by Brenda Trim
Pulling the mask from her face, Ashley sighed and shoved the fabric in her purse. “That is much better. I didn’t think we’d ever get out of there. And, we didn’t get everything we will need for meals over the next week. I’ll have to place an online order.”
“I wish I was still in office. I’d have connections to help with that,” Bart observed.
“You may not have the clout you used to, but you have enough to make life easier for everyone. Can you imagine what Liv and Ashley would be doing right now if you and I weren’t here?” Zane asked. He had to turn and grab the handle with both hands to pull the flat cart over the grate in the parking lot.
When he turned, he noticed an SUV parked one aisle over. Two large men got out of the vehicle. At first, he assumed they were shifters, but they lacked the energy he’d become familiar with over the last few months. Shaking his head, Zane resumed his trek to his vehicle.
The late afternoon was cool, but warmer than it had been lately. It would get colder when the sun fully set. Perfect night for cuddling by the fire. Something Zane wanted to do with Brenlee. The female drove him crazy, and it was proving difficult to ignore his persistent desire for her. He shouldn’t want her. He’d promised their time together was a one-time thing while he helped her through her heat cycle.
“You’re not welcome here,” a man called out, cutting off the conflicting thoughts about Brenlee.
Zane had cleared the grate and was nearly to his truck when he heard the snarled comment. He and Bart stopped and looked over their shoulder. The guys that had parked a few seconds ago were being blocked by a couple of men.
The new arrivals wore dirty jeans and t-shirts with the sleeves cut off. Their long, bushy beards were just as dirty as their pants. Their hair was likely greasy, but he couldn’t see that. Their baseball hats covered their heads and had more grime than the floor of an auto shop. Based on the bulge in their lower lip, Zane would bet his next paycheck they both had wads of tabaco in their mouths. All they needed to do was spit and the image of redneck would be complete.
What stood out was the way they puffed out their chests and emanated menace. The question was why they had a problem with the other men. There was nothing obvious, but it could be a turf thing.
“Last time I checked this was a free country,” one of the first guys snarled.
“And, we have the right to buy groceries. Shopping hasn’t been banned yet,” the second of the first comers added.
“Your kind isn’t going to take our food. There isn’t enough for us and you don’t deserve any of it,” dumbass one told them.
“I see you haven’t evolved yet. This food doesn’t belong to you. It’s here for anyone to purchase,” one of the men snarled.
Zane turned fully around now and wondered precisely what the rednecks were saying. He had his suspicions, but the others weren’t shifters so it made no sense. There had to be something he wasn’t aware of.
Bart placed a hand on his arm and shook his head when Zane looked over. Trying to convey with a look that he wouldn’t interfere, Zane nodded. Ashley stood behind Bart and was shaking like a leaf.
“Go to the truck, Ash. Take your cart. We will be right behind you,” Zane whispered.
“You guys have to come with me. This isn’t any of our business,” she replied just as softly.
“We will. Don’t worry,” Zane promised. He swiveled around when he heard a grunt followed by flesh hitting flesh.
“Fuck you, you piece of shit shifter,” redneck two shouted. Zane watched the punch he threw toward one of the first guys while redneck one stopped the other from interfering.
Zane didn’t think when he jumped into the argument. “They aren’t shifters, you fucking idiots,” Zane informed them as he pushed his cart to Bart.
Zane heard Ashley start to shout from further way. She must have followed his instruction and taken the food to the truck. Within seconds, the sound of rattling wheels echoed from behind, but Zane didn’t bother turning to see what was happening.
“Stay out of it if you know what’s good for you, pretty boy,” redneck one called out to Zane.
“He’s right. We aren’t shifters,” one of the guys protested. “We’re brothers and here to buy our parents some groceries.”
“Liar,” redneck two shouted and lifted his leg to kick the guy in the abdomen.
Zane headed toward the fight right as the pair of fools started pummeling their foes. The first guys didn’t stand there and take it, but they didn’t fight with as much skill as the rednecks.
Zane grabbed the elbow of redneck two and got punched in the face for his efforts. The blow caught him off guard and he landed on his ass. Staring up while dizziness assailed him, Zane watched the pair grapple with one another.
Each jabbed punch after punch at the other and jumped back out of range. Zane got his elbow under him and tried to stand up but hadn’t been paying attention to the first pair and was kicked in the head by redneck one. He went down like a stone.
“Zane,” Bart shouted and crouched next to him.
Keeping his eyes closed to stop the world from spinning, Zane swallowed back his bile. “Go protect Ashley. Knox will kill us if she gets hurt.”
“I can’t leave you,” Bart protested.
“And, you can’t leave her unprotected. Get the car loaded and make sure she stays safe,” Zane ordered.
“Forget about them. Let’s just get out of here,” Bart urged him as he tugged on his arm.
“I refuse to leave innocent men at the mercy of prejudiced pigs. They’re attacking what they think are shifters. This can’t continue,” Zane insisted.
“Get the fuck up and let’s go. Now,” Bart barked then cried out.
Zane’s eyes snapped open in an instant. The world spun around him. There were three Barts and all of their heads snapped back as their bodies slammed into the side of a car. Zane tried to push to his feet, but two Ashleys reached Bart first.
“Get him to the truck,” Zane told the woman.
“We need to get out of here,” she pleaded with Zane who was now on his knees and panting.
His gag reflex was doing pushups in his throat, making bile threaten to bring up the samples he’d eaten while shopping. He heard grunting and braced himself on the trunk of a nearby sedan.
Finally on his feet, Zane was glad the world was only a carousel ride now instead of the E-ticket ride it had been moments ago. The rednecks continued to pummel the other men with their meaty fists.
Blood poured from cuts marring both rednecks faces. One of them had his eye swollen shut. One of the other men ducked a punch and kicked redneck two in the back of a knee, making him stumble and nearly fall to the ground.
The guy grabbed the back of redneck two’s shirt and pulled. Zane took a step toward the pair and stopped a couple feet away. He should be staying six feet away, but he didn’t care at the moment. He needed to make sure the guy was alright.
“Are you hurt?” Zane asked.
The first guy glanced over, looking worse for the wear. “I’m alive,” he said then grunted. “Fuck!” He stumbled and fell into the car he’d climbed out of only minutes ago. Around them they’d garnered a crowd that was closing in and watching the altercation.
Zane expected sirens to announce the arrival of police any second and was distracted when the first guy lifted a hand from his abdomen. Zane followed his gaze and noticed the blood dripping from his fingers.
The first guy collapsed to the ground, making Zane jolt into motion. It became easy to ignore the sway of his vision as he rushed to offer aid. Diving, Zane tried to catch the guy’s head before it bounced off the pavement.
“Zane, stop,” Bart shouted right as he slid across concrete and extended his hands.
Something smacked into his hands at the same moment pain exploded along the left side of his back. White-hot agony seared him from the inside, stealing his breath. It was difficult to turn his head.
Panting, Zane forced himself to roll
over. Just in time to avoid another slice of the blade redneck two had lifted above his head. Disbelief raced through Zane. How could this piece of shit harm another human?
“What have you done?” Zane growled. The sounds came out breathier than he wanted. He’d hoped to intimidate and frighten the idiot. Redneck two recoiled and stumbled back a step.
Only then did Zane turn his head. Blank eyes stared back at him, chilling him to the bone. Redneck two had killed the guy. Blood pooled around a gaping wound in the lower half of his chest.
Sirens sounded in the distance, but Zane couldn’t focus on that at the moment. Bart crouched beside him and pressed his hands over the bleeding wound in his side. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
Shaking his head, Zane tried to ignore the pain in his back. He was panting and his heart was racing which he took as good signs. It seemed as if nothing major had been hit.
Then again, he had no idea what it would feel like if he had been mortally wounded. “Don’t let them get away,” Ashley called out and pointed to the redneck brothers.
Zane turned his head and watched as several people closed ranks around the prejudiced idiots. A sea of bodies formed a circle around them, creating a stunning sight.
Some wore masks and gloves while others didn’t. No one seemed to care about social distancing at the moment. They were all too busy staring at a dead guy and Zane bleeding all over the pavement.
Zane’s heart slowed its frantic beating and his skin chilled. When his body went numb, he thought he might not make it. And, his biggest regret was not seeing Brenlee again.
The stubborn shifter had burrowed into his heart and set up residence there. He tried time and again to prevent that very thing from happening, but he’d been unsuccessful.
Brenlee was everything he ever dreamed of having and more. She was wild and carefree while being devoted to her family. She would do anything for those she loved. Her rejection had stung like a motherfucker, but Zane had to admit she deserved everything she wanted and more.
If he could force his dormant genes to activate, he would even if it was excruciating. Because living without her would be unending agony. Something it seemed he wasn’t going to have to endure.
Looking into Bart’s frantic gaze, Zane swallowed and took a chance. “Tell Brenlee I love her,” Zane begged.
“Shut the fuck up,” Bart snapped. “You aren’t dying today. You can tell her yourself.”
Zane wanted to live. But he felt the gash in his back and knew it was serious. There might be nothing he could do to save himself. At least he’d gotten to be with her once. And if he was lucky, he’d left her with a piece of him that would fill her life with love and happiness.
Hoping for a baby? Where had that come from? Desperate thoughts from a dying man. Sirens interrupted the night as flashing lights sped through the parking lot. Zane caught a glimpse of them through the legs of the onlookers.
As a police car came to a screeching halt, Zane was relieved to see an ambulance right behind. It was his only chance of surviving. The cold was spreading throughout his body, letting him know shit was dire.
Hold on for Brenlee. “Liv. Meet me at the hospital. And, bring some blood. Zane has been gravely injured,” Zane heard Bart say. Why was he asking Liv to meet him at the hospital?
All thought fled as two paramedics took Bart’s place and started treating him. Zane was relieved when agony replaced the numb bliss he’d experienced. Praying that was a good sign, Zane closed his eyes and gave into the desire to rest.
Chapter 17
Brenlee rushed out the door after Liv. With her sensitive hearing she was able to hear both sides of the conversation between Bart and her sister in law. Zane had been injured. The news created a vise around her heart that squeezed the organ and shredded it at the same time.
Nothing could happen to him. She needed him to live. He was everything that was good in the world. And she cared for him more than she wanted to admit. She loved him. And now she might never get the chance to tell him.
Pang. Pang. Her chest clenched around her racing heart.
“I’m going Lawson, and you can’t stop me,” Liv told her brother.
“You can’t. It’s not safe for you and the baby. COVID is likely all over that hospital. I will not survive if something happens to either one of you,” her brother countered.
“Bart said Zane is gravely injured and needs blood. You know the blood at the hospitals will not be effective in helping him,” Liv said as she cupped Lawson’s face.
“I know, but it will keep him alive until Bart can bring him home,” Lawson countered.
“No. It won’t. When I tested his blood, I noted more shifter DNA than I expected. His body will reject whatever they give him, and he will continue to weaken,” Liv explained.
That was the first time Brenlee had heard that information. She assumed all half-breeds had the same percentage of shifter DNA and were best treated as if they were humans.
She should have known better than to think it was that simple. Shifter blood was dominant, and strong. And Zane was more shifter than he was human even if he couldn’t shift into a wolf.
“We will go with her,” Brenlee cut in to stop any further argument.
Liv shook her head. “No. You can’t come with me. There has been too much violence against shifters lately. That’s what sparked this fight in the first place. Bart will be there to protect me, and I will wear protective gear.”
“I cannot let you go alone. Please do not ask it of me,” Lawson said, sounding agonized.
“We will all go, and you and I will remain in the car while Liv goes into the hospital,” Brenlee suggested.
Knox ran into the room and looked around with a panicked expression. “Is Ashley alright? What happened?”
How had he heard? He’d been helping with the surrounding fence. She knew the couple had mated, but she assumed their bond wasn’t as strong as it was between shifter mates. Or was it?
“There was an altercation. Ashley is fine, but Zane has been seriously injured,” Lawson told the male.
Knox’s shoulders slumped and he let out a breath. “Thank the Gods she’s okay. I sensed her panic and fear and thought the worst. What do we need to do to help Zane?”
Everything Brenlee believed in was called into question at that moment. She had always assumed the connection wasn’t as powerful between human and shifter. Lawson would die for Liv, so she knew they loved just as deeply. And, they were as happy and fulfilled as her parents had been.
She wanted a mate who could shift and run and hunt with her. But she wasn’t willing to sacrifice the love, laughter and passion she experienced with Zane for a male who could shift with her. Those mattered far more than anything else.
So, what was keeping her from Zane now?
Nothing. She loved him and was going to tell him as soon as she saw him. She’d been stupid to stop herself from developing the relationship they both wanted. Something told her she might be too late. Urgency had her clenching her hands while her wolf howled in her mind to race to his side.
“We’re going to the hospital now. We should grab Erika. She’ll want to see Bart,” Brenlee interjected.
“I’ll get her while you guys grab the blood we need for Zane,” Lawson ordered them before he leaned down and placed a kiss to Liv’s lips. Brenlee’s chest ached and her heart raced.
She was both terrified and excited to acknowledge and embrace how she felt about Zane. There was every chance he would reject her and walk away. It would kill her, but all she cared about was that he was around to make that decision.
“Are you sure you’ll be safe out there?” Brenlee asked her sister in law while they went to retrieve the blood from her makeshift lab.
“Yes. I worry more about Bart and Zane catching this virus than me. I haven’t been sick once since mating Lawson. My blood has changed, and I now carry some elements of shifter DNA. Besides, the protective gear will protect me,” Liv assured her as
she entered and went to the fridge.
Brenlee grabbed a soft sided cooler and followed her sister in law. The need to get to Zane was riding Brenlee. The last thing she wanted was to place Liv in danger because she wanted to see Zane. If anything happened to her sister in law she would lose her brother and niece or nephew, as well.
“You never told me Zane’s DNA was closer to shifter than human,” Brenlee said and handed the cooler to Liv.
“I didn’t know you wanted to know,” Live said as she headed to the door. “I know you two have been dancing around each other for months, but I had no idea you’d want to know that information. Does it change how you feel about him?”
Brenlee followed while she considered the question. Did it make her want him more or less? No. She’d fallen in love with him because of who he was. His DNA didn’t make her feelings deepen or lessen. And it shouldn’t.
Shifters were fighting to be accepted for who they were. How could Brenlee do any less for Zane? Love shouldn’t be about loving someone because they had the right genes or the right hair color. Love was blind.
Brenlee would be crushed if Zane couldn’t love her because she was shifter. And yet, she’d rejected him because he wasn’t. What mattered most was a person’s heart and soul. Zane fought for the good of others and fair treatment. He was everything good and right in the world.
And, she loved him for that. Not because he had certain genes.
“No, she answered honestly. “It doesn’t change how much I love him. I’m surprised is all. I’m fascinated that he can’t shift yet he carries genes like mine, and I can. I don’t understand human or shifter biology, but I suddenly want to learn more. It makes me wonder if my nieces and nephews will be able to shift or not.”
Liv chuckled as they passed through the empty kitchen. The room was lifeless without Ashley filling it. The aroma of good food was missing along with a sense of family, love and happiness.
