by Fel Fern
“I’ll shift and cover you and the pups. By now, Santino and the pack knows the pups are with us. All we have to do it make it back,” Forrest said. “Promise me something. Keep moving forward. Don’t look back.”
His werewolf mate didn’t wait for an answer and started to shift. Dave wondered if the space was sufficient but realized he didn’t have time to think. Forrest snarled and used his body to force the door open. That was probably the cue for him to get out, as well.
His heart hammered painfully and his breathing turned ragged. What was Forrest thinking, using himself as a shield? What if the Discipline Squad came prepared with silver-lined bullets? God. Dave didn’t have the luxury to think, though, just do. He slipped out of the car and broke into a run, only to hear engines roaring and a smattering of gunfire.
Forrest let out a growl of pain behind him. Don’t look back, Forrest warned him. Damn it. Dave had trained to be a cop, he knew every second he hesitated meant endearing the precious werewolf kids Forrest trusted him to protect.
He broke into a run, occasionally feeling Forrest’s fur at his heels. Forrest was safe, he assured himself. Forrest was strong. His mate wouldn’t go down easily. Help would come. Then sharp white pain tore through him, although he wasn’t hurt. He’d been sensing Forrest’s emotions through their mate bond, he realized.
Keep going, he told himself. Sooner or later, more werewolves would come, Forrest said that. Would they arrive in time?
Tears slipped down his eyes, but no matter how agonizing it was to not go after his mate, he urged his body forward although his heart wanted him to turn back. A shot zigzagged his left pant leg, another bullet cut across his jeans and drew a line of blood. With a cry, he fell on the ground, rolling at the last second so he wouldn’t crush the pups.
“Help,” he croaked, staring at the empty road ahead of them.
The pups struggled against him, but he held them close.
“Stay there,” he whispered to the pups. “It’s too dangerous to come out.”
By some miracle, they listened to him. Was it his imagination or did he see movement in the trees? Then a howl of fury rippled through the forest, the sound of an enraged Alpha werewolf, he realized. He looked back, swallowing, expecting the worst. Shots came from the trees. Tires screeched on the road. More lethal shapes poured out of the trees.
Dave finally found his mate on the ground, blood coating Forrest’s fur. Before he could make his way to Forrest, two wolves stopped in front of him, barring his path. They flashed their fangs at him.
He grimaced. After everything he’d been through, would these two werewolves end up killing him? No, he realized, it wasn’t because he was human and therefore the enemy. He still had the pups, and the young were precious to them.
“Rhys, Maddock, back off. He’s protecting the pups,” a familiar, cold female voice said, much to his relief. Both wolves backed off as Sabine, in human form, knelt over him. She had a bullet-proof vest on and a rifle over one shoulder.
“Forrest. You have to help him,” he said, clutching her arm. One wolf pup peered out of his jacket, saw her, and yipped.
She caught the leaping pup and clasped his fingers. “Our healer is on the way. See? It’s fine now. The pack’s here to help. You don’t need to protect the pups anymore.”
Forrest, he thought, but his body didn’t seem to obey him. He felt weighed down, as if he just went for a swim with all his clothes on. So heavy. Was it because he was connected to Forrest’s life force and this was the bond’s way of telling him Forrest was fast fading?
God. He hoped not. His mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, but he managed to grit out, “Help me up. Please.”
“Martha,” Sabine commanded, and another woman appeared next to her. “Take these pups, I can’t tell if he’s injured.”
Martha took the pups from him, her brown gaze solemn.
“Thank you,” Martha said, looking at him. “For protecting the pups.”
Then she left with the three kids. Sabine helped him sit up. Dave felt sluggish and so tired, even though he’d barely done anything. He focused on finding his mate and saw an older woman with two werewolf guards in human form, both toting guns next to her. A healer was valuable to the pack, he recalled.
Beyond them, he saw smoke rising from the two white vans and bodies on the ground. It was all over, but when Dave reached for the mate bond connecting him to Forrest, he felt a huge emptiness.
Chapter Sixteen
“I’m fine,” Dave whispered, teeth clattering as Sabine assessed him. He wanted to yell, scream, break something, then remembered she cared about Forrest, too. “I need to go to Forrest. Please.”
“I’ll help you,” she offered, helping him stand. Dave felt a little bruised, banged up, but he didn’t seem to be seriously injured. The heavy feeling dissipated, replaced by anxiety. He practically sprinted toward Forrest.
“Forrest needs space,” the older woman snapped.
“He’s Forrest’s mate,” Sabine said.
“You’re the human?” the healer asked, looking him over. “Good. I need your help in sending Forrest some of your life force. His regenerative abilities aren’t enough, and the silver bullets are lodged near his chest.”
Panicked, Dave clenched his fists. He started to tremble violently. Why couldn’t he feel Forrest through their mate bond anymore? Why wasn’t Forrest moving even though the healer spoke as if Forrest was alive?
“I don’t understand anything about what you’ve said,” he whispered, terrified. Dave kept staring at his mate, still in wolf form, at the dark patches, blood, he realized, coating Forrest’s brown fur. Forrest’s eyes remained closed. Oh God.
The healer looked impatient. He didn’t have time for this. Dave knew little about the mate bond, except if the worse came to happen and Forrest died, he’d be next. Dave could barely think, because he’d never felt this awful in his entire life. The frightening emptiness where Forrest’s spark could have been was missing.
His wolf was alive, but barely.
Sabine knelt next to him. “It’s easy. I’ll go through the process with you. Reach for your mate bond.”
“Sabine, we don’t have time for this. If the human doesn’t know how to do this, we might lose Forrest. We need Deacon,” the healer said.
“Dave can do it.” Sabine insisted.
Encouraged by her belief in him, he did as she asked.
“I feel only emptiness,” he said.
“Try again.”
Dave clenched his jaw and reached for the bond. This time, he felt something, an echo of his mate’s wolf. “Okay. What next?”
“Send some energy through that bond, keep thinking of seeing Forrest alive and recovering.”
Dave didn’t know if he was doing things right, but he did as she asked. For a moment, he wondered if he was doing anything at all, then realized his body felt slightly weaker, his head a little dizzy. The other enforcer let him lean against her.
“That’s it, keep going,” the healer said, placing her hands on Forrest’s side.
“Elaine, if he keeps going at this rate, he’ll end up dead,” Sabine commented, holding him steady. “We need Deacon.”
She was right, Dave vaguely realized. His head spun and it took all of his strength to stay awake.
“I’m here,” said another male voice. The Alpha. He scowled as Deacon gripped his shoulder. “That’s enough, human. I’ll take over from here. Let go or you’ll die, too, and your efforts will be for nothing.”
Dave didn’t want to let go, but there was something about Deacon’s voice that made it hard to disobey. He slumped against Sabine, slightly amazed by her gentle touch. Deacon knelt next to Forrest, black brows furrowed. Dave could sense a third energy pouring into Forrest. He forced himself to stay awake, watching in wonder as Forrest’s wounds began to close.
The healer, Elaine, took out a knife. Alarmed, he began to talk, but Sabine said, “Easy, she’s just taking out the silver bull
ets before he heals over them.”
He grimaced as Elaine pried all the bullets, all four of them, out of Forrest’s body. Then Forrest’s chest began to rise and fall. With a cry of joy, he went to his mate, nearly stumbling, but Sabine caught his shoulder.
“Steady,” she murmured.
He nodded to her and finally met Forrest’s intense green eyes. Joy and relief welled inside of him. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. Dave breathed. “Welcome back, baby.”
* * * *
Forrest woke on his couch, sunlight on his face. He thought the shooting had just been all a nightmare until he felt his aching body. He swore, only to find Dave looking down at him, eyes wide, worried expression on his face.
Dave twirled his fingers over his. Fuck, but his little human looked adorable.
“I’ll give Elaine a call,” said familiar female voice. Sabine, he thought, eyes only for his mate.
“We’re alive,” he said with some surprise.
“That’s the first thing you say after being unconscious for three days? Do you have any idea how worried you made me and everyone else?”
Then Dave punched his shoulder.
“Ow,” Dave grumbled. “What are you, made of rock?”
“Don’t you like my muscles just fine?” Then Forrest sobered up. “Three days? Really? And you’ve been watching over me this entire time?”
“Of course,” Dave said with a huff.
“He’s been hovering over you like a hawk or a fussy mother hen,” Sabine back.
Dave groaned. “I haven’t been that fussy.”
“Oh?” he asked.
“He never left your side. Elaine says she can come later in the afternoon. She doesn’t seem worried, either, so you’re probably fine, just a check-up,” she said.
“That healer never liked me,” Forrest muttered, somewhat surprised she explained that much. Those words, he realized, were more for Dave’s benefit than his, because his little human looked visibly relieved.
“Hey, don’t say that. She helped save your life,” Dave pointed out.
“I’ll leave you two to your privacy.”
“I can still babysit Sylvia tomorrow afternoon, after our meeting with Deacon,” Dave said, much to Forrest’s surprise.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Sabine’s silver gaze met Forrest. “Rest up quickly. Santino’s complaining he has to take over your duties.”
“Hold on a damn second.” He still hadn’t woken up completely, so his mind failed to process what was happening. “One, since when did you two become friends? Two, my duties? Since when am I still an enforcer for the pack?”
“Jealous?” Dave asked him. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to steal your best friend. As for your other question…” Dave trailed off, looking contemplative.
“Deacon will discuss it with you two tomorrow,” Sabine finished. “I need to go make Sylvia breakfast.”
“Thanks,” Forrest finally told her.
The events of three days ago started to come back to him. He’d been hardly conscious, but he did remember Sabine staying next to his mate, guiding Dave on how to make use of the mate bond to help heal him. If she hadn’t stepped in, would Deacon have left him and Dave to die?
He didn’t know. Deacon might be a mentor, but he still never fully understood his Alpha. Lance and all the enforcers knew Deacon was the Alpha they needed, because Deacon wouldn’t hesitate to make the right decisions for the pack. Few understood Deacon, though, probably only those who’d been with him longest, like Sabine and Santino.
Finally left alone, he sat up. The blanket fell from his body. Dave probably placed that there. He could definitely imagine his little human fussing over him. Forrest frowned. He’d make sure Dave no longer had to worry that much over him, never again. Protecting his mate was his job. Dave put a hand on his bare chest.
“Don’t, you nearly died,” Dave blurted.
“Baby, I’m a dominant male werewolf. I’m all healed up.”
“I want to hear Elaine say that.”
He chuckled. “Don’t believe me?”
Forrest grabbed Dave’s arm until his little human straddled his lap. Dave breathed as Forrest settled his hands on Dave’s waist. He gauged his own body, sore in the places where he’d been shot, but the wounds had closed up cleanly, only leaving behind faint bruising. Dave couldn’t have saved his life on his own, Forrest remembered sustaining too much damage, which meant Deacon had sped up the healing process.
Huh. Just when Forrest thought Deacon didn’t care, the Alpha stepped up to save him. He didn’t know the entire situation yet, but if Deacon let both Dave and him stay in Devil Hills—Forrest couldn’t let himself hope yet. At the very least, it looked like the Discipline Squad wouldn’t go after them right away after experiencing a defeat of that magnitude.
Dave rested his palms on his chest, then let out a cute little sniff. “I’ve never been so scared my entire life,” Dave whispered. “When you were lying there, bloody and unmoving, I thought I lost the most important thing in my life right after finding you. I got pissed, too, because it was so unfair.”
“Hey,” he said in a firm voice. Keeping one hand on the curve of Dave’s ass, the other he used to stroke Dave’s back until the little human calmed down. “I’m alive. We both are, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah,” Dave whispered.
He tipped his little human’s chin and kissed Dave, slowly at first, savoring the wonderful taste of his mate. Forrest rested his forehead over Dave’s and said, “I’m so fucking proud of you, baby.”
Chapter Seventeen
Dave blinked, taken aback by those words. “For what? I didn’t do anything. I’m no fighter, just a measly human.”
Forrest laughed. “Don’t undersell yourself, baby. You’ve shown more courage than most wolves in the pack. You’ve protected our young and stood by your mate. You call that nothing?”
Dave blushed at those words. “Anyone in that position would do the same,” he argued.
“No,” Forrest said, thumbing his unshaven cheek. “That kind of courage you’ve shown is what differentiates the strong from the weak. The weak will run away at the first sign of danger, but you rushed into it.”
His heart hammered. Forrest wasn’t just flattering him, he heard the honesty and pride his mate’s voice. That only made him blush even harder.
Dave hoped Forrest would kiss him again. That kiss reminded him that they were both still breathing, alive, unlike those Discipline Squad members. Those pups were alive, too, he thought. If they died or got injured, Dave wouldn’t know how to live with himself. Hell, if Forrest—no. He refused to think about that. They were here, breathing, better than ever. Even their future in Devil Hills seemed promising.
Meeting Deacon is just ceremony. Three days ago, you proved yourself to be one of us, the pack, when you placed the lives of your mate and those three children over yours, Sabine had said.
Dave hoped she was right. He had to admit, without her there, he would have been lost. She seemed to know what to do, and he had a feeling she helped keep other nosy packmates concerned for Forrest away, much to his relief.
Dave wanted time alone with his mate first, before talking to the others. The only other people he’d allowed to see Forrest had been Sabine and his brother. Deacon stopped by once, but didn’t linger, as if he merely wanted to check on Forrest’s status.
Once, Dave thought Deacon didn’t have a heart, but he was wrong. If there was one thing he learned by being here, it was not to judge by appearances. Sabine seemed cold and indifferent to him once, but when he got to know her, he couldn’t have asked for a better ally. Deacon was a lot harder to crack. The Alpha might be frightening and ruthless, but Deacon cared for all the wolves under him.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Forrest asked, placing his mouth on the mate mark. His neck tingled, and he shifted on Forrest’s lap, all too aware of his own thickening dick and Forrest’s erection against his
belly.
He told his mate.
Forrest laughed. “Deacon’s a hard man to read but I, we, owe him our lives in the end.”
“Do you think he’ll really let us stay?”
Forrest kissed him then, slowly, sweetly, emptying all other thoughts in his head except one. He loved Forrest with all his heart. It was an all-consuming kind of love, one he didn’t ever imagine experiencing with anyone else in his entire life. A treasure, because before, all he’d ever thought about was Daryl and his survival.
Now, he lived for a different reason, to be beside his mate, to create a lifetime of wonderful memories together, to make a home.
His chest filled with so much emotion, it was hard to breathe. Dave began to want for so much, and he wasn’t ashamed of it. He had big dreams about his future, their future, and that was alright.
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” Forrest said after pulling away from his mouth.
“You don’t sound worried.”
“Why would I be? We’re together.”
Dave agreed with that. Their near brush with death three days ago reminded him life was short and precious, but with his mate by his side, it felt like they could handle anything fate threw their way.
“Kiss me again?” Dave asked.
This time, Forrest gripped the nape of his neck and took his mouth, all roughness and bite. Dave yielded to the kiss, parting his lips so Forrest could thrust his tongue down his throat. His dick pulsed against his thigh. Why were they still wearing clothes?
After the kiss, he moved his hands to the hem of Forrest’s jogging pants.
Forrest’s deep amused laugh washed over him, turned his bones to jelly.
“Eager little mate.”
“I missed you,” Dave said, slipping out of Forrest’s lap and beginning to strip. His powerful werewolf mate watched him with undisguised interest. Dave did a little strip show, peeling off his shirt, then dropped his trousers and jeans, until he stood in front of his mate, bared and naked.
