Protect and Fur [3xtasy Lake 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

Brenna ran her hand though her hair, feeling her eyes burn with tears as the reality of the situation crashed over her. They had gotten what they wanted, and she’d made it very clear she didn’t want anything to do with them. “They’re not going to call.”

“Then for the love of all that’s holy, stop waiting for them to call. Go get that Mate of yours and shut him up. I have three females in this house in tears at his caterwauling. Willow isn’t even old enough to understand what’s going on and she’s fussing up a storm.”

“That could be any wolf, what makes you think that he’s mine?” She tried to argue but her only response was a growl over the phone line. “All right, I’ll stop arguing.” Every cry from that wolf vibrated in her soul, she knew exactly who it was.

Brenna heard a couple of sharp words in the background and then her dad turning over the phone to someone else. “Hi, honey. Which one of them is it, and tell me what you didn’t tell us this afternoon.”

There were some things a woman didn’t tell her moms about, but in this case… “It’s Aiden O’Reilly. He made some comment about his prior commitments to the Guardians and said he was leaving me. I might’ve acted like I wasn’t interested in having him around. Honestly, I thought he left town and left me behind. I’ve no idea what he’s doing up there wailing like a cat in heat.”

“I disagree, honey, but your father is serious about taking care of your Mate.”

“He’s not…” Brenna couldn’t finish the sentence. Denying the truth didn’t taste good and made her feel physically ill. “I don’t want to be someone they pay attention to when it suits them and then leave me alone the rest of the time.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you said you wanted earlier today? You said that you didn’t want to be a Mate. That it was all bullshit and while the sex was mighty fine, you didn’t want to be tied down or controlled.”

“Mom, I think I really fucked up here.”

“Then you have to make it right, Brenna. Give up all that anger that you’ve been carrying around and be the brave girl we raised you to be. March up to your men and tell them the truth, all of it. Grasp what Fate has handed to you or walk away and allow the three of you to have a normal life.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Another mournful howl washed over her. For a man who didn’t seem to have an overly emotional bone in his body, Aiden sure managed to convey some serious heartache in his call.

“You do that, and do it soon, honey.”

“I love you both and Dad. I’ll fix this, I promise.”

Brenna hung up the phone and immediately dialed Craig’s number. It went straight to voice mail. She hung up and didn’t bother to leave a message. She shouldn’t say what she wanted to say over a voice mail, anyway.

She threw a leg over the edge of her roof line and felt for the window ledge below her. Another howl echoed on the night breeze.
Owwooooo!

Crack!
The sound of a gunshot cut off the wolf’s howl, and Brenna’s heart leapt up into her throat. “No!” Her scream ripped through the air as her foot slipped off the ledge.

* * * *

Aiden’s wolf didn’t understand the pain radiating in his leg, but the human part of him did. The acrid tang of blood colored the air around him as he quietly crawled along the forest floor. If the bullet had gone completely through his leg, he could’ve shifted into human form, but that would expose him to the hunter, and until he knew exactly where the bastard was he couldn’t take the risk. If the bullet was still imbedded in his leg, he would still be injured in human form because his leg would heal around the shell, which would require invasive medical intervention later on.

Once he knew he was completely safe he’d take a better look at the wound. Part of the tree next to him exploded into slivers, followed quickly by the sound of a rifle being discharged. The wolf leapt into a run. Lifting one leg, he ran on the other three as fast as he could. Staying put would only allow the hunter to correct his aim.

Thankfully, the gods were smiling down at him, because as he reached the road a large SUV roared up next to him. “Come on, you stubborn bastard.” Craig pushed open the passenger door. “Can you hop in on your own, or am I going to have to carry your mangy ass?”

Aiden growled at his friend and managed to hop onto the floor of the passenger seat.

“Don’t get any blood on the seats.”

Aiden snarled his displeasure at Craig, who laughed. “I’m kidding. You must be really hurt if your sense of humor is so damaged.”

Aiden gingerly moved onto the seat as Craig floored it and skidded along the gravel road. “I swear I’m going to change the rules around here. Night hunting? If that’s going to start, then I’m going to talk to Gordon about forming a permanent Guardian force and doing twenty-four-hour patrols. Any poachers are to be bitten on sight.”

The wolf nosed at his hind leg, and sure enough, there was only a wound on one side. He was going to have to wait until after the bullet came out before he could shift.

“Dude, you lick your balls on my leather seats and I’ll put you in the back.”

* * * *

Brenna scrabbled wildly against the siding before catching her feet on the window ledge. Falling from this distance wouldn’t have killed her, but it would’ve hurt like a bitch. At the moment all she cared about was finding out what happened to Aiden. She could hear the abbreviated howl echoing in her head. There was a second crack of gunfire shortly after the first, and she prayed the hunter had taken a second shot because he’d missed the first time.

She put in a quick call to her father, letting him know what she’d heard. Her mom said he’d called a couple of men and they’d already headed out into the forest. Brenna was to stay put in case anyone had been hurt. She quickly changed into a pair of scrubs and rushed downstairs to the clinic. Hopping on one foot, she laced up her sneakers as she flipped on lights and any machines she might need.

Her cell phone chirped, and a glance at the display told her who it was. “Craig, are you okay?” Her heart was beating so rapidly her hands shook. “I heard the shot.”

“I’m fine, Brenna. Aiden was hit.”

Dread washed over her. Another shooting. What if she couldn’t save him either? She’d be responsible for the death of her own Mate.

“Get him here now, Craig, hurry.” She looked around in a circle, trying to think of what she needed to have ready when he came in.

“Brenna, calm down.” Craig spoke very evenly in the phone. “It’s not a fatal wound. I can’t tell for sure because the big pussy won’t let me have a look at it.”

She heard the distinct sound of a wolf snarling in the background. “Where was he shot?”

“From what I can tell, he got it in the upper thigh. It must still be in there, because he hasn’t shifted.”

“He might not be able to.” Visions of Alec’s lifeless body on her table filled her memories. “If the femoral artery was hit, he could be bleeding out. Drive faster. What if I can’t help him? He could have internal injuries.” She rapidly pulled open drawers and loaded a tray with first aid supplies. This would be easier if she had River here. She wished she’d called her assistant earlier.

They kept the line open as she raced around, but Craig didn’t say anything as Brenna recited emergency room protocols out of habit.

“Bren, we’re here.” The call disconnected and she ran for the front door as Craig pulled into the parking lot. He slammed on the brakes and threw it into park in front of the clinic.

“Hold it open!” he yelled as he raced around the car. Craig reached in the passenger seat and scooped up the wolf. The animal hung limp in his arms as he rushed for the door, and Brenna feared the worst.

They rushed to the exam room, where he laid the animal down on the table. Brenna grabbed some gauze and tried to clean away some of the blood to see the wound. Her hand shook as she pressed against the wound. Aiden lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes glassed with pain. “Aiden, I’m going to numb the area.” She pulled a new syringe out of its packaging and reached for the small bottle lidocaine she’d tossed on the tray earlier. “I don’t think the bullet is deep, but the faster I get it out the sooner you can shift and heal the damage.”

Brenna’s hands shook so wildly she had a problem lining up the bottle and needle.
I have to get my shit together. I can’t do a damn thing to help if I keep shaking like this.
Craig wrapped his arms around her, laying his hands over hers. “Brenna, I know you can do this, and so does he.” He sounded so confident of her abilities. “Take a deep breath and relax into your training.”

The trembling in her hands stopped as a wave of calm washed over her. Craig believed in her, and when she glanced at Aiden, he nodded at her and then lay his head back down. She took a deep breath and eased the needle into the bottle. Pulling on the syringe, she extracted what she needed to make this procedure as painless as possible.

* * * *

Craig let go of Brenna’s hands and stepped back out of her way. He understood what was causing her to shake so badly. The last wolf with a bullet wound on her table hadn’t made it, and she hadn’t taken it well. He remembered that day and how badly she’d reacted to losing a friend. The possibility of losing a Mate would be harder on her.

Now that she’d calmed down and fallen into the right frame of mind, she was a wonder to watch. She moved with such grace as she worked. Her brow wrinkled, and she squished up her nose slightly as she carefully numbed the area around the bullet wound. When she reached for a pair of what looked like needle-nose pliers, he turned away.

“Craig, how is Aiden doing?” she asked. The wolf opened up his eyes and met Craig’s gaze.

“He’s still ugly, but he’s breathing.” Aiden flattened his ears back and narrowed his eyes in a threatening manner.

“Got it.” There was a soft clang as the bullet hit the metal bowl. Brenna pressed a piece of gauze over the wound. “Aiden, can you shift?”

A moment later the wolf disappeared and Aiden lay on the table. Brenna looked like she was about to deflate, and Craig caught her as her knees buckled.

“You were incredible, Brenna,” Craig crooned into her ear. He scooped her up and backed up to a stool and sat down with her on his lap. Brenna curled into his body and he could feel his shirt grow wet from her silent tears.

“I fell apart,” she mumbled against his chest. “He needed me and I couldn’t function.”

“But you did great.” Aiden leapt off the table and got down on his knees on the opposite side of Brenna. “See? I’m good as new.”

“You were strong, Brenna.” Her tears shredded his heart, especially when he wasn’t certain how to make her stop. “We’re proud of you.”

She looked up at him and then at Aiden, disbelief in her features. They had fucked up badly if they put that look on her face. Craig wished they’d met her under different circumstances, but he knew damn well he and Aiden had their own baggage to contend with. Was it fair to dump it all on her as well?

“Then why don’t you want me?”

Her quiet words hit him like a train, and he didn’t know how to respond. He looked to Aiden because his friend had always been better at verbalizing what he was thinking.

Aiden took the hint and grabbed her hands where they lay on her lap. “It’s not like that, Brenna, not at all.”

“Then stay with me tonight, please.”

She looked back and forth between them, and Craig knew this might be his only chance.

“We’re not going anywhere, Brenna.” He carried her over to the large sink. Aiden followed them, turning on the water and soaping up his hands. He washed the blood from Brenna’s hands and arms. She stood there in a daze, letting them take care of her. Craig took her scrubs off and tossed them on the table since she was wearing a tank top and shorts underneath.

“Holy shit, what’s going on tonight?” River rushed into the room, looking around wildly. Craig almost didn’t recognize her. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, was dressed in a pair of Hello Kitty flannel pants and a black T-shirt with “Firefly” screenprinted across the front of it. He was used to her pale skin and dark eye makeup. She looked like a teenager under it all. “Gordon called me and told me to come down because there was an emergency. Brennie, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, River.” Brenna pushed slightly out of Craig’s arms. He thought she was trying to distance herself, but then realized she was blocking River’s view of Aiden. “Aiden was shot, but I got the bullet out and he was able to shift.”

“Oh, good.” River kept her eyes averted from Aiden’s large form and looked at Brenna and then to Craig. “I’m glad it wasn’t worse. Why don’t you take her upstairs and I’ll clean up down here?”

“I’ll stay and help,” Craig offered, but River shook her head.

“Nah, it won’t take me long, and you’ll get in my way.” She pulled an MP3 player out of her pocket and slipped the earbuds in her ears. “I’ll be done before you know it, and I’ll let myself out.” She winked at him and waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Go, go take care of her. I’ll call Ann and Helen and let them know Aiden’s okay.”

Before he left the room, Craig put the bullet in a plastic bag and sealed it. “I’m taking the bullet, Brenna. I’ll make a report and put it in evidence.”

River stopped gathering up the gauze and gave him a frightened stare. “Do you think the shootings were on purpose?”