by Susan Bliler
Reluctantly, Grace nodded. Something was off. Her head was spinning and as Kya raced from the room, Grace rushed to yank the garbage can from beneath the sink before she puked her guts out.
It’s how Kya, Chloe, and Mama found her when they rushed the room. Mama’s hands went to her forehead and she frowned hard. She looked from Grace to Kya. “You said she was in an accident?”
“Yeah,” Kya nodded. “A car accident I guess. It happened yesterday, on the way here. A Walker was injured.”
The revelation had Mama frowning hard. “A Skin Walker and a human female were in a car accident where he was injured and no one thought to have her checked?”
Kya shrugged but Chloe was already moving. “I’ll get on the phone to Apex and have them send Pyper. If she shifts and flies, she can be here in thirty minutes!”
****
Dr. Pyper Ames checked Grace over, flashed a light in her eyes and declared no concussion, but said without proper equipment there was no way to know if Grace had a head injury or not.
“It’s probably just nerves,” Kya soothed.
“Nerves?” Pyper asked and then turned to look at Grace. “I’m assuming you’re the one they’re fighting for out there?”
Grace nodded, eyes pinned on her hands and whispered, “I didn’t want anyone fighting over me. I didn’t know this was going to happen.”
“Well,” Pyper tapped her chin. “The stress of the battles combined with travel and your wreck on the way here, could mean your nerves are shot.” She turned to Kya. “Anyway you can call this off for the night?”
Kya snorted. “Not sure how it works with Walkers, lady, but you can’t just call off the dogs of war. Battle’s over when there’s one wolf standing.”
Grace groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!”
“Grace, honey,” Kya squeezed her shoulders. “It’s almost over. One more match and it’s all over.”
Shaking her head Grace moaned, “No. One more match and then it’s all beginning.”
Mama entered the room carrying a wooden box. She glanced at Grace, but made her way to kitchen island where she opened the box and pulled out several jars of what looked like herbs. She hummed a little and cut herself off to mutter, “Sage, licorice root.”
The women watched curiously. Kya seemed almost relieved as she made her way back to the stove and started stirring like she’d been doing earlier. Pyper stepped closer to the island and nudged her glasses higher up her nose with a finger before pointing at a jar of what looked to Kya like weeds. “Is that gopher tail?”
Mama nodded with a grin, “Very good Walker medicine woman. Very good.”
One coffee pot of hot water, one strange tea concoction, and Mama was settling a large mug in Grace’s hands. “Drink this, my girl. It’ll help.”
Grace scrunched her nose, “What is it?”
Mama just grinned. “Good medicine.”
Chapter 25
Baymac strode up to the huge circle of cheering wolf shifters. Briggs Blackbird was making an announcement, and Baymac could barely make it out over the raucous crowd.
“You all know our final two combatants well.” He turned and pointed toward one end of the circle. “Up from Colorado, a member of Evander Kane’s pack, GIVE IT UP FOR CLAY!”
The crowd cheered as Baymac shoved his way through the masses.
“And, a man who needs no introduction,” Briggs continued, turning to face the other end of the circle. “Come down from his pack up in British Columbia, the one, THE ONLY CHIEF!”
The crowd went wild and all around him bets were being placed. Baymac broke through the circle eyeing the massive wolf shifter frowning darkly at the far end of the circle. Chief. The guy was built like a brick shit house. Baymac’s brows snapped into a frown as he turned to eye the other combatant. A behemoth too, but not as large as Chief.
Rolling his head on his shoulders, Baymac lifted a hand to finger the wounds he’d gotten in the wreck. With his Walker healing they’d already sealed shut, but there was still enough of a dull throb behind his eyes to make him impatient and irritable. Without hesitation, he stepped into the center of the circle and narrowed his eyes on Briggs.
“NO!” he called out and the crowd slowly quieted as Briggs jerked his attention to Baymac.
“No?” Briggs called out. “The fuck you mean, no?”
“No one’s fighting for Grace. She’s mine!”
Briggs smirked, his eyes dipping down then back up. “Halo still around your neck says otherwise.”
Baymac clenched and unclenched his fists. “I ain’t asking, wolf. I’m telling!”
Behind Briggs the crowd parted and goddamn it all to hell if Monroe fucking StoneCrow didn’t saunter into the circle snacking on a stinking apple like he was on a Sunday stroll.
“That’s not how this works, Mac.”
“I’m afflicted,” he gritted out. “No one’s touching Grace but me!”
Monroe was shaking his head though. Even white teeth bit into the apple and silence reigned as he chewed and then swallowed before holding up a finger. “Here’s what we’ll do.” He pointed at Clay. You will fight Clay. If you win, you fight Chief. If you best him, then Grace is yours.”
Baymac snarled, “She’s already fucking mine!”
Monroe clucked his tongue, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not yet, she’s not.” Monroe turned to eye Chief. “Wolf!”
Chief tore his angry scowl from Baymac to glare at Monroe.
“You think you got what it takes to beat a Walker?”
Chief simply snorted.
“Good,” Monroe grinned and Baymac knew that grin. It was his calculating, I’ve-got-you-right-where-I-want-you grin. “Let’s make a wager shall we?”
Chief crossed thick arms over his chest and jerked his head in a ‘go-on’ gesture.
“You beat my Walker, you get Grace.”
A growl tore from Baymac, and while Chief cast him a glance, Monroe ignored it and continued. “If you lose, you come to StoneCrow and work for me for one year.”
“I ain’t losing,” Chief dropped his arms, “So whatever.”
“Do we have a deal or not?” Monroe demanded.
Chief nodded. “Deal.”
From the other end of the circle Clay called out, “What the fuck am I? Chopped liver? I’m beating both these chumps and taking the woman.”
Monroe turned and his smile broadened. “Same deal with you? You in or not?”
“Why do I need to deal?” Clay countered. “We are already fighting for the woman. You got no leverage to be setting terms.”
“Actually, he does,” Dell cut in, stepping into the circle. “If his Walker is afflicted it’s the same as one of us being stricken. He’s giving you a shot at a Walker’s Angel, boys.”
“Fine!” Clay shrugged. “I ain’t losing, so it don’t matter.”
Someone yelled impatiently from the crowd, “ARE THEY FIGHTING OR NOT?”
Baymac pinned Monroe with a hard look. “Is this what you want?” And of course it was. Monroe was going to use him to get not one, but two wolf shifters under his employ and on the Estate. For what, he had no idea and honestly didn’t care. His concern was Grace. Monroe and his fucking schemes could eat a fat donkey dick.
Turning, he faced Clay, and the shifter let a change explode through him until a massive wolf faced Baymac. Canting his head, he nearly grinned. He’d make this quick. He charged the wolf and a shift blasted through him, when all four padded feet hit the ground it was in massive grizzly bear form, and why not? He wasn’t a wolf shifter, he was a goddamn Skin Walker!
The two beasts clashed, and while Clay’s wolf was strong and fast, he was no match for a pissed off grizzly who was fighting for his mate. The bout ended quickly and Baymac didn’t even wait to watch Clay’s unconscious wolf being dragged from the circle before he turned to face Chief.
The big ass wolf shifter stood grinning and that didn’t sit well with Baymac. When a shift
shuttled through Chief, Baymac understood the shifters delight. His wolf was massive, bigger than any Baymac had ever seen, his size nearly rivaling that of Baymac’s grizzly.
Chief charged and opting for speed and strength over bulk, Baymac shifted again, this time to a massive African lion.
The beasts clashed and the impact was so great that the ground shook. Snarls and growls filled the air, and it wasn’t long before the ground was stained red with blood. Chief’s wolf was unbelievably strong, but Baymac’s lion had agility on his side. His claws dug into Chief’s skin and held tight even when Chief’s jaw clamped on Baymac’s shoulder with bone breaking strength. The wolf was fierce, but there was no way in hell Baymac was losing because losing meant relinquishing Grace, and the thought of that alone had him sinking his lion’s massive teeth into Chief’s throat. Clamping tightly, he held tightly while Chief bucked and jerked trying to break free. Wasn’t happening. It took longer than it ever had with any other opponent, but finally, Chief’s body slumped to the ground and Baymac released his hold. Turning, blood dripped from his maw as his matte black eyes locked on Monroe where the Dominant smirked and turned to whisper something to Dell. The Alpha looked pissed but nodded and Baymac couldn’t help but wonder if Grace coming here and him delivering here wasn’t all some giant scheme set up by Monroe to get two wolf shifters under his thumb. With Monroe, anything was fucking possible. Right now though he didn’t care. Shifting back to his human skin he stalked in booted feet toward Dell before demanding, “Where’s my Angel?”
Dell nodded toward the house. “Inside. I suggest you get her and go.” He eyed the circle of pissed of wolf-shifters who were all staring at each other and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. “You ruined our event and have taken something we desperately needed. I’ll calm them, but move your ass, Walker.”
Baymac shoved his way through the crowd of pissed off wolf-shifters and was making his way to the house when Monroe called out from the parking lot. “We’ll leave you a Humvee. Keys are in it. See you at StoneCrow.”
And that confirmed it, because why in the fuck would Monroe bring two vehicles to Glacier if he didn’t intend to leave one for Baymac to get Grace back to the Estate. As a matter of fact, what was Monroe even doing here at all?
All thoughts fled though when the back door was thrown open and Grace rushed out onto the porch.
“Baymac!” she cried sounding all breathless. Her frame was taut like she was having difficulty keeping herself from rushing him. “Kya said you were here.” Her brows knitted, “But why?” She took a step toward him, “Oh my God! And why are you bleeding?”
He wanted to explain things, to do it right and make it pretty and soft like Grace deserved, but the angry mob of wolf-shifters was getting louder and there just wasn’t time. He ripped his halo from his throat as he closed the distance to her, ignoring the singe of his skin as his throat was branded with his halo’s removal. Grace’s eyes dipped to his throat and her mouth fell open as her eyes rounded. She took a step back almost as if she were afraid of him, but then he was on her. One arm clamping around her while the other lifted his halo to lock it around her throat.
“What…”
“Mine!” he declared just as she gasped and her eyes widened further, her lashes fluttered and then her lids closed. He lifted her unconscious form into his arms and carried her quickly to the Humvee. He wasn’t worried about the pissed off shifters coming after him, but Grace was precious and he didn’t want to have to murder Dell’s wolves for starting shit around his Angel. His Angel! It was done, she was his.
Fifteen minutes later, he was on the highway, throat marked with a raised scar, his Angel unconscious beside him wearing his halo, and for the first time in ever, everything felt right in his world.
Chapter 26
Grace’s eyes fluttered open and the nausea was back full force. Rolling to her side, she drew her knees up and moaned long and low, pinching her eyes tight. She didn’t know where she was, and right now she didn’t care.
“Grace?”
She kept her eyes shut tight. “What’d you do to me, Mac?”
She felt the bed dip and then a large hand was smoothing the tumble of hair back from her face. “Claimed you, Angel. Doc Jenny says queasiness is normal for the first day or so. I apologize for that. If I could bear the burden for you, I gladly would.”
Eyes peeking open, Grace slid her gaze to Baymac. “Claimed me? What do you mean?”
He didn’t want to have to explain all the shit that went along with Skin Walker affliction and the gifting of his halo so he said, “I challenged the two remaining wolves for you and won.”
Her relief perfumed the air and it gutted him because he didn’t know if she was relieved that he’d saved her from an uncertain future or because she was relieved he hadn’t “claimed” her like however it was she thought of claiming.
She sat up. “I’m glad, you won.” She wasn’t looking at him though. Nervousness and hope were flitting through her in equal measure. “So…you just gonna let me stay here on the Estate?”
He was shaking his head. They needed to clear this up now. “I’m keeping you, Grace.”
A flush took her cheeks and she was still looking down, but he swore he saw a grin tweak her lips before she said, “Maybe I don’t want to be kept.”
“You wanna go back to the wolves?” It was a bluff though because there was no way in fuck that he was taking her anywhere.
“No.” She shook her head and finally looked up at him. “Honestly, I was terrified of what was going to happen. I didn’t want one of those wolves winning me. I’m no prize.”
“Wrong.” He lifted a hand and let his thumb stroke her cheek. “You are a prize, Grace, but you’re my prize.”
“Stop torturing me, Mac,” she whispered. “Tell me what this means.”
He turned and planted a hand near her hip before leaning toward her. He kept leaning so she had to lay down to avoid going nose to nose with him.
“It’s means I’m keeping you, Grace. If you agree then you’re mine. For now, for always.”
She swallowed hard.
“Yours?”
“Mine,” he snarled, a growl rattling his chest and filling the room as his eyes dipped to her chest.
She’d worn a button up shirt and when Baymac lifted his hands and undid the first button she didn’t move. His hands stilled after he popped the first few buttons, and he looked at her as if waiting for permission.
“If I’m yours then that means you’re mine too.”
He dipped his head in a nod.
“Say it,” she demanded.
“I’m yours too, Grace.”
When he didn’t move to undo anymore of her buttons, she lifted shaking hands and unbuttoned them herself before shrugging out of her shirt. She stared at the material still covering his chest and shoulders expectantly. “Now you.”
He grinned devilishly, but did as she asked. One arm lifted and bent before fisting the material between his shoulder blades and yanking it over his head in one expert move.
“I’m gonna make you come, Grace.”
She shuddered at the promise.
“I’m gonna make you come so fucking hard that you scream my name.” He stood and unbuttoned his jeans, shoved them down his legs and stepped out of them. “And I do mean, scream, Grace.”
Her eyes dipped to his erection, and she was shaking now. He stood over her expectantly so she unfastened her pants and shimmied out of them, leaving her panties on.
“Uh-uh.” Baymac bent and fisted the delicate material at her hip and jerked once, ripping her panties and exposing her wet folds.
“Mac!” She crossed her hands over her lap, a sudden wave of embarrassment taking her, but he only took advantage of the opportunity to unhook her bra and yank it down her arms.
“Turn off the light,” she squeaked out.
His devilish grin was back. “Light, no light, doesn’t matter. I’ve got Walker vision. Could
see you clearly either way.”
That had her hands splitting in attempt to cover her sex and her breasts at the same time.
He brushed her hands aside and came over her, his body shoving her knees apart and settling between her legs. “Stop hiding from me, woman. This is the best day of my life and I am going to end it by worshipping your beautiful fucking body.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Let me.”
Her body relaxed as his lips kissed their way down her throat and across her collar bone. Grace’s breathing grew ragged. “Wait!” she panted, but Baymac kept right on kissing. “Is this gonna be okay? Are we gonna be okay?”
He kept on kissing her but asked between soft little smacks, “What.” Kiss. “Do.” Kiss. “You.” Kiss. “Mean.” Kiss. “Okay?”
She was panting now as her knees lifted of their own volition. Her hips rolled against his erection and she gasped. Her hands lifted and her fingers curled into the skin of his back. “Ahh.” It took her a minute to remember. “With Mr. StoneCrow, with the Blackbirds. Will they let us be together?”
He pulled back then and frowned at her with all black eyes. “Grace, I’m already on edge because my inner beasts need to fuck you like fish need water, and you asking if the Blackbirds and Monroe have given us their blessing is killing me. The Walker in me needs to show we need no one’s permission so badly that I’m actually considering killing Monroe and all the Blackbirds to prove it. I’m on edge, Angel.” He shook his head hard once. “Don’t tempt me.”
“We don’t need anyone’s permission,” she affirmed with a curt nod.
“Good girl,” he leaned forward and pecked her on the lips.
“And you’re sure, I’m what you want?” she asked against his lips.
Baymac growled long and deep and the vibration shook her chest. “Having my dick buried inside of you has been on the forefront of my mind since our night at Kris and Mary’s.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, exposing the thick muscle on his throat as he reveled, “I could fucking come just remembering the bliss that is your pussy.”
