His Unbearable Desire 2 (12 page)

“I didn’t want to have to do this, but seeing as how he cares so much for you I may have to kill you first just to make him suffer more.”

There was death in Angelica’s eyes and Ana knew that she would carry out her word. Ana walked back and shook her head. She placed her hands out in surrender, trying to make Angelica stop, but it was all a pretense.

Angelica’s mouth smiled with a wicked smile, and Ana knew that secretly she was relishing this. It showed Ana that whatever their reasons for hunting Colton and Glenn, they were the bad people in this situation and she wasn’t going to regret anything. Angelica strode towards her menacingly and came toward her with her hands open. She now had her nails out like knives and was waiting for Ana to react. She went up to her and Ana backed away slowly.

The fear she was feeling was very real but she played up to it because she had a plan in mind to deal with Angelica. She glanced over at Colton, worried for him, and she saw equal worry in his eyes. Angelica bore down on her like a predator that had found its prey. She brought her hands back as she started to transform into a bear. Her hands turned into paws and her nails turned to claws. They were sharp, and Ana thought of them cutting into Colton and Glenn, and she was filled with rage.

Her survival instinct kicked in as well, and she waited for the last possible moment before she reached around to her back. She clasped the dagger in between her fingers. Angelica swiped down, expecting her claws to dig deep in Ana’s flesh and tear it apart, but Ana dipped down, whirled the knife out, and Angelica saw the gleaming metal moments too late. With her life on the line, Ana didn’t hesitate and plunged the knife into Angelica’s throat. She fell down limply as blood sprayed out, clutching her throat. Ana leaned over her as Angelica struggled for air.

“I know more about your customs that you think. I know that you always stick by your pack, especially when you’re attacked. You attacked mine, and you’ve paid for that,” she said bitterly, then stepped over her friend as the life drained out of Angelica’s body.

Angelica’s family looked on in shock as Angelica died. They turned, and the distraction allowed Colton to slip out of their grasp and drink the potion. Immediately he growled as he turned into his powerful bear form. They turned their heads, but they were too slow. Colton swiped at them, drawing blood and making them yelp. They piled on him, sending him to the floor, and Ana gasped, but Colton fought back.

He was fuelled with a dark anger that drove him on, far past the limits of his normal stamina. He thought about everything they had said about his family, and the things they had done to Glenn. Most of all he thought how Angelica had threatened Ana, and he knew that he had to make them pay. With all his strength he fought back.

First he took out the brother, and then barreled into the other two. The three of them struggled to their feet. They fought back, and were punching at Colton, sending him reeling between the two of them. Ana called out, pulled the knife out of Angelica’s throat, and then flung it at the bears. It stuck in the shoulder of the mother, and she staggered back.

Colton took the opportunity to claw at the other one, and rip his throat out, and the bear crashed to the floor. He then rounded on the other, who went to strike him but she was wounded from the knife and was too slow. Colton pounded her in the gut and then used the full force of his strength to uppercut her, and the bear groaned as her neck snapped and she fell back.

The four lifeless bodies were strewn across the ground and the earth was stained with blood. Ana looked down at Angelica and shook her head. Colton morphed back into a human. He was sweaty and his skin was scratched. He nursed the wound on his stomach, which had been opened again.

“Are you okay,” he said, hunched over.

He placed a hand on Ana’s shoulder.

“I will be,” she said, and he embraced her.

He smelled of blood and sweat, and she nestled into him. He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled away.

“I need some time,” she said. He agreed.

“I know this must have been a big shock to you. I want you to know that I’m here for you, in whatever capacity you may need,” he said. She looked up at him and smiled.

“I know,” she said, taking his hands, “but right now I think I need a little time. This has…changed my plans somewhat,” she said, glancing down at Angelica, “And I think I want to say a goodbye to her. Not to this person, but to my friend.”

Chapter 11

Over the next week Ana remained in Trinity Falls. She hadn’t tried to contact Colton or anyone else. Her nights were plagued with the images of Angelica’s lifeless body, but she did not regret her actions. Angelica should have come to her and told her the truth. It was unforgivable to be that close to someone and lie to them.

The news was rampant with the dead bodies that had been found. Colton had taken the dagger, and the current theory was that Angelica had tried to defend her family but had somehow been forced to slit her own throat while the others had been attacked by a bear. The town had been placed on alert and search parties scoured the surrounding area for any signs of bear activity but of course they found none. Ana kept to herself, not wanting to talk to anyone about Angelica, but in her own way she mourned for the friend she had lost.

After some time the phone rang and she saw that it was Colton. She hadn’t spoken to him since the incident and she felt horrible about it.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m just a bit shaken that’s all. It’s hard to forget. It’s so weird to think that it actually happened. Have you healed?”

“Mostly, it still stings to think that they’re after our family. I hate to think that they’re still out there. But if anyone comes for us again we’ll be ready for them.”

“Are you worried about the rest of your cousins?”

“I’ve tried to get in contact with them so hopefully they’ll find their way home. We could use all the help we can get. And, again, I wanted to thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you. I’m sorry that it came to that.”

“I am too. But we tried to talk to her. She was the one who made things turn out the way they did. It was all in her hands.”

“It was.”

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again.

“There’s something I want to tell you. I know that I made mistakes in the past and I don’t want to repeat them. I don’t know if you still even want to be involved with either of us, but Glenn woke up and I think he’d appreciate it if you visit him.”

“Of course I will,” she said, and she thought it was a good sign that Colton was telling her this.

She thanked him for telling her, because she was tired of secrets and she didn’t want anything else hidden. At the first opportunity she went to visit Glenn in Newtown hospital. She found out his room from the nurse and softly knocked at the door. He was laying in his own room. His face was pale and gaunt, and he was bandaged, still suffering from the wounds. There was a jug of water on his bedside cabinet. The blinds were drawn so only a bit of light broke through the windows, and the rest of the beds in the room were empty.

“Hey,” she said.

He replied, but his words were lost in his raw throat and he gestured for some water. She sat down on the chair beside his bed and poured out a glass. His hands were shaking as he took it, so instead she held the glass up and let the clear liquid drip down his throat. He licked his raw, broken lips, and nestled into the pillow.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said.

She smiled at him and placed her hand on his chest. His heartbeat was weak, and he looked a shell of the man that she knew.

“I would have visited sooner,” she said.

“Colton told me everything,” he said.

“Even how he didn’t tell me that you were in here?”

“Yeah,” he said, laughing, but his laughter turned into a cough.

Ana looked concerned.

“Are you okay?” he said.

“I will be. It’s just, well, I’m not in perfect shape. So, yeah, I’m sorry for not calling after that weekend. And I’m sorry for what I said. It’s just that with Colton there I was shocked and with everything that was going on I was in a bad mood, but I shouldn’t have spoken that way about you.”

It was so long ago and so much had happened since then that it barely mattered anymore. His frail hand rested against hers on his chest, and he breathed contentedly.

“Colton told me about what you did for him…for us. I just wanted to say thank you,” he said.

Ana blushed, and told him that it wasn’t anything.

“No, it truly means a lot. I’m only sorry that you got caught up in it. I’m glad Colton kept you safe. If anyone could have done it he could have. I’d be dead without him. The way he fought. They surprised us and swarmed over me. He pulled them all off but the damage was done. I’d never seen anything like it before. I owe him my life. I don’t suppose…when I get out of here that you’d…that we could pick up from where we left off?”

Ana’s heart skipped a beat. She withdrew her hand from Glenn’s chest and looked nervous.

“Glenn,” she said softly, and a look of resignation came across his face. “I care about you a lot but a great deal happened while you were in a coma and…lots of things happened with me and Colton.”

She almost sounded embarrassed when she said that. Glenn blew out his breath. He reached out for Ana’s hand and stroked it with his fingers.

“Nothing has changed for me,” he said.

Ana had a thoughtful look on her face. She knew that at some point this decision was going to come to her. From the first moment she had learned they were related she knew that she was going to have to choose one over the other.

Her head told her that Glenn was the right choice, that he needed her to help him make a full recovery and that they could pick up again. Perhaps if she had known about his condition from the beginning then things would have been different, but she only felt alive with Colton.

He did something to her, caused her to transform into this wild, happy person that she had always known resided within her. It may not have been the rational thing to decide but she knew that she was in love with him. She was about to speak, but Glenn beat her to it.

“I can see on your face that you love him. I know he loves you too. When he was in here he spoke constantly of you. He’s a good man Ana, and he can make you happy. I want you both to be happy.” Every word seemed like it took a tremendous amount of effort but when Ana asked him to stop speaking Glenn refused. “No, let me say my piece and then be done with it. It’s okay Ana, I understand. He loves you,” he said.

“I do, Ana, I love you,” another voice said.

It came from the doorway. Ana twisted her head and saw the silhouetted figure come into view. Colton swaggered into the room and stood by Glenn’s bedside. He looked at Ana through his hooded eyes, and then looked down at his cousin, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s good to see you,” Glenn said, “She loves you, you know.” Colton looked at Ana, who looked away.

“I just wanted to say that I know we’ve had our differences in the past. I haven’t always been kind to you…or as kind as I should have been. I realize now that you’ve always had the best interests of the pack at heart and you’re more than a cousin to me. You’re my brother,” he said, holding out his hand. Colton took it and held it to his breast. He bowed his head and then Glenn closed his eyes, and drifted off into a sleep. Colton walked around and dug his hands into his pockets.

“So…uh, about what I just said,” he began.

Ana smiled and rose.  She leapt at him and he caught her in his arms. They kissed wildly.

“I love you, I love you so much,” she said, and he whirled her around in the air as he wrapped his arms around her.

Out of the corners of his eyes Glenn watched the happy couple, and he smiled, for he knew that the two people he loved most in the world were going to be happy. Ana and Colton left the hospital room arm in arm, ready to begin their new life together.