by Ruby Shae
They’d find his mate, and if she was harmed in any way, all hell would break loose.
***
Lily glanced at the man next to her in the driver’s seat, and tried to fight the fear that swamped her. After two weeks alone and sad, she’d stupidly agreed to let her friend Jeanette fix her up with one of her many male friends. It hadn’t taken her long to realize this man and his friends weren’t taking her to dinner, but she’d been trapped since the moment she’d gotten in the car.
Earlier that evening, she’d known her date was all wrong for her as soon as he’d picked her up, but she ignored her gut feeling and followed him out to his car.
The thirty minute drive to the city had been filled with questions about her bear, many of which she’d refused to answer, and she’d decided that as soon as they stopped at the restaurant, she’d run. Unfortunately, he stopped at someone’s home instead, and two more men filled the car.
When they’d pulled up at the house, he’d honked the horn and then jumped out of the driver’s seat and leaned against her door, making it impossible for her to escape. She’d carefully dug through her purse for her phone, and then quickly texted the last person she’d called, switched off the volume and slid the phone into the cubbyhole on the door.
She still held her purse when he returned to his seat, but that didn’t last long. He turned the car around, rolled down his window and tossed her purse into the street.
“You won’t be needing that anymore,” he’d said.
The three men laughed, and she made a point not to look in the direction of her stashed phone. She hoped the message went through spelled correctly, and that Caroline could understand it.
They raced through the streets of the city until they were back on the highway, heading in the direction of Bear Canyon, but she knew they weren’t taking her home. After about ten minutes, they took an exit that led to an open clearing, surrounded by a wooded area. In the center of the clearing, charred remains of a building littered the ground.
She planned on jumping out and shifting into her bear form as soon as the car stopped, but without warning, the man in the seat behind her snapped a silver collar around her neck.
Silver was the only metal that could hold a shifter. Though they were stronger than humans in both forms, they couldn’t escape the precious metal, and they couldn’t shift if it touched their skin.
“Don’t look so surprised, you little bitch,” the driver said. “You didn’t really think we’d give you the chance to shift and run away, did you?”
“She did,” one of the men in the back, laughed. “You can totally see it on her face.”
The two men in the back exited the car, and the driver leaned over and tightened his hand on her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“We’re not stupid,” he sneered. “We can’t have any fun if you go all furry and try to eat us. Besides, no one wants to fuck an animal, but we don’t want you to die a virgin either. I’m sure a fatty like you will be a good ride.”
He shoved her head away, and her head bounced off the window in the door. Shards of pain raced through her temple, and momentarily blurred her vison. Before she could recover, one of the men from the back opened her door, grabbed her hair and pulled her out of the car.
He pushed her down onto her knees, held her in place with bruising force, and rubbed his denim covered package all over her face while laughing hysterically. The rancid smell surrounding him nearly made her gag, but she held her breath and tightened her fist.
She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“I can’t wait to force my dick down your throat,” he said, stepping away from her. She took a deep breath, punched him in the balls as hard as she could, and then ran back toward the highway.
The other two men were talking on the other side of the car, but they took off running when she did. She could hear their footsteps gaining on her, and one of them, the driver, tackled her to the ground. Pebbles and rocks dug into her skin as they slid across the gravel road and wrestled until she was pinned on her back with him on top of her.
He held her arms down with his knees and punched her in the face three times before his friend caught up to them with the rope. Pain surged around her eyes and nose, and she tasted blood in her mouth.
“Hey, lay off,” the friend said, out of breath. “She can’t suck dick if she’s unconscious.”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” the driver said. “You two don’t know what you’re missing by not forcing it up the ass.”
He flipped her over, and she felt more rocks and dirt scrape against her exposed skin and mix with the blood dripping down her face. Pain caused her eyes to water, and she couldn’t stop the silent tears from racing down her cheeks.
“I will get mine now,” he said. “On your knees, fatass.”
He whipped her with something, she guessed rope, across her thighs and she opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound filled the air. She didn’t move, refusing to make it easy for him, but she couldn’t have budged even if she’d wanted to. She was barely conscious and felt herself giving up as pain mixed with exhaustion and fear.
She closed her eyes and Drew filled her mind, flanked by Luke and Joe. She thought about the ad she’d found in his study, but suddenly the words had a new meaning. They weren’t a crude and distasteful way to search for a bride; they were sexy and private, and meant for her eyes only. They described their relationship perfectly, and she was privileged to see a glimpse of the way she looked through his eyes.
She didn’t cry because she was afraid of dying, she cried because she knew she’d never see Drew again, and she would never be able to return the favor. He would never know how much she loved him, or understand how much she regretted not trusting him.
“I said, up,” the man yelled, and hit her across her thighs again.
“Shhh,” the second man said. “I heard something.”
“No you didn’t,” the driver said. “Go check on Jennings, I’ve got things covered here.”
“I know I heard something,” the man said. “It sounded like a car door slamming.”
“You’re an idiot,” the driver said. “Get the fuck out of here.”
The man turned to walk away and she felt the ground rumble beneath her face. No human could move the earth like that, and she smiled as the roars of two angry bears filled the air.
The weight of the man on top of her suddenly disappeared, and she succumbed to the darkness.
Chapter Five
Drew pushed a piece of Lily’s hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. After an overnight stay in the hospital, she’d been released for home care with twenty-four hour surveillance. If her condition worsened, or if she didn’t wake every six hours for medication, they needed to take her to the emergency room.
She’d woken every six hours like clockwork, barely coherent and wincing in pain. After applying the ointment to her thighs, he’d coerce her to swallow the medicine with a full glass of water, and then he’d place a bag of frozen peas over her eyes and nose in three twenty minute intervals.
Her wounds had healed some, but not enough, and he felt as if his heart would break if she didn’t stay awake soon.
Joe walked into his guest bedroom and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Take a break, son,” he said. “I’ll take over for a while.”
Drew glanced at Lily, and then at Joe, his indecision evident.
“Trust me,” the old bear said, smiling softly, “she’s not going anywhere.”
“Thank you,” Drew said, and left the room.
He wandered into his bedroom and lay down on top of the covers. Between sitting by Lily’s side, and reporting and investigating her attack, he’d had very little sleep over the last seventy two hours.
He closed his eyes, and images from the night of her assault filled his brain. For as long as he lived, he’d never forget the scene before him when he and Luke charged through the trees and into the clearing.
When they found her, one man had her pinned face down on the gravel road, another was running away from them, and a third was holding his crotch, leaning against the car.
Drew pulled the man off Lily and attacked while Luke took care of the other two men. In the end, there were no witnesses and the remains of her attackers were barely identifiable.
He wasn’t worried about being convicted, or losing his job, because they were protected under the laws in place to protect abused and tortured shifters. When Lily was well enough to make a statement, he’d document her side of the story and close the case.
In the meantime, he’d questioned and investigated Jeanette, and worked with the city police to educate them on the reality of shifter hate crimes. Even though the government had passed laws to protect shifters, and created towns for them to live in safely, the hatred by some still lingered and would probably never fully dissolve.
He grimaced when he remembered seeing the bloody capris stuck to her body, and then untying her wrists and rolling her over in the gravel. Rocks and pebbles stuck to her bloody, swollen face. Her eyes were black, her nose had been broken and they’d attached a silver collar around her neck.
He couldn’t stop the tears as he carried her limp body to the car, and laid her down on the backseat. Luke cut the collar off with a pair of bolt cutters and then they sped back to the emergency room at the hospital in Bear Canyon.
Earlier that day, Luke had called Joe to alert him about Lily’s depression, and the man had arrived and waited with Caroline while he and Luke tracked her down. He’d been afraid her father would throw him out, knowing Lily’s mood had somehow been his fault, but instead the man hugged him and reassured him she would survive.
“They’re fighters, my kids,” Joe had said. “She won’t give up, son.”
As much as he hurt from her dismissal, and eventual date with another man, he understood her reasons, even if they were unfounded. If they had been mated, her emotions would have been more stable and she wouldn’t have judged him so harshly. If she gave him another chance, she’d never doubt his love again.
“Drew,” Joe whispered.
Drew opened his eyes and looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He glanced up at Joe, and as everything came flooding back, he realized he must have fallen asleep.
“Lily?” he asked.
“She’s awake, son.”
Relief and fear swamped him, and he sat up slowly, unsure of his next move. He wanted to see her, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or anxious.
“Does she remember what happened? Does she know she’s in my home?”
“She knows and she asked to see you,” Joe said. “I’m going to call Luke, and then pick up some dinner for all of us.”
“That sounds great, thank you.”
He walked down the hall and lightly rapped his knuckles on the open door before stepping inside the room. Lily sat propped up on three pillows, and he breathed a sigh of relief when her mouth turned up into a tiny smile.
Her nose was still taped, and the skin around her eyes was a combination of light brown and dark blue, but the swelling had almost disappeared and she was recognizable again.
“Hi,” he said, tentatively.
“Hi.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” she laughed halfheartedly, “but other than that, I feel okay.”
“Do you want to take some more medicine? There’s also a cream for your thighs, but your dad can put that on if you prefer.”
“I don’t mind if you put the cream on, but the medicine makes me tired,” she frowned.
“You can take ibuprofen instead,” he offered.
“I’d like that.”
“Do you want the peas?”
“I am hungry,” she smiled, “but I don’t want peas. Speaking of… I have to use the bathroom.”
“Okay,” he said, pulling back the blanket. “Ready?”
“What are you doing?” she asked as he slid his arms under her back and thighs.
“Carrying you,” he said, lifting her off the bed.
She hissed when her bandaged lashes pressed against his forearm and he inwardly cursed. He’d been trying to save her from feeling anymore pain, and inadvertently added to her plight.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay,” she reassured him. “It’s not your fault.”
He set her down inside the bathroom and stood by her side, unsure of what to do next.
“Shoo,” she said, pushing on his chest. “I can handle this part on my own.”
He resisted, but she pushed him harder and he relented. When she reemerged, she asked him to help her walk back to the bed, and he caved once again.
Her legs were wobbly and unstable, and she gripped his hand so hard he felt his bones scrunch together, but he didn’t rush her or insist on carrying her back. He understood her need for normalcy, and he felt grateful she let him help and hadn’t thrown him out yet.
When they reached the bed, she settled herself back under the covers and wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
“That was harder than I thought it would be,” she admitted.
“Only because you’ve been sleeping for two days,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
He gathered the ibuprofen and water, and returned to her side.
“Thank you, Drew. You can put the cream on now.”
He instructed her to roll over, and then he carefully pealed the medical tape holding her bandages away from her skin, and applied the cream. The bleeding had stopped the day before, and he was happy to see almost of all of the wounds had sealed themselves shut.
“They are healing well,” he said, when she sat up and faced him again.
“I love you, Drew.”
***
Lily opened her eyes and looked around the dim room.
“Hey, peanut,” her dad said, putting another pillow behind her head.
“Hi daddy.”
“How do you feel?”
“Stupid. Sore. Tired.”
Her body ached from her assault, but her heart ached for the way she’d treated her mate.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he said, kissing her forehead. “You had no way of knowing what those men planned on doing. The most important thing is you’re safe now.”
“I know that, but I shouldn’t have gone in the first place. Drew is my mate and I pushed him away over something stupid, and untrue, and then refused to tell him why.”
“That doesn’t sound like my brave girl,” Joe said, “but I’m sure he’ll forgive you. That man loves you something fierce and he’s not going anywhere unless you tell him to walk. We all make mistakes, but it’s what you do afterward that matters.”
“Is he here?”
“He is, but tread lightly. He’s had a rough couple of days,” he winked. “I’ll call your brother, and then pick us up some dinner. That should give you two a little time to talk.”
“Thanks dad.”
Lily smiled as she watched Joe leave the room. He didn’t find her until she was twelve and Luke was sixteen, but he’d loved them both with his whole heart from that day forward. She hated that she’d disappointed him, but she knew he wouldn’t love her any less.
Drew she wasn’t so sure of.
He entered the room carefully, as if not to spook her, and immediately set to taking care of her. After a trip to the restroom and the gentle application of her meds, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“I love you, Drew.”
“I love you, too,” he said.
He didn’t believe her. She could tell by the way he’d immediately looked away after repeating the sentiment. He still believed she would run as soon as she was able.
>
Little did he know, she had no plans of leaving his side ever again.
“Your dad went to get food,” he changed the subject. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving,” she laughed out loud, and then immediately closed her eyes to combat the pain racing up her nose and eyes.
“You still need to take it easy,” he said, leaning her back into the pillows and placing the bag of peas on her face. “The medicine should help, but if it doesn’t, then you’ll have to take the stuff the doctor prescribed.”
She nodded and waited for the pain to pass.
“I don’t want to upset you,” Drew hedged, the sheriff replacing her mate, “but do you remember what happened?”
“Yes. I remember it all,” she said, unemotionally.
“Did you know the man you went out with?”
“No, it was a set up by my friend Jeanette. I didn’t know any of them.”
“Do you think Jeanette knew they wanted to hurt you?”
“No,” she shook her head for added emphasis, but stopped when the pain resurfaced. “No, I don’t think she knew, and I don’t think she knew him well, either. I think she just wanted me to get out, have some fun, and stop moping around.”
“I think you’re right,” he said, and then took a deep breath. “When you feel up to it, but no later than Friday, I’m going to need a statement from you. If you don’t want to relay the details to me, I can have one of my deputies record it all, but I’ll still see it before we close the case.”
“Close the case?”
She removed the peas and looked him in the eye. He met her gaze with unapologetic determination, and she knew for sure what she’d suspected all along. He and Luke had gotten rid of her attackers for good.
She nodded and repositioned the ice.
“Your dad’s here,” he said. “I’ll get some plates, utensils and water.”
Her dad pulled another chair into the room, and the two men sat next to the edge of her bed while they all ate.
She’d found out that Drew had been by her side, applying the cream and coaxing pain pills down her throat for the past two days. When he wasn’t by her side, her dad kept watch while he’d been in the sheriff’s office filling out paperwork and playing phone tag with the city’s police department.
