by Amelia Jade
At his words, the wolves all rose from their sitting positions, elongating until they formed more of an oval shape, leaving room for her and the alpha in the middle. She looked around wildly, taking a step back toward the house. A warning growl from the closest wolf, one of the largest and likely the second in command, dissuaded her of that idea. The wolf would be on her before she could unlock the door and get back inside.
Shoulders slumping in defeat, Alyssa accepted her fate.
"That's better. Come along and leave this fantasy land behind. This life is not for the likes of you."
This life was not for her.
His words rang out, reaching out and ringing deeply within her. He was right, she had been fleeing for so many years, always gliding through the rest of the world, never truly belonging, never having a place she felt wanted or comfortable. Maybe it was best that she went back. At least there she knew the rules and what was expected of her.
She grabbed the railing to step forward.
"Really, gorgeous..." The image of Tanner flashed through her head. She remembered the way he had simply stared at her through the window of her smashed car the very first night they had met.
Then the time in his kitchen, where neither of them had spoken, but his eyes had been alive with desire and care for her as he pulled her tight, before their lips had met. She remembered the way he had touched her gently, taking her slowly as he stared into her eyes once more. The concern in his face when she had almost been caught by the wolves. He cared for her. She had slept through the night in his house. She felt comfortable there. Tanner had convinced her to stay with him, even when she had protested against it.
She felt wanted here.
You belong here. This place, that man, they are the things worth fighting for in your life.
Her lips pulled back as her bear roared its agreement, blood rushing through her veins, carrying adrenaline with it.
I am not going with them. If I do, I'll die. Fuck. That. If I'm going to die, I'm going down fighting for this life.
For the first time in her life, Alyssa saw a purpose, a reason for being. She loved Tanner, with every piece of her ample body. He was someone she could spend her life with, and someone worth fighting for. Never before had she felt so focused, so sure that violence was the answer. Looking around her at the two columns of wolves ready to escort her back to a life of slavery, she made her decision.
She took the last step down to the concrete walkway. The moment her foot touched, her bear surged forth. Letting herself fall forward, by the time her hands hit the sidewalk they were massive paws and she was charging forward. Rage filled her vision as she swatted out with a massive paw, catching the first wolf on the left by surprise. It flew through the air before coming to an abrupt stop as it hit the brick of the garage wall, bones crunching.
Letting her momentum carry her forward, she pounced on the next wolf in line, using her sheer weight to break its neck before rolling off it. Her jaw bit down onto the next wolf, which had turned and begun charging at her. She got it full in the neck, shaking viciously until something snapped.
Pain exploded in her right flank as one of the attackers from the other column darted in and took out a chunk of flesh from her side. Instead of turning and exposing herself to more damage, Alyssa faked hesitation, encouraging the two wolves coming at her to continue their charge.
The moment the first one entered within range she focused her attention on it, hooking her massive claws under its skin as she practically uppercut the wolf, before slamming it headfirst into the pavement.
A set of teeth locked on to her hind left leg, worrying at the flesh there. She kicked out, sending the wolf tumbling across the lawn, dazed but unhurt. She had taken down four so far, but the others had recovered from their surprise and were now waiting to coordinate their attacks as the alpha stepped forward, his wolf bigger and more powerful than the rest. She tensed, ready for them to swarm her, but they didn't.
There were too many of them for her to combat alone, and her wounds were already beginning to tire her out. If she took many more, she would be unable to continue the fight. The pack closed ranks, the alpha shielded now by some loyal troops, almost as if they were expecting her renewed attack.
The alpha.
Switching gears, a plan began to formulate in her brain. If she could take the alpha down, she might just have a chance at escaping alive. Her head swiveled, eyes focused like lasers on the leader as he hid behind his subordinates. She would charge them straight up the middle. They wouldn't expect her to ignore all the other wolves, so when she didn't slow down to fight, it would catch them by surprise. Hopefully.
I love you.
She sent the silent thought out, wishing it to reach Tanner, so that he might know how she felt, that in her final moments she had come clean to herself, accepting the way she felt and fighting for what she wanted.
In the distance she heard a truck, and for just a moment hope flared within her. Whoever it was, they were coming up the long road toward the house. The wolves heard it too, and at a command from the leader, they began to snarl and advance on her. The hope died as she realized their plan. They would kill her first and then run before the others could arrive.
Time to spoil this party.
Tensing her legs, she exploded into action.
The leader didn't have time to react. In the blink of an eye she had shouldered aside two wolves as if they were nothing and was on him, the two of them going down in a rolling, snarling, growling pile of limbs and fur. His jaw ripped a chunk of flesh from her front leg and his paws scrabbled along her belly, each movement drawing blood and shooting pain throughout her body.
She waited patiently, and as they came apart, landing on their legs as they exited the roll, the alpha darted in for her already-weakened paw. It was the attack she had hoped for. Her jaws clamped down around the scruff of his neck, and she lifted him high in the air, shaking him like a prize, before whipping her neck around and sending him flying into the side of Tanner's truck, his bones snapping as the truck crumpled around him. The alpha whimpered once before collapsing onto the pavement, a smear of blood dripping off the mangled wreckage of the driver's side door. He let out one last gurgling breath before lying still.
Alyssa's roar of triumph turned in to a scream of pain as wolves hit her from every direction. She turned, trying to fight them off, but they simply circled around her, attacking her where she couldn't see them. She was losing blood fast, the grass under her quickly becoming soaked and making her footing treacherous.
The alpha was dead, but the others were intent on avenging him. Her vision began to blur, her muscles tiring. The truck was close, but she wasn't going to last. A paw swatted out at a closing wolf, but she was too slow. It simply ducked under the swing and took another chunk out of her.
Turning to try and confront the other wolves, she slid her weakened front leg through a pool of blood and down she went, her vulnerable underside now completely exposed to the wolves. This was the end—she could feel it as the first one darted in to attack her. She lay back, ready to give up the fight.
A truck horn sounded from in front of her.
Lifting her head, the minor effort taking the last of her strength, she saw the truck Tanner had left in charging up the road, no more than a few seconds away.
The truck swung around to the side as the driver slammed on the brakes, the passenger side turning to face her. Just before the door spun away out of sight, it opened and Tanner came flying out, ducking into a roll as his momentum carried him forward.
As he came up out of the roll, his coiled legs propelled him forward into a dive, but as she watched in awe, he was shifting before even fully exiting the roll. His dive forward turned into a leap as his bear emerged. He landed on all fours at a full run in an astounding display of competency as a shifter.
Chapter Thirteen
Tanner
"Faster!" he yelled, undoing his seatbelt as Andy gunned it up the road
. He watched in horror as Alyssa charged the alpha.
When she threw it into the side of his truck, the two males roared their approval at the fieriness within her. If Tanner had any doubts that she was his mate, they disappeared the moment she roared her victory.
That was his woman. His mate. His love. He roared again, in triumph with her.
Then the wolves attacked, and his world disappeared into a vision of red as anger erupted within him. He saw his mate go down under their combined attacks. Desperate to distract them, he reached across Andy and slammed his hand down on the horn. It worked momentarily, allowing them to get within range.
"Slam on the brakes!" he roared, taking control of the situation again. As Andy complied, he wrenched the wheel around for him. The truck began to spin.
"Hold it there," he urged, waiting until just the last minute before springing out of the truck into a roll. He came up out of the roll, already opening the link with his bear as he coiled his legs and pushed off, soaring gracefully forward toward the wolves. Landing as his bear, he charged forward.
Tanner hit the wolves like a wrecking ball, red dimming his vision, attacking anything that appeared as white. He whirled and bashed repeatedly with his paws, blood dripping down his jaws as he ripped the neck from more than one unfortunate attacker that came too close as he cut a swath of death and destruction around his mate. He roared, a bellowing challenge that echoed off the surrounding hills, daring any of the wolves to come within the circle he had created.
They paused, startled by the ferocity of his attack. That was when Andy hit them from the side, having crept around Tanner's truck until he was within striking range. More wolves went down as Tanner joined him, the two attacking anything that moved.
In moments, the wolves that could flee did, while those that couldn't were put out of their misery by Tanner. He saw one more wolf get up, trying to drag itself away. With a low growl he walked over to it, ready to end its life as well, until Andy, in human form, threw himself in the way.
"Wait!" he cried as Tanner growled threateningly. "We need a way to get word back to whoever these guys work for. We need to tell them that Alyssa is dead."
That got Tanner's attention. He pivoted, running over to his mate, shifting back to human form as he slid up to her. She was alive, but weak and getting weaker by the moment. His anger soared, but he tamped it down, knowing that he didn't need it any longer. Now his mate needed his gentleness, his care.
His love.
"I love you, Alyssa Williams. Please, I need you to shift back. You have to find the energy, the will. I need you..." he trailed off, pleading with her as she looked at him dully.
If she shifted back to human form, the healing powers of their race would have an exaggerated effect, hopefully to the point that she might survive the experience.
Tires screeched on pavement as the other trucks arrived, men piling out and racing to secure the scene.
"Call Morgan," he rasped at Calan as his friend approached. Morgan Rivers was the doctor in Bear Bluffs, and well versed in helping hurt shifters recover.
"He's on his way already. I called him as soon as I realized where we were heading. He should be here in minutes."
Tanner looked up, failing at finding words to thank his friend. That was something he should have thought of, preparation he should have made as soon as he feared what was happening.
"Look," Calan said, pointing behind him.
Turning back to Alyssa, his heart soared. She was shifting back slowly, very, very slowly. But as he watched, she returned to human form. Even covered in blood, she looked beautiful to him. He leaned down to put his head against hers, careful to avoid the multitude of cuts as best he could.
"Tanner," she started, her voice alarmingly soft and weak-sounding.
"Hush, love. The doctor is on his way. He'll have blood and stitches. You'll be okay. Save your strength."
He hoped Morgan would be prepared enough to have those things. Shifters could heal from most wounds, but she had had lost so much blood, it might not be enough. His clothes, thankfully preserved through the magic of their shifting, were already drenched in her blood from the surrounding ground.
She tried to speak again, but the words were too soft for even his hearing to pick up. A coughing spasm shook the body in his arms, leaving her looking worn and weaker as she tried once more to form the words.
Tanner wanted to yell at her, hating the stubborn streak within his mate. For so long she refused to tell the truth about her attackers, but now she wanted to do nothing but talk. He wasn't sure what she wanted to say, assuming it was something to do with the situation.
"Tanner," she spoke again, focusing him back on the present.
"Yes?"
"I want to stay with you."
She passed out in his arms before the words could register, and when they did, he almost fell over.
***
She has to live. She has to. She told me, at the end, that she wanted to stay with me.
Tanner paced back and forth outside of the emergency room in King City. When Doc Rivers had arrived on scene, he quickly pronounced her wounds too serious for him to treat with what he had on hand. She needed more blood, and a surgical team to stitch together an internal wound that wasn't healing fast enough on its own.
As it turned out, one of the alpha's claws had punctured deep into her stomach, opening up a long wound in her large intestine. Although it was healing on its own thanks to her shifter DNA, it was a lengthy process, and in the meantime it was spilling toxic waste into the rest of her system. If the surgeons couldn't fix it in time, she would die no matter what they did.
He gave another silent prayer of thanks that the doctor had smelled something and taken a closer look, or else they would all have missed it and his Alyssa would have been dead before they could get her airlifted. Although he wasn't the biggest fan of heights, Tanner had outright refused to be left behind when the medical evacuation team had arrived.
The serious looks on the surgery team's faces had told him the odds weren't good, but he held faith. His mate was one hell of a fighter, and now that she had an opportunity to live a real life, he knew she wouldn't back down. It had taken her too long to get to this point in her life. There was life in her yet.
The twin swinging doors bumped open, spinning him around midstep. A nurse emerged, still pulling her surgical gloves off her hands. They were covered in blood, which sent his heart sinking.
"Oh, don't mind these, I really should have taken them off first." the middle-aged lady said with a smile, quickly shoving them in a pocket.
"How is she nurse?"
"Well, that's why I came out here so quickly. I wanted to give you the good news. She's pulled through the worst of it, and her body is now healing nicely on its own with a little help from us."
His knees went weak with relief. The nearby waiting chair seemed suddenly a mile away as he tried to reach it to sit down. The nurse quickly moved up to his side to help him. The sight must have been comical to anyone watching, for he towered over her by a good foot and a half. Still, he was appreciative of the guidance, tapping her arm gently as thanks, his words still refusing to come.
She's going to live.
"It's going to be awhile before she wakes up. Why don't you go home and come back?"
"I'll be here. Once she has a room, let me know. I want to see her."
"She'll be too weak to talk for some time."
"Don't want to talk; presence is all," he said, beginning to slur his words as everything caught up to him at once. In moments, he was asleep in the chair, his own wounds, the long day, and his worry over Alyssa all robbing him of any remaining adrenaline.
He awoke with a start later, regretting the quick movement that had jolted him awake already. The tightness of his neck muscles told him that he had been in the same position for quite some time. Muscles screamed their protest as he tried to rise, only halting his process to grab a piece of paper that slid off his lap,
snagging it mid-air before it fell to the ground. Unfolding it, he saw three numbers scrawled neatly across the paper.
312.
"Excuse me," he said to the nurse at the on-duty desk off to his right.
"Yes sir? What can I help you with?" Her voice was polite but professional. He was interrupting her work, but she had expected it.
"Where is room three-twelve?"
"Get in those elevators," she said, pointing directly behind him, "go up a floor, go right out of the elevator and follow the signs. Be quiet up there. It's a recovery area, and it's past normal visiting hours."
Nodding that he understood, Tanner punched the button. The elevator was already waiting, and the ride up was swift. He emerged onto a darkened floor, the lights dimmed to help patients rest better, he assumed. Doing his best to move his large frame without excess noise, he followed the nurse's directions, taking a winding series of hallways and a left turn before he came to a door with the same three numbers on it.
Looking through the partially-opened slits of blinds, he could see a form lying on the bed. His heart fluttered as he recognized his mate. He turned the handle and entered as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb her.
"It's okay, I'm awake," came the voice from the bed.
He faltered in his step at how small she sounded. The normal strength and vibrancy of her voice was absent. The doctors had said she would recover, but she seemed so shrunken, in size and presence. Her body was limp and weak from the ordeal, sunken into the bed as if being absorbed by it.
Then he saw her eyes. The brown orbs blazed with strength and energy. Although none of it carried over into the rest of her body, he could tell that the Alyssa he knew was still there. Their piercing gaze seemed to see right through him, reading his thoughts and fears as if they were written on the wall beside him.
"I'm not going anywhere," she told him. It may have been his imagination, but if asked, he would have sworn he heard anger and chastising in her voice. A smile caressed his face ever so slightly as he closed the last few feet to the side of her bed.
