RICHIE: New Orleans Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates (Le Beau Series Book 6) (15 page)

Piper gasped and shook uncontrollably, but she held it together and tightened her hold on his soul.

Minutes that felt like hours, ticked by.

“He’s fighting me, trying to regain consciousness. Keep him under and dammit, make him lie still,” Seth barked, more out of shock than anything else.

Richie, baby. You need to lie still and be quiet. Seth is trying to heal you and you’re not helping. Please, sugar, for me.

I can feel your heartache and fear.

If you want me to feel better, you need to let Seth heal you.
She couldn’t quite hide the distressed pleading in her voice.

Stay with me?
He asked weakly, and then he was gone again.

Piper was terrified for Richie, but she stayed strong. Her heart pounded so hard, her chest felt bruised and battered.

*****

Seth had never been ejected from a body before. Richie in his desperation to get to his grieving mate had literally thrown him out.

Once Richie was quiet and creating rather than losing blood, Seth turned his attention to Richie’s heart and lungs. Visualizing a hand made of healing energy, he squeezed the heart gently, over and over, palpating the silent muscle. Once he had a normal rhythm he sent a jolt of energy into the heart to jump start the organ. A beat and a miss. He jolted the heart a second time. Another beat and a miss.

Come on dammit!
Seth snarled.

He feared hitting Richie’s heart with more voltage, too much and he would destroy the heart rather than heal it, but it had to be done. He gathered a little extra energy and shocked it again.

The weak, yet steady beat was the sweetest sound Seth had ever heard.

Next, he went after Richie’s lungs. He surrounded them with healing energy and forced air into them. He watched as one expanded, but the other remained flat like a deflated balloon. There had to be a tear. Carefully, he examined the lung. On the left side near the top was a ragged hole. Concentrating all his healing energy on that spot, he slowly regrew lung tissue and sealed the gash. Once the hole was closed, he once again forced air into Richie’s lungs. Both left and right inflated normally and picked up a healthy rhythm.

Seth returned to his body, exhausted and relieved. Richie would live. If he’d been a minute later, his only friend would have gone on to his everlasting reward, leaving his mate and Seth to grieve his loss. Seth wasn’t sure he would have survived that final blow. His soul was too ragged as it was, full of holes and missing pieces.

Shaking like a naked man in a snowstorm, he pulled Piper into his arms and held her. “He’s out of the woods. He’ll make it. Thank you. Without you to hold him to this plain of existence while I repaired his body, we would have lost him.”

Piper cried, shaking with relief in his arms. “I’m not sure how you saved him, but I’m forever in your debt.

“Is he going to be all right? Will he have any permanent damage?” She searched his eyes, her voice filled with concern.

“I don’t expect him to have any lasting effects. He still has a ways to go before he’s one hundred percent, but he’s well on his way.”

Richie groaned as his eyes fluttered open. Then, in a weak voice he asked, “Piper? Seth? What happened?”

“You jumped in front of a bullet, that’s what happened!” Piper growled before she could temper her tone. She wasn’t really angry with him, she was merely reacting to the terror she still reeled from.

“I had no choice, it was the only way I could save you. Are you mad?”

“No, you idiot. But if you ever do anything like that again, I’ll shoot you myself.”

Seth let out a snort and stood. “I’ll have one of the boy’s collect your car.”

She gave Seth the information of where it was parked and Richie’s keys. Then turned her attention back to Richie.

Before she could scold him further, he caught her face in his hands and pulled her lips to his.

Piper moaned and savored the incredible taste of Richie’s lips and the fact he was alive. She shuddered when the reality of what almost happened finally hit her full force. She’d nearly lost him, really lost him, forever. His tongue swept against hers, turning her shudders into shivers.

Piper finally broke the kiss so she could check Richie’s wound and reassure herself, he really was out of the woods. The bleeding had stopped and it looked like the bullet hole was scabbing over. His coloring was good and the sparkle was back in his eyes.

She looked up at Seth standing with his back to them a few feet away. “Thank you, Seth.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned. “My pleasure.”

Richie frowned at his friend and then asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you were guarding the cabin. Not that I’m not incredibly grateful that you’re here instead.”

“When you left this morning, I got a very bad feeling and listened to my intuition. I’m glad I followed you to the Quarter or you’d be fertilizer right now.”

“Believe me, I’m grateful you did, too,” Richie said, before closing his eyes again.

“Derick should be here any minute with your SUV. Once he pulls up to the curb, I’ll get you into the back seat. Piper, why don’t you get in back with him? I’ll drive while you keep an eye on our patient.”

“All right.” Then she caught sight of Qball on his knees in front of Nick. The serial killer swayed back and forth like he was in a trance. A feral snarl ripped from her lips as she propelled herself to her feet and lunged at the piece of shit.

Nick snatched Qball out of reach as Seth restrained Piper. “You don’t want to kill the little bastard while the police are watching, cher. You’ll need to learn to be covert about things like that.”

Piper stiffened and glanced around. Two officers on foot were mere feet away and three additional squad cars arrived.

“Give them your statement, cher. But be very careful with the words you choose. Many in law enforcement know about us, but some do not,” Seth whispered in her ear before releasing her.

Piper showed the police officer in charge her credentials and the bounty order for Qball. Two officers took Qball into custody as the others took statements from the rest of them.

The process took longer than Piper liked, but the officers were professional and thorough. They agreed her gunshot wound to Qball was an obvious case of self-defense. Besides, as the bounty hunter of the fugitive, she was authorized to use deadly force.

Seth squatted next to Richie and lifted him easily into his arms. “It’s safe to move you now.”

“Really? You have to carry me? This isn’t embarrassing at all, Seth.”

“You can’t walk yet, and you know it, so be still,” he chuckled.

“Way to make me look weak in front of my mate,” Richie grumbled.

“Knock it off, wolfman. You’re the toughest, sexiest man I know.” Piper grinned and threw him a kiss.

Richie groaned, but stayed quiet.

Finally, they reached the vehicle and Seth helped Richie lie across the backseat while she held his head in her lap and stroked his hair. Under her palm, Richie’s body vibrated from his wolf’s rumble.

Piper held Richie’s hand and brushed the hair from his face as they drove from the French Quarter. She was exhausted, the tension from the day settled on her shoulders like a ton of bricks. “When we get you home and into bed, I’m going to sleep for a week.”

“I’m a bit tired myself,” Richie joked without opening his eyes.

He was beyond tired and his chest hurt like a mother. She knew because she could feel the pain as an ache in her own chest.

Richie had just fallen asleep when Seth began to speak. “Piper, I sense your need to flee the situation. This wasn’t your fault.”

She shook her head as silent tears tracked down her face. “Yes, actually, it was entirely my fault. I’m sure he won’t want to see me anymore. It would be best if I left and made it easier on him. He’s too gallant to tell me to go.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong. That’s not how mates work. Besides, you’ll cause him an immense amount to pain if you leave.”

“How would I possibly do that?” she asked incredulously.

“With the mating incomplete, it will be downright painful for him if you are more than a mile or two apart. He’ll experience debilitating physical pain, not to mention his wolf will be nervous and pacing. He won’t be able to rest and if you try to leave, the idiot will get his half dead self out of bed and go after you.”

“You must be joking.”

“No, cher. I couldn’t be more serious. Please, stay with him until you can talk this out.”

She gave him a single nod. “All right, I’ll stay for a while longer.”

They rode in silence for a few miles when she wondered something. “Seth, why did Qball look and act so strangely? I only nicked him with my shot.”

“Nick and Derick are vampires. Nick had him in a trance.”

“Vampire? No, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.”

Weak though he was, Richie walked slowly from the bedroom. He couldn’t spend one more second flat on his back. This morning he was rejoining the world. Not only was he going stir crazy, Piper’s sorrow and guilt were beating at him like the rug beater his mother used on him as a child. He grinned to himself, recalling all the shenanigans he’d gotten into with Seth and the rest of the gang. He was the first to admit, he’d been a hellion.

Over the past three days, she’d hovered close, stayed by his side comforting him. But this morning when Seth came to do his daily healing session, she’d left the room and hadn’t returned.

Richie found her staring out the front window at the river, quietly weeping. Her sadness was so intense, his chest felt like an elephant was napping on it. He stood behind her for a moment to allow her time to sense he was near. He wanted to comfort her, not startle her. When her body relaxed and she breathed a little sigh, he wrapped his arms around her. Held her back against his front, and rubbed his stubbled chin through her hair.

“What’s wrong, mon amour? Your tears are breaking my heart.”

“Seth told me you’re almost completely healed. I’ve stayed to make sure you’d be all right. Now that you’re out of the woods, I should go.”

Richie’s temper flared. “You’ve tried to push me away long enough, Piper. You’re not leaving me, I won’t allow it.”

She sighed, but didn’t turn around. “I pushed you away so you wouldn’t get hurt. I know how dangerous my job is and I was trying to protect you. Then, I did something completely out of character and left the protection of cover. I stupidly made myself a target and nearly got you killed. You must hate me for that.”

“You’re wrong, cher. I don’t hate you, I love you.” He turned her in his arms and tipped her chin up so she looked him in the eye. “As your mate, it’s my privilege to protect you, even with my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat. You’re mine, don’t ever forget that.”

Piper opened her mouth to protest, but Richie silenced her with a finger over her lips.

“Do you recall when I suddenly stopped walking along the river in the French Quarter and you asked me what happened?”

She nodded, but remained silent.

“I was having a vision. I saw you die.” Richie’s body shook from the force of his raw emotions. “Qball shot you in that burned out building and I was forced to watch the light leave your eyes as you died in my arms. I was completely helpless to save you. I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have taken precautions and saved you from a bullet. Instead, you almost died. Because of me!”

“You’re forgetting, I’ve tried to give others a heads up, it never worked. Do you remember my friend who was killed by the gang? I warned him and he tried to change his fate. He died anyway. I couldn’t take that risk, not with you. I had to be the one to prevent your death. I knew every nuance of the vision and precisely what would happen. Only I knew exactly what to look for and what actions to take. If you’d done anything different from my vision, I needed to be there to counteract the change. There was no other way.”

Piper’s shoulders sagged. “I still don’t like it, and it’s still my fault. You should have told me and allowed me the chance to discuss it with you. I never would have let you jump in front of a bullet for me.”

“And that’s why I didn’t tell you. You would have tried to change the outcome and I would have been helpless to save you. If I’d told you and you changed even one thing in the vision and did something other than what I saw, it would have been all over and you would have died.

“By not telling you, I minimized the possibility of your actions changing. Tiny changes, I could adjust for, but a major change, such as you rushing Qball instead of sneaking across the room would have been impossible for me to counter. Like I said, it’s my privilege and responsibility to keep you safe, healthy, and happy. Besides, I, as a shifter, had a ten times better chance of surviving a bullet than you did as a human. It made sense that I be the one to take the hit.”

“Ah!” She snarled and smacked his arm. “You drive me crazy with your common sense.” Then, she waved a hand as if dismissing her anger. “It’s all irrelevant now. While you were sleeping, I called my boss and tendered my final resignation. He tried to talk me out of it, but I’m done with that life. I won’t ever put anyone else in danger again.”

Richie grinned, happy to have won the battle. “If that’s what you really want. I admit, I hated that you put yourself in danger. Now, promise me there will be no more thoughts of leaving.”

“Fine. I’ll stay,” she harrumphed.

“Try not to sound too happy about spending time in my company,” he teased sarcastically.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. If you honestly still want me around, I’ll stay.”

He pulled her body flush with his. “I absolutely want that. So, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?”

Piper chuckled and a sparkle returned to her sad eyes. “I have no idea. I have enough money to last years, decades even. For now, I think I’m just going to relax and enjoy myself.”

He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent. “I like that plan. I have more money than I could ever spend. I only work for the camaraderie and socializing. Heck, I just might quit as well, and keep you naked and tied to my bed.”

“The naked part sounds interesting, but you love your job. Maybe you should just take some time off. I think you’re going to miss the bar and the people if you stop working.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head to give him better access.

He kissed her neck one last time and gazed into her eyes smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, you might be right.”

His wolf rumbled loudly, pushing him to claim his mate. “Woman, your scent is driving me crazy.”

She blew out a little breath of laughter and shook her head. “I seem to have that effect on men. Not only do I drive them nuts, I make them lose their temper too. Apparently my personality is less than ideal.”

“Your personality is perfect, but your sexy body is distracting me from our conversation. And you don’t need to be affecting other men.”

“I think you’re still delirious from loss of blood. Perhaps you should return to your sickbed.”

Richie’s gaze heated and a fire lit in his eyes. “I assure you, I am far from delirious and I have ALL my faculties. Care to take them for a test drive?”

He watched her eyes search his. Then he felt her at the edge of his mind, trying to catch his thoughts and ferret out the truth of his words. He knew all she saw was the unadulterated desire he burned with.

“I need you, mon amour,” Richie choked out, wrapping her hair around his fist and slowly inching his mouth to hers. All the while imposing his dominance with the demand blazing in his glowing eyes. He would never let her go, no matter what she said or thought. She was his.

He felt her heart racing wildly as his lips skimmed lightly across hers. “You’re forgetting to breathe, mon amour. Take a breath.”

Piper sucked in a shaky lungful of air. At the same time, filling her nose with his alluring fragrance. “Mm, you smell so good.”

“You do to. That’s our mating scents. They intensify when mates are aroused to send them into a frenzy, encouraging the completion of the ritual,” Richie growled and kissed her again, deeply.

His lips were demanding yet incredibly soft. The excitement fluttering in her stomach pooled low, building a slow burn in her core.

Richie’s lips teased the line of her neck, nibbling tiny bites, then soothing with his tongue. His gentle persuasion was completely at odds with the fierce hunger she felt raging through his body.

The tiny sting from his fist, clutching her hair, holding her for his marauding mouth, sent another zing to her core. The other caressed her back, followed the curve of her hip, until she was pressed against his hardened erection.

“Mine,” he growled, next to her ear.

Piper shivered when he nipped her earlobe and rumbled contentedly.

“Before this goes any further, I need a shower.” He sniffed himself and wrinkled his nose. “I smell like a dirty wet dog. If I leave you alone out here, will you promise to stay or do I need to take you into the shower with me?”

“I’ll stay. Go ahead and take your shower, I need to do some thinking anyway.”

Worry creased Richie’s brow. “About what?”

“This and that. Go on. Take your shower. Shoo.”

Richie eyed her for a moment, then kissed her nose. As he left the room, he turned. “I’m trusting you and holding you to your word, mon amour.”

*****

Piper pulled her tattered notepad from her purse and drew two columns. At the top of the left column she drew a plus sign, on the right side she drew a minus sign. It was high time she decided what she truly wanted to do. Stay here in the bayou with Richie or take a little time off before heading back home.

The two columns were designed to help her make a decision. If she didn’t stay with him, going home was a given.

First question: could she handle living day in and day out in the bayou. Absent-mindedly, she tapped her pen against her chin. She liked the wildlife and peacefulness. Hiking through on the animal paths was good exercise. She loved living on water. Three pluses.

What about transportation? When she needed groceries or toilet paper she’d have to use a boat to get them.

She tapped her chin again. She would have to ask Richie how he handles that before she assigned it a side.

Would weather be a problem? She looked out the window and eyed the river. Richie’s house was raised and fortified for storms. He had backup generators if all else failed. Weather shouldn’t be an issue. Plus, it would be warm here in the winter. She carefully wrote weather on the plus side.

Being with Richie? Definitely plus, plus, plus.

What about emergencies or accidents? Did they have doctors in the bayou? She scratched the bridge of her nose with the nonbusiness end of her pen then wrote it down as another question for Richie.

She looked at her notepad and smiled, all pluses with two questions.

Richie walked into the bedroom, a towel slung low on his hips, rubbing his hair dry with another towel. He stopped short when he saw her sitting at the end of the bed waiting for him.

“Is everything okay, cher?” he asked apprehensively.

“I think so,” she hedged, then sighed. “To be honest, I’m not sure.”

“Uh huh.” He wasn’t sure what to do with that.

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” she asked in a tiny, shy voice that sounded strange coming from her mouth.

“Ask me anything,” he said, as he combed his hair.

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I made a pro’s and con’s list for staying while you were in the shower and there are a couple of things I need to ask you about.”

Panic stabbed Richie’s heart. Had she come up with more pro’s than con’s? He swallowed hard on a dry throat. “Ask away.”

She asked about doctors and he told her about the local homeopathic healers and the Traiteurs, a form of native faith healer.

When she asked about shopping Richie grinned. “I’m sorry, cher. I thought you understood. This is my cabin. I come here to relax. I have a house in the Garden District. That’s where we’ll live, not here. I brought you here instead of my house to draw Qball away from the general public.”

*****

Piper’s mouth fell open. Now that she thought back, he had called it a cabin. She’d mistakenly assumed he only had the one place. Well, that changed everything.

“Piper?”

She blinked at him.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head and covered her face. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Why?”

“I thought this was where you lived all the time.”

“So what. That’s an honest mistake. No big deal.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “Obviously, I have much to learn about you.”

“No, not really. With me, what you see is what you get. Well, except for the part that I’m independently wealthy. Most people wouldn’t guess that.” He shrugged.

“So, when do I get to see this house in the Garden District?”

“How about tomorrow? I should be rested enough to close up the cabin and move home by then.”

“Great,” she grinned happily.

“Do you have any other questions, mon amour?”

“Well, I was wondering about the ritual. Does it hurt? I mean is there biting and blood. Do you have to attack me or something?”

“Not in the way you’re thinking. I’ll bite you once, but I promise you’ll like it. And then you get to bite me back. And I guarantee, I’m looking forward to that.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Suddenly his face fell. “Except the conversion. I’m told that can be a bit uncomfortable. Did you have any major injuries between the ages of twenty-five an thirty-five? Other than the one knife wound you told me about?”

“I was shot once and I took a couple other knife wounds. Do they count?”