by Susan Bliler
“Oh, God! Oh, God!” She’d just gotten out of her seat belt when her door was jerked open, ripping a startled scream from her. “AHHHHHH!”
“EASY! Jesus, lady! It’s me, Recker. You alright?”
He was looking at her, but she was pointing at Baymac. “He’s hurt! Call an ambulance!”
“Shit!” Recker stood and was barking orders to someone Grace couldn’t see then he was reaching back in and lifting her out. “Not me!” She slapped at his hands. “Baymac’s hurt. Get him out first!”
“Uh-uh. Squishy little humans get rescued first. Skin Walker rules.”
He handed her off to someone else who handed her off to someone else, and she wondered if Mr. StoneCrow did in fact believe that Baymac had kidnapped her.
“Get her into a vehicle,” Recker barked. “It’s cold as Bellis StCroix’s heart out here!”
A few of the Walkers chuckled and the one holding her turned to carry her up to the road before she cried, “Wait! I wanna stay with Baymac!”
“Oh, my God.” The man holding her rolled his eyes, ignoring her request and carrying her up to the road. “Lady, please don’t turn into a pain in the ass. I really liked you up to this point.”
That had Grace’s brows snapping into a frown. “You just met me like two seconds ago.”
“Exactly,” he groaned.
“James!” Recker called out in a tone full of reproach.
“Yeah, yeah.” The guy holding her, apparently, James, placated as he trudged up the snowy incline until they hit the road. As they made their way to a blacked out truck parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights blinking, James whisper yelled, “Thanks for getting me in trouble with Recker!”
“Me! I didn’t do anything. As a matter of fact, I’m the one who was just in a wreck! I could be injured for all you know.”
James used the hand under her knees to open the passenger side door before lifting her into the seat. With a bored look he stepped back, crossed his arms over his thick chest, and said, “Fine. Get naked, I’ll see if I can find any injuries.”
With an unladylike snort, Grace reached for the door handle and slammed it shut in his face with an, “As. If!”
Chapter 22
Grace was back on the road but this time, she was too filled with worry to care about the conversation Recker was trying to have with her as he drove the blacked out truck toward Glacier. Even James’ comical non-stop chatter from the back seat did little to alleviate her worry.
“Do you?”
Realizing Recker was addressing her, Grace snapped out of her horrid imaginings of how Baymac was doing and replied. “Sorry, what?”
Recker chuffed a laugh. “I told you, Baymac’ll be just fine. He’s a Walker. We’re tough.”
“Maybe we should turn around, follow them back to StoneCrow.”
Flicking a glance in her direction, Recker’s grin faltered. “His mission was to get you to StoneCrow. My mission is to get you to Glacier. He’ll be okay, I swear. Besides,” he jerked his chin toward the road in front of them. “We’re nearly to the Blackbird compound. Aren’t you excited to see your friends?”
And that was the problem. She wasn’t excited at all. She was worried about Baymac and missing him horribly.
“Two of StoneCrow’s finest Walker Sentries, escorting a human to visit friends.” James sighed in the back seat sounding deflated. “I wonder what the non-lame Walkers are doing today.”
Recker shot him a look in the rearview mirror, but Grace was back to thinking about Baymac and that worry was eating at her insides. She started to sweat a little on her nose and then her belly suddenly felt like she’d downed a bottle of whiskey. “Pull over.” At first her voice was quiet like she wasn’t quite sure, and then she spoke more urgently as one hand flattened on her belly and the other went to her mouth. “Pull over!”
Recker shot her a look but did as told. The truck had barely come to a stop before Grace threw the door open and dropped out of the vehicle, retching on her hands and knees on the side of the road.
Booted feet crunched through the snow as Recker hurried around the truck to her. A slight whirr sound filled the air and just as Recker bent to ask if she was okay James poked his head out the back window and said, “Gross!” He rolled his window back up and didn’t even bother getting out to check on her.
“Grace! Are you hurt? Did you hit your head in the accident?”
“No.” She spit a few times and steadied her breathing, noting how her hands clenched in the snow and her arms shook. “I’m fine. Just worried about Mac is all.” Easing back to sit on her heels she cleared her throat and then shoved a handful of snow in her mouth to chew and swish around before spitting it out.
“I told you that he’s gonna be fine.”
Watery eyes glanced at Recker as he reached down and helped her up.
“James!” he barked. “Contact Haka and see if Baymac’s come around yet.”
The back window opened a crack and James said, “Fine”, then rolled the window back up.
Grace looked at the truck. “He’s kind of a douche.”
“Nah,” Recker grinned. “He’s pissed because he had to come with me. Delain and Bodi were making a new batch of homebrew today and James wanted to try and smuggle some June berries into the mix.”
The back window rolled down again, but this time all the way and James pinned Recker with a dark look. “Chokecherries! It was chokecherries, man! And it makes sense. If the hops comes from Montana and chokecherries are native to this area then voila! Best beer ever!” He snapped his eyes, flipped Recker off, and started rolling the window up, muttering, “Baymac’s still out. They’re almost to Apex.”
“Apex? What’s Apex?” Alarm filled Grace’s tone. “Is it a hospital?” Lifting a hand to her head she rushed to her door. “Oh my God, this is my fault. He was trying to keep me pinned to my seat and couldn’t protect himself. We gotta get to the hospital.”
Recker covered her hand that was on the door handle with his own. She jerked back and he smiled knowingly, opening the door. “Easy, lady. Not putting the moves on you. I know you’re Mac’s.” He opened the door. “Get in.”
She did and when Recker was finally settled in the seat beside her, she was pissed because both he and the now whistling James in the back seat completely lacked the urgency that was coursing through her. “Drive!” she barked. “We need to get to the hospital.”
“Can we stop in Browning for Indian tacos?”
Grace turned in her seat and gave James the meanest glare she could muster. “We aren’t stopping to eat! We’re going to the hospital.”
Recker put the truck in gear and eased back onto the road. “Apex isn’t a hospital. It’s like StoneCrow, just…not.”
“What?” she snapped, her face scrunching in confusion.
“Apex is a Skin Walker compound,” Recker supplied. “It’s like StoneCrow, only…”
“Funner.” James cut in. “It’s not all full of women and babies and shit. I mean, Aries is there but she’s not like a real women. Well, she is a real woman, but not a woman woman.”
Grace looked at Recker and mouthed, “What?”
“Apex is where Baymac typically resides. Most of us live at either at StoneCrow or Apex. Monroe and Apex’s dominant, Tyce, don’t really get along too well, and they’re both dominants, so they need their own space. Apex is close to Glacier.”
“And that’s where they took Baymac? Does Apex have an infirmary like StoneCrow?”
“Yeah,” James grabbed her seat and pulled himself forward leaning between the seats and resting his arms on the middle console. “But instead of a Dr. Arkinson, we’ve got a Dr. Ames. Pyper Ames. Hot as fuck but crotchety as all hell. If you like to eat pie, don’t even bother wasting your time with her. She ain’t giving it up.”
Grace’s eyes rounded and her jaw dropped open as she looked from James to Recker.
“Yeah,” Recker scrubbed a hand down his face. “Sorry about h
im. The longer he goes without doing ‘cool things’ the worse he gets.”
James sat back in his seat. “What? You don’t know. She could be a muff diver.”
“I am not a…a…diver or a pie eater unless it’s apple.” She turned and pointed a finger at James. “You’re sick, you know that?”
James lifted his chin haughtily, his eyes thinning to proud little slits. “Thanks.”
“It wasn’t a compliment!”
Recker just laughed and shook his head. “Don’t waste your time, Grace. There’s no hope for him. But look.” He jerked his chin toward the road. “We’re here.”
Grace turned to eye the structure in the distance, and it felt like her belly dropped out. Her hand lifted to cover her mouth and Recker slid her a glance. “Need me to stop?”
She shook her head, breathing in deeply to settle her nerves. Why did it feel like showing up at the Blackbird compound was the end of her and Baymac? And why did that bother her so much?
“Lady! You better not barf in here ‘cause I got shotgun back and I’m not riding in a funked up seat, so…”
Grace pinched her eyes shut and tried to remember the last time she’d wanted to punch a guy in his junk this badly.
Chapter 23
Recker pulled the truck to a stop behind a line of vehicles and Grace’s belly flip flopped because there was a line of people standing outside in the snow staring at them as if they’d been expecting them. Her eyes locked on Kya and relief hit hard.
Not waiting for Recker to cross and let her out, Grace shoved her door open and then Kya was rushing her. “Kya!” she breathed, hugging up her friend good and tight.
“Damn, it’s good to see you, girl!” Kya pulled back and studied her face. “Christ! You okay? You’re pale as a ghost.”
“Had an accident getting her here. She’s a little shook up.”
Grace watched as Recker approached Dell, the Alpha of the Blackbird pack, and his Beta/brother, Briggs. The men shook hands and spoke quietly. She grinned when James’ pissy demeanor vanished when Blackbird pack member, Pony, stepped out of the house and rushed James, tackling him into the snow. The two wrestled and laughed.
“Dick-sicle! Whatcha doin’ in my territory?”
James laughed and shoved Pony off him. “I’m on a mission, fuck face. You remember those right?”
Pony guffawed. “Delivering a human female? That’s a mission nowadays? Pass!”
Dell’s mate Chloe stepped out of the back door wiping her hands on a towel, her eyes landing on Grace. “So glad you made it, Grace. Welcome home!” She turned to Dell. “Baby, get our guests inside. Let’s get everyone fed.”
And that easily, Grace was welcomed into the Blackbird pack. It was more humbling and painful than she ever imagined anything could be.
Recker and James left after the meal and it felt like they took a part of Grace with them. After four weeks at StoneCrow, it had grown to feel like home and they’d come to feel like her people. Kya misunderstood Grace’s gloom and thought Grace was still pining for Otto. As they sat on the bed in what was now Grace’s room, Kya attempted to soothe her.
“Don’t worry, Dell’s acted quickly.” She grinned excitedly. “Tomorrow, there’ll be shifter battles to find you a worthy mate.”
“Shifter battles?”
“Yeah!” Kya beamed. “You didn’t think I was going to just let Briggs and Dell offer you up to anyone, did you? Nope. Several of the most fierce and eligible males have been pulled from Montana and surrounding states. Even Chief from British Columbia is coming!” She clapped giddily before turning serious. “We’re going to find you a worthy mate, Grace. No more of this hands on women bullshit! No more cheating either. Doesn’t work that way for wolves.”
With a belly full of bannock and bean soup, Grace felt like she needed to throw up all over again. “But…”
Kya’s eyes rounded as they studied Grace. “Whoa, take it easy. Are you gonna be sick?” She raced to retrieve a trash bin from where it rested beside the door. “Here!” She shoved the bin into Grace’s hands. “I know what you’re thinking! Don’t worry. No one expects you to just accept the victor. You two will court and if there’s no spark, we’ll try again. No one’s gonna force this, Grace. We’ll find someone you actually like. It’s gonna be okay.”
But Grace’s head was spinning. All she could think about was Baymac and how he was doing. “Can Dell contact Apex and find out if the Sentry injured in our car accident is okay? His name is Baymac.”
“Sure.” But Kya was leaning forward and watching her warily. “Hey! You alright?”
Grace nodded. She needed to be alone. “I need to rest. It’s been a long day.” And tomorrow promised to be equally as grueling. Was she actually expected to watch the shifter battles?
“Yeah.” Kya stood. “You do need your rest. There’ll be four matches tomorrow and then we’ll have semi-finals, break for lunch, and then we’ll crown a victor out of the final two.” She fist pumped the air. “God! I love shifter battles! Packs are coming from everywhere to watch! It’s gonna be epic! I gotta get back to the kitchen to help prepare for all the shifters coming. You rest, yeah? When I find out word about the Skin Walker, I’ll come up and let you know.”
Grace nodded numbly as Kya exited the room. Epic? She snorted.
Alone, Grace raced to the bathroom and puked up her dinner as worry for Baymac and worry over her future settled over her. She hated this! She didn’t want shifters fighting over her. She didn’t want anyone bleeding over the prospect of having her. Her thoughts shot to Baymac and she wondered if he knew what was in store for her here at the Blackbird compound.
“Baymac,” she breathed his name and pinched her eyes shut praying he was okay.
***
Baymac woke feeling like shit. His head hurt, his throat was dry, and his tongue felt like someone had covered it with a sock, but something was plaguing him. There was this urgency tearing at his insides like he’d forgotten about something. Sitting up, he moaned.
“Holy fuck, bro!” James sat on a chair in the infirmary watching him with one cheek stuffed up like a squirrels while he spit shells into an empty sunflower seed bag. “You’ve been out all night!” He cracked a seed between his teeth and then spit the shells out before continuing. “Pretty Pyper said if you were a human you’d be dead.” He grinned and flecks of shells and seeds coated his teeth. “Dead, bro! Cool right?”
Baymac massaged his temple a moment before his hand stilled, his eyes slamming open. “Grace!” He hopped off the table and his legs nearly gave out.
James rushed to catch him and dropped his bag in the process, covering the floor in damp shells. “Shit! Gotta crawl before you can walk, man. Wait for Doc Ames! Grace is fine. Me and Recker got her to the Blackbird’s, so you’re good. Mission complete.”
Mission? She didn’t feel like a mission anymore, and he was more angry and upset than he should be at the fact that she was gone.
“Grace,” he breathed her name and his world suddenly felt empty. Maybe he was still too injured. Glancing up he growled, “Get Pyper.”
James studied him a moment before nodding and turning serious as he hurried from the exam room.
Baymac lifted a hand and fisted his halo. Something was wrong. He felt…off. Straightening to his full height, he steadied himself using the med bed he’d been laying on as he slowly took stock. Nothing hurt really. He rolled his neck on his shoulders, but there was this sense of urgency that he couldn’t shake. It intensified every time he thought of Grace. Grace. Her name kept playing on a loop over and over in his head. Grace. Grace.
Suddenly, his memory flooded back and sucked the air from his lungs. Just before he’d passed out it had been there. That blinding light, the ethereal whine from his halo. Grace Rowland was his fucking Angel!
Chest heaving, panic tore through him. Where is she?
Closing his eyes, he concentrated and contacted Recker through the mist. “Where’s Grace Rowland?”
> “Hey, man! You alright? You took a nasty knock to the head.”
“Where the fuck is Grace?”
“O-kay. She’s in Glacier. Where she’s supposed to be! She’s no longer your concern and don’t go chasing her down. The wolf shifters have already started their battles. By tonight, she’ll belong to one of them, Baymac. Baymac?”
James and Dr. Ames entered the exam room, but Baymac was gone.
Chapter 24
The first two rounds of battle were already complete. Grace had watched one fight before the violence had been too much and she’d tucked tail and made a beeline for the house. Now, pacing the kitchen with a thumbnail clamped between her teeth, she was terrified. Tonight she’d meet the victor and they’d “test their compatibility” as Kya had called it. She didn’t know what that meant and she was afraid to find out. For the hundredth time since she’d arrived, she wished Baymac were here with her.
Baymac. For a second Grace’s world tilted as she thought about him and wondered whether or not he was okay. James and Recker hadn’t given her an update before they’d left and things at the Blackbird compound were so hectic right now that she didn’t want to have to bother someone to call Apex on her behalf.
Her head was spinning. Everything was just too much right now. Everything was happening too fast, and the waves of nausea crashing over her didn’t help. Maybe she had been hurt in the car wreck because she’d felt ill since the accident. She lifted a hand to her head.
“You alright?” Kya asked from the stove where she was stirring one of four gigantic pots of soup mama had called bullets that would feed all the shifters who’d arrived to watch the battles.
Hell no, she wasn’t alright. It was nearly Christmas and right now life was supposed to be full of magic and happiness and merriment, not fear and worry and regret. Grace shook her head. “Do…do you all have an infirmary?”
“Like Apex and StoneCrow? No!” Worry filled Kya’s tone, and she pulled the spoon from the pot and set it on a plate before pacing to Grace. “But we’ve got Mama. Are you okay? Do you want me to get her?”
