“Shut up! Today, smart ass, you’ll meet the same fate so many of my deer family have met by the likes of your kind. You’re going to fucking die!”
Damian felt like a spectator as he watched the horrific scene play out in slow motion. Unfortunately, he was rendered helpless for a few moments because of where he was positioned. Damian couldn’t help but shift his eyes to look past the man, who was now pointing his gun at Jordan. Damian was flabbergasted when he saw Jordan had changed to his human form. He must have misunderstood what Damian had signaled and changed anyway.
Then Damian saw what his beloved was doing. He watched her beautiful grey and white Wolf run toward them at near full speed.
Noooo, Damian screamed through the link. But it didn’t stop her.
The man spun on his heels, haphazardly flinging the weapon and discharging it as he turned. Damian quickly changed back to his Wolf, and in a flash the man shifted into a twenty-point buck. It was the same buck they’d seen before. His odor permeated the air. It was the same stench Damian had smelled on several occasions while tracking his mate.
When the large buck reared up, he began flailing his front legs to fight off Angelisa. His front hoof hit her in the jaw, then just above her ear. Her eyes rolled, but she continued her attack. She snarled and her teeth gnashed in an attempt to capture his leg in her powerful jaws and crush the bones.
Another powerful strike to her midsection ripped through her flesh, and she collapsed to the ground. Damian and Maverick had already sprang into action and were wrestling the buck to the ground. Damian was torn: he needed to check on his mate, but he needed to help Maverick eliminate the danger to them all.
Maverick’s long teeth sank into the buck’s hind quarters as Damian wrapped his jaws around the corded muscular neck with his fangs. The blood oozed from the buck’s neck and dripped into Damian’s mouth. With a loud crunching sound, Damian closed his jaws tight, piercing the thick flesh and muscle, then yanked hard, tearing the meat from the bone.
Instead of eating it, like he’d done with so many other delicious and tender deer, he spit the meat onto the ground and regurgitated any blood that had seeped into his throat.
He turned and ran to his mate, who was curled in a ball; the fur around her stomach and the ground beneath her were red with her own blood.
Damian’s Wolf lapped at her wound in an attempt to help her heal. Feeling like he wasn’t helping her fast enough, his Wolf howled long and loud.
Chapter 14
Damian’s Wolf continued to lick and nudge his mate in an attempt to rouse her, to no avail. He’d pace, then howl before repeating the licking and nudging. He knew his saliva could help her heal, so he didn’t change to human, and he’d helped the bleeding slow down significantly, but she wouldn’t budge.
Not only was his mate a casualty of this savage, rogue deer, but Jordan had changed to human and had been shot again. This time it was far worse. The first time he’d just been grazed. This time, he was shot in the stomach. Maverick shifted to human and was applying pressure to minimize the bleeding. They both were surprised Jordan was awake, but were relieved and hoping the bullet missed any major organs.
After another attempt to get his mate to stir, Damian’s howls went on for several minutes.
Damian’s distressed howls didn’t go unanswered. Within minutes of the last cry, Xavier and Thor, along with several of their Pack, appeared on the gruesome scene.
Tears were streaming down Maverick’s and Jordan’s faces when they saw them all.
Damian’s Wolf continued to nudge and run his tongue along the lengthy jagged cut on his mate’s abdomen.
Thor signaled with his head for his men to help the wounded, then he walked over to his son.
“Shift, son,” he said.
Without hesitation, Damian shifted to his human form. He looked into his father’s eyes. The tears that had formed in his eyes trickled down his cheeks, his chin trembling like when he was a distraught child.
Thor opened his arms wide and his son fell into them. Damian’s sobs were heart-wrenching, and his tears soaked Thor’s shirt, like he had done so many times as a small boy when things didn’t go his way. But Thor knew this wasn’t the same. It had been a long time since he’d seen raw emotions pour from his son.
Behind Damian’s back, the men were working to get Jordan onto a gurney so they could carry him home. Xavier’s men were helping to move him to minimize any pressure or additional pain.
Next, they made their way to the motionless Wolf. When the leaves rustled around her, Damian pulled back and spun around.
“Be careful with her,” he said, then sniffled.
“Who is she?” his father asked.
“She’s my soul-mate, and our angel. That’s all I know. That, and she probably saved us three from getting killed by that scoundrel buck.” He pointed at the mangled remains of the huge deer he and Maverick killed.
“You can tell me about it when we get home. For now, we need to get these two medical attention as quickly as possible.”
Damian wiped the tears from his eyes and face, then turned to check on his mate. She had lost a lot of blood, and her coat was matted with her coagulating blood. He reached out and stroked her fur by her face and neck while saying a silent prayer to the Goddess that she would survive. Even though he didn’t know her name, and had barely talked to her, he loved her. He couldn’t imagine living another day without her.
Once Damian’s mate was on the gurney, the task of moving her proved more difficult than they all had anticipated. The gurney wasn’t wide enough to hold her steady without extra men on the sides. The footwork was challenging, and there was a lot of cursing as they trekked through the woods.
“Bring her to my land. We have a cart that should make it easier to get her to Thor’s Pack,” Xavier said. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Xavier’s territory was less than half a mile away.
While transitioning Damian’s mate to the cart, Xavier asked his healer, Harley, to look at her to make sure she was fit to travel the distance to Thor’s Pack. Xavier, Thor, and their men walked a few steps away from the cart to allow Harley plenty of room.
Damian didn’t budge. He stood very close to the cart, holding his mate’s paw in his hand.
“Damian, nice to see you again,” Harley said as she approached. She gave him a subtle smile. Damian flashed a little smile in return. His heart ached. The woman he loved was lying before him, motionless, and he was hoping that Harley would have good news.
Damian watched Harley situate her stethoscope to do a quick check. Damian growled each time she poked at his mate and felt around the incision. “I’m not hurting her. I promise.” Harley said.
“The buck’s hooves hit her head a couple of times,” Damian said as he pointed to the areas he thought had been struck.
Harley gently ran her fingers over her head. When she reached near the ear, she knew that was a tender spot that would most likely turn into a bruise. The Wolf whimpered in a barely audible tone, her eyes blinked open and closed, and she moved lethargically as Harley continued to feel around the area.
“She’s severely dehydrated, and weak. And she most likely has a concussion. I can give her an IV, which will probably take fifteen to thirty minutes for her body to absorb in her condition. But it will help her rest more comfortably on the long journey. It will also help her heart rate stay steady and alleviate some of the dryness around her mouth. I’ll give you a couple of bottles of water just for her so you can pour a little in and around her mouth every now and then,” Harley said.
“Will she live?” Damian’s voiced cracked when he asked the question. The thought of losing her was unfathomable.
“Definitely, but the trip back to your father’s Pack will be difficult on her. While she’s taking the IV, I’m going to place a bandage wrap on her torso wound after I clean it up, so it’s not exposed. After I clean it, I can assess if stitches are necessary. That should minimize the possibility of infection. P
lease, bring her closer to my cabin.”
Damian grabbed the handle of the cart and pulled it behind him toward Harley’s residence. The men hoisted Jordan on his gurney and moved him alongside the cart.
When Harley crossed the threshold, she saw Jordan. “Oh, my, I hadn’t realized there was another person wounded.” She quickly went back into her cabin, then returned with a second IV. She quickly hooked Damian’s mate up then turned her attention to Jordan, getting an IV started for him as well.
“How are you doing, Jordan?” she asked.
His reply was garbled. She quickly retrieved a cloth and bucket of water to begin cleaning the area where he’d been shot. She needed to get a better look at the wound without all the debris. Maverick stood beside his friend and held his head. Jordan winced in pain as the cloth was blotted on his tender, damaged torso. Within seconds, his head lolled back and became heavy, and his eyes closed as he exhaled a breath.
Maverick looked down through tear-filled eyes. “Is he --” he started to ask. A single tear fell onto Jordan’s face. “Harley, please.”
Everyone’s attention shifted to Jordan. His alertness after being shot had confused everyone to think that, although it was very serious, his condition wasn’t as grave as Damian’s mate’s.
“Take him inside and lay him on the first bed, please. And be extra careful. I’ll be right there.”
Harley checked the Wolf’s IV to make sure it hadn’t stopped, looked up at Damian with worry written all over her face, then turned and walked into the sick bay. Thor closed the distance between him and his son, wrapped his strong arm around Damian’s shoulders, and gave him a quick hug. After a pat on Damian’s back, Thor turned and walked in to see what was happening with his Betas son.
Damian was torn. He couldn’t leave his mate’s side. His place was beside her until the end of time. But he was heartbroken that his best friends needed him and he couldn’t be there for them. He loved them both like brothers. They’d all grown up together and had made a pact to stay best friends forever. What if Jordan didn’t make it? What if his mate didn’t make it? The thought of either of them not surviving was far too painful for Damian to comprehend.
He shook his head as he looked at his mate’s Wolf. He lifted her paw to his mouth and gently kissed it, then rubbed his cheeks on the soft fur. He lowered his head to within inches of her ear and whispered, “I love you so much. I’ll never leave you. Please, don’t leave me either.”
He cradled her head in his arms, closed his eyes, and took in her scent while he slowly rubbed his cheek back and forth along her jaw.
It felt like hours since Jordan was taken inside and everyone followed. Damian was becoming impatient and upset because he hadn’t heard anything about his friend. He’d always been told no news is good news, but he desperately wanted to know something.
Within seconds of his thoughts Damian saw their healer, Trinity, dash across the lawn, up the steps to the infirmary, and through the door.
Maverick walked out the door, his shoulders slumped and his hand across his stomach.
Damian stood up straight as Maverick walked toward him, but he kept his hand on his mate. “What’s going on? How’s Jordan?”
“Man,” Maverick said as he shook his head. “I thought for sure we lost him, but he’s strong. He passed out, probably from the pain. Then Harley had a tough time getting him to wake up, but he eventually did. She did some quick X-rays with this cool hand-held thing; the bullet missed all of his organs, but Harley said it looked like it nicked some nerves near his spine. He’s stable, but we aren’t moving him tonight. No one is leaving. Trinity’s staying to help Harley overnight, and, with any luck at all, we should be ready to go home tomorrow.”
“I’m not leaving my mate’s side tonight,” Damian growled.
“Your father told them you wouldn’t. They’re finding a place for you both, and Trinity will stay with you guys. They don’t want your mate to wake up and be startled, then destroy shit. Jordan is staying here.” Maverick pointed at the wooden structure where he was getting a lot of attention.
“I don’t care where we are, as long as we’re together. And she’ll be fine as long as I’m there by her when she wakes up.”
Chapter 15
The night was anything but peaceful for Damian. His mate rested for the most part, thanks to the muscle relaxant Harley and Trinity had convinced him was for her own good, but his own Wolf became increasingly restless as the night went on. His mate’s breaths were eerily shallow. It was unsettling to not hear an occasional growl or the deep raspy breaths known to Wolves as they slept. Damian sat with her, held her paw, stroked her fur, and whispered his love over and over. But the lack of response had been driving him crazy.
On several occasions, he felt himself nodding off. He’d get up and pace, stomping across the creaking floorboards in hopes of waking himself enough to not doze again. Even the obnoxious sound of Trinity’s snoring wasn’t enough to keep him awake as daybreak drew nearer. Giving in to his need to close his eyes, Damian squeezed into the bed next to his mate, curled his body around her Wolf, and wrapped his arm gently around her middle, careful not to touch the tender spot under the bandage.
The sunlight blared into the room, waking Damian and pouring its warm glow on his mate’s fur highlighting her beautiful coat. She looked angelic, but the brightness of the sun didn’t stir her.
A well-rested Trinity made her way into the room to check on the Wolf. “Good morning, Alpha Damian.” Trinity’s voice was full of cheer.
“Morning,” Damian grumbled.
“Did you get any rest? You look exhausted.”
“If I got any sleep, it wasn’t much.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully after we get back to the Pack later today you can get some sleep.” She turned and faced her patient. “Let’s see how this little lady is doing.”
Trinity pulled her scope on, then moved the drum into several spots until finally pressing and holding it against the chest cavity.
“She’s doing pretty well today. Her heart seems to be beating stronger, and there’s no sign of fluid in her lungs,” Trinity said as she wrapped the stethoscope behind her neck. She slowly peeled the bandage from the wound on the Wolf’s belly. She and Harley had discussed stitches, but thought it was best not to put her through that since the cut hadn’t really warranted it.
“And I can see the wound is looking pretty good, too. No sign of infection.”
“That’s good news. So we’re definitely leaving today? How’s Jordan doing?”
“I haven’t heard the definitive answer from Alpha Thor, but I’m sure if they both can be moved, he’d prefer to get home as quickly as possible. I’ll be heading over to check on Jordan in a few minutes. Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“You need to eat. You aren’t sleeping well, and that’s bad enough, but we all need you, your mate needs you, to be mindful of your own health.”
“I’ll get something later. Not now. But thanks for being concerned. If you don’t mind, please, just let me know how Jordan is doing.”
“You could walk over with me,” she said.
“I’m not leaving my mate. I need to be here, by her side,” he grumbled.
“Fine. I’ll return shortly.”
Trinity pulled on her sweater she’d tossed over the back of a chair the night before and disappeared through the door, closing it slowly behind her.
Damian had settled into the chair next to the bed where his mate lay. From his seat, he was able to see Chuck sitting on the neighboring cabin porch with his father, Thor. They appeared to be deep in discussion. They were both hunched over the table, rubbing their hands furiously along the surface. Damian glanced out the window in their direction a few times, but wasn’t able to decipher what they might have been talking about. He was certain the problem Chuck had told him about one of the homes was at least a possible topic.
Chuck’s eyes lifted, and he glanced at the cabin wh
ere Damian was. Thor pointed and gestured, making large circles and moved his arm up and down, then left to right. Chuck nodded his head, and Thor stood, clapped him on the back, and then pulled him into a quick hug. The kind of hug Damian had seen his father dole out on numerous occasions.
Damian knew eventually his father would make his way to the house he was in, but the world inside of the confines of the four walls where he sat were his only concern. He returned his attention to his mate. He quickly became hypnotized watching her chest expand with each intake of breath, then lower with each exhale.
The knock at the door startled Damian. He stood and ran his fingers through his mate’s fur before telling her he’d be right back. He turned and made his way to the door.
He wasn’t surprised when he pulled the door open. “Good morning, Father.” Damian took a step back to let his father enter.
“You look tired, son.”
“I am. I didn’t get more than a few winks last night.” Thor stepped inside the room and Damian closed the door behind him.
“How’s Jordan doing? Did you talk to Trinity? Are we leaving today? I saw you with Chuck; did he tell you about the house?”
“Son, let’s sit down.” Thor’s voice wasn’t the booming, thunderous one Damian had become accustomed to over the years. Instead, it was softer, more like he’d heard when his father spoke with his mother.
They both took a seat on the sofa. It was located against a wall so Damian could see his mate resting, yet back far enough that she wouldn’t be disturbed by their conversation.
“Jordan’s doing better. For some reason, he kept calling out for someone named Mindy last night, Harley said.”
Damian chuckled at his friend’s subconscious mind calling for the waitress they’d met.
“I’m sure you’ll fill me in on the joke eventually. But regarding your friend, his vitals all show he’s able to be transported without much issue. I couldn’t be happier that Trinity will make the journey back with us. And speaking of Trinity, yes, I talked to her. I understand your mate is well enough to travel, yet she thinks she’s still quite weak. So we’ll have to be mindful on the way back.”
Damian Page 7
