***
The hospital smelled like sickness and death. Maybe some would only smell the medicines and cleaners but Isaias could smell the sweet, sickly scents underneath. His stomach roiled as he paced back and forth, unable to stay still.
Holliday and Dolls had arrived soon after Adela lost consciousness. Shortly after that the ambulance arrived and she was whisked away to the hospital. He and Becky had both been driven by the cops and after they were cleaned up and their wounds taken care of, the cops had asked them extensive questions.
They had been surprised when Becky told them about Marcus, and Isaias realized that was the body that the bears had had when he arrived. But no bodies were found on sight… Marcus was a tough punk and bears could survive some pretty rough injuries. Maybe he had survived. Or maybe he had crawled away to die somewhere else.
It didn’t really matter either way.
Becky grasped his arm. "She's going to be fine. The doctors said that the bullets went clean through. Clean. That means Adela is going to be fine."
"This is my fault. I should have protected her."
"You can't protect everybody," Becky whispered. She pulled him into her arms and brushed her lips over his. "But I love that you try. I love you."
Isaias allowed himself to rest against her. Not leaning his weight onto her, but letting his turbulent emotions show on his face for the briefest of moments. He deepened the kiss, needing the comfort she gave him and closed his eyes as he rested his forehead on hers. Her arms tightened and he got the feeling that if she wasn't here, he'd collapse into nothingness. She anchored him.
"I love you, too," he whispered. "When I thought I might never see you again… I was ready to tear apart the world. If I lost you too—"
"You haven't lost anybody. She's going to make it out of surgery and everything is going to be fine."
Shouting from down the hall made him tense. He turned, crouching protectively in front of Becky. After a moment he heard the voices clearly. Nurses were telling someone to stop and the person was replying with some very strong expletives. He recognized the voice and the choice of words instantly.
"Marcus."
Isaias snarled as he tore from the room. Becky shouted after him but he ignored her. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he saw Marcus. Covered in blood, great holes in his chest still oozing, the bear dragged his naked carcass down the corridor with wide, worried eyes. When he saw Isaias, a howl tore from his lips and he lunged forward. Isaias went after him as well but Marcus stumbled, fell, and then security was there. They grabbed him securely.
"Where is she?" the other bear yelled. "Where is Adela?"
"After what you did you have no right to know," Isaias snarled.
Marcus' face paled. "Is she dead? God, don't let her be dead!"
Becky hurried to stand between them. "She's not dead. She's in surgery." She turned to one of the nurses. "Look, he's injured, he needs attention."
"He'll heal," Isaias grunted.
Becky turned a glare on him. Marcus struggled against the guards holding him but his big chest heaved and he looked like he was about to collapse at any moment. He still managed to throw off one of the guards and claw at Isaias, though.
"Get yourself cleaned up and looked at," Isaias said, stepping out of his reach. "I'll let you know about Adela when I hear."
Marcus snarled but grew still. It looked like it took all his strength but he nodded and let security bustle him away. The nurses looked unnerved but one of them finally volunteered to go look after him. Isaias took Becky's hand and they returned to the waiting room. The excitement had drained him and he collapsed into a chair. How much more of this waiting would they have to do?
It wasn't much longer before a doctor entered. She introduced herself as Dr. Scrofano, then had them sit. Isaias' heart pounded, fearing the worse.
"She made it out of surgery."
Relief washed over him. He didn't even hear the rest of what Dr. Scrofano said, too overcome. When Becky thanked her and she left, Isaias crumpled. He fell to his knees, rocking back and forth as he sobbed. Adela was alive. She was going to make it.
She was alive.
Chapter Fifteen
Cops patrolled all along the fence. If she hadn't just been kidnapped and held hostage, Becky would have found it unnerving. Now, though, it was a relief to have people around dedicated to their safety. Once Adela was home, she'd talk to Isaias about hiring full-time security. Even if this was going to be the only attempt for kidnapping them, she wasn't going to feel safe again until things were more secure yet.
She only had a few bruises from the whole ordeal and though she had showered at the hospital, she took another shower as soon as they got home. The hot water soothed and relaxed her. As the water ran down her body, though, she shivered. Being here, alone, in this small room made anxiety eat up her stomach. Leaving the water running, she stepped out and wrapped up in a towel to find Isaias. He laid on the bed, eyes closed, but his form was rigid with tension.
She cleared her throat, making him look up.
"Care to join me?"
Isaias stared at her for a long moment. "Adela is still in the hospital. I need to relieve the babysitter and get Luci…"
"Please?" Becky's face heated. They had already slept together but this still embarrassed her? Maybe that would go away once she was used to it. She took a deep breath. "Adela is going to be fine. Luci is fine. Please. I want to feel you near me."
Isaias sucked in a deep breath and for a moment Becky was afraid he was going to reject her, but he nodded. Moving slowly, he walked with her back into the bathroom. Becky dropped her towel and stepped back into the warm shower and watched as Isaias removed his clothing and stepped in after her. It was a big shower but their bodies still pressed against one another.
"I've asked the matriarch to ask some bears to help patrol the grounds and in the forest." Isaias pushed her soaking hair off her face. "I think I'm going to sell this place. Move somewhere more easily defended."
She wrapped her arms around his chest. "Because Sawyers is still out there?"
Isaias shuddered. "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't convinced you to pretend to be engaged with me he wouldn't have—"
"No." Becky shook her head, pressing her body tight against his. He was cold and she wanted to warm him so badly. "This wasn’t because of you, Isaias. That night when my house was broken into? You said you smelled bears inside. Nothing was touched and a bear chased me. That was the start of it. Sawyers had already convinced them to kidnap me. He targeted me because I'm really famous right now and my books have positive portrayals of shifters."
He shuddered again.
"If I was killed by shifters, then it would prove in his mind that shifters are nothing but animals. And it would give anti-shifter nuts like him fuel for their hatred."
"Maybe we are. When I let my bear loose in anger… there's nothing that can stop it. I don't even think anymore. I just want to…"
She pressed herself to her toes and brushed her lips against his. "If that makes you an animal, then we all are. Everybody gets angry, everybody acts without thinking. We all came from the same source."
Isaias cupped her face in his hands. His gaze traced over her so intently it was like he was trying to memorize her. "I promise… no matter what happens, I will always keep you safe. I love you so much. I never meant to. It just sort of happened."
Becky laughed but she understood what he meant. "Same here. I always thought you were ridiculously sexy but getting to know you… your personality is so much more. You are so brave and noble and smart and generous…"
A grin crossed her lover's face. "You think I'm sexy?"
"Yes." She nodded seriously. "Very sexy."
His mouth closed over hers. The heat from the shower was nothing compared to the heat that flowered in her core at his touch. He pressed her against the wall, the wet tiles slipping over her skin as he lifted her. There was no wasting time. Their touches were desperate, yes,
but also full of life. Fulfilling.
More than just touch. Reaffirmation that they were one and together. Alive. They had made it through their ordeal in one piece and their love for one another had blossomed through adversity into something beautiful.
Becky cupped her hands around Isaias' neck, rocking her hips against him in a frantic pace. He mimicked her actions and she could feel him harden between their bodies as her core tightened. Propping her up with his knee and one arm, Isaias spat on two fingers and slipped them inside her right away. It stung a touch, but Becky didn't care. The tightening coiled and she kissed him hard, trying to mimic the way he thrust his tongue into her mouth.
"Wait." Isaias eased her back down. "Wait. Adela is still in the hospital. We can't when she is…"
Becky kept her hands on his shoulders but nodded. "If you don't want to…"
"That's not the problem. But she's… and we're…"
Becky took a deep breath as she reached behind him to turn off the water. "Isaias… she's fine. If we let our sorrows forbid us from seeking out happiness and pleasure, then life isn't worth living. If you don't want to we won't. But I don't think you should feel guilty for wanting me right now. For having me. I'm here. We're alive."
"Adela is—"
"Alive. Let's celebrate being alive."
He rubbed a drop of moisture from her cheek with his thumb, his eyes softening. Gratitude shone from their depths as he kissed her again. He picked her up, opened the door to the shower and carried her out to the bed. There, he laid her down and draped himself over her. His hand slipped between her legs again. He focused in on his target for a few seconds before sliding his fingers in.
"I love the way you touch me," she moaned, digging her fingers into his wet skin. "Never let me go."
"I won't," he promised, his voice deep and full of emotion. "I am never letting you go."
His mouth trailed down her neck, focusing in on her breasts. Her skin tightened and tingled, bolts of pleasure shooting down her legs. One hand remained wrapped in Isaias' hair as she squirmed, trying to reach him. She was too short but managed to push one of her legs between his, rubbing it up and down against him. He shuddered and let out a guttural moan as her actions made him harden.
Becky let her eyes shut as his motions increased in pace. And then he withdrew and pushed her thighs apart. There was no hesitation as he sank into her. A cry tore from her lips as he began a rapid rhythm. Her fingers dug into his back, gripping the strong muscles there. His bronze skin gleamed with water, her tones looking all the paler against his. She planted her feet into the bed, thrusting up her hips to match him.
Every time their bodies joined fully, a cry was torn from her. Soon her throat was dry but she didn't dare say anything. She didn't want this to end. Isaias stared into her eyes and she stared back. Their mouths were inches from each other, sharing breath.
They came together again and a coil of pleasure shot up her spine. It flopped her head back and forth, zipping down her arms and legs. Everything came to a point and then relaxed in an explosive movement. She gasped for air as Isaias finished into her and collapsed over her.
Becky moaned softly. "Isaias. You're crushing me."
"Sorry." He slowly withdrew and rolled off her. They lay there panting and Isaias flashed her a smile. "Thank you. I needed that… to be reminded that I'm alive and there are still good things in life."
"I did, too."
She sighed and sat. Her throat felt scratchy, so she grabbed the shirt she had left on the floor and pulled it over her head before she walked to the bathroom for a glass of water. On the way back, she paused at the window. A sleek black car was pulling into the driveway and a shudder ran down her spine.
"Are you expecting company?"
"What?"
Becky pointed. "Somebody's driving in."
Isaias was at her side in an instant. He didn't move the curtains as he peered out. Becky pressed against his body, shivering despite the blood still pumping through her body. The car was stopped by Detective Holliday and a man stepped out. A slight man with salt-and-pepper hair. When he looked up at the house, she jumped back with a gasp.
"Sawyers! What is he doing here?"
"Holliday's ushering him to the house," Isaias whispered. "Quick, run and get the baby and hide in the panic room. Go! Now!"
She fled from the room, not bothering to grab pants. Isaias threw a chair through the window as she got out of the room. An earth-shattering roar echoed from his body, making her shriek. As she emerged into the hall, a woman she didn't recognize came out of another room, holding Luci. The woman pressed the baby into Becky's arm without a word and rushed past her.
Becky didn't wait to see what their plan was going to be. She ran to the panic room and sealed herself in. If Holliday was just letting Sawyers waltz into Isaias' home… What if he was the one to 'anonymously' tip off the cops? Was this whole thing his plan?
She put Luci down in the crib and flipped on the computers. She might not be able to do anything but she could at least see what was happening. After a moment's hesitation, she hit the button that would alert the cops as to what was happening–something she wasn't sure would be of much use if Holliday was working with Sawyers.
The computers flickered to life, showing the various scenes from outside. Bears charged from the woods. Dozens of them bursting from the trees as though they had just been waiting for the call. Becky's heart leapt. There was a chance they might get out of this alive after all…
Until the cops started to open fire.
"No!" she screamed, startling Luci. The baby started to cry but Becky was rooted to the spot, engrossed in what was happening on the screens.
The bears continued to charge. Several of them bowled over the cops and the guns kept firing. Already there were casualties. Bears stumbling and falling. Cops being flung this way and that and landing in broken, bloody heaps. She couldn’t find Isaias in the fray. Her heart was in her throat and she couldn't breathe as she gripped the wooden desk.
"This is what he was after," she whispered. "A full-on confrontation between cop and shifter."
Media was the greatest tool to influence people. And she could already tell what the headlines would be… who cared about the truth when it would be so tantalizing to write about a group of shifters attacking a group of cops unprovoked?
Chapter Sixteen
Isaias launched himself out of the broken window. His first instinct was to go straight for Sawyers and rend him limb from limb but even as he rolled his landing, Holliday drew his weapon and took a few shots at him. The other bears were already engaged with the cops and Isaias spun around the corner to avoid getting shot himself. He sprinted to the back porch and threw the doors open wide.
"Bears inside," he shouted. "Disengage! DISENGAGE!"
At first he didn't think that they were going to listen to him, but then the first bear broke away. Holding a gun in its mouth, it charged around the corner of the house and dodged in. The others followed quickly and within a few moments the sounds of gunfire had died away. Isaias dodged to the front rooms, pulling blinds, before he went to the front door. Cracking it open, he peered out. Some of the cops were pulling their wounded coworkers beyond the fence while others crouched around the yard, taking cover behind various ornaments.
Sawyers and Holliday were both near Sawyers' car. Dolls was nowhere in sight. Maybe he wasn't involved in this.
"So that's it, is it?" Isaias shouted. "Working for the criminal who you're here to protect us against? See the man with Holliday? He's the one that kidnapped Adela and Becky–and he murdered my parents."
"Don't listen to him, men," Holliday shouted. "He brought in those bears to attack us and—"
"You fired the first shot."
The other cops began to mumble to each other. They had a chance at this after all. Isaias' heart rose but Holliday merely shrugged. The cop actually grinned.
"Too bad for you my men outnumber the ones Dolls insisted on assign
ing. Lousy do-gooder. When we're done here, it'll be his neck on the line, not mine. My friend here will make sure of that."
And with that, guns started blazing. Several of Holliday's men turned towards the house, but they fired at one another as well. Isaias was just able to see Sawyers drag a briefcase out of his car one-handed before he had to slam the door shut and throw himself to the ground. A string of curses erupted from his throat. How were they meant to tell friend from foe in that melee?
The bears waited for him in the back room. A few of them snarled, eager to get out there and fight. His head spun as he tried to think clearly. What did they need to do? They were fighting for their lives but they didn't want to kill the people who were on their side. He sucked in a deep breath and straightened.
"We attack," he said. His heart slammed in his chest but it was their only chance. "No killing. We don't know who is on our side and who isn't."
"Problem is that they'll both try to kill us," one of the females argued. "We have to—"
"No killing!" Isaias glared at her. "Now let's get out there before all of our allies are killed."
He led them through the house. Once at the front, they all shifted at once and burst through the door. A hail of bullets rained down on them but they persisted. Isaias leapt over Holliday's car and pinned him to the ground. Holliday shouted and stuffed his gun into Isaias' mouth but he clamped his teeth down on the hand and snapped it off. He spat out hand and gun as Holliday screamed.
Sawyers was nowhere in sight.
A bullet hit him in the flank, causing a pained roar to burst from him. He turned and pounced on that cop, crushing him into the ground as he clawed at the hand holding the gun. The cop screamed, punching and hitting at him; once the gun was out of his hand, Isaias crushed it in his jaws and turned.
Sawyers slipped into the house, briefcase in hand. Isaias didn't stop. He charged after him, earning him several more bullets in the side. He stumbled but pushed back to his feet and threw himself into the house after his enemy.
Sawyers was in the kitchen. His broken arm was strapped across his chest in a sling but he still had opened the briefcase by the time Isaias got there. There was an acrid stench in the air and a beeping noise as Sawyers did something.
The Bear Shifter's Virgin Page 9
