by Jodi Vaughn
She nodded once and looked around for Zane.
A Guardian with blond hair was bending over him, pressing his own T-shirt to his wound.
Snapping out of her shock, she ran to Zane and pressed her face to his fury chest. The T-shirt over the wound was saturated in his blood. He struggled to breathe as his eyes rolled back into his head.
“Don’t you dare die on me!”
***
Barrett arrived just as the red-haired female put a round of bullets into Dale Wade. He shoved his way into the room and surveyed the bloody scene with trepidation.
“I said no shit show.” He glared at Damon. “This reeks of a shit show.”
“Couldn’t be helped, boss.” Damon shrugged and nodded toward Zane. “Did Braxton fill you in on everything?”
“Zane’s been infected with a special crystal meth and is out of control, there are humans who have seen him shift, and Dale Wade isn’t dead.” Barrett glared at the body on the floor. “Well, he wasn’t dead.”
“Yep. Oh, and Zane has been shot with a silver bullet.” Damon turned his back so the Guardians who were working on Zane couldn’t see his face. “Even if we get the silver out, there’s still the problem of his inability to control his shift. He’s still a liability.”
Ignoring Damon’s concerns, Barrett headed for his hurt Guardian.
Kneeling down, he assessed Zane’s chest wound and the bullet wound. There was a third wound where flesh had been torn away from his shoulder. “Zane, I know you can hear me. I know you’re in there. So you better fucking listen to your Pack Master.”
Zane opened his eyes and blinked once.
“I’m going to dig this silver bullet out of your side. It’s going to hurt like fuck, but there’s no way around it. I’ve also got to get the silver out of this other wound. It looks like they skinned you and just poured liquid silver in. I’ve got to take more flesh out, and that’s going to hurt too. Once it’s out, you can heal the wound on your shoulder.”
“Is he going to die?” Skylar looked up at him with earnest eyes.
“Not today.”
“Am I going to die?” she asked. “I did kill my father, and the Pack Law says the penalty for killing your parents is death. Am I going to die?”
He pulled his knife out of his back jean pocket and flipped up the blade. He turned to her.
“You can’t kill someone who’s already dead. And if people found out that Dale wasn’t dead to begin with, then that would require a whole lot of paperwork. And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s paperwork.” He glared.
“He’s right.” Jaxon knelt beside Zane, ready to assist Barrett. “Barrett hates paperwork.”
Skylar’s shoulders sagged in obvious relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until we fix Zane.”
***
Zane woke up in a bed in the Guardians’ infirmary. His back ached like a bitch and every muscle in his body was sore.
“He’s awake.” Skylar’s voice had him turning his head.
“How do you feel?” She leaned down and cupped his face.
“Step back and let me have a look-see. Boy, you look like you’ve been run over and dragged ass-backwards in the streets.” Dr. Gilliam, the Pack doctor, stepped up and shone a penlight into his eyes. Dr. Gilliam looked more like a mad scientist with his gray hair poking up in all directions. He’d been the Guardian’s personal doctor for years, and despite his crappy bedside manner, he was one of the best.
“Cut that shit out.” Zane waved away the old man.
“I need to check your vitals.” The crotchety old doctor frowned.
“I’m fine. My body just hurts like hell.” He scowled as he tried to sit up.
“You’ve been out for a week.” Skylar grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest. “I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up after Barrett dug the silver out.”
He ran his hand across his side where the bullet had gone in. The wound was completely healed. He moved his hand up to his chest where the silver had been poured in. That was healed as well.
“Your shoulder is taking more time to heal than the other places,” she said.
He touched his fingertips to the rough patch of skin where Hershel had pulled flesh out with his teeth.
“If nothing else, you can always cover it with ink.” Barrett stepped up to his bedside with Lucien, Jaxon, Braxton, and Jayden behind him.
“Thank you.” Zane looked around his band of brothers. “But I’m still going to be a problem. I didn’t find a cure for what I have been injected with. I’m still a danger to our Pack.”
His stomach turned as he faced his new reality.
“So is that it? Do you think so little of us?” Lucien sulked.
“You are my brothers, and I’m trying to do the right thing here, if you’d shut the hell up.” Zane swallowed the lump in his throat. “I can’t be a Guardian if I can’t control my shift.”
“Zane, you’ve not shifted in a week.” Skylar smiled.
“I’ve been out, that’s why.” He hated this. He hated losing his brothers, his job, Skylar, but he had to do the right thing by them all.
“No, it’s not,” Dr. Gilliam said. “I ran your bloodwork and compared it to the blood sample we got when you first came in. The drug is out of your system. You were only infected one time. While it did take a while to get out of your system, it didn’t change your DNA. You are back to normal.” The doctor slapped him on the shoulder. “Well, back to your old self, I should say.” He made his exit.
“Is that true?” Zane’s heart leapt, and he looked to Barrett for confirmation. His hand squeezed Skylar’s. He inhaled deep, and Skylar’s scent of strawberries and spice flooded his nose. He could smell her. Finally.
“It’s true.” Barrett grinned and looked around at his Guardians. “You assholes need to get out of here so Zane can rest and spend time with Skylar.”
His head hit the pillow as he sucked in a deep breath. One by one, the Guardians said goodbye. Jayden lingered behind.
“I’ll go get you some water. I’ll be right back.” Skylar pressed a kiss to his lips and gave them some privacy.
Zane spoke. “Hey man, I want to thank you for protecting Skylar.” He realized his beef with his sister really had nothing to do with Jayden. Zane had just needed someone else to blame for their failing relationship.
“It’s what we do, man. No need to thank me.” Jayden shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned. “Zane, I should be thanking you. You took that bullet when it was meant for me. The thought that I wouldn’t be here with Haley scared the fuck out of me.”
“It’s what brothers do.” Zane nodded.
Jayden grinned and stuck out his hand and they shook.
“You can’t go in there, ma’am,” Dr. Gilliam shouted as the door swung open.
“I can go wherever I want to.” Granny huffed as she, Haley, and Ava barged into the room and right up to Zane’s bedside.
Barrett and Skylar came back in to see what the fuss was about.
Zane frowned, and Granny took his hand and pressed her lips together.
“Granny, he’s resting and doesn’t want you to bore him.” Jayden gave Zane an apologetic look.
“I’ve got something to say and I’m saying it.” She glared at him and then at the doctor, who threw up his hand and stomped out of the room.
“Zane Steele, I want to thank you for saving my grandson’s life. I don’t know what I would do if something had happened to him.” Her lips quivered and she blinked her eyes to hold back the tears.
Haley bent down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Zane.”
“You’re welcome.” He shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to all this attention.
“Granny, can you please give Zane some peace now?” Jayden took her arm to escort her away.
He stopped and pointed to the large Band-Aid covering her upper arm.
“What happened to your arm?” He frowned. “Did you fall
?”
“No, I didn’t fall.” She shot him a glare. “And I don’t appreciate your suggesting I did.”
“Sorry.” He held up his hands. “Didn’t mean to offend. So what happened?”
Haley giggled and covered her mouth.
“Yeah, Granny, show them what happened.” Ava snorted.
“Fine.” She tugged at the corners and carefully pulled off the Band-Aid. She smiled brightly as she showed off her arm. “I got some ink.”
Jayden’s mouth dropped and he turned pale. The women giggled, and Zane could swear he heard Barrett mutter, “Fuck my life.”
Zane was confused and then stunned. Granny had a bright pink dick tattooed on her arm.
“That shit better be temporary.” Jayden’s face turned bright red. He tried to slap the Band-Aid back on, but it fell right back off.
“Ouch.” Granny scowled. “It’s still tender.”
“Holy shit, you mean it’s real?” Jayden asked, his voice getting louder.
“Of course it is.” Granny lifted her chin. She looked at Barrett and showed her arm. “Do you like my rocket ship?”
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Barrett closed his eyes and rubbed his temple.
“Granny, that’s not a rocket ship,” Jayden said. “It’s a dick on your arm.”
Zane bit his lip to keep from laughing.
“Of course it’s a rocket ship. I always had a thing for Buzz Aldrin. He seemed to always have that mysterious twinkle in his eye. Neil Armstrong was pretty hot too.” She grinned.
“Oh god, just kill me now,” Jayden muttered.
“If Matt did that tattoo, I’m going to kill him.” Barrett glared at the old woman.
“He most certainly did not.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “He refused to do it when I came in. So I had to find someone else to.”
“The name. Give me the name.” Barrett spoke slowly, but everyone could hear the anger boiling beneath the words.
“A guy named Tommy.”
“Where’s his shop?” Barrett pushed.
“I don’t think he has one. He did it out of his parents’ basement. He said he needed the money for art school.” Granny smiled. “I am always a supporter of the arts and higher education. So I killed two birds with one stone.”
***
“Keep your eyes closed,” Zane called out to her over the roar of the Harley.
“My eyes are closed,” she said. She tightened her hold on his waist as he sped down the road. The cool air whipped through her loose hair, and the bright sun warmed her face. Riding with Zane always made her feel better about life.
It had been three months since Zane had been shot. Two months since she’d finished Ava’s house, and one month since the town of Jonesboro had torn down the abandoned apartments due to drug activity.
She had been in a funk since then.
She’d tried looking around for other buildings, but nothing was in her price range.
Zane slowed his speed until he came to a stop. Killing the engine, he flipped the kickstand and slid off the bike first.
“Keep them closed,” he said near her ear as he slid his arms around her waist and picked her up off the bike.
She giggled as he set her on her feet and gently kissed both cheeks.
He swung her up in his arms and began to walk.
“What’s going on? You’re being very secretive.”
“More secretive than when we put that flaming pile of dog shit on Damon’s front stoop?”
“Yes.” She laughed as she recalled the look on Damon’s face when he realized he’d stepped in dog shit trying to put out the fire. He’d assumed Jayden had done it and was determined to prank him back.
She’d never seen Zane so relaxed before, and it was good to see him interacting with his fellow Guardians. Since she’d finished working on Ava’s house, he’d invited her to come stay with him in Little Rock until she got her next job.
Truth be told, she was in no rush to find another contracting job. She had a lot of money in the bank after finishing Ava’s house. She was still determined to find another building to fix up for her girls’ home. She knew it would come along. She just had to be patient.
The smell of autumn was in the air, and from the scent of turning leaves and brown grass, she realized they must be out in the country, away from the city limits of Little Rock.
He set her gently on her feet and covered her eyes with his hand.
“Open them.”
She opened her eyes and blinked against the bright sunlight. She smiled in confusion as she saw all the Guardians from Little Rock standing in a line in the middle of a pasture.
“What’s going on?” She looked up at Zane.
Barrett stepped forward.
“Zane told me about the project you had in mind in Jonesboro.” He cocked his head.
“He did?” She blushed. Would the Pack Master think it a stupid idea?
“And when they condemned and tore the apartments down, it got me to thinking.” He propped his hands on his hips. “It would probably be a better idea to build your safe haven for girls in a centrally located place in the state. Like Little Rock.”
She nodded. “I’ve been looking around in town, but everything is so expensive.”
“Maybe you should look out of town and start from the ground up. Like here.” He waved his hand over the pasture.
“That’s going to be well out of my budget. The cost to build it would be astronomical.”
“Not if money is no object.” Barrett motioned toward the people standing in front of them. They parted, revealing a sign that read Future home for girls — SKYLAR’S HOUSE.
She shook head. “I don't understand.”
“This is your land, Skylar. It’s bought and paid for. There’s even an account set up in your name with six million dollars in it to build it however you want,” Zane whispered in her ear.
“But who bought it?” She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears.
“We did.” Victoria and Richard Steele stepped forward from the crowd of Guardians. Victoria’s hair was pulled into a loose bun, and she was dressed in skinny black pants and crisp white top and ballet flats, looking like she’d stepped off the pages of a magazine. Richard looked a bit more relaxed in his khaki pants and golf shirt. She’d never seen him wear anything other than suits.
“Hey, honey.” Victoria pulled her into a hug. “We’ve missed you so much.”
“Hey, Skylar. I’m glad to see you.” Richard hugged her next.
She wiped the tears from her face as Zane pulled her into his embrace.
“You did this? For me?” She looked up into his parents’ faces.
“Zane told us about what happened and how disappointed you were. We got in contact with Barrett, and he helped find us land that was available and set up the deal. We bought the land, but Barrett funded the building account himself,” Victoria whispered.
“Don’t go around telling everyone. The last thing I need is for everyone to start asking for a dollar.” Barrett scowled and hurried away.
“I don’t know what to say.” She looked at Zane’s parents. “Thank you. I will never be able to repay you for this.”
“Actually, there is a way you can repay us.” Richard gave her a wink. “Zane has something he wants to ask you.”
She turned to face Zane. His smile had vanished, and he stared at her intensely.
“Skylar, I have never met anyone who is as caring and loving and giving as you are. When I am with you, all I can think about is how lucky I am, and when I’m away from you, all I can think about is seeing you again.” He swallowed. “I don’t want another day to go by without knowing that you are mine.”
“What?” Her heart jumped in her chest. Love swelled up inside her.
“Skylar, I love you more than anything else in this world. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to have children and raise a family with you. Skylar, will you be my mate?”
“Skylar Wade, I want you to know that you have always been so precious to us.” Victoria blinked back her own emotional tears. “I know that you’ve had a difficult life, but I also know that whatever has happened has never affected our opinion of you. We love you unconditionally, and we would be proud to have you in our family.”
“So you would, in fact, be doing us a very large favor if you agreed to be Zane’s mate.” Richard grinned.
Tears flowed down her cheeks as she buried her face in Zane’s chest. He held her tight and let her cry. After a minute, he pulled back and looked a bit worried.
“Skylar, you didn’t answer my question. Don’t leave me hanging here.” Zane frowned.
“I love you, Zane. I always have.” She laughed. “I would love to be your mate. Forever.”
His mouth descended on hers in a hot kiss. She held onto him as her chest filled with more love than she’d ever known.
The End
About the Author
Jodi was born and raised in Mississippi. Her deep Southern roots and love of the paranormal led her to write Southern Paranormal novels. She currently lives in Northeast Arkansas with her handsome husband, brilliant son, a temperamental swan, and yellow lab that is fond of retrieving turtles when duck season is over.
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Copyright © 2015 Jodi Vaughn
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