Phoenix's Fate (RARE Series, #2) (7 page)

Phoenix pushed himself onto his knees, pain screaming through his chest and ribs.  He tried to stand, using the building for support, but he was too dizzy and the pain was crippling.  He fell back down on his ass and scooted up against the side of the building, breathing deeply to try and stop his head from spinning. 

Phoenix watched as the chopper landed and two men got out.  Come a little closer you fuckers Phoenix thought as he pulled the gun from the holster on his thigh.  Reaching up with his left hand, he wiped the blood out of his eyes. Squinting, he tried to keep the men in his sights as he gripped the Glock tightly.  All he could think about was killing the bastards so they did not get to Serenity.  There was no way he was letting them take her back.

As Phoenix waited for the men to get close enough so he could do some damage, a small black wolf flew out from behind the building tackling one of them.  The wolf wasn’t very big, but the man wasn’t expecting it and he went down easily.  Not pausing, the wolf sank its teeth into his throat and bit down hard tearing it out.  Phoenix raised his gun trying to get a bead on the other guy moving towards the wolf.  Just as the man reached the wolf, Phoenix pulled the trigger and dropped the bastard to the ground. 

The wolf came over to Phoenix, lying at his feet whining softly.  Looking into the captivating brown eyes, Phoenix reached out and gently stroked her head.  “Serenity?’ he questioned softly somehow knowing it was her.  Pushing her head into his palm, Serenity let a sound of pleasure rumble in her throat.  “Thank you, my Beauty,” he whispered to his mate.  “Let’s get out of here.”  Groaning softly, Phoenix once again pushed himself up into a standing position.  Just as he began to slide back down, he felt someone grab him and pull him back up. 

“I gotcha, buddy,” Nico said.  Phoenix cursed as Nico pulled his arm up around Nico’s shoulders and slipped his own arm around Phoenix’s back.  “Talk to me.  What’s the damage?”

“Busted ribs, concussion, and something’s stuck in my leg,” Phoenix muttered.  “Let’s go.  Gotta get Serenity out of here.”  As they started moving towards where they had left the ATV’s, Serenity yipped.  When they turned around, she took off towards the running helicopter.  Turning back around, she yipped again.  Why not? Phoenix thought. 

As Phoenix and Nico followed Serenity to the helicopter, Jaxson and Bran came out from behind the building and ran their way.  Once they reached the helicopter, Jaxson and Bran jumped up front to pilot, while Nico and Phoenix sat down in back.  Serenity jumped into the chopper and crawled over to Phoenix resting her head on his leg.  He gently stroked her head and neck as Nico checked out his thigh where a piece of tin was sticking out of it from the roof of the building that Phoenix had blown.  Phoenix sunk his fingers into Serenity’s soft fur and tightened his grip as the chopper lifted off the ground. 

“This might have hit an artery,” Nico told him.  “I’m going to wait to take it out until we get to our plane just in case.  I’ll tape your ribs up then too.”  Phoenix nodded and leaned back closing is eyes.  He was so tired.  He had not slept in days, and now that Serenity was near, he could not stay awake.  “Oh, no you don’t, brother,” Nico said shaking Phoenix back awake.  “You don’t get to pass out with a concussion.” 

Serenity whined, licking his hand and nipping at it.  He chuckled softly, “It’s all good, Beauty.  I promise not to pass out on you.  Why don’t you change back and talk to me?”

“Because she would be naked,” Nico said with a smirk.  “I don’t care if we are like brothers, I don’t think you want me to see your woman naked.” 

Phoenix narrowed his eyes at him and growled, “You’re damn right I don’t!  Go look at your own mate.”

Laughing again, Nico told him, “Trust me, I will.”  Ten minutes later the helicopter touched the ground a few yards away from RARE’s plane and Jaxson went through the motions of shutting it down.  Once everyone was out of the helicopter, Nico looked over at Phoenix with his eyebrows raised.  “What do you have to take care of this chopper?” 

“I got just the thing,” Phoenix said nodding towards their plane.  “In my bag in the back.”  Nico ran towards the jet to get the bag while Phoenix stood next to the chopper, his hand braced against it to hold him up.  When Nico returned, Phoenix took his bag from him and pulled out one of his toys.  He rigged the explosive to the side of the chopper, set the timer for 20 minutes, and with Nico’s help made his way to the jet.  Slowly they climbed up the stairs into the plane with Serenity following close behind, still in her wolf form. 

Holy hell, Phoenix hurt.  Nico lead him to the back of the plane where he had Phoenix lie down on the floor while he got out his first aid kit.  Ripping Phoenix’s jeans open above the knee, Nico carefully inspected the wound.  “You’re lucky, Phoenix,” he said.  “It’s not in an artery.  This is gonna hurt like a bitch though.”  That was all the warning Nico gave before he yanked the tin from Phoenix’s leg.  Phoenix let out a strangled gasp and passed out.  Working quickly, Nico cleaned and stitched the wound, Serenity growling at him the whole time.  She was one pissed off wolf.  After he was done, Nico went over to Phoenix’s bag and found Serenity a tee shirt.

“He is going to be fine, Serenity.  Trust me,” Nico said.  “You might want to shift before the rest of the team shows up.”  Placing the shirt on the floor beside her, Nico turned and headed to the front of the plane to wait for his team.

Phoenix woke up to the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, Serenity’s voice.  “Wake up, Phoenix,” she demanded softly.  “Wake up for me, my sexy mate.”  He moaned and moved his head toward her voice.  “I am here, Phoenix.  I am here with you.  Wake up and see me.”

She trailed a hand down the side of his face and then traced the tattoo that ran down his neck.  She ran her hand over his shoulder and down his arm, tracing the muscles as she went.  He shivered at her touch, his cock immediately hardening.  “Are you with me?” she asked him softly.

With her?  Fuck yeah he was with her.  As Phoenix opened his mouth to tell her just how with her he was, he heard other voices.  He reached for his Glock, but she grabbed his arm before he could take it out of its holder.  “It’s ok.  Your team just got here and we are getting ready to take off.  We are safe now, Phoenix.  Rest.”

As Phoenix opened his eyes, pain sliced through his head.  Crap, that wasn’t good was it?  He closed his eyes again on a groan.  Shit, he probably did have a concussion.  It fucking hurt. 

“Shhh,” he heard Serenity whisper.  She reached up and placed one of her hands on his head and the other on his ribs.  All of the sudden, sharp pain slammed through him.  Crying out, his body arched up and then slammed back to the floor.  What the fuck was going on?  The pain was worsening; no it was lessening.  What the fuck?  How was that possible?

“No, Serenity, no!” Rikki yelled.  “Phoenix would not want you to do that!”  Do what?  What was she doing?  Phoenix tried to remain conscious, but it was a losing battle.  Slipping into darkness, his last thought was of Serenity’s beautiful brown eyes.

When Phoenix came to again, he gradually opened his eyes waiting for the blinding pain to hit him, only this time there was nothing.  In confusion, he opened his eyes all the way and slowly looked around.  Rikki was sitting beside him with Serenity’s head in her lap.  She was gently stroking Serenity’s long dark hair out of her face.  What the hell had happened?  Moving carefully, Phoenix slowly sat up.  The pain in his head was gone.  His ribs were sore, but nothing like before.  Even his leg felt a lot better.

“She healed you and took your pain,” Rikki said as she continued stroking Serenity’s hair.  “She did the same for me when I was shot.  After healing me, it took her four days to recover.  I was afraid she wasn’t going to make it.  She was running a high fever and was so pale.  And she would cry out in pain, her body trembling.”

Phoenix looked at Serenity in horror.  At her pale face, the shadows under her eyes, the grimace on her lips.  She had taken his pain?  How could she handle so much pain in her tiny body?  Feeling groggy, but with the pain just a dull ache now, Phoenix scooted over next to Serenity.  Reaching down, he gathered her up into his arms and held her close.  Rocking her gently back and forth, he kissed her on the top of her head, her cheek, her pert little nose.  She moaned softly as if in pain, and Phoenix snuggled her closer.  He was supposed to be protecting her; instead, she was protecting him. 

“Tell them to hurry the hell up,” he growled at Rikki.  “We need to get Serenity to Doc Josie now.”  Leaning back, Phoenix held Serenity close, talking to her the entire flight to Denver about anything and everything.  She probably would not remember any of it.  But it made him feel better and he was hoping that if she was conscious on some level, hearing his voice was making her feel better too. 

A
s soon as the jet touched down in Denver, everyone immediately gathered their gear and exited the plane moving towards the waiting SUVs.  Driving pedal to the metal, they ended up at the White River wolves’ compound in record time.  When the SUV stopped in front of the hospital, Phoenix gathered Serenity in his arms and hit the ground running.  She was still unconscious from healing Phoenix on the plane and he was scared to death.  He had not just found his mate to lose her again.  Oh, hell no.  Phoenix yelled for Doc Josie, the doctor for the White River wolves, as he took the stairs two at a time.  The minute he cleared the hospital entrance, Doc Josie was there.  “Put her in the first room,” she ordered and motioned for two nurses to follow her.

Phoenix gently laid Serenity on the bed, but refused to let go of her hand.  “Talk to me, Phoenix,” Doc Josie urged.  “What the hell is going on?”  Serenity moaned softly in pain, her eyes fluttering as though she was trying to open them.  She was obviously hurting, but there was not a scratch or bruise on her.

Trying to soothe her, Phoenix gently smoothed back her hair.  “She healed me.  I was hurt badly, Doc, and she healed me with her ability.  She took my pain.  You have to do something,” he pleaded.  Serenity cried out loudly, her body folding into a tight ball.  Sweat beaded on her forehead and she started panting.  Phoenix reached out to run a hand down her leg and she screamed.  Quickly drawing his hand back, he glared up at Doc Josie.  “Do something, dammit,” he demanded.  “Help her.”

The doctor looked at him with pity in her eyes.  “I can’t, Phoenix, I’m sorry.  I have only come across something like this once before, and there wasn’t anything we could do then either.  When she healed you, she took all of your pain.  While she may not look like she has your injuries, for all intents and purposes, she does.  Wherever you were hurt, she is now hurt.  Whatever you were feeling, she is now feeling.  I could give her pain medicine, but past experience has proven because she is a shifter it would wear off extremely quickly.  The most I can do is try and make her comfortable until the pain has subsided enough that she can shift and help speed the healing process.”

“Why the hell did she do it?  I’ve been hurt a lot worse.  It would have taken awhile, but I would have been fine,” Phoenix growled clenching his hands in fists.  He wanted to touch Serenity, but was afraid.  He didn’t want to accidentally hurt her again.

“She did it because you are hers, Phoenix,” Angel said from behind him.  “Shifters will do anything for their mates.  She couldn’t stand to see you in pain.  You are human, she is not.  She probably thought it would be better if she were in pain for a couple of days instead of you being in pain for weeks.  Once she is up to it, she can shift into her wolf and speed up the healing process.  She will be fine in hours after shifting.”

“It’s going to take longer than a couple of days,” Rikki said as she walked into the room.  Going to the other side of the bed, she stood gazing at Serenity.  Reaching out, Rikki gently ran her fingers through Serenity’s hair.  “She was out for four days after healing my gunshot wound.  Phoenix had broken ribs, a concussion, and a leg laceration.  I wouldn’t be surprised if she was out for a week this time.” 

Phoenix let out an impressive growl for being human.  “If she ever does anything like this again, I am so paddling her ass.”  When Serenity moaned again in pain, he took off his shoes and slowly climbed into bed with her.  Pulling her over, he draped her across his chest.  Slipping her leg up and over one of his, Serenity snuggled into his chest.  Then she was out again.  Phoenix prayed it was a healing sleep because he couldn’t stand knowing she was in pain and it was all because of him. 

“I’ll check in on her in an hour,” Doc Josie assured Phoenix as she moved towards the door.  Stopping, she turned to Angel, delicately sniffing the air in confusion.  Raising her eyebrows she said, “Congratulations, I think?”  Angel just growled and stomped out of the room.

Rikki stood by the bed watching Serenity.  Tears filled her eyes and she turned to leave.  “Wait,” Phoenix said reaching out and grabbing her hand.  “Come here, honey.”  Pulling her down with one arm, he hugged her tightly.  “I am so glad you are home, Rikki.”  Rikki returned the hug before quickly stepping back.

“I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Serenity,” Rikki told him.  Swallowing hard she looked him in the eye.  “She saved my life, Phoenix.  She saved my life, and because she did, the General knows about her ability.  He is going to come for her.  There is no way he is going to give up easily when she has a gift to heal like hers.  And if he gets her, the bastard will run every test on her that he can to figure out how her ability works.  He will push Serenity until he kills her.  Look at her.  She can’t keep doing this.”

“He is not going to get her,” Phoenix promised.  “And he is not going to get you again either.”  Running his hand gently down Serenity’s back as she moved restlessly in her sleep, he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her head.  “That bastard is never touching my woman again,” he vowed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw movement in the doorway.  Jeremiah Black was hovering in the open door.  Nodding to him, Phoenix invited him in with a flick of his wrist.  “Thanks man; I appreciate everything you did for Serenity and Rikki.  I owe you one.  You need anything, you call me.”