead of helping her to breathe, the steady stream of air nearly strangled her. She snatched off the contraption and slung it aside.
“Easy there.” Grief pinched the doctor’s features and sadness shadowed his eyes.
“Doc—” A sob racked Grace’s soul.
“Honey, are you strong enough to come with me?”
“Where?”
“To see Rafe.”
Grace burst into tears as her heart imploded.
“Shhhhh.” Doc held her against his chest. “He’s alive, calm yourself.”
“A-Alive?” she stuttered.
“Yes. He’s been shot and has burns on his hands and feet, but we need to hurry.” Doc helped her off the gurney and into a wheelchair. “The hormonal changes that brought out his Wahyarian causes temporary amnesia. When he wakes up, he’ll believe you’re still trapped and that fear could cause the change again, making him dangerous to everyone trying to help him.”
Doc wheeled Grace out of the triage bay.
“I don’t understand. He didn’t hurt me.” She gripped the armrests as Doc raced her down the corridor.
“Because he loves you. And until he sees you and comprehends that you are safe, he will stop at nothing to find you.”
They rounded the corner to the west wing and the double doors flew open.
“Grace!” Rafe’s panicked voice nearly stopped her heart.
“Rafe!” Grace launched out of the wheelchair and ran into his room.
Cursing, he battled the restraints. The bed rails had bent in the struggle. “Grace!”
“I’m here.” At his bedside, she clasped his arm, slick with blood and sweat. The bullet wound to his left shoulder was bleeding through the bandage haphazardly fastened to him. Perspiration covered his entire body, his hair was matted, blistery welts covered his hands, his feet, the tops of his ears, and he was still the most beautiful being she’d ever seen.
He looked straight through her, his eyes wide and wild. He didn’t respond to her voice or her touch.
“He’s in shock and doesn’t recognize you yet. Make him scent you,” Doc urged.
Grace clamped her palm over Rafe’s nose and mouth. “Rafe, it’s me.”
He jerked away from her. “I have to find Grace,” he snarled.
She grabbed his face and poured all her love into a harsh, fierce kiss.
At first, he struggled to push her away, then slowly he relaxed into the kiss.
“Grace,” he sighed against her mouth. “My Grace.”
He reached for her. Confusion and disorientation clouded his eyes. He yanked at the restraints, harder and harder. “Get these damn things off me.”
Doc loosened the right arm straps. Rafe snatched Grace into a one-armed embrace, kissing and nuzzling her as he pressed his face against the curve of her neck. “Thank God,” he said, over and over again.
A nurse injected a sedative into his other arm, still tethered to the bed. “Damn it!” He fought against the tranquilizer, straining to keep his eyes open and locked on Grace.
“Shh.” She kissed his forehead. “They need to patch you up.”
“Grace?” He blinked several times. “Don’t leave. Don’t ever leave me. I need you. More than you’ll ever know.”
“I’ll be here when you wake up,” she said, emotionally and physically drained.
“Promise?” he asked thickly.
“Promise.” Grace kissed his eyes closed.
After Doc confirmed Rafe was suitably sedated, he gently pulled Grace aside. In a dizzying flurry, the medical team whirled Rafe from the room.
“Where are they taking him?”
“To the operating room to stop the bleeding. He’s lost a lot of blood and will need several transfusions.”
“What’s his blood type? Can I donate?”
“Wolfans share the same blood type. Members of the pack have already arrived to donate.”
A wave of light-headedness made her knees wobble. Too much had happened in a space of time too short to process all of it. The discovery of a subculture of wolfan shapeshifters, an insane rescue from a flaming building by a werewolf and the stark realization she’d fallen madly in love were about to make her brain explode.
* * *
The soft, steady rhythm of Grace’s breathing as she slept was Rafe’s favorite sound—aside from her laughter, her voice, the mewls she made when she came. Ah, hell. He loved every little noise she made.
And he loved that she had such a possessive hold on him, her cheek pressed against his right shoulder, her arm draped over his chest, her leg hiked over his hip. If his hands weren’t bundled in bandages, he’d wind his fingers through her hair, tilt her head back and kiss the dickens out of her.
God, he was mighty thankful Grace was by his side. Waking up alone would’ve scared the hell out of him.
“Mine.” He dusted a soft kiss on the crown of her head. Her essence nestled deep within him, safeguarding his being. Strengthened by her presence, he’d never felt more loved.
She knew him.
She’d seen the darkness within him manifest and had not been afraid. Instead of fleeing at the first opportunity, she clung to him.
If he were feline, he’d probably purr.
For the first time, he felt free to be himself. The beast lurking beneath the surface of civility had come out when needed and retreated when the danger passed. He wasn’t uncontrollable or without conscience. He had purpose and focus.
The restlessness he’d felt since childhood was gone. Maybe it had burned up in the fire that had destroyed the R&L—the last bit of his life connecting him to Lexi. R&L—Rafe and Lexi.
Strangely, Rafe felt no loss over the destruction of his business. The pack would help him rebuild. He’d call it something different this time. And the building wouldn’t need an apartment.
Grace wiggled in her sleep, burrowing into him. Lightly, he rubbed his bandaged hand up and down her back until she settled.
It was time to build a home.
Chapter 41
Inside the bathroom of Rafe’s hospital room, Grace shut off the water and dried her face. She’d slept in the yoga pants and a loose T-shirt Cassie brought to her la
st night. The clothes she’d been wearing, sweat-soaked and smoke-stained after the fire, had likely been tossed in the hospital incinerator.
She didn’t care. Even if she managed to get the smell out of the fibers, Grace doubted she’d ever wear the outfit again.
She combed the tangles from her hair and pulled the strands back into a ponytail. Her appearance had seen better days but she didn’t look like a wildling anymore so it shouldn’t garner her too many stares while she searched for the cafeteria.
While Rafe was sleeping soundly she planned to slip quietly out of the room to get coffee. She’d cut back significantly, but this morning she needed at least a grande with a triple shot of espresso to calm her frazzled nerves and her fears.
She felt shell-shocked. Numb and hypersensitive at the same time. Inside and out.
She hated that every little noise made her jump, that everyone looked at her strangely, and silenced their whispers when she was nearby.
She needed time to regroup. To get her bearings straight again. Time to process, everything.
Grace eased out of the bathroom.
“Hello, Grace.”
She jumped, and ducked behind the bathroom door.
“Grace? Are you all right?”
She balled her hands to keep them from shaking and stepped out again. “I’m fine, Mr. Walker.” She approached Rafe’s hospital bed slowly. “What are you doing here?”
“Doc said it was okay to stop in.” Kindness shone in his eyes. “I thought you could use this.” He handed her a large coffee. “I got it from the cafeteria. I hope it’s palatable.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Grace cautiously accepted the offering and sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. “Thank you.”
She sipped her coffee. Hot, strong and sweetened just the right amount.
“Doc said Rafe’s hands and feet have the most severe burns. He’ll need physical therapy, but Doc doesn’t expect any permanent damage in Rafe’s ability to use his hands or walk.”
“He’s very lucky, and I’m very grateful.”
“As we all are.” Gavin sat in the second visitor’s chair. “How are you doing, Grace?”
“Me?” Grace flicked her hand with a nervous laugh, “Not one scratch or burn. A little smoke inhalation that was treated last night, but nothing serious. I’m absolutely fine.”
“I doubt that.” Gavin’s gaze narrowed on Grace. “I’m sure your entire world has turned upside down.”
“It has, but I’ll manage.”
“By leaving?”
“It was always my plan to return to Knoxville.” She peered at him over the rim of the coffee cup. “This started out as a weekend trip.”
“Plans change.”
“Mine haven’t.” She set her cup on the bedside table. “Look, Mr. Walker, your wolfan world isn’t one I’m comfortable with at the moment. I understand you want me around because of Cassie but I have my brother to care for. Until I know he’s completely independent and no longer needs my support, I need to be there for him.”
“I’m not here about Cassie or your brother, Grace. I’m here because of Rafe.” Gavin scratched his beard. “He loves you.”
“And you know that how?”
“Rafe loves with his whole being. He doesn’t know how to hold anything back. That’s why his beast knew you. That’s why he saved you. And that’s how I know he loves you.”
“Love is fickle, Mr. Walker, and it certainly doesn’t guarantee happiness.” Grace stood up because sitting still made her feel like ants were eating her insides. “On a physical level, Rafe and I are good together. Beyond that, I’m not sure how I can be with a man who intentionally deceived me.”
“Don’t fault him for following my directives.”
Oh, but she did. Because she couldn’t depend on him to put her needs first, when it mattered most.
Her father had put his career ahead of his family. Derek had bailed on her at the first opportunity. Matt had enlisted in the military although he knew how fearful she was that something terrible would happen to him.
Rafe chose to participate in a deceptive farce rather than tell Grace the truth.
How could she ever truly trust him with her heart when his loyalties belonged to someone else?
Grace walked to the window, peering at the stretches of color lightening the early morning sky. Tears blurred her eyes.
She craved everything about Rafe. His voice, his touch. The way his presence gobbled the loneliness.
God, she loved him.
And that was the very reason she had to let him go.
* * *
“What the hell do you mean you’re leaving?” Rafe struggled to sit up. The bandages on his numbed hands made it difficult to push up and he couldn’t get the controls on the bed to work.
“You knew Matt and Aaron were coming today.” Grace wouldn’t meet his gaze, but he could tell she’d been crying.
Rafe’s heart alternated between pounding too hard and not pounding at all. “If this is a joke, it isn’t funny.”
“I’ll be back.” She offered him a plastic smile.
“When?”
“A month or so.” Grace adjusted the bed for him. “I have a lot of work to catch up on and...” Her voice trailed.
“And what?”
“I need to get away from all this,” she said quietly.
“You mean, get away from me.” The rawness in his voice wasn’t due to the smoke and heat he’d inhaled during the fire.
She nodded, turning away and hugging herself.
“You love me, Grace. I know you do. Don’t pretend you don’t.” If he could have gotten out of bed without falling to the floor he would have. Unfortunately, his feet were blistered and bandaged, like his hands.
She didn’t say anything and he no longer sensed her through the mate-bond. It felt like something had snuffed out their connection.
He threw back the sheet and swung his legs off the hospital bed. To hell with the bandages and blisters.
“Don’t you dare!” A spark of life sharpened her voice.
He sort of liked her bossy side. She helped him resettle in the bed and tucked the sheet around him. In an unguarded moment, she smoothed his hair and almost kissed his cheek.
She straightened with an apologetic grimace. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“You love me,” Rafe said plainly, simply, resignedly. “You don’t have to fight it, Grace. I love you, too.”
“Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
“Grace, I need you.” He patted the bed and she sat next to him. “I understand if you need time. You’ve gone through a lot, but don’t shut me out.”
Unshed tears dimmed her eyes and he hated the pain he sensed within her.
Clumsily, he pulled her against his chest, hugging her tightly and sending all his love through the mate-bond.
He knew it existed between them, knew she could sense it. Knew her doubt had the power to destroy it.
She sighed, relaxing against him.
A warm, tingling sensation filtered through his senses. Soft and feminine, her essence melded with his.
“Can you feel it?” he asked her. “Can you feel the bond between us?”
She didn’t answer.
“Sweetheart?”
“I have to go,” she said hoarsely. “Matt and Aaron are waiting.”
Cold blanketed him, its icy threads burrowing into the marrow of his bones. “Grace? Baby, don’t shut me out.”
“There’s nothing to shut out.” She met his gaze and the finality of her decision stole the color from her eyes and snuffed the spark he’d always seen in her spirit. “Goodbye, Rafe.”
She kissed his cheek, but her lips were chilled and dry.
“Grace?” His voice cracked, his panic reaching a cr
itical point.
His heart pounded with enough force to break open his chest. If Grace was leaving, it wanted to leave with her.
Through the mate-bond, he called out to her long after she had gone.
By the time his father stopped in to check on him, Rafe felt completely numb, nearly catatonic. All he could think was that Clay shouldn’t have missed his heart.
* * *
“Two weeks. You haven’t been out of the apartment in two weeks.” Matt looked her up and down. “You’ve barely been out of your room.”
“I’m working,” Grace grumbled. “I got behind, lollygagging around the resort. I should’ve come home instead.” Would’ve saved her a heartache.
And her heart did ache. She missed Rafe. Missed how his presence comforted her. He didn’t need to say anything. Simply being with him gave her a peaceful sense.
Without him, she felt tossed about, like a dinghy in a storm. Her life wasn’t terrible without him. She had her business, plenty of work. But whenever she wanted to do something, see something, go somewhere or talk about something, her first instinct was to text him.
She stopped eating hot fudge sundaes because they reminded her of him. His readiness to deliver one in the midnight hour, just because she asked, was too much to dwell upon.
He’d never failed to respond to her texts. If she sent one now, she would hear from him. She knew he would.
She eyed the drawer where she’d buried her phone to reduce temptation. It was all the way across the small bedroom in a dresser against the wall. The eleven or so feet was too far to walk; she lacked the energy.
Matt wheeled farther into the room. “Time to ’fess up, sis. Something happened in Maico. You’re different, and not in a good way.”
“Don’t want to talk about it.”
“Too damn bad.” Matt’s voice rose. “When I came back from overseas, you didn’t let me wallow in self-pity. You were worse than Dad, drilling me about what I should do, needed to do, had to do. Payback’s a bitch. I’m not going to let you mope around any longer.”
“This isn’t moping.” Grace gave him a halfhearted eye roll. “It’s work.” She returned to the design she’d created for the Maico Historical Society.
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