“My shoulder...” Penny winced at the memory. “Gordon bit me.”
Lillian studied her for a moment. The good doctor had intelligent green eyes, and her silver hair was pulled back in a severe bun. Kira was a pretty, curvy redhead with an engaging smile and her grandmother’s keen green eyes.
“How do you feel?” Lillian asked.
“I...actually, I feel fine. I don’t feel any pain.” Penny frowned. “I was hurt pretty bad. The wolves attacked me, and I had wounds all over...”
She stretched her arms out and turned her hands over in front of her slowly. Her wounds have all healed, and there were only some faint scars on her skin.
“Your injuries have healed by themselves,” Kira told her.
“How is that possible?”
Kira and her grandmother exchanged a look and Penny knew that they were silently debating how much to tell her.
“Just tell me the truth,” Penny begged. “Don’t give me any half-truths. Please...I can take the truth. I don’t want to be lied to ever again.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“You were bitten by a werewolf,” Lillian said.
“I think I was bitten by more than one werewolf,” Penny pointed out. “There were ten of them, and they took turns inflicting pain on me.”
Kira made a noise like a growl. “Bastards,” Kira spat. She noticed Penny’s look of alarm and forced a smile to her face. “Sorry. It’s rogues like these that give shifters a bad name.”
“You...”
“Oh. The guys didn’t tell you. But of course they couldn’t tell you about us because you were unconscious...”
“Kira!” Lillian huffed at her granddaughter. “Stop rambling.”
Kira laughed. “Okay. I’m a shifter. So is my grandma. We’re good shifters. The guys are good shifters too.” She jerked her head towards the door.
Penny nodded. These people had saved her, a total stranger, and they were doing all they could to help her.
Curiously, Penny looked up at the two women. “If you don’t mind me asking, what...um, what...”
“Oh, we’re vixens,” Kira answered at once.
“We are fox shifters,” Lillian clarified.
Penny’s eyes rounded. “Wow.”
Kira grinned. “I know, I know. We’re amazing women.”
“Kira!”
“What? We are,” Kira said to her grandmother. Penny chuckled when Lillian rolled her eyes.
“Okay. Let’s keep the focus on you.” Kira’s expression turned serious. “You were bitten. By whatshisname, Gordon.”
“Yes.”
“It wasn’t an ordinary bite.”
“Ordinary?” Penny snorted. “I don’t know how ordinary it is to take a bite out of a person.”
Kira quirked a lopsided smile. “I like you.”
Lillian took Penny’s hand and said solemnly, “What Kira is trying to tell you is...” She exhaled a long breath. “The wolf who bit you...he intended to Change you.”
“Change?” Penny froze.
She stared at Kira and Lillian and saw the sympathy in their eyes.
“Can you...can you cure me? Please?” she begged. “I don’t want to become like him.”
“I’m sorry, Penny.”
“No...no…” she whispered. Just when she thought that was the worst of it, Lillian dropped another bomb on her.
“Listen to me, Penny. I know this is a shock to you. But I have to give you all the facts. The wolf who bit you, Gordon...he made sure there was an exchange of blood through the bite. The Changing process has already started. That’s why your injuries can heal so fast. You will be fully Changed into a wolf shifter in about a month.” She took Penny’s clammy hand and squeezed it.
Penny stared at Lillian and Kira in turn. She knew they were telling her the truth.
Her body already felt different. She was Changing. “Once I am fully Changed, do I...have to be part of the Emerald pack?” she managed to ask.
Kira shrugged. “I don’t know. Different packs have different rules.”
Penny tried to keep herself together, but this was more than she could take.
To be Changed against her will, and be forced into a pack of savage wolves…
“I don’t want this,” she whispered as she started to shake. “I don’t want any of this.”
She was a good person. Why did bad things keep happening to her?
A scream, a sob and a laugh all rolled into a raw, harrowing, high-pitched sound erupted from her. She dissolved into a puddle of tears.
The door burst open and Ford, Ryder and Dillon rushed into the room.
“What’s happening?” Ford demanded.
“Are you okay?” Dillon asked. “What’s going on?”
Ryder muscled Kira and Lillian out of his way. “Penny, don’t cry,” he begged. “Please don’t cry.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dillon stared at Penny’s shaking body and all his protective instincts surged to the fore. She was in terrible pain and turmoil, and her sobs were wrenching and heart-breaking. He glared at Kira and Lillian, and his claws sliced out involuntarily.
“What did you do to her?” Dillon rounded on Kira and her grandmother. “What the hell is going on?”
The two vixens stood up to face the three burly men who had unceremoniously barged into the room. No doubt they could feel the aggression rolling off Dillon and his friends in waves. But they weren’t the least bit intimidated.
Kira shook her head at them and huffed. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, guys. Just back off, will ya?”
Lillian gave them a measured look and said, “She knows.”
There was a collective intake of breath. Dillon, Ford and Ryder had seen the wound on Penny’s shoulder, and they had suspected that it was a Changing bite.
“That is a lot to take in,” Ford said quietly. “You should have given her some time...”
“Her body is already Changing,” Kira pointed out. “Look how fast her wounds have healed.”
“She has a right to know,” Lillian said firmly.
“Yes, but...”
“There’s no point hiding the truth from her,” Lillian said. “This is her life. She has to decide what to do with it. Who are you to decide what she should or should not know?”
“I was only asking you to give her a little time,” Ford said irritably. “Why...”
“What difference would a little time have made?”
Kira quickly stepped between her grandmother and Ford. “Okay, everybody calm down. Let’s give Penny some space. She needs some time and space to process the information.”
Kira started towards the door. “We should leave the room.”
When Dillon and his friends didn’t move, she glowered at them and said pointedly, “All of us.”
“Make sure she stays hydrated. Her body will start heating up and she’ll perspire a lot as she heals,” Lillian instructed.
As Kira and her grandmother went to the door, Penny roused herself and called out, “Doctor...Lillian, Kira...” When the women turned around, she dried her eyes and said, “T-thank you...thank you for all you’ve done for me and for telling me the truth. I truly appreciate it.”
Lillian’s expression softened. “You’re a very brave young lady, Penny. Rest now and recover. You’ve been through a lot,” she said gently. “We’ll talk again.”
As Ryder walked Kira and Lillian to their car, Dillon and Ford glanced back at Penny as they quietly exited the room. She was sitting at the corner of the bed, staring straight ahead with a numb, blank expression.
“If there’s anything you need, Penny, just let us know,” Dillon said.
She didn’t seem to hear him. With a sigh, he closed the door soundlessly behind him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dillon stood outside the room for a long while. Ryder came back into the house and said, “Kira and Lillian have left.”
When Dillon didn’t respond, Ryder peered at him and asked, “Hey
, are you okay?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Ryder arched a brow. “But your eyes are glowing and your fangs are out.”
Dillon wrestled his bear down and shoved Ryder out of his face. “I’m just worried about her.”
It was the truth. He felt extremely protective and possessive of Penny. He would do anything to keep her safe.
Penny was an amazing woman. She was a tiny brunette with full lips and bright, hazel eyes. But inside that small human body was a resilient, indomitable spirit.
She had suffered heartache and betrayal, but she wasn’t broken. She wasn’t afraid to face a pack of wolves and fight back. Dillon simply couldn’t imagine the pain and suffering that Penny had endured.
“What kind of parents would sell their daughter to the wolves?” he said through clenched teeth.
“The worst kind,” Ryder snarled, following him into the kitchen.
The sharp anger in Ryder’s voice made Dillon stop in his tracks. Dillon glanced at his friend and saw a muscle working violently in Ryder’s jaw. Of the three of them, Ryder was the most jovial and outgoing. He had a breezy, happy-go-lucky attitude. He could be reckless and impulsive at times, but he hardly ever lost his temper.
But right now, Ryder’s expression was thunderous and his blue eyes were flashing with fury. The guy looked like he was about to murder someone.
“She doesn’t have anyone,” Ryder went on as he stormed into the kitchen. “Her parents obviously doesn’t care two hoots about her. They sold her to the wolves, for fuck’s sake!”
Ford was in the kitchen, fixing some sandwiches. He put the plate of sandwiches and a glass of milk on a tray and headed back to the room. “She must be hungry,” was all he said.
Ford came back in a while. “I left the tray beside the door. I don’t think she wants to see anyone right now.”
Ryder was still fuming. “Can you imagine any parent doing that to their child?”
“Predators.” Ford let out a low growl.
Dillon nodded. “There are people like that. People who prey on others, exploiting and abusing others. They see kindness as weakness.”
Ryder laughed harshly. “I thought we’re the predators. We’re bears, and we don’t do that!”
“The Emerald pack will come back for her. The Alpha’s son, Gordon, won’t give her up so easily. He paid for her, so he feels entitled to have her,” Ford said grimly.
“She is not his,” Ryder snapped.
“No she’s not,” Dillon said.
There was a moment of silence as they shared a look. Dillon turned to Ford and saw him leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.
They were all worried for Penny. It was clear that they cared very deeply for her, and they would do anything and everything to protect her.
Could it be…?
Dillon was always the sensible, rational one, the “thinker”, as Ryder called him. He would observe and analyze the situation before committing to any course of action. He was detailed and thorough, and he was the one who had come up with the design for their spacious cabin.
Dillon observed his buddies quietly. He and Ryder were twenty-seven now, and Ford was thirty-one. In all the years that he had known them, he had never seen Ryder and Ford like this before.
They liked women, but they were never so invested and involved before. They sometimes enjoyed a rowdy night in town with some pleasant female company. And it wasn’t uncommon for them to bring women back to the cabin. They were young, hot-blooded, virile males, and they had needs. Occasionally, they tag-teamed a woman, and it was double or triple the fun and pleasure for the lucky female. It was just sex, fun and games.
But Penny wasn’t just any female, and nobody was playing any games here.
Penny was important to them.
The thought grew in Dillon’s head but he didn’t give voice to his thought. For now, they had to focus on Penny’s recovery and support her through her Change.
“Penny is...amazing,” Dillon said at last. “She fought off the wolves by herself before we arrived.”
“She is the strongest, most resilient person I’ve ever met!” Ryder exclaimed. “She grew up in a home where there was no love. She was sold by her own parents to a pack of wolves. Can you imagine growing up with parents like that?”
Dillon shook his head. The three of them had lost their parents early, but at least they had been loved and cherished by their parents.
No one spoke for a long time. But Dillon could almost hear their silent vows to give Penny all the love and happiness she deserved. They would make sure that no one hurt her ever again. They would cherish, love and protect her forever.
She is our mate, Dillon’s human brain finally acknowledged what his bear already knew.
She is ours.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Penny blinked and took a deep, shuddering breath. She looked up and saw that she was alone in the room. Everyone had left. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting in the same spot, staring at the wall.
Giving herself a hard shake, she forced herself to get off the bed. Sitting here and moping wasn’t going to solve anything. There were so many thoughts and images going through her head, but they were all blurry and jumbled up.
She did need some time. Ford meant well when he asked Lillian Eve not to tell her about her Change just yet. But the truth was the truth. And it was better to just face it head on.
She got up and went to the door. Ford had knocked softly on the door and told her that he’d left some sandwiches and milk for her. She didn’t feel like eating then. But now, she was famished.
Penny opened the door and peeked out. The tray was on the floor, but the plate was empty. She saw a note on the plate and picked it up.
We got hungry and ate up the sandwiches. But there’s more food in the kitchen. xxx
Penny smiled. She stepped out into the small neat living room and padded across the floor. Curiously, she let her eyes wander around the place.
The cabin was indeed a lot larger on the inside. From the outside, it looked like a simple, humble wooden house but the interior was very spacious and well designed.
This was Ford’s part of the house. There was a kitchenette and a cozy living area, and the sliding door separated his living area from the common kitchen and dining room.
She heard voices behind the sliding door, so she poked her head around the sliding door and peered into the large dining room.
“Oh,” she exclaimed when she saw Ford, Ryder and Dillon bustling around the kitchen. The guys froze when they saw her.
“Hey,” Dillon spoke up.
“Are you hungry?” Ryder grinned.
Penny smiled shyly and walked up to them. “Yes.” She paused and said, “As a matter of fact, I’m really, really hungry.”
“Good,” Ryder said, his grin widening. “We cooked for you.”
Dillon elbowed him. “Ford’s the chef. We’re just the assistants.”
Penny looked at the dishes on the counter. “This...this is a lot of food,” she stuttered.
There was baked rice, mashed potatoes, soup, two roast chickens and a plate of stir-fried vegetables.
“You need to build up your strength,” Ford said as he carried the plates to the dining table.
“This...this is a feast!” She let out a small laugh.
“A feast fit for a queen,” Ryder said with a dramatic bow.
“Let’s eat,” Dillon said simply.
They sat down, and Penny had to stop the guys from continuously heaping food onto her plate. Once she started eating, she realized just how hungry she was. “Where did you learn to cook like this?” she asked with her mouth full. “This is fantastic!”
Ford shrugged his broad shoulders. “I worked at various jobs before becoming a lumberjack. I worked in quite a number of restaurants, and I helped out in the kitchen. I picked up a thing or two from the chefs.”
“Ford’s a great cook,” Ryder added. “He’s been cooking for us
since we were puny, scrawny teenagers.”
Dillon flexed his muscles and smirked. “You can see that Ford has fed us really well. Look how big and strong we are now!”
Penny smiled. “You guys...you’re not brothers, are you?”
“We’re not related by blood. But Ford took us in after our parents died when Dillon and I were fourteen. Our parents...” Ryder waved his fork to indicate the three of them. “They died in the same accident. It was a chain collision. Many people died that day.”
“I’m so sorry...”
“That was thirteen years ago. Ryder and I are twenty-seven now, and Ford is thirty-one,” Dillon said.
Penny realized that they were volunteering information about themselves, doing their best to put her at ease.
She looked around the table at the three good men who had saved her.
They deserved to know more about this wild fugitive woman that they were sheltering in their home.
Would they despise her after knowing how foolish and weak she had been?
With a gulp, Penny began to talk.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I’m turned twenty-two last week,” Penny said, looking at each of the men in turn. “And last week...was a lifetime ago.”
She took a long breath and said, “For twenty-two years, I never left my hometown of Grayrock. I grew up in Grayrock and when I finished school, I wanted to move to the city.”
“So why didn’t you?” Ryder asked.
Penny winced. “My mother cried and begged me to stay. She accused me of being selfish for wanting to leave, and said that they wouldn’t be able to cope without me. She said my father was losing his sight and they needed me around. I believed them, because...well, why wouldn’t I?”
Ryder and Ford didn’t speak, but Dillon let out a low growl. “They lied to you,” Dillon said, his eyes dark and grim.
“Yes. They lied. My father was just putting on an act. He could see perfectly well.” Penny took a moment to compose herself. “I don’t think they lost any sleep over their decision to put me up for sale.”
Her Three Werebears: Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Page 4
