by Ruby Madden
She did as he asked. Her grip on the gun did feel more secure. “All right.”
“Now I want you to pull back the hammer on the gun, slide your pointer finger through the trigger guard, and squeeze back on the trigger.”
“I thought you said there weren’t any bullets in this thing?”
“There aren’t. This is just practice.”
“Okay.” She used her thumb to pull back the hammer, slid her finger through the metal loop around the trigger, and pulled on the trigger. The gun made a clicking noise and the cylinder that housed the bullets turned over.
“That was good. Now try again.”
She repeated the process again. No big deal.
“So far so good?” Rick asked.
“Yeah.” She hadn’t really done anything yet.
“Good. Now you’re ready for the bullets and a lesson about aiming.” Rick stepped back and held out his hand. “Let me have it back for a second, please.”
Sophie handed the gun over and watched Rick pop out the cylinder and slide a bullet into each individual chamber. It only held six bullets. That didn’t seem like much.
“Now would be a good time to go ahead and put your earplugs in.” Rick snapped the cylinder closed.
Sophie pulled the pack of earplugs out of her pocket and looked down at them. “How am I going to hear you if I stick these things in my ears?”
“They don’t block out all sound. They just mute it. Besides, you’re going to do this the same way as before. Only this time you’ll have bullets.”
“Okay, but stop me if I do something wrong.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here to help. You’ll do fine.”
She ripped into the plastic, collected the two little bits of foam, and pushed one plug into each of her ears. Rick handed her back the gun and moved into position behind her.
“All right,” Rick said loudly. “Aim your weapon at the target. If you look closely, there’s a single sight on the front of the gun barrel and two posts on the back side. To aim, you look through the back posts with your dominate eye and line the front sight up evenly between the back two rear posts. In order for you to hit what you want, you have to line up the front sight, rear sight, and your target.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t get it. That sounds impossible. You can’t look at three things all at once.”
“I know it sounds complicated. That’s why we’re practicing now. Just give it a shot whenever you’re ready.”
Never was the first date that popped to mind. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to disappoint Rick. He was only doing this because he was concerned for her safety. The least she could do was give it a shot. She couldn’t help if she sucked at it.
She sucked in a deep breath and held it as she pointed the end of the barrel toward the center of the target. She closed one eye and looked down the barrel with her dominate eye, just as he’d told her to, and lined the sights up with the center of the bright orange circle. She cocked the hammer, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger.
The loud bang and sudden recoil of the weapon caught her by surprise. She winced and jerked her arm upward. The shot went high, missed the target by a mile, and hit an oak tree, sending bark flying.
“Okay,” Rick said. “That wasn’t a bad first try.”
Sophie snorted. “You are so full of crap. That was awful.”
“You’ll do better now that you know what to expect.”
“Uh-huh.” She glanced over her shoulder at Rick. “Can I quit now?”
“One more time. For me. Please?”
Oh, that wasn’t fair. “One more and then you’ll give up on the shooting lessons?”
“You’ve got a deal. If you still hate it after one more shot, then we’ll pack up and go back to the house.”
Sophie nodded and faced forward again. “Here goes nothing.”
She aimed carefully, cocked the hammer, and squeezed the trigger. This time the noise didn’t catch her off guard. Neither did the kickback. She kept her grip steady and her aim true. To her surprise, the bullet punched through the center of the target and left behind a gaping hole in the solid orange circle.
“Oh my goodness. I did it.” She dropped the gun and whirled around and threw her arms around Rick. “Did you see that? I hit the bullseye.”
“Damn right, you did.” Rick hugged her back, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around. “You’re a natural.”
Sophie closed her eyes and threw her head back, letting the sun shine down on her face. It warmed her almost as much as the man spinning her around and around in circles. She reopened her eyes and gazed upward to find her mate smiling down at her as if she were more precious than the sun above their head or earth below their feet. Her pulse sped up while the world around them ceased to exist. The only thing that mattered in that moment was the man holding her.
“I love you,” she blurted out, unwilling to wait another second to tell him how she felt.
His smile eclipsed the sun. “I love you, too.”
He lowered his head and she lifted hers, meeting him halfway in order to press her mouth against his. She tilted her head left and parted her lips, inviting him inside, and he was quick to take her up on her silent request. His tongue slid over the sensitive inner flesh of her lower lip and beyond. She met each teasing caress with one of her own, sinking ever deeper into the kiss. Their tongues glided back and forth together in a mating dance older than time.
By the time Rick eased back, her head was spinning from more than the heat and her panties were suspiciously moist. She was half tempted to drop onto the grass and offer herself up to him like some daring exhibitionist. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option since Rick’s younger brother came and went as he pleased and could appear at any time.
Rick rubbed his nose over hers, smacked another quick kiss on her lips, and then set her back on her feet. “So… you still want to give up on target practice?”
“Hell no. I want to do that again.” She would rock his world later. In private.
“That’s my girl.” With a smile, Rick plucked the pistol off the ground and handed it back to her. “I knew you could do it.”
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Sophie walked into work with a smile on her face despite only getting around four hours of rest the night before. She and Rick had stayed up late, talking and making love, over and over, until neither of them could keep their eyes open another second. She’d never been so happy to lose sleep.
Her good mood was short-lived. After closing and securing the door behind her, she crossed the room and set her purse on the counter. Seeing it sitting there alone reminded her of the bagged lunch she’d packed earlier and obviously left behind in Rick’s SUV. Being forgetful sucked. She rifled through the contents of her purse for her new cell phone to see if she could catch Rick before he made it all the way home. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind turning around and running her lunch back to her.
Before she could dial the number, the phone was snatched out of her hand. “What the hell, Deb?” She turned her head and her irritation at her friend turned to fear. Deb wasn’t standing behind her. Lou was.
Terror froze her in place.
Before she could react, he snarled and lashed out, backhanding her with brutal force. “Think you’re smarter than me, don’t you, bitch? Think you can sic the cops on me and shack up with some animal freak to protect you?”
He hit her so hard her ears rang and her right eye felt like it was going to explode. She cried out in pain and surprise and gripped her throbbing face. The familiar pain snapped her out of the shock from seeing him where she’d least expected it and got her moving. She’d never backed away from someone so fast in her life.
“You shouldn’t be here. The whole police force is out looking for you.”
Before she could get far, Lou advanced, grabbed her wrist with an iron fist, and yanked her forward. “You think I’m worried about a bunch of inbred shifters?
Those bastards couldn’t find their balls with both hands and a fuckin’ GPS system.”
“Let go of me.” She jerked her arm back, desperate to get loose. She knew exactly what he was capable of; she’d been on the receiving end of his anger more than once, and was terrified of what he might do now that she’d dared not only to leave him but to fight back.
Lou tightened his grip on her wrist, digging his fingers into her flesh. “I don’t think so. Frankly, you’re damn lucky to still be breathing after all the trouble you’ve caused me.”
She fought against the urge to roll her eyes. “I haven’t done anything to you. I just want to be left alone to live my life. That’s all. If you let me go and leave now, I’ll drop the charges against you and forget you were ever here.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy. You’re mine and you’re coming home with me so I can teach you the error of your ways. End of story.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She’d rather die right then and there than leave Rick and go back to the life she had with Lou. Even Hell itself would be an improvement over being Lou’s woman.
“You’re going to keep your goddamn mouth shut and do what I tell you unless you want to end up like your friend over there.” He balled his fist up and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.
She looked around and spotted the still body of her friend lying crumpled on the other side of the table where they’d shared lunch and sat to talk about their lives before and after work. Oh God. Deb. How the hell had she forgotten about Deb?
“What the hell have you done?” She reared back and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could and stomped on his foot. To her surprise, he grunted and released her so fast she stumbled backward.
She regained her equilibrium quickly and raced around him to grab her purse off the counter. As much as she wanted to check on Deb, she wouldn’t do either of them any good if she let Lou get his hands on her again and drag her out of there. It could be hours before anyone came to investigate why the library wasn’t open. Deb might not have that long to wait. In order to save her friend, she needed to do something drastic. Now.
“You scheming bitch,” he screeched at her. “You’re going to pay for that.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out the pistol Rick convinced her to carry only the night before. Thank goodness for her mate. His thoughtfulness might save both of their lives.
She cocked the hammer and spun around, prepared to pull the trigger if that’s what it took to get rid of Lou once and for all.
Lou stood tall, with a revolver of his own pointed at her chest. He smirked at the sight of her .22 caliber.
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me. Who do you think you’re going to scare off with that little peashooter? We both know you’re more apt to shoot your own foot off than hit me.”
She froze with her finger on the trigger, suddenly unsure of her next move. All of her past mistakes came flooding back to her in a dizzying rush. In the middle of it all, Rick’s smiling face popped into her mind. She pictured her mate and remembered his faith in her. If he could believe in her when she’d done nothing to deserve his certainty, then she could damn well rally the courage to believe in herself. She would stand up to Lou and win, or die trying.
“You’re wrong,” she said with as much certainty as she could muster. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll show you exactly what I can do with this little peashooter.”
* * * *
On the outskirts of town, a buck darted out into the road. Rick swore and stomped on the brakes to avoid hitting the animal. His vehicle skidded to a shaky stop, while the deer bounded off the road and up the bank, disappearing into the forest. Rick exhaled and looked down. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something brown lying on the passenger side floorboard. He leaned across the console and grabbed the paper bag holding Sophie’s lunch. She must have forgotten to grab it.
Rick made a U-turn and headed back toward the library. He pulled up in front of the building, parked, and ran up to the main doors with the intention of handing off Sophie’s lunch and leaving. A yank on the outer door revealed it was still locked. He looked closer and realized the interior of the building was still dark. That was weird.
A jolt of fear shot through him.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. It was almost fifteen minutes after the hour. The lights should have been on and the doors should have been open to the public. Something wasn’t right.
His sense of fear intensified. Only then did he realize the emotion was not his own.
Terrified of what might be happening to his mate, he dialed Sophie’s cell phone number as he jogged around the side of the building. The voicemail came on and he disconnected the call. He approached the back door and inhaled the scent of burnt charcoal and sour milk. Anger and bitterness. He’d smelled that before. Recently even. Where the hell did he know that scent?
The answer came to him like a bolt of lightning. He’d smelled the same angry and bitter scents buried beneath the coppery tang of blood out in the forest the night Sophie had shown up on his property. Lou was somewhere nearby. He’d bet his life on it.
Fear for Sophie twisted his guts and sent adrenaline coursing through his veins. He reached for the doorknob and twisted. The bastard wouldn’t turn, but it didn’t matter. He would get inside one way or another. No measly little lock was going to stand between him and his mate. A partial shift wasn’t easy, but he managed to transform both his arms within seconds of calling forth the change. His bear’s strength flooded his human body and gave him the power to rip the door from its hinges and fling it aside. He barreled over the threshold, intent on finding his mate, and found himself face-to-face with the abusive prick who’d attacked Sophie.
Sophie stood across the room, her weapon raised and pointed at the man who’d hurt her. That, in itself, wasn’t what scared him. Not even close. What turned his blood to ice was the revolver pointed directly at her, and the flat, unsurprised glint in the bastard’s cold blue eyes.
“Well, well, well,” Lou said in a slow, Southern drawl. “If it isn’t Sophie’s big, bad bear protector to the rescue. I’ve been waiting on you.”
“Run,” Sophie yelled at Rick. “He’ll shoot you.”
“Damn right, I will.” Lou swung the gun toward Rick. “Nobody fucks with my woman and gets away with it, especially not a freak like you.”
“Drop the gun,” Sophie shouted.
Lou fired his weapon. So did Sophie. The noise from both guns discharging was deafening in the small space.
“Get back and call for help,” Rick hollered at Sophie with the last vestiges of his humanity.
He barely felt the bullet slide through the flesh of his upper right arm; the pain was negligible in comparison to his bones breaking and his muscles realigning. He watched crimson blossom across Lou’s shoulder and spread down his arm as adrenaline surged through his own body and forced him through his shift at warp speed. Fur burst through his pores. His nails darkened and extended into deadly claws, while his jaw broke and extended, and his new snout filled with lethal fangs. Bones and muscles snapped, thickened and stretched, reshaping him into a larger and stronger animal, a beast hell-bent on defending his mate. He gave in to his nature and let the bear’s rage take over and propel him forward. The threat to his mate wouldn’t be tolerated. The danger needed to be destroyed, rent limb from limb, and scattered to the wind.
He dropped onto all four paws and raced toward the threat. A second bullet slammed into his right shoulder. A third grazed the top of his head and lodged in the hump on his back. Agony swept through him, but it wouldn’t deter him from his goal.
Blood ran into his eyes and turned his vision red. The moment his enemy was within reach, the bear struck out at him, swatting the gun from his hand in a downward arc that sent his claws slicing through the human’s forearm and soft midsection. Crimson liquid poured from the
wound and soaked the man’s clothing. The coppery scent of blood filled the air and excited the bear. He roared in anger and satisfaction, and lunged forward, sinking his fangs into the weak human’s throat. He shook his broad head from side to side, tearing sinew from bone, and ripped free a huge chunk of flesh.
With his bloodlust sated, the bear sat back on his haunches and licked his chops as the human gurgled and gripped his throat. Blood spurted from his opponent’s neck and poured down his chest. The human dropped to his knees and slumped over.
With victory assured, the bear swung his attention across the room to where his mate knelt, helping her injured coworker sit up. The left side of the librarian’s face was swollen and discolored around her eye and cheek. He roared at the reminder of his adversary’s trespasses and wished he could kill the bastard all over again.
Sophie broke away from her friend and ran straight to Rick. She didn’t hesitate to throw her arms around his neck, despite his beastly form and the blood clinging to his fur.
“Thank God you’re all right. I was so damn scared. I thought for sure he was going to kill me and I’d never get to see you again. Then you came bursting through the door like some kind of comic book hero and I was terrified he was going to kill you.” She trembled against him, shaking under the power of her emotions. She buried her face in his coat and sobbed her heart out against him.
He rumbled with contentment. He’d done his job. His mate was safe and right where she belonged. However, while her touch and the physical reassurance of her well-being comforted him, her emotional distress cooled his bear’s satisfaction faster than a dip in cold water. He nuzzled her, trying to reassure her of his presence and her safety.
Her hold on him tightened and agony shot through his shoulder and the back of his neck. He chuffed and ground his teeth, frustrated by his own physical limitations. Now that his adrenaline level was falling, his wounds were starting to make themselves known.
“Oh God.” Sophie backed off and looked at him. “I’m so sorry. You’re hurt and here I am weeping all over you like a damn baby. Can you shift so I can see how bad you’re hurt? I can’t tell through all your fur. Wait! Maybe you shouldn’t. For all I know, shifting will make it worse.”
