“Boone, get down here,” he heard Marcus shout from the main floor.
Clifford’s bear snarled. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he acted on instinct, not even knowing what he was doing or why. Lori gasped, then screamed as Clifford threw himself at the window. The glass shattered. He twisted to catch the impact of the breaking glass. As he did so, a white light flashed. A shockwave hit him hard, sending him flying backward.
He landed hard in the yard, rolling over several times. He held Lori tight. One arm was around her neck and head, keeping it tucked in to avoid hurting her, while the other kept her stomach firmly against his. He could feel the babies moving through her belly. Smoke belched from the bedroom where they had been seconds before.
A bomb.
His bear roared and surged to the surface. Bright white fur sprouted over his body. The only thing that came to his mind was that one of Bauman’s men must have infiltrated Marcus’ group. They were in danger. Lori was in danger.
Lori coughed and he let go of her. His hands, ending in claws, trailed down her back, checking for damage. Her eyes were wide as she stared past him at the safehouse. Not so safe, was it?
“Are you hurt?” Even his voice held traces of the bear. Growls, low and deep.
She clutched at her arm. Blood welled between her fingers. She gasped as a roar broke through the air. Clifford’s head whipped around to see Marcus’ bears fighting with a dozen other bears. Flashes of white fur showed him Natasha and Hayley. Serena shouted. And three more bears, ones Clifford didn’t recognize, hurtled towards him and Lori.
“Run,” Clifford whispered.
“Clifford—”
He ignored Lori’s panicked tone and threw himself forward. His muscles rippled and his bear punched through the last of his defenses. It took over his body, and he was more than happy to let it. Snarls ripped up his throat as he took a stance to stand against the bears charging him down. Their leader threw back his head and let out a noise like a laugh.
Bauman.
Clifford waited until the last moment before flinging himself forward. He clawed one of them in the face and bit down hard on the other’s ear while using his body to block Bauman. Two more bears broke from the main fight and charged at them. Bauman ripped his claws into Clifford’s side. The pain was blinding. He was knocked off his feet. Bauman’s henchmen turned to face the newcomers. They met with a clash that shook the ground while Bauman drove in at Clifford’s throat. Clifford held him back and kicked his belly.
You die today, he thought, and then thought nothing at all. Pure rage and instinct took over as he pushed his attacker away and rolled back to his feet.
The rest of the fighting was too far away to worry about. Clifford and Bauman sized each other up, rumbling warnings to each other. Bauman’s small eyes were positively alight with glee. He feigned right, and Clifford followed him. When he feigned left, Clifford dodged in. His teeth clenched in Bauman’s flank. A crushing blow on his already injured side made him release his prey with a roar.
Bauman rose on his hind legs and made to jump over Clifford. Clifford, a smaller bear but more agile, rolled himself into Bauman. The other bear made a surprised noise as he crashed down onto his back. A gunshot ripped through the air. Clifford ignored it as he lunged, mouth open wide as he reached for Bauman’s throat.
A heavy paw crashed into the side of his face. It knocked him off balance and Bauman’s jaw clenched onto his shoulder. Pain flashed through his body, making him shout. His paws swung at Bauman, but Bauman was already gone. His claws tore great chunks of grass from the ground. He stumbled as he turned, trying to get his bearings again. Bauman allowed him no luxury. He rammed Clifford hard in the side, knocking him down again.
Bauman’s muzzle dripped with blood. Clifford swung his body around in a way that a bear’s spine was not meant to move. He felt the sharp pain run down his back but was able to kick hard into Bauman’s face. His claws sunk in close to the other bear’s eye and Bauman stumbled back. He shook his head, spreading great drops of blood every which way.
Clifford got to his feet again. It was painful to move. He glanced at where Lori had been as he planted his feet. There was no sign of her. That was good–right?
Bauman let out a roar–then turned his back and raced for the road. Clifford was so shocked that he didn’t move for several seconds. By the time he recovered and started after Bauman, another bear leaped in his way. He rammed Clifford hard in the chest, sending him backward again. Bauman’s bear retreated and the man jumped naked into a car. It tore away as Clifford fended off the bear attacking him.
Panic rose up his throat, releasing in a plaintive call, even though he was uncertain what was happening. The bear knocked him off his feet–and took off as well. A huge black bear suddenly appeared out of nowhere and leaped on the bear that had attacked Clifford. Huge claws and teeth soon had the other bear shifting and screaming that he surrendered.
Clifford stumbled to his feet. The wind brushed against his naked skin, making him shiver. He glanced down at himself in surprise. He hadn’t realized that he had shifted back to his human form. The pain was blinding, but he stumbled back toward the safehouse. Natasha and Hayley were both injured and Tristen lay on the ground with a medic over him, patching up a wound that gushed blood.
“Lori,” he called.
From the middle of the group, Serena burst out. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. She clung to him, sobbing, as his gaze searched the gathered people. But no, Lori wouldn’t be over here. She ran in the opposite direction.
Clifford turned and Serena held him tighter. “We’ll get her back. Uncle, we are going to get her back. I don’t care what it takes, we’re not going to lose her.”
There was no sign of Lori. Nowhere. His knees trembled and he collapsed. Serena held him up for a moment, but she wasn’t strong enough for his weight. He fell to the ground, his stomach churning as he clawed at the ground. So that was what it was about. Bauman hadn’t been trying to kill him with this attack. He had only wanted to distract him. To let his companions get Lori. And now that she was in his clutches…
“Clifford.” Natasha murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t touch me.” Clifford flinched back from her as though her touch was a branding iron. “She’s gone. He’s going to kill her.”
He had failed. He promised Lori that he’d protect her and all it took was one attack… He should have been more careful. Should have taken her far away from here. Should have gone somewhere with only people he knew he could trust implicitly. If he had been smart, if he had acted with half a brain, then she’d still be in his arms. She wouldn’t be out there in the hands of his greatest enemy.
“If he was going to kill her, he would have already.” Marcus grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. Marcus’ expression was grim. “They weren’t trying to kill. This was an abduction. I’ve been involved in them before. Bauman is going to hold her for ransom. Otherwise, he would have set off that bomb while you were still in the room, not start a fire first. She’s not dead. Not yet. We still have a chance, here.”
Clifford straightened. A chance. Any chance was good enough. Determination flared through him and he nodded, gritting his teeth. Bauman would die for this. If this was the end–well, he was going to go out with a bang.
Chapter Fifteen
The babies were kicking. That was the only comfort Lori had. Her back ached terribly from the attack and her pelvis felt like something had probably broken. She shivered as she sat on the bed in a dark room. Bauman had given her a brief look before he had ordered her locked up. Since then, she had been given a pair of scrubs that were too large, but better than the bathrobe. Nothing else. No food, no water, and she hadn’t seen anybody.
What were they going to do? Cut her open and make her watch her babies die? Shoot her in the head and leave her body for Clifford to find? Or did Bauman have something more sinister in mind for her?
Once more she glanced around her room. There was one window, high in the wall and far too small for her to be able to squeeze through. Sunlight streamed through it, letting her see what was in the room with her; the bed, which had a single blanket and a flat pillow. Nothing else. Lori didn’t recall hearing the door be locked, but she was too afraid to try her luck with it. What if there was a guard outside the door with orders to kill her if she tried anything?
Bauman wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to take her just to let her escape that easily.
Lori jumped, her heart pounding in her throat, when the door opened. Bauman, dressed now with a couple of bandages on his arms, entered. He was a huge man, bigger even than Tristen, and had a terrible gleam in his eye that made Lori shrink back against the bed. She shuddered as he leered at her.
“So, this is the weak little human Clifford has chosen to mate with. I should have known you’d be nothing special. He probably doesn’t care two whits about you, just wants you as an incubator for his sperm.”
This was the man who had threatened to kill her for being pregnant. What plans did he have now? More importantly–why hadn’t he already killed her? Her heart pounded shallowly. There was something he wanted from her. If she could figure out what that was and use it against him, she might have a chance at survival in this after all.
She cleared her throat and threw back her shoulders. She looked Bauman in the eye, which seemed to surprise him. He arched a brow at her. If he wanted her small and simpering, he ought to have picked someone without her past. She was done cowering before men who thought that she was only worth her body. She was done with people thinking that they knew her at a glance. She was done with feeling like they were right, that she was weak and worthless.
Her eyes narrowed at him as she got to her feet. “You’re Mark Bauman?”
Bauman covered up his surprise and smiled at her. “And you are Lori Rowlands.”
“I have to say, I’m surprised that you’re real.” Lori tried to make her voice confident. “I thought you were something that Boone made up as an excuse to keep me as his hostage. I am not his mate,” she added for good measure. “As you said, I’m just the incubator.”
Bauman cocked his head to one side, silent.
Lori hesitated for a moment before plunging ahead. She needed to do whatever was necessary to keep the babies alive. “Before you get any funny ideas, I didn’t want to get pregnant. Boone must have poked holes in the condoms we used. And then he went and kidnapped me. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get away from him for months now. So, if you think that killing me is going to hurt him, you can forget about it.”
“Huh.” Mark studied her. “Well, either you’re an excellent liar or just a slut. I’ve been watching you with the Boones for quite some time. You have certainly been acting like a woman in love.”
Her babies stilled and for a horrific moment, Lori was certain she was dead. She pressed one hand to her abdomen as pain lanced through her back. “I have to pretend, I was afraid what Boone was going to do to me. If I didn’t play his sick games, he’d take my babies away from me. They’re not his children, their mine. I am not going to let him rip them from me, I will kill him if he tries!”
She ended with a shout. Bauman laughed. “You are an excellent liar. But I don’t believe you. You see, you overplayed your hand. You aren’t capable of killing.”
“Give me a knife and we’ll see.”
Bauman cocked his head. “That’s what I thought. You love him. You hate me. And I am going to take your children away from you, Lori, unless you do something for me. Accuse Boone of raping you and holding you prisoner. Do that, and I will allow you to leave alive. I’ve tried to kill him and the rest of them, but they survive. I don’t know what it is about the Boones, they always manage to wiggle their way out of what they deserve. But if his lady love betrays him and tears down his life’s work, then—”
He tensed suddenly. His head whipped around. Lori froze. In the distance she heard… Was that a roar? Bauman cursed. Glowing eyes turned on her and he started forward–Lori reacted on instinct. She grabbed the pillow and hurled it at Bauman. As he struck it aside, she leaped forward and smashed her palm into his nose. The bear yelped and stumbled as she raced for the door.
The roar behind her made her go faster. Something hard hit the wall, crashing it open. Lori glanced back once to see Bauman in his bear form shaking debris from his fur. She looked ahead of herself just in time to collide with a wall of muscle. She screamed, trying to yank herself away. The brute that had his arms around her spun her; he put himself between her and the angry bear. Her eyes widened as they trailed up to his face.
“Clifford! How did you find me?”
“Later,” he breathed, and tore himself away from her.
Lori froze with shock as his form changed. His beautiful white bear burst forward. His clothes were flung around in shreds as he rammed into Bauman. Just like she had been at the safehouse, she couldn’t move. Horror rooted her to the spot at the sheer violence of the clash. Fur flew everywhere. White fur turned red. With Clifford’s blood or Bauman’s? She didn’t know.
Bauman grabbed Clifford by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the wall. It cracked. Plaster rained from the ceiling. A large chunk hit Bauman in the head and he reared back. He shook his head, panting. It gave Clifford enough time to glance back at her. He let out a plaintive cry, and that was all she needed.
It was as though she was suddenly thrown back into her body. A jolt of pain made her stumble as she moved backward. Bauman and Clifford began fighting again. Lori turned and fled. She wasn’t going to waste her chance like she had at the safehouse. She rushed down the stairs. One arm was wrapped loosely around her belly. It felt… big. Stretched out. Like her skin was about to split and her babies would come pouring out.
One of the babies kicked her hard in the ribs, repeatedly, as if it was telling her to move faster. Lori sagged against the wall for a moment as that jolting pain in her spine wrapped around her stomach. Everything seemed to squeeze, making it hard for her to breath. Sweat popped out of her forehead. She wanted to scream, but the fierce sounds of fighting stopped her from making a noise.
She couldn’t distract Clifford. She had to get out, to take the chance he was giving her. But she wasn’t going to scream or call for help. One distraction and Bauman would kill him.
The last couple of steps made her feel like she was tumbling headfirst down a sheer cliff, but Lori made it. Her breath came in quick gasps as she straightened to take her bearings.
One of the bears that had grabbed her at the safehouse stood in the hallway at the end of the stairs. He paused when he saw her, eyes widening. Then there was a loud crash from above them and fury twisted his face. Lori’s lungs caught in her chest as he started forward. For a brief moment she was frozen, but then her fight or flight instinct kicked in. Adrenaline flooded her system and she ran blindly.
“Get back here! Behave yourself and your death will be quick, little human!”
From somewhere above them, Clifford roared in pain and fury.
Lori darted into the nearest room. The kitchen. A large knife sat near the sink and she ran for it. The bear crashed in close behind. He grabbed her arm just as she grabbed the knife. She whirled, striking out. The knife sunk deep into the bear’s stomach. His eyes widened. Lori didn’t stick around to see what happened next.
She bolted from the kitchen in time to see Marcus and Tristen both charge up the stairs. Seconds later Clifford stumbled down them. He was soaked in blood but made a beeline for her. The bear in the kitchen roared, but Lori didn’t care. With a cry of relief, she rushed to Clifford. Another pain wrapped around her, making her cry out. Clifford gripped her arm gently in his teeth and tugged on her.
She understood what he wanted and when he crouched, she scrambled onto his back. Everything was moving in and out of focus. Lori clung to her bear, digging her fingers into his fur. Tears started to stream from h
er face. Clifford burst from the house and raced across an open yard. Natasha and Hayley waited in a car, calling out their names.
Clifford shifted just before they entered the vehicle. He stuffed her in unceremoniously, then jumped in after her. Lori wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as her mind continued to go in circles. He pulled her tight against him as they pulled away. There were dozens of bears out there fighting, but Lori couldn’t make herself tell them to stop, to say they needed to help the bears they were leaving behind.
“Clifford,” she gasped as more pain stole her breath.
“It’s okay. We’re here. Marcus was able to trace Bauman because of the bomb he used against the matriarch. It was his mistake. We knew exactly where to come for you. He’s not going to get away, human police are coming as we speak to arrest them. And you’re safe now. Nothing can go wrong.” He kissed her hard.
“No!” Lori grabbed his collar. Her eyes were wild as she stared him in the eye. “Clifford–I’m in labor!”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“The babies are coming.”
“I… I… what do I do?” His voice rose in pitch. “You can’t be in labor, it’s too early!”
Another pain hit her, making her scream. “No! No, you can’t come now!” Both of her hands pressed to her stomach as she started to sob. Fear and panic made her helpless to do anything else. “Don’t come yet, you’re too little. Oh, God! I’m losing them. I’m losing the babies. They won’t survive if they’re born now.”
“They’re six months.” Natasha leaned halfway into the backseat. “Six months is old enough to survive, especially in shifters. Don’t panic. They’re going to be fine. And you’re going to be fine.”
Her words were a comfort, but Lori’s gaze remained on Clifford’s face. His skin was white, his eyes wide. She could see the same panic in his eyes that was overwhelming her, and it made it difficult to breathe. He clutched at her. The pains kept coming. Tears poured down Lori’s face. At some point Clifford turned his face away and she became aware that she was speaking.
The Bear Shifter's Baby Page 9
