Deadly Seduction (Feral Protectors 3) (2 page)

Gwen smiled slightly. To know that Akila had confidence in her abilities helped to give her the strength she needed to go into the forest. But as she followed her mentor toward the front of the cave, the tension in her muscles increased. Every nerve ending screamed—turn and run.

She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. Nosh didn’t have much time. If her hesitation led to his death, she’d never be able to forgive herself. She only had seconds to decide whether or not she was ready to face her fear.

She flashed back to the last time she’d seen Nosh. He’d been at the den visiting the alpha of the pack, Ryker, and his mate, Diana. He’d stopped by her room to see how she was doing. He even pretended that the scars zigzagging across her back didn’t matter. Aside from being kind, he had the rugged body of a warrior. Every chiseled muscle emphasized his physical strength, but somehow, she wasn’t afraid of him.

It had been three months, but she still thought about him every day. She wondered what it would be like to feel his strong, protective arms wrapped around her, to feel his lips against hers. It would never happen, but she could dream, couldn’t she?

As she stepped into the small clearing outside the den, she sighed. None of this mattered because if she didn’t help save him, she’d fall back into the darkness that had consumed her for months after the attack. She’d lose any progress she’d made and return to a state of utter despair.

Would she ever be strong enough for someone like him? Maybe not. Would she ever be able to move on from the past? She wasn’t sure. Maybe she was destined to spend the rest of her life alone and afraid. But if she didn’t at least try to fight the fear, she’d never know if she could conquer it.

Fadian and Lucian flanked the women. Gwen had briefly met Fadian at Diana and Ryker’s life-mate ceremony. He was older than her, but not as old as Akila. Probably in his late forties. He reminded her of the lumberjacks who ventured into the forest during the summer. Sturdy with tree-trunk legs, he was in great shape for his age.

Lucian set the pace. It was faster than she would have liked to walk and she was having trouble keeping up. All those months spent sitting around the den had taken a toll on her body. Before the attack, she could run miles without being winded. Now, she could hardly keep up and they weren’t even jogging.

The other wolves’ presence helped quell the anxiety in her belly. After a few minutes of trekking through the woods, Gwen turned her face toward the sun. The heat melted the bunched up muscles on her forehead. She inhaled a cleansing breath. She missed the scent of pine and the sensation of wind gliding across her skin.

Akila was right, Gwen spent too much time in the den. She’d spent her entire life in the forest and had never feared it until the night that had changed her life forever. After the attack, every time she attempted to travel further than the river, anxiety coiled in her chest and constricted her adventurous spirit. She never left the den unless she was with a large group. And even then, she could barely contain her panic.

“We need to pick up the pace. I’d like to reach the den within the next hour,” Lucian said.

Gwen hurried to keep pace with the group. In addition to losing her physical stamina, she’d also packed on enough extra weight to make the normally easy hike a test of endurance. As she climbed the switchback trail up Howling Mountain, her thighs trembled. Short bursts of air rushed in and out of her lungs. But she wouldn’t complain. She refused to show any more weakness. She’d have plenty of time to catch her breath later.

When they reached the enormous wooded gate outside the Dark Moon Pack’s den, she leaned against the granite wall. Her heart thumped against her ribcage. As they waited for a wolf to unlock the gate, the tempo of her heart gradually slowed.

A young male swung open the gate. “You must come quickly. He’s having trouble breathing and the swelling is increasing.”

Gwen followed the group into the den. It had been cut into the mountainside and offered them protection from the elements. The layout was similar to that of the Silver Creek Pack’s den in that it branched into two main corridors. As they hurried past the great room, a somber gathering of men spoke in hushed tones.

One of the men gestured toward them. “Akila’s finally here!”

The other wolves turned to watch as they passed. Akila nodded a greeting but didn’t stop. Deep within the cave, they passed a series of small rooms. Most of them had curtains of cloth hung across the doorway for privacy.

As they approached the last room, Lucian stopped. He whispered. “Do what you can to save him, or at least make him comfortable if there’s no hope.”

He pushed back the cloth covering the entrance to Nosh’s room. Akila walked in first followed by Fadian and Lucian. Gwen stepped trailed in behind them. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She inched closer to the dais where Nosh lay deathly still.

She sucked in a breath. “Oh my God.”

Chapter 2

Gwen surveyed the riot of gashes and bruises which covered every inch of his skin. Her stomach rolled but she managed to keep the contents down. How was he still alive?

His normally deeply tanned complexion was as pale as a full moon. His almond-shaped eyes, a testament to a Native American heritage, twitched but didn’t open. Thick strands of long black hair clung to the edge of his face.

Akila turned to Gwen. “We’ll need hot water, gauze, and tea tree salve.”

Gwen dropped the basket. She rushed to add wood to the crackling fire pit in the center of the room. She turned her back on the dais and fought the wave of memories which threatened to overwhelm her. She’d looked like that once, after the attack. Maybe not as bad, but still, she’d been completely incapacitated for days.

She shuddered and reached for a cast-iron pot. After filling it with water from a nearby bucket, she hung it over the fire. She dug through the basket to retrieve a rag.

As she stood and crossed the room, she took inventory of the worst injuries. He had at least one broken leg and a fractured arm. A temporary sling held the damaged arm against his chest. A jagged slash at least an inch deep ran from his right hip to just above his knee.

Akila took the rag. “Please tend the water for now. As soon as it boils, bring it to me.”

“Is he…”

“He’s holding on by a very tenuous thread. We need to clean the wounds, set the leg and get the fever down.” Akila turned to Lucian. “How long was he missing?”

“Not even a day. We found him within hours of the accident.”

Akila frowned. “He wouldn’t have lasted a single night outside. Exposure would have killed him.”

“How can we help?” Lucian asked.

“I’ll need a sturdy piece of wood to immobilize his leg. Then get another bucket and fill it with fresh water from the river.”

As Lucian and Fadian raced out of the room, their thunderous footsteps echoed against the walls. Gwen returned to the pot of water and held her hand over it. The smallest hint of steam curled up from the smooth surface. She glared at the water, willing it to heat faster. In that moment, she wished that she had magical powers. But she didn’t.

Gwen slowly skirted the fire pit. The wood cracked and hissed, spitting white-hot embers at her feet. She stepped back and knocked into Akila.

“Be careful.”

“Sorry,” Gwen stammered.

“Come over here and look at his head. He most definitely has a concussion, but I don’t think it’s quite as bad as it looks.”

“But he has a huge bump at his hairline.” Gwen reached toward him, but the fear of touching a man, even an unconscious one, made her pull back.

“He won’t wake up any time soon. I want you to feel the density of the lump. Come here.”

She joined Akila at Nosh’s side. Her fingers trembled as she reached toward him. The first tentative touch confirmed his raging fever. White willow bark tea would help control his temperature while he healed. Although wolves healed faster than humans, the extent of his injuries would keep him immobile for at least a few days.

Akila covered Gwen’s fingers with her own. “You want to gauge the size of the bump and check it at least once a day to make sure the swelling is receding. We’ll know more about his condition when he wakes up.”

“Should we try to wake him?”

“Not yet. If we wake him, he might start vomiting, which will only make things worse.”

“He looks so close to death.”

Akila put her finger over her lips. “Shh, don’t say things like that. He might still be able to hear you. We must stay positive. It will help him heal faster if we avoid doing anything to cause additional stress.”

Gwen nodded. “I’ll check on the water.”

She returned to the fire pit and watched the water roll. Tiny bubbles formed along the edge of the pot, but it wasn’t at a full boil yet. While she waited, she fished through the basket. She retrieved a small wooden container which contained a salve of beeswax and arnica. The mixture would help reduce the bruising. She set it on the dais near Nosh’s head.

Akila picked it up and smiled. “Good. You remember how to treat bruises.”

“It’s not hard to remember after you’ve spend months treating your own.”

Akila glanced at her but didn’t comment. After the attack, as soon as Gwen was able to apply the salve herself, she’d waved off any help from Akila. The only part of her body that she could never reach was the middle of her back. She’d relied on Akila to rub the ointment into the deep gashes. No matter what Akila had tried, she hadn’t been able to prevent the scars. Even nine months later, Akila still insisted the healing process would help the scars fade over time. But Gwen knew better than to hope she’d ever be free of them.

Water bubbled over the edge of the pot and hissed against the burning embers. Gwen pulled a ladle from the basket as well as a bag of dried white willow bark. She dropped a large pinch of the herb into the cup then covered it with steaming water. While it steeped, she gathered several clean rags and dropped them into the boiling water.

A minute later, she used a long stick to hoist the rags into a wooden bowl. She carried the bowl to the dais and set it near his feet.

Akila grabbed one of the rags. She skimmed the edge of the gash in his leg. “Be gentle and work quickly. We don’t want infection to set in.”

Gwen bunched a near-blistering hot rag in her hand. She wrapped the edges of the cloth around her fingers. The bottoms of his feet resembled raw meat. She cringed, but applied water with a light touch. Since she didn’t want to cause him any additional pain, she grazed the deeper cuts while increasing pressure on the shallower areas.

Nosh groaned. Gwen gasped as his head rolled to one side. Her hand froze mid-stroke as her heart clenched. Although he hadn’t awakened, he could feel their hands and it had to be agonizing. The usual terror of being this close to any man receded as her heart ached for him. No one deserved to be in such excruciating pain.

She rinsed the cloth in fresh water and continued to care for his wounds. While she worked, she developed a new appreciation for everything Akila had done for her after the attack. The older woman had spent almost every waking hour by her side. Akila had held her when she’d woken up screaming from the nightmares. She’d fed her ladles of soup during the first month when Gwen had refused to eat. All she’d wanted to do was die, but Akila had talked her through months of emotional anguish. She owed Akila a lot. She hadn’t thanked her enough.

Gwen glance at Akila. “I’m glad I left the den. The only time I’m at peace anymore is when I’m helping someone else.”

“It takes time to heal. You’re on the right path.”

“I wish I wasn’t so scared all the time. You’d think I’d be over it by now. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to walk through the woods alone again.”

Akila dipped a fresh cloth into the steaming water. “You will. You survived and that took strength. Keep practicing your breathing during the panic attacks. On the days when you feel stronger, push yourself a little further out of your comfort zone.”

“I’m definitely not in my comfort zone today.”

“It’s a great step forward. You’ll never forget what happened, but eventually it won’t control your life the way it has the last nine months.”

Gwen wished she could believe that, but she wasn’t convinced she’d ever return to any semblance of normalcy. She sighed. At least she’d be able to help the other wolves. When Akila had asked her to be her apprentice, Gwen had balked. She didn’t know anything about medicine, werewolf or otherwise. But Akila had the patience of a saint. She’s walked her through the different forms of treatment for everything from a scratch to a broken bone. Maybe she knew how to heal a broken spirit too.

***

Nosh groaned in agony. “Burning… too hot.”

A woman’s gentle voice said, “You were in an accident. Try to stay still.”

Flames of pain licked across his skin. When he attempted to sit up, pain shot up from his stomach. As he fell back against the bed, he choked on a rush of bile.

“Lay back. You won’t be able to get up for a few days.”

He turned his head toward the angelic voice and forced his eyelids open. At first, the room blurred into various shades of brown. He struggled to focus on the patch of peach hovering over his face. The haze cleared to reveal the woman he’d been dreaming about for years.

Gwen leaned over, a frown furrowed her brow. “Are you able to see?”

He tried to speak, but his parched tongue only managed to expel one word. “Water.”

Gwen turned to someone just beyond his field of vision. “Akila, can you hand me the cup with the white willow bark tea?”

Akila… it took him a moment to remember the healer. If she was here, he had to be in bad shape. He fought fatigue and managed to tilt his head up. Deep scratches and cuts scored lines into the flesh on his chest. Every time he tried to move, a lightning strike of pain arced along his right arm from elbow to wrist.

Gwen returned with a cup of steaming liquid. “You have to drink this slowly. You’re severely dehydrated.”

As he struggled to lean forward, Gwen reached behind his back with one arm to hold him steady. When she held it to his lips, he took a tentative sip. The water scalded his cracked lips, but it soothed his parched throat.

“What happened?” he asked.

Akila stepped into view. “We were hoping you might remember. You took a heck of a fall down the side of the mountain. I’m surprised because you’re normally very agile.”

The edge of his lips twitched at the compliment. After another swallow of water, he shook his head. Gwen set the cup down on the edge of the bed. She gently guided him back to lay down. As she stood beside the bed, her gaze darted around the room. The moment she met his eyes, she looked away, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong.

He tried to maneuver his back toward the wall, but every inch brought on a new wave of muscle spasms. He was about to give up when Gwen pushed past Akila to shove a pillow under his shoulders. She stepped back and wrapped her arms across her belly.

He hadn’t seen her in months, but he’d thought about her every day. In the time since he’d last seen her, she’d filled out in all the right places. Thick blond hair brushed against her shoulders. Eyes the color of the summer sky reflected a hint of trepidation. He couldn’t understand why her face was laced with fear. He doubted he could be perceived as intimidating in his current condition.

The fine curve of her pale neck swept down to meet her delicate collar bones. His tongue flicked out to wet his bottom lip as his gaze dropped to her full breasts. She swallowed and avoided his gaze, as if uncomfortable with his perusal. He quickly looked away. Desire simmered in his body, but the pain won.

He lay back against the pillow. “Where did you find me?”

Akila said, “Near the bottom of the mountain. Do you remember what happened?”

He struggled to recall the accident but his memory remained foggy. “I don’t know.”

“You can’t remember?”

“No.”

He frowned. He had one of the sharpest minds in the pack which was part of why Stryde had chosen him to be the pack’s alpha. Why couldn’t he remember falling?

Gwen took the cup from his hands and refilled it with tea. He drank nearly half the cup while trying to ignore the slightly bitter aftertaste. Fresh honey would make it so much better.

Rustling near the entrance to the room caught his attention. Lucian rushed in. He carried a huge stack of wood. Fadian followed with two huge buckets. Water sloshed over the edges, leaving a trail in the dirt.

Akila said, “Perfect. Hand me a piece of wood the length of his leg.”

“He’s awake!” Lucian exclaimed.

“Hey,” Nosh said.

Gwen took the wood from Lucian. “Let’s get his leg set, then you can talk.”

Nosh smiled at her as she approached. He loved her take-charge attitude. She seemed to be less nervous when she was doing something to help him. Although he wished she wasn’t seeing him like this, he was grateful to have her here.

The throbbing pain in his right calf blazed as Gwen wrapped thick strips of cloth around the wooden splint and his leg. He gritted his teeth. He’d be dammed if he’d cry out in front of the other wolves. Injury or no injury, an alpha never showed weakness.

Lucian approached the dais. “What happened? We almost lost you to the mountain.”

Nosh took in a breath to make his voice stronger. “I don’t know.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Fadian asked.

He paused as fragmented images flickered through his mind. A wisp of sage, sunlight in his eyes, then falling. “I’m… I’m not sure.”

Gwen said, “We need to let him get his strength back. He’ll remember after he’s had something to eat. Can you get some jerky and squash for me?”

Fadian flashed a dazzling smile at Gwen. “Anything you need.”

Nosh narrowed his eyes. That wolf never stopped flirting with the females. A man his age should find a female to mate with and get ready for his elder years. He shouldn’t be chasing the tail of a wolf as young as Gwen. She was half his forty-two years. The man had no shame.