by Calista Fox
Wouldn't Serena, in her twenty-seven years, have found one to give herself to ... one to fall in love with?
I did.
Fat drops crested the rims of her eyes and slid down her hot cheeks.
Damn it.
The thought of how she could walk away from Garrett and what they'd shared last night—what they might share for the rest of their lives—weighed more heavily on her mind than the notion of his bizarre nature.
She found this odd. Shouldn't she be more concerned about the fact that he was a wolf?
Instead, the only real issue that registered in her mind was the travesty of walking away from something she'd waited for her entire life.
Sure, she'd always wanted a fairy tale romance. A Cinderella, happily-ever-after love. Since she was a little girl, she'd dreamed of finding her own Prince Charming ... and she'd been willing to wait for him. When all her friends told stories of their hot affairs—relaying the kind of details that had made her blush from head to toe—Serena had silently wished for her own steamy, romantic adventure. She'd held out for it, passing on mediocrity, knowing deep in her soul that one day she would find exactly what she was looking for. What she wanted, what she needed.
And, finally, she'd found it.
Regardless of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this new relationship, she had to admit that what she'd experienced with Garrett last night exceeded her hopes and dreams.
There was something else Serena had to own up to as well. She loved Garrett. Beyond a shadow of a doubt.
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep, albeit shaky, breath.
If she left Wyoming now, she would be walking away from the most incredible thing that had ever happened to her.
She simply needed to find the courage—the inner strength—to stay.
As she contemplated the possibility of a future with Garrett, a curious calm settled over her. Emotions she was unfamiliar with ribboned through her, wrapping around her heart. Serena knew in that instant that to turn her back on what she and Garrett shared would be a huge mistake. One she would regret the rest of her life.
Because she loved him.
Her eyelids fluttered open and a soft smile touched her lips.
Serena glanced over her shoulder and found Robert standing behind her. She'd sensed his presence and she was grateful he'd allowed her some time to come to the realization of her destiny on her own.
"I'm okay,” she assured him. “I've got a grip on the situation."
Robert's grin was easy and natural. “I figured you'd work it all out."
She nodded. “Just needed a reality check ... on a lot of different levels.” Her gaze shifted to the tall door in front of her. “But you have to understand that I need to see him. To know if he's okay."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Serena gnawed her lower lip a moment. Then she asked, “Can you tell if something's wrong? Can you sense it?” Robert was quiet for too long. She turned back to face him. “Will he survive this fight?"
"He'll do whatever he can to protect you and keep you out of Braedan's clutches."
"I have to know what's going on,” she said. The sudden need to see Garrett warred with her good sense, and in the next instant, Serena pulled open the heavy door. She let out a loud shriek that bounced off the walls of the foyer as she simultaneously jumped back a good foot at the unexpected and shocking sight before her.
The tall, grey-haired man that stood on the threshold, poised to pounce on her, was Braedan. He looked her over with a lascivious, predatory gaze that made her skin crawl. But even worse was the realization that if Braedan was standing at the entrance to the lodge, Garrett was...
"Oh, my God!” she cried out.
Braedan's unabashed leer alarmed her all the more. He eyed her up and down—so slowly she was fairly certain he'd seen right past all of her clothing. Then he propped a broad shoulder against the doorframe and said in a lustful tone, “To the victor go the spoils."
What happened next took Serena by surprise. It all happened so fast, it barely registered in her mind. Robert leapt forward, shoving her out of the way as he launched himself at Braedan, who hadn't seen the attack coming. Robert toppled Braedan and both men hit the wooden deck that encompassed the lodge. Instantly, they were locked in battle and Serena used the opportunity presented to run.
She got to her feet and raced through the door and along the front porch. Rounding the corner, she drew up short at the sight before her. She threw her arms around the tall pillar that stood on one side of the porch steps, which descended to the courtyard. There lay a beautiful black wolf with blood gushing from various open wounds.
Serena's heart slammed against her chest. The breath escaped her body on a hard rush, and her knees buckled.
"No,” she whispered. It couldn't be. Garrett couldn't be so badly injured.
Four other wolves lay on the grass, slain. Where the rest of them had disappeared to, she didn't know. Were the dead wolves all from Garrett's pack? She eyed them closely as she slowly made her way down the stairs. Her legs trembled so badly it was a wonder she could even move. But as she approached Garrett, she saw that two of the lifeless wolves were grey. They belonged to Braedan.
She knelt beside Garrett, who let out a low growl.
"Oh, no you don't,” she said in a quiet, shaky voice. “You don't get to pull attitude with me this time."
Her hand skimmed lightly over his damp coat. Blood seemed to ooze from every inch of him so that she really couldn't tell where the gashes started or ended.
"Shit,” she whispered. He was in bad shape.
A low whimper from Garrett tore at her heart. How had she even, for one moment, doubted that this was her destiny? That he was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with? How had she even entertained the idea of leaving him?
"I don't know what to do,” she said in all honesty. “I don't know how to help you."
"He needs to shift."
Her head whipped around and she stared at Robert, their eyes locking. His face was cut and bruised, but he was alive. And standing.
"Where's Braedan?” she demanded.
"Unconscious.” He tilted his neck from side to side, cracking his neck. “But that won't last long."
Serena's attention returned to Garrett. “What do you mean, ‘he needs to shift?’”
"It's the only way he can heal himself. He's got to be in human form to do it.” Robert knelt down on the opposite side of the long body of the beautiful wolf Serena gently stroked.
"So why doesn't he change back?” she asked, hearing the panic in her voice, understanding the gravity of the situation. If Garrett didn't heal, surely he'd die.
"He won't do it in front of you.” The deep, scratchy voice that came from the walkway was filled with triumph. Serena and Robert's heads popped up at the same time. Braedan stood off to the side, looking smug and victorious. “And he's too weak to attack me, so...” His amber eyes glowed in the moonlight. He knew he had the upper hand and that made Serena's heart sink.
She glanced back down at Garrett. “You're not too weak,” she whispered. “You're going to be fine. Just ... do whatever you have to do to get better.” Her gaze lifted to Robert. “Can't you do something?” Panic rang in her ears, but she didn't care. She didn't care if Braedan knew how terrified and freaked out she was that Garrett was lying here, dying.
The bastard who'd surely been the one to inflict such deadly wounds on Garrett continued to stare down at her, his arms crossed over his chest. She noticed that his cuts were nearly healed. That gave her hope that Garrett could recover quickly, too. If he'd just change back to human form.
"You've got to get back inside the lodge,” Robert told her. “Go back up to the suite. Stay away from the windows."
"I'm not leaving him!” she said, incredulous. “He's dying, if you haven't noticed."
"Serena.” Robert's voice was clipped and forceful. “You're not helping matters."
&nbs
p; "Well, I'm not leaving,” she insisted in an equally stern tone. Her eyes dropped to Garrett. “I'm not leaving,” she repeated. “So do your thing."
The wolf groaned.
Serena rolled her eyes, which had suddenly turned watery. “Goddamn it.” Her head bent to his and she said in a softer voice, “I'm not leaving you. Ever. I love you."
This earned her a low howl that made her choke back a sob.
But Serena didn't get the chance to persuade Garrett further. Not that she needed to. Suddenly, the wolf leapt to his feet. In the next instant, Robert dove toward Serena, toppling her. He covered her body, but she could still see the flurry of activity that broke out. Without so much as a running start, Garrett flew through the air and closed the small space between him and Braedan. The wolf's body crashed against the man who, once again, had not expected the sudden burst of hostility. Braedan's large frame hit the cobblestone pathway and Garrett landed on top of him.
"Don't watch this,” Robert ground out between clenched teeth. He shifted his body, trying to shield Serena from the fight. But she caught a glimpse over his shoulder just as the wolf's sharp teeth closed over Braedan's throat.
Serena's distressful cry echoed in the courtyard. Her eyes snapped shut and her head rolled to the side. But the vision of the attack was stamped on her brain.
Robert's body tensed above her for a moment, then relaxed. Seconds later, he lifted himself off of her. Serena's eyes opened as he got to his feet. He reached a hand out to her.
She recalled how, just last night, she'd been so overcome with fear that she had barely been able to stand on her own two feet. Her legs had trembled so badly, it was a wonder she hadn't collapsed to the carport floor.
She felt the same way now.
Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath came in shallow pants. Robert knelt before her, still offering his hand. But Serena's attention was not on him. Her eyes were glued to the wolf that snarled and sputtered. Garrett began to limp away. The way he moved, so slow and unsteady, left no doubt that he was in a great deal of pain, and deeply fatigued.
"Where's he going?” she asked, her voice nothing more than a sharp squawk.
"To change. I told you, he won't do it in front of you."
"He can't hide it from me forever.” Her voice hitched up a notch. “He'll have to do it sooner or later. And it's not like I don't know about this part of him.” Shifting her gaze, she called out in a steadier voice, “Stop. Garrett ... stay!"
The wolf halted in his tracks. His head turned back to Serena. Blood dripped from his open mouth. The wounds on his body were deep and likely excruciatingly painful. Their gazes locked. Serena lifted a hand to Robert and he caught it. Without a word uttered between them, he helped her to her feet. Her eyes never left Garrett's. She stepped away from her bodyguard and made her way to Garrett.
Kneeling beside the injured animal, she said, “I can handle this.” Her voice was low and, she hoped, soothing. Convincing. Raising her hand, she lightly stroked the one patch of black fur that wasn't covered with blood. “I already know that you'll change back to the man I made love with last night. The man I fell in love with. So just ... do it. Do it here. Do it now.” Tears welled in her eyes and her voice cracked as she said, “Let me take care of you."
A low growl made her choke out an unexpected laugh.
Garrett sank to the ground, his belly resting on the cool grass.
Serena let out a long breath. “See? We can do this. You don't have to be so damned stubborn.” The wolf snorted. Serena smiled. “Okay, two-way street. I get it. Now ... do your thing."
And he did. The black wolf before her slowly morphed to the man she'd discovered in the back in of her truck last night. Right before her very eyes. Serena had never experienced anything so amazing or surreal. Yet, she knew she wasn't hallucinating or imagining the vision before her. Garrett lay curled up on the grass, his eyes closed. Blood covered his body and it was much easier to see where the wounds were against his naked flesh than it had been with all the fur covering him.
Serena's brow furrowed with concern. Her fingers hovered above his skin, at his shoulder, but she couldn't touch him. It seemed nearly every inch of him was cut open.
Fear gripped her heart. He was so much worse off than she'd imagined. And he'd waited so long to change, to heal.
Had he waited too long?
Her gaze slid across the courtyard to where Robert stood. The grim look on his face did nothing to calm her frayed nerves. “Will Garrett be alright?” she asked. “Can he recover from this?"
Robert raked a hand through his chocolate-colored hair. “We need to get him inside, but ... I don't want to move him just yet.” He inched closer, but still stood a few feet away, his hands propped on his hips. He seemed to contemplate his plan of action for a moment.
The low baying of wolves in the distance made his shoulders tense.
Serena was on her feet in a flash. She closed the gap between them and demanded, “They're coming back?"
"To help Braedan. They don't know he's dead. Tearing out the throat is the only way to kill a shapeshifter."
"Does that mean that the others—the men I saw earlier with Garrett—are...?"
He nodded. “Dead, yes. And in a matter of minutes Braedan's full pack will be on our doorstep. We don't have the numbers to fight them off. Most of Garrett's pack is at the lake. We weren't expecting a confrontation like this.” He looked at the body still lying motionless on the grass and added, “If they see Garrett like that, they'll attack. He's too weak to fight back or even shift again. I don't want the women out here, so that leaves me."
"And me,” Serena said, squaring her shoulders.
Robert grinned suddenly. “You'd stand your ground, wouldn't you? Use whatever weapon you could get your hands on to fend off anything that dared to come near Garrett."
She swallowed hard. It'd be an outright lie to say she wouldn't be scared to death, but ... what choice would she have? She couldn't leave Garrett here, defenseless and alone. She'd forced him to shift out here, after all. That made her responsible for him being in such a vulnerable position. Yet ... “If we can get him inside, we can protect him, right?"
Robert's face contorted in dismay. “If we move him, we could do a lot of damage. He's got broken bones and he's lost a lot of blood."
"How long will it take him to heal?"
"From those wounds?” Robert shook his head and let out a puff of air. “Could be a day or two. He's in pretty bad shape. I can't believe he was able to attack Braedan. He must've experienced some supernatural surge of strength at the mere thought of Braedan hurting you."
Her hands suddenly shot out and she clutched fistfuls of Robert's white dress shirt. Staring deep into his golden eyes, she said, “He can't die. We have to do something. Now!"
Robert swore under his breath. The howl of wolves—deep and ominous—drifted on the night air. Much louder than before. “I'll move him. Once the wolves see Braedan, they'll back off. As long as they don't know how injured Garrett is."
"I'll clean up the blood."
They moved in unison. Robert eased Garrett onto his back. His eyes were still closed and he didn't stir. Serena assumed he'd blacked out from the pain. Robert's hands slid under Garrett's arms and he began to drag him across the lawn. Serena grabbed his bare ankles and helped Robert lift the large, limp body up the stairs. On the porch, she huffed and puffed.
"He weighs a lot,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
"I need a blanket."
She raced into the lodge and found a bearskin blanket draped across one of the leather sofas. Snatching it up, she returned to Robert and they carefully placed Garrett on the furry cover. “Do you think we've made it worse for him?” she asked, concerned about whether they'd jarred him too much.
"We didn't have a choice in the matter. If I lift him myself, I'll snap whatever bones are trying to heal.” He began to drag the blanket—and Garrett—along the porch. Serena stared down at
the blood at her feet. There was a trail from where she stood to the grass where Garrett had lain.
"Shit.” She ran back into the lodge and was eternally grateful to find that three women were already on the job. They had buckets and mops and they efficiently swept past her and out to the porch.
Serena tried to follow, but one tall, statuesque blonde turned back to her and said, “Let us take care of this. You take care of him.” Her chin lifted as she gestured in the direction in which Robert had taken Garrett.
"Thank you.” Serena turned sharply on the balls of her bare feet and dashed off to the elevator.
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High Voltage: Chapter 16
Garrett had serious doubts about his recovery. He could barely move. Hell, it was damn near impossible to draw in half a breath. Or swallow. Robert had done a good job getting him into bed, but Garrett had felt some snaps and pops during the process. He hoped he hadn't punctured a lung. That would be a bitch to heal. And if it didn't happen quickly enough, which was possible given the extensive injuries he'd sustained, he'd die.
The thought made him want to clench his fists at his side, but even that much movement was impossible to manage. He couldn't even turn his head to the side when someone entered his dark bedroom. Sensing it was Serena, he wanted desperately to muster some strength for her, make her believe he was on the mend. That he would be okay.
But Garrett could do no more than crack his eyes a tiny bit and stare at the ceiling above him.
He heard a soft shuffle and knew she'd just pulled a chair up to the bed. Her breathing filled the quiet room and echoed in his ears. She was deeply distressed, he could tell by the labored pants and the occasional sniffle.
I'll be okay.
Garrett wanted nothing more than to be able to say the words out loud, but he couldn't speak. His throat was too tight and he was just too damn weak.
His only consolation was that Braedan was dead.
Unfortunately, though, Garrett had slain him in front of Serena.
Fuck.
