Eventide of the Bear (The Wild Hunt Legacy #3) (46 page)

A cougar’s scream
split the night air. Ben recognized the sound.
Ryder!

Swiveling his ears to mark the direction, he charged through the forest, pushing his limits. Branches slapped against his heavy fur and stung his muzzle.

Alec was in human form and racing after him.

They had far too much distance to travel, dammit.

After Shay and Zeb had lost Minette’s trail in the creek behind the lodge, the two had headed upstream. Taking the other direction, Ben and Alec had followed Ryder’s scent downstream. Then screaming—a child, a man, a female—from the lodge had sent him and Alec running back.

Dread filled Ben as he galloped around the back of the lodge toward the front. He tore into the graveled parking area and spotted the hellhound.

A cougar faced it. Alone.

Snarling, Ryder was pacing back and forth, slashing feline-quick at the hellhound’s single eye. On the ground behind him, Emma tried to drag herself away from the battle.

With a last burst of speed, Ben bulldozed the creature, knocking it away from Ryder. The scent of Emma’s fear added to Ben’s fury as he spun and bit the hellhound’s hind leg. Bearing down, he ground his fangs into the crevasses between the armor plates and got the foul taste of demon blood.

Roaring with pain, the hellhound snaked its head around.

Fuck.
Ben jumped away. A fiery burn over his ribs said the demon-dog had nailed him.

Something flashed past him, the scent was Shay’s. The wolf’s snarl was deep and ugly. As the hellhound lunged at the alpha, a darker wolf attacked from the other side.

Alec ran into the lot, skidding to a stop on the gravel. He had a knife in one hand, his pistol in the other.

As Zeb and Shay darted away from the hellhound, Alec yelled, “Stay back,” and Ben realized other shifters had appeared from the cabins.

“All-in,” Alec barked—the cahir code for a full-out attack.

Ben lumbered into a run, and the hellhound turned to face him. If it went for Ben’s throat, it’d win.

Before Ben could hit, Ryder sprang from behind the hellhound and landed on the creature’s head in a frenzy of claws and teeth and shrieks.

When the monster turned in defense, Ryder sprang off and darted away.

Perfect.
Ben rammed into demon-dog’s shoulder so violently the pointed plates slashed through his fur and skin and deep into his muscle.

Knocked off its feet, the hellhound landed on its side and scrambled to stand. The wolves attacked from the rear, tearing and worrying at its legs to keep it from rising.

As Ben gathered himself to attack again, Alec ran forward, dodged a snapping jaw, and slammed his pick-thin dagger straight into the creature’s one good eye.

The shriek it gave curdled Ben’s blood. Air shimmered around the creature, leaving behind a naked human. A dead one.

Sides heaving, Ben let his head drop as he tried to regain his breath. The stench of the creature still clung, returning every time the wind shifted direction. Instinctively, Ben shook his fur—which only made every scrape and bite hurt like hellfire.
Fuck.
Growling at the pain, he headed for his family.

He passed the lodge porch. Hair blowing in the wind, Breanne stood on the bottom step, pistol in one hand. Near her, Zeb and Shay shifted to human and stood.

Farther down, in front of the south cabins, a body lay in a lake of blood, mangled into something unrecognizable. Ben’s heart skipped a beat—but the size was too big to be Minette. And was a male. Phone to his ear, Alec was already heading toward the body.

Ben padded quickly toward the center of the gravel lot.

Trawsfurred
to human, Ryder knelt beside Emma. The yellow porch light turned blood a streaky brown—and it covered Emma’s clothes. Ryder’s skin.

So fucking much blood.

Why wasn’t Emma moving?
By the God, no.

Ben broke into a run and paused only to shift in the last moment before reaching them.

Emma…

His heart hammered far worse than during the fight with the hellhound. And then…then he saw her push Ryder’s hand away as she tried to sit up. Relief buckled Ben’s knees. Lacking any grace, he half-fell beside his brother and their mate—because she damned well was.
Thank the Mother.

“Who’s bleeding?” he growled out.

Ryder gave a half-laugh. “Who isn’t?”

“Yeah, well.” He could feel the warmth of blood pouring down his left arm from the punctures all over his shoulder. “Breanne, get your first aid kit.” Even shouting hurt.

“Will do.” She disappeared into the lodge.

“Good plan.” Pain deepened Ryder’s baritone to a low rumble.

“Bro,” Ben said, unable to keep from touching Ryder’s shoulder to check for warmth.
Alive.
He curled his other hand around Emma’s nape.
Alive.
“Where’s Minette?”

“I told her to run. We must find her.” Emma grabbed his arm to try to pull up. “I’ll show you.
Now.
”

Ben pulled her hands free and held her still. “Darlin’, just tell me where.”

“I sent her down the trail to the tavern, and I ran this…”

Her voice faded under his stare. She’d made herself into bait. He pulled in a breath. How easily she could have been killed.

“Ben, we need to find her!” Emma shook his hands. “What if there are more of those things?”

“Unlikely.” Hellhounds avoided each other. But other animals roamed the woods. The mite needed to be found immediately. “I’m going,”

“We’ll go, cahir,” said a renter from one of the cabins. His brother stood beside him. After a second, Ben recognized them as cousins of Kenner from the construction crew. At Ben’s nod, they took off running toward the tavern. Their words drifted in their wake, “Did you see? The cat took on a hellhound—and he’s not even a cahir.”

More shifters headed over to help Shay and Zeb and Alec.

“They’ll find her.” Ben squeezed Emma’s fingers. “We need to get you and Ryder patched up until the healer gets here.”

“Donal will be here in another minute.” The Cosantir’s distinctive deep voice cut through the commotion, bringing a moment of silence.

Ben stiffened. Calum must have returned early.
Oh, hell.

“Daddy!”

Ben turned so fast, his head spun.

“Minette?” Ryder whispered.

In the center of the parking area, Calum had the cub in his arms. She wiggled frantically until he set her down.

The cub hit Ryder in a half-tackle, and he gave a pained grunt. Crying, kissing, burrowing into him, she was purely hysterical. And alive.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.”

By the God, her tiny voice was the finest sound in the world. She lunged at Ben and climbed him like a tree to hug him with her tiny arms. Fuck, it hurt, but he wouldn’t have complained for the world. The relief of feeling her squirm, smelling her little girl scent was a warm rush, easing tight muscles. He heard himself huffing with pleasure.

She released him to throw herself on Emma. “Emma.”

“It’s all right, kitten. You’re safe,” Emma whispered, half strangled by Minette’s arms around her neck. “We’re all safe.” The bard was scraped, bleeding, and had narrowly escaped death, yet it was obvious her only thought was to comfort the cub.

He noticed Ryder had a hand on Minette—and so did Ben. Minette wasn’t the only one who needed physical reassurance.

“Here you go, Ben.” Breanne set a first aid kit down along with a couple of blankets. Before he had it open, the healer arrived.

“By the God, I hate hellhounds.” The healer squatted beside Ryder, his silver gaze flashing over each of them in turn. “What’s the damage this time?”

“Emma’s leg,” Ryder said. “My arm. Ben?”

“Bite on the ribs, shoulder punctures—and my right arm’s not moving right. Nothing urgent.” Blood was trickling rather than gushing down his arm and side. With his acknowledgment of the wounds, fresh pain hammered him as if he was on the receiving end of a pneumatic nail gun. “Start with Emma.”

“No, you first,” she said instantly.

Donal snorted at Emma’s protest and turned her leg to examine the wound. “Sorry, bard. Unless someone’s dying, I treat the females first. Otherwise, I’d waste time arguing with the males. Looks to me as if you’re all equally mangled.”

Despite the ghastly
pain in her leg, Emma choked back a laugh. Donal couldn’t be much older than Ben and Ryder. He shouldn’t be so cynical. “All right.”

Donal eyed Minette. “I need the cub off your lap.”

“Of course.” Shaking uncontrollably, Emma tried to release the cubling, but her arms wouldn’t relax their hold.
Mine.
“I c-can’t.”

“Know how you feel, darlin’, but it’s only for a bit.” Firmly, Ben disentangled Emma’s arms and lifted Minette up. “C’mere, kitten. Emma has an owie for the healer to fix. I’ll hold you till they’re done.”

With a sob, Minette turned and wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck.

“By the God, you scared me, cub.” Pulling her close, he kissed her head.

Emma’s eyes filled. The male had a heart as big as his body and courage to match. She’d been sure Ryder was about to die, but Ben hadn’t even hesitated, just charged right into the hellhound. Just as Ryder had done to save
her
.

“Now, let’s see what we’ve got.” With a surprising strength, Donal tore her jeans from the hem to above her knee.

Ow, ow, ow.
The slight jarring sent agony through her, and she tried to jerk her leg away only to realize Ryder had an unyielding hold on her thigh.

“Easy, my little bear,” Ryder murmured. His right arm tightened around her shoulders; his left hand held her leg steady. “Hang onto me while he works, yeah?”

“It’ll hurt when I wash off the gravel, Emma.” Donal pulled a bottle of water from his bag. “Then it’s all downhill.”

More pain. Why was the apprehension worse now that the fighting was done? She wasn’t sure she could take it. Her eyes filled with tears; her breath hitched in her throat.

“Shhh.” Ryder tucked her head against his chest.

The water struck her wound and the pain flared into sheer agony. She clenched her teeth. Screaming would scare Minette.

Slowly, far too slowly, the scarlet-edged burning eased to a sharp throbbing, and she pulled in a breath.

“All cleaned up, girl. Now, let me make it all better.” Donal placed his hands on each side of the wound and bent his head.

The Mother-blessed warmth of his power touched her, melding the tissues, and the pain drained away.

With a faint smile, he lifted his hands. “See? Much more effective if I see you right away.” Pink, unbroken skin covered the area where the gaping flesh had been.

She swallowed to clear her throat and whispered, “Thank you, Donal.”

A lean hand grasped hers, and she was pulled to her feet and steadied by…Calum. He studied her for a second. “Better. Go sit there, please.” He gestured to the porch stairs where Breanne sat. Three other shifters stood nearby—probably renters from the cabins.

“But—” She didn’t want to leave Ben and Ryder. Calum’s stern expression stopped her protest. “Yes, Cosantir.”

“Come here, cub.” As he took Minette from Ben, the cub didn’t say a word. “Benjamin, sit down before you fall.”

Ben looked as if he’d argue, then painfully lowered himself to sit beside Ryder.

With Breanne’s help, Emma settled onto the steps, and to her surprise, Calum placed Minette in her lap.

With a pleased sigh, Emma wrapped her arms around the cub. When Minette leaned into her, sucking her thumb and holding Emma’s braid, the world felt as if the Goddess had taken a broom to the disorder.

His face grim, Calum studied the cubling and Breanne, Ben and Ryder. “Explain what happened. Start with why I found the cub running across my parking lot.”

Emma rested her cheek against Minette’s. Thank the Mother the Cosantir had been there for Minette—even if he looked as if he was in an unhappy mood now.

Despite the healer working on his arm, Ryder tried to turn around. “It was—”

“Let the bard talk,” Donal snapped. “Busy here.” He turned Ryder’s arm to catch the light. Exposed muscles and white tendons glinted as blood streamed down the smooth skin.

Emma flinched. When Minette stirred, she turned to keep the child from seeing.

Growling under his breath, Ryder sat back.

To keep Ryder from losing his temper, Emma said hurriedly, “Ryder, Minette, and I were spending the night at the lodge. Minette was half-asleep with me on the couch. She didn’t want to be alone upstairs.”

Calum’s lips curved in a reassuring smile. “Jamie was the same at that age. I understand.”

“We heard shouting in the parking area.” Emma hesitated. Did she want to talk about Genevieve? To the Cosantir?

She’d paused too long.

Breanne stepped in. “A female—a pushy wolf who’d showed up at our last pack meeting—was yelling at a male who’d rented a cabin. I told them to quiet down, but she saw Emma and Minette and had herself a hissy fit.”

A hissy fit?
Emma blinked. Interesting phrase—must be human. How would the term fit into a tune?

“Emma took Minette upstairs, and… Breanne continued with the events up to when she came out of the kitchen. “And I found Emma was gone.”

“Yeah, how did that happen?” Ryder growled. “I told you to stay inside.”

“I heard Minette scream. Of course I went out.” Emma tightened her arms around the child, reassured by her heavy, warm weight, by the tiny noises of a thumb being sucked. “And I’d do it again.”

Ryder’s harsh expression softened. “I’m sorry. The thought of losing either one of you is…”

Losing me
? He put her in the same category as his beloved daughter? Tears filled Emma’s eyes as she smiled at him.

“Pretty good save for a male,” the healer said under his breath. He rose and moved to Ben.

“Continue, please,” Calum prodded.

She met his dark gaze. “The female ran out of the cabin, because…” The reason wasn’t important, right? How much had Calum heard about Genevieve and her accusations? “The hellhound charged her, but a male jumped in front of her.” Emma shuddered, knowing she’d never forget the savage way the creature ripped into the male. The shifter’s cries of agony. She swallowed. “The hellhound killed him. The female and the other male ran back into the cabin.”