Hunting Season (The Gathering Book 1)

by Shelly Laurenston

  Janelle shrugged. “They had a few just lyin’ around.”

  Didi watched Arri turn beet red and wondered what the hell was wrong with her when the phone rang. Delia, having recently gotten involved with a fireman, made a mad dash over her sisters and the couch to reach the phone. Both crashed to the floor and the Crows stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the current conversation.

  “Why does our sweet Arri look like she’s been up to something?” Didi asked.

  Arri blinked in surprise. “Me? What? No!”

  Janelle rolled her eyes. “Smooth, Arri. Very smooth.”

  Didi settled into the couch, ready to torture the little goody two-shoes when Delia stood up, the phone against her ear. One look at her face and a bolt of fear snaked up Didi’s spine.

  “What, Dee?”

  “It’s Tye.” Didi frowned. Delia looked like she was about to cry and she never cried. Even when she got her hand stuck in the toilet that time.

  “What’s he want?”

  She swallowed. “It’s Neece, Didi.”

  Mike watched as Morgan finished re-attaching Neecy’s wing. She’d used black thread and surrounded the bed with powerful runes and three other older Valkyries. All four had made it to Yager’s house in record time, which was good. If it hadn’t been so cold out, Neecy probably wouldn’t have lasted this long.

  As Morgan continued to work on Neecy’s wing, the other three Valkyries chanted in the old language. The entire time Yager watched; his face hard and expressionless. Mike had never seen him like that. Not even in battle. And he prayed he never saw him like that again.

  Morgan cut the black thread she’d used on Neecy’s wing and tied a knot.

  “Okay, boys,” she barked over the chanting. “Now the hard part. I’ve gotta get her wing back in. It’ll need time to heal inside her body.” She looked at Yager. “But she’s a Crow. She’s gonna fight like all hell when that pain kicks in. So I’m gonna need you to hold her down.”

  Mike stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”

  “No.” Yager shook his head. “I will.”

  “Both of you will.”

  Leaning over the bed, Yager grasped Neecy’s shoulders. He glanced at Morgan and nodded. “Do it.”

  The older woman straddled Neecy’s body. “Get her legs, Mike.”

  Wishing he were anywhere but here, Mike took firm hold of Neecy’s ankles, pushing them into the mattress.

  “Okay.” Morgan took a deep breath. “Here we go.”

  She lifted the wing and bent it, angling it into Neecy’s body. As soon as she bent it, Neecy screamed, desperately trying to pull out of Yager’s grasp.

  Mike looked up to see the strain on Yager’s face. The absolute pain. Not physical but just as damaging.

  “Hold her tight! I’ve almost got it.”

  It must have suddenly hurt worse, because Neecy began to fight harder. Morgan hadn’t been kidding. Crows really put up a fight. Even half dead and barely conscious.

  Mike didn’t know how much longer Yager could keep this up, knowing how much pain Neecy was in.

  “Just a little more…”

  On the verge of telling Morgan to get her ancient ass into gear, he almost dropped in relief when she shouted, “Got it!”

  She chanted over the wound and Neecy’s skin closed over the wing and she stopped struggling. In fact, she stopped moving altogether.

  Morgan blew grey-brown hair out of her face. “Okay. I just need to stitch up this wound near her wing and bandage her up.” She slid off Neecy, motioning her Valkyrie sisters away with a wave of her hand. “I’ll be able to tell you more once she actually wakes up.”

  Yager released Neecy’s shoulders and stood. “You mean if she wakes up.”

  Morgan sighed and briefly glanced at Mike before focusing on Yager. “Don’t get maudlin on me, Will. The fight that Crow just put up? She’ll wake. I just don’t know when. And her wing… well, that we’ll just have to see. But I know how you guys are about your wings. So let’s hope for the best.” She cracked her neck. “After I’m done bandaging her up, I’ll need a break.”

  “I’ll watch her.” Yager grabbed a chair and put it down next to the bed. “I won’t leave her until she wakes up.”

  “That may be hours.”

  He sat down. “I don’t care.”

  “Will—”

  “Forget it, Morgan.” Mike shook his head. “You’re arguing to air.”

  Morgan shrugged. “Fine.” She headed to the bathroom.

  Mike rubbed the metal bed frame with one knuckle. “Yager, man—”

  “Forget it, Mike.”

  “Look, I’m sorry. About what I said earlier.”

  Yager leaned forward. His elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together, and his eyes locked on the unconscious woman in his bed. “Don’t worry about it, Mike. The Crows will be here soon. You better go help Tye. I don’t want ‘em all up here at one time.”

  “You got it.”

  Mike took another look at his friend, turned, and left him to face this one on his own.

  Yager helped Morgan clean the blood off Neecy, stitch up a deep slash on her back, bandage up her wound, and tie her left arm against her chest to help the healing of her wing. They again laid her facedown on the bed and Morgan went to wash the blood off her hands.

  Pushing the black hair out of her face, Yager stared at the woman who’d taken his heart.

  He wouldn’t let her die. He’d waited too long for her. She was his. His wife, his mate, his future.

  Leaning down, he kissed her ear. “Sleep for a little while, baby,” he whispered. “Then get your ass up. We’ve got plans to make. I’m thinking someplace warm for the honeymoon. You in a bikini in the Caribbean.”

  He gave a little smile and kissed her cheek. Neecy Lawrence was going to be okay, because he wouldn’t accept anything less.

  Didi landed at the same time as the other Crows. She didn’t even bother looking at Yager’s tidy and huge yard as she strode toward the house. Tye pushed open the French doors and Didi moved past him, the other Crows behind her.

  “Where is she?”

  “Upstairs. Second floor. Third door on the right. Just cut through the living room. And take the stairs in the hallway.”

  They made it into the hallway, but Mike Molinski stopped them before they even reached the steps. She briefly wondered if she’d have to kick the living shit out of the kid.

  “Morgan just finished with her. She’s still out cold. Yager doesn’t want a ton of people up there.”

  Didi could hear the rustling of angry wings behind her, but Yager was right. “Okay. I’ll go. And you.” She grabbed Arri’s arm and dragged her toward the stairs. “You’re coming with me.”

  Marching up the stairs, she ordered to the rest of the Crows, “You guys get warm. I’ll be back soon.”

  As they neared the room Tye directed them to, Didi let Arri know exactly why she wanted her there. “You tell me how bad she is. I wanna know. You understand?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t care if she was scaring the girl. She didn’t care about anything except Neecy.

  Didi walked up to the doorway and stopped. Yager sat at Neecy’s bedside. His elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together, his head down. Arri stepped in behind her, gave a small gasp, and then backed out of the room.

  Frowning, Didi followed her and watched as the girl slid down the wall, her eyes shut.

  “Oh, my God… is it that bad?” she demanded in a whisper. “Is she dying?”

  Arri shook her head. “I don’t know. Didi, there’s so much pain… I can’t see past it.”

  “Neecy’s pain?”

  Arri looked up at Didi, her eyes red-rimmed like she might start crying any second. “Yager’s.”

  Finally, Didi saw Arri’s ability as something more than a neat parlor trick to entertain the ‘Bama Crows whenever they’d come to visit. It was real and this girl could not only “see” what was inside oth
er people, clearly she could feel as well.

  Thoughts of retiring again assaulted Didi. She’d clearly hit that point when she needed to move on. Much more and she would become one of those leaders she always hated. Bitter, unreachable, and evil. No, it was time to go, but not until Neecy was better. Not until her second-in-command was running around protecting her “girls”, fighting her lust for Yager and generally controlling the bullshit the crazy Crows could start at the drop of a hat. Until she had that Neecy back, nothing would be okay.

  She crouched down next to Arri. “You stay here, hon. I’ll check on her.”

  Arri simply nodded, her arms wrapped around her knees, her small body trembling.

  Taking a deep breath, Didi stood and went back into the room with Yager. She walked around to the other side of the bed and looked down at her friend. She lay facedown, one arm tucked up under her because they’d tied it close to her body. Her naked back covered in bandages and her head turned to the side. She wasn’t asleep because she didn’t move at all. Didi wasn’t really even sure she was breathing.

  Didi leaned down and kissed the top of her friend’s head. “You get your ass better and up, Neecy Lawrence,” she whispered. “Or there will be hell to pay. I promise you that.”

  Looking over at Yager, Didi straightened up. “Yager, I’d like to leave her here, if that’s okay with you. I know she’ll be safe here.”

  Yager finally looked up at her. She didn’t need to read auras to see the man’s pain. “Absolutely. She can stay as long as it takes.”

  But she knew he meant Neecy Lawrence could stay forever.

  Yager didn’t even realize Didi had gone or that at least two hours had passed until Morgan came in to check on Neecy. After a few minutes, she walked around to his chair and lovingly ran her hands through his hair.

  “Will, hon, ya gotta get some sleep.”

  “I’m really not tired.” And he wasn’t leaving Neecy. He’d never leave her.

  “Okay. But if you do, lay down next to her.” She kissed the top of his head. “Let her know you’re here.”

  Then she left, quietly closing the door behind her.

  Again Yager lost track of time. Sitting in the dimly lit room, staring at Neecy’s prone body and beautiful face. Eventually, though, his body got the better of him. So, taking Morgan’s advice, he stretched out on the bed beside her, stomach-down. He caressed her face with one hand until sleep claimed him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Even with her eyes closed, the light was killing her. Christ, why would somebody shine a fuckin’ strobe light in her face?

  Neecy forced her eyes open and realized it wasn’t a strobe light but the early afternoon sun that had been irritating the shit out of her.

  And, she realized, she was in bed with Will Yager. Not only that, but she got the feeling the cocksucker had tied her up again. She couldn’t move her left arm.

  That searing pain, though… where did that come from?

  She studied Yager’s face. He was frowning in his sleep, but still looked as sexy as ever.

  Her right hand was free, so she reached out and slid her fingertips across Yager’s furrowed brow and down his nose. She smiled.

  He really is a cutie.

  That’s when his eyes slowly opened. They stared at each other for several long moments. Then Yager smiled. A big, wide, relieved grin that completely turned her insides to mush. Christ, she was turning into such a total wuss because of this guy.

  “Hey, baby.” His voice was low, scratchy with sleep. Even with the pain in her back it completely made her nipples stand up and offer a big “howdy” to anyone in the room.

  “Hey.”

  “How long you been awake?”

  “Not long.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “My back hurts.”

  “Yeah. It will for a little while.”

  “Why? I didn’t fall off something again, did I?”

  His grin turned warm. “No, baby. You didn’t. You don’t remember?”

  “Remember what?”

  His fingers brushed her cheek and slid down her neck. “You were in a fight.”

  “I was?” She didn’t remember a fight. She remembered waiting for the cab. The cab to take her to the train and the train that would take her to Yager.

  “I’m at your house, right?”

  “It’s a long story, baby. Don’t worry about it for now. I just need you to rest.”

  She really hated when he got evasive on her. But she wasn’t in the mood to fight it. At least, not at the moment. “I’ve gotta pee.”

  “Okay.” Quick as a cat, Yager jumped out of bed and came around to her side. “Let’s get you up, baby.”

  “I can do it on my own.”

  “Don’t start with me, Neecy Lawrence.”

  Before she could start anything, Yager pulled back the sheet covering her naked body and slowly turned her, lifting her up into his arms. She sucked her breath between her teeth as the pain in her back tripled.

  Yager immediately stopped. “Are you okay?”

  Gritting her teeth against the pain, “I’m fine. Really.” Not really, but her need to pee overrode any pain she may have.

  Of course he didn’t remotely believe her, but he was nice enough not to push it.

  With her tucked into his big arms, Yager moved easily to the enormous bathroom. Carefully he lowered her onto the toilet. Then he stood back and stared at her.

  “Well… go on,” he pushed.

  Her mouth dropped open in shock, but she quickly recovered. “Have you lost your mind? Get out.”

  “Come on, Neecy. Aren’t we past this?”

  The last of her control snapped. “Out!”

  Chuckling, “Okay. Okay. I’m going.” He stepped to the doorway. “And, you know, you can do whatever you need to in here. You don’t have to keep it to peeing.”

  “Yager!”

  He laughed a little louder and walked out, closing the door behind him.

  Arri tapped Didi lightly on the shoulder and the older woman snapped awake, those dark brown eyes swinging her way.

  “I… I brought you coffee?”

  The hard look on Didi’s face faded. “Thanks, hon.”

  Somehow Arri had gone from “That Girl” to “hon” in pretty much a nanosecond. She didn’t question it too much, but she could read it was a true change. She could see it in Didi’s colors.

  Didi took the coffee from her as Arri looked around Yager’s living room. The Gathering had taken over the poor man’s house. Completely and utterly. Add in that most of the Tri-State Ravens also showed up and you had a roomful of winged people waiting around. Everyone spoke quietly. Any loud noise causing quite the stir.

  The only ones not there were the teens or Elders with families to care for. A separate group of Elders from both sides took the teens to go stay with the Philly Crows until things settled down and it was safe for them to return. The rest of them stayed up the remainder of the night, playing cards, watching bad, late-night TV, or just staring. Lots of staring.

  Around dawn, they’d all fallen asleep except for those who were on watch. Apparently, it’d become the role of the Ravens as well as the Crows to protect Neecy. They all felt responsible for her.

  Tye walked into the living room from the backyard. He was on his phone, using it as a walkie-talkie. “Okay. Okay. Got it.”

  Didi sipped her coffee, then looked up at Tye. “What?”

  He smiled. “She’s awake. She’s already yelled at him. Twice.”

  As one, the Crows all jumped to their feet. Laughing and cheering, they hugged each other. Arri closed her eyes, the sudden burst of light nearly blinding her. But her sense of relief was so intense, she could barely breathe.

  She didn’t want to think about life among The Gathering without her friend. Neecy had become her family; she wasn’t ready to lose that.

  She’d never be ready to lose that.

  Yager hovered outside the door. As soon as Morga
n came up to check on Neecy, she’d tossed him out. Which he didn’t appreciate one damn bit. He didn’t like the idea of being too far from her. At least not until he knew Neecy could protect herself. Except for still having a vicious tongue, his woman looked small and weak. Well, as small and weak as a six-foot, one-inch woman could look.

  Even bruised, battered, bloody, and cranky, Neecy Lawrence was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. And he felt like a total shit, because he didn’t just want her to get well for her own sake—he wanted her to get well so that he could have her in his arms again. So he could feel her underneath him, moaning his name as she came. It was one of the few ways Neecy let Yager show her how much he cared.

  But that was about to change. He was going to take care of her while she recovered whether she wanted him to or not. He didn’t want to hear any shit from her about it either.

  “Ow!”

  Yager heard Neecy’s barked exclamation of pain and he refused to let her or Morgan shut him out any longer. He threw open his bedroom door and both women looked up at him. Morgan had Neecy’s hand and seemed to be checking it. Yager worked hard not to think too hard about the fact that Neecy looked damn adorable in his sleeveless Knicks basketball T-shirt. Although she looked even better naked.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Neecy rolled her eyes. “Oh, this is going to get really old.”

  “I heard you cry out in pain.”

  “I must have bent my finger back during the fight is all. Morgan was checking it to see how bad it is.” The vision of Neecy fighting some unknown enemy all alone made his blood run cold every time. Whereas she acted like it was really no big deal. “So feel free to leave now.”

  “Forget it, Lawrence. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Will Yager!” Morgan dropped Neecy’s hand. “I know I raised you better than that!”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  Smirking, Morgan turned back to Neecy. “You might as well forget it, honey. I know that determined look in those steely grey eyes.”

  “Yeah. Me, too,” Neecy muttered as she eased herself back against the bed’s headboard.

  Morgan grabbed her coat from off the foot of the bed. “Your finger’s not broken. Maybe a little sprain, but I don’t even think it’s that bad. Just rest it and try not to mess with it. Try ice if it really starts to hurt.”