Blissful Agony

by Rivers, Brandy L

  She looked into the woods with a frown. “We should go back. Someone is approaching.”

  His brow pinched. “And if I don’t feel like shifting back?”

  She sat up with a smirk, turning to grab the backpack. “Brought you clothes and shoes.”

  He curled around her, nibbling her neck.

  Emily leaned back, laying her head on his shoulder. “We should go.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, needing to feel her heartbeat in time with his. Pressing his cheek to hers, he smiled. “I love you, Emily.”

  “I love you, too,” she murmured.

  “Now that’s what I want.”

  With a sigh, she moved away from him to dress. “As much as I’d prefer to lay here with you, we should go. I have a bad feeling.”

  His brow quirked as she pulled on her clothes. He found socks, boxer briefs, tennis shoes, and gym shorts in the bag. “You came prepared. I like how you think.”

  She giggled. “I had a solid idea of what I wanted to do with you.”

  “I love my assertive mage. Sexy, dominant, and all mine.”

  “Don’t forget it.”

  He hopped up, dressing quickly, while she shoved everything else into the backpack. He paused, scenting the air, straining his ears.

  A shot rang out, before the impact hit, knocking him back, onto the log. The air in his lungs seemed to ignite as the bullet went through him. He called on his beast as Emily fell beside him, pulling him forward.

  “Can’t shift,” he panted. “Silver.” His vision darkened as she probed the gaping hole in his back.

  * * * *

  Clint was bent forward while Emily knelt beside him. One small hole in his right pectoral, but a softball-sized one blowing out his shoulder, his right lung nearly destroyed. Silver bullet.

  She drew a deep breath, remembering the way Fallon could heal silver for Brody, and prayed she could do the same for her mate.

  Pressing her fingers into the wound, she cleared out the shattered bone and debris.

  “Go, please. Don’t want you hurt,” Clint pleaded.

  Emily ignored him, chanting instead, as she pressed one finger into the entrance wound and rebuilt flesh as she pulled back. Hope flooded her as bone reformed, tissue grew and sealed, leaving no sign of a scar.

  Elated, she pressed deeper into his back, taking her time to rebuild the lung itself, as she looked through her extra sight to find the damage and correct it.

  “Whatever the fuck you’re doing, stop,” someone snarled.

  Her head snapped up, her eyes locking on a man aiming a handgun at her. A sniper rifle hung over his shoulder.

  She redirected a portion of her energy, forming a shield around them. Bullets wouldn’t penetrate, and neither would the werewolf, whose eyes glowed an eerie yellow.

  “No,” she stated.

  Clint gripped her wrist weakly and managed to look up at her. “Let him have me. You wouldn’t survive what they would do to you. I’d lose my sunshine. Slater will be able to find me.”

  The defeat in his eyes ripped her heart open.

  A surge of anger washed through her. She refused to lose Clint. He brought her back from darkness, gave her purpose, showed her love. He was everything worth living for after the hell she’d endured.

  She ignored the gunshot at close range.

  “I’m not worth it,” Clint cried. “Let him take me. You can bring me back after Slater finds me.”

  “Clint, shut up. I won’t lose you, and he’ll be sorry he found us.”

  The next gunshot echoed. Before Clint could argue further, she moved to better support his weight and pressed into the remaining wound on his back, rebuilding his shoulder. The pain was too much and Clint fell forward, his body lax, allowing her to finish healing without another desperate plea for her to leave.

  “Impossible!” the attacker shouted.

  Emily coiled the energy and power she’d gained from mending Clint’s wound as she stood and walked toward the barrier.

  “You shouldn’t be able to heal silver damage,” he snarled.

  “I did. And your bullets won’t get past the shield.”

  Frustrated, he fired his gun until the ammo ran out, then tossed it aside and charged. His body collided with the magical barrier. He stumbled back.

  Seeing her opportunity, she dropped the shield and lunged forward, taking him to the ground the way Clint had taught her. Her hands wrapped around his throat as she pushed her fury and fear at him, funneling the building darkness into his body.

  Instead of healing energy, she imagined the breakdown of his cells, the corruption spreading, destroying everything in its path. His skin turned black under her hands, the stain growing as she squeezed the life out of him.

  His hands fell to his side, the veins in his arms blackened, spreading the spell through his body.

  Someone yanked her to her feet. She looked up to find Clint pulling the sniper rifle from the wolf’s body. He slung the strap over his shoulder where the backpack already hung. Then he scooped up the handgun and shoved it in his waistband.

  Emily stared at the man on the ground. His skin mottled and gray, veins pronounced. Death’s rot had spread through him.

  Clint took her arm. “Someone may be with Toby. We run.”

  “We?” she asked, looking into his eyes.

  “We. Or do I need to carry you?”

  She grabbed his hand and ran. He pulled her down a different path, one more overgrown with vegetation, but she didn’t have a problem keeping up.

  * * * *

  Sharp nips pulled Toby from the dark. A ripping sensation sent pain through his already aching system. He opened his eyes to find a crow had torn a strip of gray skin from his arm.

  Black blood oozed from the wound as he batted the bird away. The stench of decay filled his nose. He managed to roll to his hands and knees, attempting to shift to throw off the spell. His wolf howled in his soul, the sound full of agony and terror, but the change didn’t come.

  He looked at the ground beneath him. Spots of black ooze coated the broken twigs. His back was sore beyond the ache that filled his guts. The guns were gone, so was Clint, and the bitch who cursed him.

  Pushing himself to his feet, he only scented Clint and the mage.

  How had she healed Clint?

  Fear chilled Toby as he stumbled toward the truck.

  His insides quaked with every step, the pain graying out his vision. It must have taken three times longer to get back to the vehicle than it had to find his target.

  He nearly passed out as he climbed into the cab. The world spun as he tried to catch his breath, but he seemed to be breathing through slime. He needed to get to his alpha. Maybe Axel could fix this, if he didn’t kill him first for failing.

  Ava was likely still healing from the last round of punishment. Last he saw her, she was chained to a post, her stomach an open mess of gnawed organs. And meat. Axel had pulled the hungry, frenzied wolves off when she passed out, determined to hear her beg for forgiveness. Woman was ballsy, she’d die before she caved.

  Toby managed to get the truck started but his fingers bled when the key pressed into his skin. He tore off for the abandoned power plant an hour away.

  The smell grew worse. He opened the windows to get fresh air, but it hardly penetrated the stench.

  Chapter 21

  Clint ushered Emily inside and locked the door. She turned and placed her hands on the wood frame, closing her eyes as her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

  Magic rushed through and around him as a barrier slammed down around the house.

  She relaxed, placing her head against the wall as she drew long, slow breaths.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, but didn’t look anywhere near okay.

  “Em, talk to me, sweetheart. I need to know you’re all right.”

  Emily turned toward him with a nod. “I never—that was—oh god!” She walked away, rubbing her hands over her face.


  “Hey, come here.”

  “What if—what if I do that to you?”

  He gently caught her arm and turned her back to him. “You won’t. You were protecting my stupid ass.” His eyes screwed shut. “The thought of what they’d do to you left me terrified. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

  “You aren’t afraid of me?”

  His lips cocked into a grin. “Hell no. Pretty damned impressed, actually.”

  Her chest heaved, tears filling her eyes. “I was so pissed off he shot you, and then you told me to run.” She shoved him back, glaring at him. He got hard in the rush of her anger. “There was no way in hell I was leaving you when you couldn’t defend yourself. I’m not leaving my mate. Whatever happens, we will get through it together. I don’t care what it is, what I’ll have to endure, you’re all that matters.” A tear leaked down her face as she looked away. “What I did—I wanted to hurt him, to make him suffer for trying to take you from me.”

  He caught her face and placed a kiss. “I love you. Don’t forget that. Next time,” he drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I won’t be stupid. I’m pretty sure you did the opposite of healing. Remind me not to piss you off.”

  Humor danced through her eyes for a brief second. “I can’t lose you. Don’t tell me to run.”

  “No shit. You did the impossible. You put me back together when that should have taken months.”

  She smiled softly. “Fallon can heal silver damage for Brody and she’s not a healer. It stood to reason I could heal you.”

  He looked down at his chest and brushed off the dried blood. “Not even a scar.”

  Emily moved around him and traced her fingertips over his healed back. “Not here either.”

  Clint spun and pulled her against him. “You’re incredible. Now, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “No. Though, if I accomplished what I think I did, he’s not going to make it long.” She cringed. “And it’s going to be a gruesome end.”

  “You’ve heard of something like this before?”

  “No. When I heal, I see it all, like all the different diagnostic images layered over each other and that’s how I can fix the tissue. In this case, I destroyed the skin I touched, and poisoned his blood. The corruption is spreading, decaying him from the inside. Jerk deserves it, but his death is going to be painful.”

  “Trust me, he deserves worse. Axel never had to command him to hurt anyone. He was always eager to dole out punishment.”

  “Then I don’t regret what I did.”

  “You shouldn’t. If they get their hands on you, knowing you’re my mate…” He shook his head. “I’ll never let that happen.”

  She kissed him. “You should call Slater. I need to call Robert.”

  * * * *

  “Shower.” Clint pulled her toward the stairs. “They’ll be here soon, but we’re both covered in my blood. We need to wash up.”

  She looked down at herself. As a healer, that wasn’t uncommon. A smile lifted one corner of her lips. “We have to hurry.”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately, but I’ll feel better making sure you’re all right.”

  She followed him up, stripping her clothes off as she went. Efficiently, she tossed her shirt and sports bra on the floor and kicked off her shoes. Then Clint shoved her shorts down. She moved to do the same for him, but he’d beaten her to it.

  He scooped her into his arms. A giggle escaped as he carried her into the shower. “You saved me,” he whispered against her ear.

  “Did you really think I’d let them take you from me?”

  He set her on her feet and shrugged. “I knew what they would do to me. And if you were with me, they would do worse to you. You do understand where my mind was, right? I wanted to keep you safe.”

  “Because I’m not the fighter you are, or anyone else in this town.” She nodded. “But Clint, for you, I’ll fight. I don’t care what the threat is, they aren’t getting through me.”

  “I wish I could have done more—”

  She leaned up to kiss him. “Don’t go there. You had a hole this big,” she held up her hands, making a circle by touching her fingers and thumbs together, “in your back. Your lung was destroyed.”

  “Silver damage, sweetheart. No one can fix that, usually.”

  “Apparently a mate can.”

  “What exactly did you do to that monster?”

  “I’ll explain when they get here. Now, let’s get cleaned up before they start knocking.”

  He grabbed the soap and rolled the bar in his hands before handing it to her. “You do me, and I’ll do you.” He winked.

  * * * *

  Robert walked up the steps to Clint’s house. Slater caught his arm with a chuckle. “Shower’s going. After a fight, doubt they’re keeping their hands to themselves.”

  Robert shook his head, a smile playing over his lips. “I made the right choice sending her to stay with Clint.”

  Slater nodded. “She’s stronger than the girl I remember twenty-some-odd years ago, that’s for sure. And in the last week, she’s really come out of her shell.” He drew a breath and shook his head. “Wish one of us had been there to scent what was going on with her twin. Could have killed that motherfucker a hell of a lot sooner.”

  Robert nodded. “Right under my nose. I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

  “Logically, no. Still, she’s my sister and I didn’t protect her. Same way I didn’t protect Liz.”

  “You need to forgive yourself.”

  “I’m getting there. The one thing I wanted as much as Liz was a family of my own. He destroyed her chance of having a baby.”

  Slater squeezed his shoulder. “You did what you could. He’ll never hurt another. And there are other ways to have a child, if that’s what you all want.”

  Robert leaned against the rail and looked across the street to his house. “That, I don’t know. It’s something we never bring up. She lost so much. And Tremaine…” He shook his head. “How do I bring that up without hurting them worse?”

  “Some conversations need to happen. Jess and I discussed keeping Elias already. Like I could say no to her. That kid hasn’t had a life, not one worth living. We can change that, and especially with him being a wolf, it makes sense to do what we can to help him.”

  “He’s lucky.”

  “Yeah, well, you three can adopt, even if she can’t conceive. Though, if Emily healed Clint like he claims, then I imagine she could do something for Liz.”

  “They do seem to be getting closer.”

  The door opened. On the other side, Clint stood wearing only jeans and a towel around his neck, his hair wet, and water beaded on his skin. “Sorry. Wanted to get rid of the blood.”

  Slater chuckled. “I’m sure.”

  Clint gave Robert an apologetic look. “She’ll be down soon.”

  “How is she? How did she take damaging the wolf?”

  “Toby. Sick fucker. And well. She paused a couple times, but I think she’s more concerned I’ll be afraid of her now.”

  Robert’s eyes narrowed. “You aren’t, are you?”

  “No. Come in.” He moved inside and took a seat on the couch.

  Robert and Slater sat. A second later, Emily came running down the stairs, her face flushed. “Sorry. We… uh—”

  “Don’t explain. I understand,” Robert told her.

  She grinned and looked away, her eyes landing on Clint. Seeing Emily notice a man was strange. Knowing she probably had sex about two minutes before, even weirder. But her newfound happiness was definitely worth the awkward situation.

  * * * *

  Emily shifted uncomfortably when Slater locked gazes with her. His voice was gentle but firm. “What happened? I got Clint’s version, but I understand you put Clint down long enough to deal with his wound.”

  She swallowed hard and met his gaze dead-on, something she wouldn’t have done in the past. Forcing br
avado she didn’t quite have, she told them everything. “Clint and I had dinner. Went for a run. We made love. I sensed someone coming, wasn’t sure who, but felt a presence. We’d barely dressed when the shot rang out. I healed him.”

  Remembering how Clint had tried to chase her away sent a shot of rage through her. She glared at him. “He told me to run. As if.” Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Slater and blushed. Her hands began to tremble and she slid them under her thighs. “I healed him, and yes, it was a silver bullet. When the wolf approached, I put a shield up while Clint tried to convince me to go.” Wincing slightly, she defiantly admitted, “I put pressure on his nerves until he checked out, long enough to heal him completely.”

  Slater chuckled. “Good for you.”

  Guilt spun up and she looked to Clint, hoping he understood.

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m glad you did. You got me out of there, and we’re both fine.” His lips met hers in a gentle kiss.

  Robert cleared his throat.

  After a deep breath, Emily turned back to Slater. His proud nod encouraged her, instilling some confidence.

  “Once I ensured Clint was whole, I walked to the shield, tempting Toby to waste his bullets. When he dropped the gun, he charged and bounced off my shield. Then I did my damnedest to kill him. I was angry, scared, and determined not to lose Clint. I wrapped my hands around his throat and squeezed, channeling all those emotions into him.”

  Nausea rolled through her. She swallowed hard and her voice cracked as she explained. “I destroyed him from the inside out. Normally, when I heal, I rebuild cells. This time I broke them down, corrupted his blood, essentially the opposite of healing. He couldn’t have lived long.”

  * * * *

  Robert stared. No words came to him. He’d seen a lot of strange things over the years, but nothing like Emily had described.

  Slater nodded. “Good. Maybe Clint will stop worrying you’re defenseless. A strong mate is a blessing. One willing to take care of herself and her man is definitely a plus.”