Seth's Chance [Brac Pack 27] (13 page)

“C–Call someone,” Seth said before he flipped onto his back, screaming as he clawed at his chest. He felt strong hands grab his, pulling them away from his chest. Chance had Seth’s hands in one grip as he was talking rapidly into his cell phone with the other. Seth couldn’t hear what Chance was saying. The blood was rushing too quickly in his ears for him to hear anything. All he felt was pain, excruciating pain.
Chance threw his phone onto the dash as he pulled Seth from the truck, laying him down in the grassy field next to the side of the road. “Talk to me, baby. Please tell me what’s happening to you.” His voice was strained, filled with tears as he cradled Seth in his lap. “What’s wrong, Seth?”
Seth panted through the pain, waiting for it to let up some so he could talk. “Pain,” he whimpered, “so much pain in my body.” The pain had spread. It had started in his stomach, but now Seth felt it all over his damn body. It was like a fire racing through his bloodstream. His bones felt like they were being pulled too long, too hard. “My— My body.”
“Shit,” Chance cursed. “Shit, shit, shit.” He laid Seth down, his hands skimming over Seth’s body. His eyes were so damn wide that Seth wanted to laugh. If only it didn’t hurt so damn much.
“Seth!” Chance shouted.
Seth blinked open his eyes, staring at Chance.
“You weren’t breathing.”
He hadn’t been breathing? When? Seth didn’t even remember closing his eyes. “What’s happening to me?” he cried as he writhed around on the ground.
“Pa, help me!” Chance shouted.
Chance’s father was here? Since when? Seth’s eyes rolled back as his body convulsed, his fingernails digging into the dirt as he stared up at Chance. “Help me,” he whispered before convulsions twisted his body and made him flail around.
“Oh my god,” Chauncey said, loud enough to penetrate Seth’s pain. “He’s fucking shifting.”
“Into what?” Chance shouted. “What is going on with my mate!”
Seth fell back down to the ground, his back feeling every pebble, every blade of grass on his bare skin. He vaguely remembered that he was naked from the waist down, but that was on the bottom of his give-a-shit list. He just wanted his body back, to be his own.
“Son, hold him,” the father said as he knelt by Seth’s head, picking it up and cradling it in his lap. “How you doing, Seth?”
Seth licked his lips, tasting blood. He must have bitten his lip, but he didn’t remember doing it. “I’m naked,” he said, trying to smile, but he knew he hadn’t pulled it off very well.
“Yes.” Mr. Lakeland grinned, but Seth could see the worry in the older man’s eyes. “I can see that.”
Seth closed his eyes and, for the first time, saw what was tearing him up inside. He saw a black-haired bear in the center of his body. It looked confused, frightened even, as he looked up at Seth and then swiped his claws at Seth’s ribs. When Seth screamed, the bear backed off, as if it wasn’t sure what it had truly done. Seth could see that the bear wasn’t really trying to hurt him. He could feel the bear’s fear, its confusion. It just wanted out. Seth could see that in the bear’s deepgreen eyes.
The bear had green eyes.
Seth’s eyes, only darker.
The bear was Seth.
The bear watched him for a moment and then looked at Seth’s ribs again, hesitating. It looked back up at Seth, a helpless look in his eyes before he roared and then began to fight once again to get out. Seth screamed as he saw the panicked look in the bear’s eyes.
“He wants out,” Seth screamed.
“Who, who wants out, Seth?” Chance asked as he ran his hands up and down Seth’s legs. “Tell me, sweetie. Please tell me what’s going on.”
“My…” Seth screamed again, his bones cracking in his shoulders and knees. He whimpered and tried to roll, but hands, strong hands, were holding him down. Seth tried to talk again, fearing the next wave of pain would make him pass out, and the men needed to know. “My bear wants out.”
“Your what?” Chance asked, his eyes wide again.
“Did you say bear?” Chauncey asked.
“He’s confused. He doesn’t want to hurt me, but he wants out,” Seth said as he felt nausea roll up his throat. He turned his head in time to throw up, the men holding him, rolling him to his side.
“If you are shifting, son, you have to stop fighting it. It’s your first shift. It could kill you if you don’t just let it happen.”
That was easier said than done. Seth was fucking terrified. There should be no animal trying to get out of him. There should be no animal, period.
“How?” Chance asked.
“We’ll worry about the how later, son. Right now we need to think about getting him through his first shift.”
Whatever else Mr. Lakeland said was drowned out by Seth’s screams. His bones cracked, snapped at the joints or wherever they were snapping, breaking and reforming. Seth felt his skin crawling and knew something was growing. He wasn’t sure how he knew. He just knew.
“Holy hell,” Chauncey whispered as he stepped closer.
Seth lay on the ground panting, his head hurting, but finally clearing. He blinked a few times, his vision coming into focus. Everything seemed sharper, more vibrant than he had ever seen nature before. The leaves were greener, and Seth could even hear the animals that were hiding further away in the bushes and trees. Seth could hear the wind blow and smell the earth strongly. An urge to run was tightening his muscles, making him stand on shaky legs.
Even Chance’s face was clearer, as if Seth was truly looking at him for the first time. He leaned toward his mate, sniffing at him as his legs wobbled.
“Damn, baby, you’re stunning,” Chance said as he grinned. “Simply stunning.”
“I’ll call the diner and let Cody know what’s going on,” Mr. Lakeland said as he stared at Seth curiously. “I just wish I knew what the hell just happened.”
Seth rolled onto his back, tilting his head to his side as he looked up at Mr. Lakeland. He wasn’t sure why he was doing this, but an overwhelming need to let the father know that Seth thought he was more dominant and in charge pulled at his very insides.
Mr. Lakeland bent down, resting his knees on the grass as he stroked Seth’s neck and then his belly. “I accept you into my pack, Seth.”
As soon as Mr. Lakeland said the words, Seth’s writhing turned into playfulness. He wanted to roll in the grass, leaving his scent behind.
“Go run with your mate, Chance. Chauncey will drive your truck back to the house. I’ll call the physician so he can examine Seth. Don’t keep him out too long.”
“I won’t,” Chance said as he smiled down at Seth. His mate undressed and then shifted into his bear. Seth was back on his stomach, tilting his neck. Chance pushed his muzzle into Seth’s neck, giving him a light nip before he pushed at Seth to get up.
Seth got up, looking back at Mr. Lakeland and then at Chance in his bear form. Seth licked at Chance’s mouth, inhaling his scent, familiarizing himself with his mate’s scent in bear form.
“Go run.” Mr. Lakeland said it like a command. Seth felt the need to obey. Chance took off first, and Seth ran after him, feeling freer than he had ever felt in his life. He wasn’t sure what the hell had happened, but his bear didn’t care, and neither did Seth at the moment.
He would examine everything later. Right now all he wanted to do was chase Chance and run.

Maverick sat in his office, looking at Christian, who was sitting in the chair in front of his desk, Zeus sitting next to Christian in the other chair. Panahasi was sitting on the sofa, taking up the entire couch as Malcolm Lakeland leaned against the wall, watching all the men in the room.

Chance leaned next to his father, his eyes studying everyone. The son looked like he didn’t want to be here, like the room was filled with enemies. Maverick guessed that if his mate, Cecil, had gone through a violent change and no one knew why, he’d be pissy as hell, too.

“I had a long talk with Dr. Carmichael,” Maverick started. “You say a vampire attacked your mate?”
Chance gave a solemn nod.
Maverick sighed. He really didn’t want to have this talk, but not only did Chance need to know what happened to his mate, but the leaders needed to know the rules of the game had changed. “He was high on Liquid Wrath when he attacked your mate.”
“He’s going to be a hybrid?” Chance asked, the anguish and anger weighing his words down.
Maverick shook his head. “No.”
“Then what?” Malcolm asked.
“Apparently the drug is mutating,” Maverick answered. The room became deathly quiet as the leaders stared at him. Panahasi leaned forward, no longer looking disinterested.
“How has it mutated?” Panahasi asked carefully.
Maverick dropped the file onto his desk, sighing. “Chance mated Seth, bit him. After the vampire attack, the anticoagulant that was still in Seth, Chance’s DNA, mutated as well.”
“Just tell me what happened.” Chance growled and then looked down at the floor, his hands tucking behind his back. “I’m sorry, alpha.”
“Basically,” Maverick said, trying to keep his anger in check at the disrespect, “you gave him his very own bear.”
Chance’s head snapped up, his eyes growing wide. “I did this to him?” Chance whispered the question. Pain crossed his face as he stared at Maverick, looking as if he wanted Maverick to relieve his burden, his guilt of what he had done. Too bad Chance hit the nail on the head.
Christian saved Maverick from telling Chance yes.
“What does this mean for vampires?” he asked.
“I’m not sure, but if a shifter can convert his mate, then I’m thinking, along with the doctor, that a human can be converted into a vampire.” Maverick looked over at Panahasi. “Or a demon.”
“Oh, hell,” Zeus said as he sat forward and scrubbed his face. “So basically, if someone who has that drug in their system bites someone, the next person who bites the human can convert them?”
Maverick nodded. “In theory.”
The room fell silent again, everyone looking as if they were thinking things over, weighing the ramifications.
“But is Seth going to be okay? Is this permanent, and is he a bear shifter now?” Chance asked.
“He is a bear shifter now, Chance. And the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with Seth or his blood. Your mate should be fine,” Maverick answered.
“Then can I go to him, or do you still need me here?” Chance asked.
Maverick shook his head. “Your part is done. Go to your mate, Chance.”
Maverick watched as Chance looked at his father, something passing between the two men, and then Chance left.
“I thought your new son had the cure,” Christian said as he turned toward Malcolm.
“No one is using him!” Malcolm growled loudly.
“Calm, bear,” Christian said as he stood. Maverick so didn’t want a fight in his office. He could see Malcolm’s defenses rising along with the vampire prince. “I was merely asking if he still held the cure. Because if the drug has mutated, I think he is safe now.”
Some of the tension left Malcolm, but he still looked guarded. “I’ll have the doctor draw some blood from Cole to check, but if he still holds the cure…” Malcolm trailed off.
“Then no one is still touching him. He is under my pack’s protection,” Maverick said as he stood. “All whelps are protected. And that includes your son, Christian.”
Christian nodded. “I appreciate the offer, and will call you on it if need be, but I do not foresee being unable to protect my own child.” Christian hadn’t said it offensively, but Maverick fully understood where the vampire was coming from. No father, no man, liked to be told he couldn’t take care of his own child.
“Warn your pack, Zeus,” Maverick said to the grey wolf alpha.
“Things just seemed to be spinning out of control more and more lately,” Zeus commented as he stood to leave. “How are your cousin and his mate?”
Maverick smiled. Zeus had not only become a good ally, but a good friend as well over the years. It did his heart good to hear Zeus asking about his family in the middle of this revelation.
“The witness suddenly can’t remember what happened or why Sloane was blamed. The prosecutor didn’t have enough to charge Sloane, so they let him go.”
“He’s home now?”
Maverick nodded. “He’s home with D, trying to put the experience behind him.” Sloane was at home trying to fuck D into the basement, but that wasn’t Maverick’s tidbit to tell. Sloane was not only reacquainting himself with his mate. He told Maverick that fucking D until his eyes crossed was his way of punishing his mate for almost getting locked up. D had gone down to the jail in the city where Sloane was locked up, raising hell and damn near getting himself tossed into jail himself. If D had been locked up when dawn came, his ass would have been fried. Sloane wasn’t taking the news too well. But he had a feeling his cousin had things under control.
“Both of you should let your people know,” Maverick said to Christian and Panahasi, dropping the subject of his cousin and D. “They should know what could happen if their mates are bitten.”
“Is it only mates?” Panahasi asked.
“I honestly don’t know. Seth is the first, and Chance just claimed him prior to the attack. We will have to keep an eye on everyone and see.”
“That plan sucks,” Malcolm said as he headed for the door. “I wish I could find the person who created that damn drug. I’d kill him with my bare hands.”
Maverick knew who created the drug, but that was for the leaders to deal with. “Go home to your family, Malcolm. We’ll figure this out.”
Malcolm nodded, giving Maverick a grim look before walking out of the office. Panahasi walked into a shadow, leaving Maverick’s office, and then Zeus and Christian left.
Maverick went in search of his mate, needing to hold him and wondering how much more was going to happen before the world found out that the shifters existed. With the way things were going, it was going to be hard as hell to hide their existence much longer.

Chance sat on his bed, watching Seth as his mate paced the bedroom. Seth didn’t look happy. He looked downright pissed and worried.

“So this is permanent?” he stopped pacing to ask.
“That’s what I’m told.”
Seth made a small growl in his throat and then began pacing

again. Chance thought the small growl was sexy as hell, but he didn’t think Seth wanted to hear that right now. His mate looked stressed enough.

“I can’t seem to get my head wrapped around the fact that I’m a shifter now,” Seth said as he paused at the window, looking over at Chance. “I can feel it inside of me, reminding me that it’s there, but…” Seth looked away from Chance, staring out of the window.

Chance pushed from the bed, walking over to Seth. He grabbed his mate around the waist, pulling his mate into his arms. “I’m here for you, Seth. I never meant to infect you. I would do anything to undo this, but I can’t.”