“Maybe.” Her stomach jittered. It hurt to have the healer act like she was pond-scum. Because Tynan loved him. Because he was someone she would have loved to work with.
Setting limits was one thing. Her harsh words hadn’t made her feel good at all. “You’d better go help.”
He stroked her hair, the touch soothing. “Are you—”
“I’m fine.” She started to push his hand away and couldn’t help but kiss his palm and breathe in his scent before stepping away. “Go, Tynan. The injured shifter needs help, and they come first. Always.”
“Sounds familiar.” He touched her cheek tenderly, hesitated, then motioned toward the spinach and vegetables. “If you could start on the salad, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As he walked out, she narrowed her eyes. Sneaky mentor to assign her a task so she wouldn’t follow her inclination to slip out while he was gone.
Her unsettled feelings eased as she ripped spinach into small pieces and cut up carrots. Tynan hadn’t been upset by her behavior or Donal’s. No, he’d been as undisturbed as a mountain in a spring thunderstorm. Solid. Unmoving.
And simply wonderful.
Ten minutes later, still unsettled by what had happened in the kitchen, Donal finished with his patient and dismissed the young male. “Be more careful, aye?”
“Aye.” Pulling on his bloodstained shirt, Warren headed out of the clinic, calling back, “Thanks, healer.”
With Tynan standing near the door, Donal shook his head, washing his hands. “Who knew hardware stores could be so dangerous?”
A worrisome silence was his only response. Tynan wasn’t easy to rile up. Didn’t spit out his emotions like Donal did. But when he did get angry, the wolf could rip and tear with the best of them.
In fact, if Tynan had been a werecat, his claws would be embedded in Donal’s ass about now.
Donal sighed. “Since you’re not heading back to the female in the kitchen, I’m guessing you have something to say.”
“Aye. That I do.”
Donal turned. “Let’s hear it then.”
Rather than furious, his brother looked perturbed. “Even a wolverine guarding our den would have behaved better than you did. Why, Donal? Has she been rude to you in some way?”
Donal rubbed his jaw. He could hardly admit he’d never said more than a few words to her. “When I was apprenticing, the master and I had constant problems with a banfasa. I’ve had altercations with others since then.”
“But not with Margery.”
“No.” Donal shrugged. “It’s not as if she’s working as one. It’s that I’m not of a mind to encourage her.”
“Which is why you refused to let her help, even though she’d have been a better choice than me.”
“True. I simply have no interest in working with a banfasa, brawd.”
Tynan gave him an assessing gaze. “And no interest in being with any female outside of full moon Gatherings.”
Donal sighed. “That, too.” Although it wasn’t…exactly…the truth. He’d been attracted to Margery from the moment he saw her.
Even worse, when he saw Tynan kissing her, his first reaction had been an almost uncontrollable urge to join his brother. To share her with his littermate.
“All right.” Tynan’s expression darkened. “However, I don’t feel the same. As it happens, I like females. Especially this one.”
“Your choice, brawd.” The distance between them seemed to be growing. “Not a problem.”
Tynan crossed his arms over his chest, a cop behavior that Donal disliked. “The problem arises when you make the little wolf feel as if she isn’t welcome.”
Donal opened his mouth—and Tynan didn’t wait.
“No, let me be clearer. You were rude to a female who grew up under verbal and physical abuse. A female who is trying to find her place in the Daonain world—and doesn’t need someone destroying the trail in front of her.”
Guilt swept over Donal. Fuck, he had done exactly that. “You’re right.” He pulled in a breath. Perhaps it was time he looked at her more carefully. “You’re right, and I was wrong. I’ll be polite. And welcoming when she’s in our home.”
Tynan nodded. “Thank you.”
As Donal watched his brother walk out of the clinic, the distance between them seemed to stretch into infinity.
Chapter Ten
Cold Creek, North Cascades Territory - first quarter moon
* * *
Over a week later, on a sunny Saturday, Tynan strolled down Cumberland Street toward Main Street, planning to visit the Wild Hunt for a brew.
Near the intersection of Main Street, a pup ran past, screaming happily, followed by an exasperated mother who trailed him into the city park.
More shouting came from the depths of the long rectangular park that ran along the slope behind the north side of the stores on Main Street.
Curious, Tynan wandered a few feet in, past the screen of brush and trees.
Ah. The playground held a batch of wolfpack cubs. And one non-pack child. Minette was a daughter of werecat Ryder, the cahir grizzly Ben, and Emma the bard. Over the winter, Tynan had come to know them well. Since the bard taught the Daonain preschoolers, the pack often gave her a break by watching over Minette.
In the pack, single wolves often cub-sat. Mothers got a break; pups were socialized. Wolves learned what was important in life.
Today, Nia, Lacey, and Bonnie were sitting near the climbing web. At the top of the dome structure, little Tyler shrieked his victory. His littermate headed up the thick spider web ropes toward him. Minette happily dangled from one of the bars. Two more cubs were on the swings.
Bonnie, the weekday dispatcher for the sheriff’s office, spotted Tynan and waved. Hard to believe the soft-voice petite blonde had birthed such noisy, mischievous cubs as Tyler and Luke.
Tynan waved back and continued, smiling. Cold Creek reminded him of the village in Ireland where he’d fostered as a teen.
So different from Seattle. Here, he recognized almost everyone, knew which cubs belonged with which adults.
Even the gossip was entertaining.
When he’d stopped in the bookstore for a coffee, Thorson had shared that last night, a drunken Peterson had treated the tavern to his infamous top-of-the-bar dancing.
That’d teach Calum to let Rosie handle the place for a night.
Tynan snorted. By the Gods, he loved living here. And living with his littermate.
And seeing Meggie. She was coming to be…more…than he’d expected.
Mornings, he’d have breakfast at the diner so he could enjoy watching her work. The sociable female already knew the names and favorite foods of the regulars.
It’d been two weeks since her first mentoring run with him, and he’d continued teaching her. Her delight in being a wolf reminded him of the wonders of having fur and paws.
Unfortunately, the cooking lesson nine days past hadn’t led to more. Despite her brave words, Donal’s disapproval had shaken her.
Tynan rubbed his neck. There was nothing he wanted so much as to share Meggie with his littermate, but that was going to be fecking difficult.
Donal had been as good as his word and was polite to Meggie, but he was spending more time in his clinic and dodging Tynan. It was time to corner the elusive cat and have another talk.
Discussions about emotions? Not a prey Tynan wanted to chase, but it needed to be done.
He was partway down Main Street when a scream cut through the air.
He spun. That was a woman, not a cub. The screams that followed—from both women and children—were laden with terror.
Get backup. Yanking his phone out and calling, Tynan sprinted toward the park.
Alec answered. “Tynan?”
“Problem at the park. Children, women screaming.”
“On my way.”
Running at full speed, Tynan entered the park.
Red-haired Nia lay on the ground. The red splatters around her were blood. A cu
b lay beside her.
By the Gods, what had happened?
Farther in, screaming in fear and anger, Lacey swung a dead branch at a black bear. Blood covered her arm.
What the fuck? Black bears didn’t attack groups of people.
When Tynan caught its sick sour scent, his gut went tight. That was a shifter who’d gone feral—deep into insanity, driven to kill and kill.
A snarl came from a wolf. Clothing strewn behind her, Bonnie darted in to tear at the bear from behind.
Yes, wolf form would be better to defend the cubs. Yanking off his clothes, Tynan trawsfurred and sprang across the park.
Roaring, the bear rose on hind legs, swinging its claw-tipped arms at Bonnie.
Tynan attacked from the rear. He sank his fangs into the bear’s right hind leg and darted away before those massive claws could reach him and rip his flesh right off the bone.
Dropping down, the bear charged after him, then broke off to return to the helpless children and unconscious female.
Tynan yipped to get Bonnie’s attention and flicked his ears toward the bear’s rear legs. Killing it was unlikely. But they could divert it from the children.
She charged in and bit the bear. When it tore after her, she leaped away, and Tynan dove in. He bit down hard, cursing its thick fur that prevented serious damage.
The constant turns and charges began to erode the bear’s energy.
Then the feral caught Bonnie with a swipe and knocked her into a tree. Her fur turned red, and she didn’t rise.
With a triumphant growl, the bear charged Lacey, who was guarding the injured child, and Nia.
Not happening.
With a howl of fury, Tynan attacked from the side, springing up to savage its neck. There was too much fur and loose skin to kill it.
Roaring, the bear turned. Claws slashed Tynan’s side and knocked him loose.
He landed hard, rolling, and felt something crack. As he scrambled to stand, one leg gave out. Fuck.
Shaking his head to clear it, he saw the bear coming for him.
Okay, okay then. He’d lure it from the children. From the park. Tynan turned—tried to turn—one leg dragged.
This wasn’t going to end well.
With a scream of outrage, a panther sprang in front of the bear and slashed it across the eyes and muzzle. Alec.
As the bear roared and turned—a grizzly—the cahir, Ben, landed on it, driving it into the ground. One bite crushed the feral’s throat.
Back legs crumbling, Tynan fell into blackness.
In the bookstore, Margery had been chatting with Alec and Joe Thorson when the sheriff received a call. She’d heard Tynan’s voice—and more distantly, high-pitched screaming.
Even as Alec dashed out the front, she turned to Joe. “Do you have an emergency pack?”
“Yeah. But you stay here, female.” Thorson grabbed a pack from under the counter and disappeared through the stockroom door that led to the back.
It sounded bad. Screaming. Margery’s heart was already hammering, her mind shouting, “Stay back.”
Her heart overruled everything. That was Tynan. And cubs. Go.
She followed Joe out the back.
The park ran in a long line behind the stores, and she saw frantic activity near the playground. Oh, Mother of All.
Ignoring the stabbing pains in her ankle, she sprinted, caught up to Joe, and ran past.
She saw the sheriff trawsfurring from panther. He picked up his pants.
A huge grizzly stood over a dead bear.
Terrified, crying cubs clung to the climbing dome.
Pushing away her own fears, Margery concentrated on the job. Who is hurt?
A pup and female lay side-by-side, bleeding heavily, both awake and breathing and moving.
Another female had a ripped-up arm but was standing.
A wolf—Tynan. He had an obviously broken leg. His side was laid bare, exposing ribs. Unconscious. His chest rose and fell—breathing intact.
Another female in wolf form had blood spurting from a leg wound. And she was moving, which was bad. She might rip the artery open further.
Tynan first.
Can’t.
Margery’s heart felt torn in two as she snatched the medical pack from Joe, turned away from Tynan, and dropped down beside the wolf female.
“Don’t move. Let me get the bleeding stopped first,” she said, pushing her own fear away, breathing in calm. Gauze. Pressure. Bear down.
The wolf snapped at the sudden pain, but…thank you, Goddess…the teeth met air. She didn’t rip Margery’s arm off.
“Tynan!” Donal yelled. He headed straight for his brother.
“Healer. Here first, I have an arterial bleed,” Margery shouted.
Donal glared but ran to her. He frowned at the wolf. “Who is—”
“I have no idea. Fix this artery, then Tynan. If you start on her, I’ll get help for the others.”
He looked shocked, but he knelt and closed his hands around the wolf’s leg. “I’ve got this. Tend the rest.”
She rose and intercepted Joe. Slapping dressing packets into his hands, she pointed to the woman and child lying on the ground. “Help them until Donal can.”
The old werecat growled his agreement.
“Sheriff.”
Alec turned at her call.
She handed him supplies and motioned to the woman with a ripped-up arm who still stood but seemed in shock. “Help her and corral the cubs before they run away.”
“That’s smart.” Alec patted her arm and headed toward the climbing web.
Finally, finally, she could run to where her heart had been pulling her from the first moment. Her ankle burned like fire as she dropped onto her knees. “Oh, Tynan, what did you do?”
“Done went and saved a bunch of lives.” The bass voice held a Texas drawl. A huge male knelt down beside Tynan. “The bear mucked him up good.”
“Yeah.” She winced at the sight of the broken leg but left it alone. Instead, she worked on the area where the bear’s claws had torn away muscle and skin, exposing Tynan’s ribs. Slow the bleeding.
She took the big man’s hand and set it on the dressings. “Press here while I check his head.”
Pupils normal, breathing slow and even, pulse fast but steady. As she ran her fingers over the soft fur of his head and found a nasty lump, the wolf whined.
“Easy, easy,” she whispered.
Whining again, he tried to roll. Bending her head, she shared her breath and her calm. “It’s over. All okay. Everyone’s alive and safe. They’re all safe, Tynan. Shhh.”
Yes, that was what the big protector was concerned about. Gaze starting to focus, he looked at her, then past her at the giant male who’d been the grizzly.
“She got it right, Ty. The feral’s dead. Donal’s here and fixin’ people. You might want to trawsfur before we get curious humans.” The male glanced at her and said, “I’m Ben, by the way.”
“Margery. It’s—”
A little girl slammed into Ben’s side. “Da, you came.”
“Darlin’.” Freeing one hand, he wrapped a huge arm around her. His brows drew together. “How did I not see you here, Minette?”
“I took Lucas to hide in the bushes.” She motioned to a cubling about her age standing behind her. Looking terrified.
Margery silently held out one arm. Offering.
A second later, the pup was burrowing into her side as if to find a cave to hide in. After giving him a quick squeeze, she settled him beside her so her hands were free. She hummed a calming note, pleased when both cubs and both males relaxed.
Before she could resume her work on Tynan’s injuries, he trawsfurred to human, growling in pain.
Blinking at the naked male under her hand, Margery remembered Ben’s advice. Humans. Right. She pulled off her jacket and draped it over Tynan’s groin.
His lips curled into a slight smile. “Not the usual reaction I have from females.”
Even as sh
e turned her attention to the ripped-up flesh over his ribs, a startled laugh escaped her.
Donal knelt and scowled at her. “What’s funny about injuries like these?”
“What the fuck, Donal.” The big male shot Donal a displeased look. “If you don’t want laughter, then tell your littermate not to make jokes.”
Tynan’s frown at his brother was equally displeased.
To her surprise, Donal gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, Margery. I have trouble seeing him hurt.”
“Me, too,” she whispered. Tears prickled her eyes at the rush of relief. The healer was here, and her wolf would be all right.
Tynan’s hand closed around hers. Bending her head, she kissed his fingers. Wonderful warm fingers—he was alive.
When he lifted his hand to touch her cheek, she realized he was wiping the tears from her face.
His lips curved. “You were worried about me?”
More tears fell.
* * *
Donal stared at the little female who was silently crying. Not wailing to attract attention, but turning her face away, trying to hide her tears. To hide her emotions.
She really did care for Tynan; it was obvious. Even so, she’d ignored those feelings and done what was best for everyone. Had sent him to tend to Bonnie who would have died otherwise. Who had taken long enough to arrange for the others to be cared for.
And who was upset enough about Tynan that she was visibly trembling.
By Herne’s horny hooves, these weren’t the actions of a banfasa who tended her friends first. Or of one who didn’t take her duties seriously as Gretchen and Caleb had stated.
An ugly feeling grew in Donal’s gut. Had the Rainier Territory shifters lied to him?
As he took a bottle of saline from Margery and cleansed the debris from Tynan’s side, he considered. Over the last week, he’d asked about her around town.
Everyone had a Margery story. How she’d taken a meatloaf meal to an elderly neighbor. How she’d stayed with a sick child so his mother could go grocery shopping. Injured shifters showed up at his clinic with gashes expertly dressed, broken bones splinted. She’d done first aid and sent them on to him for healing.
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