8. Chapter Eight

Rage shook his muscles. The only thing keeping him from tearing the dead body into tiny pieces was Gaelynn’s hand in his fur. He forgot about the two men he’d killed when her eyes rolled into her head and her hand dropped to the ground.

Behemoth shifted and scooped her into his arms. “Ghost!” He knew his bellow was loud enough for the other shifter to hear. He kept moving, wanting to meet the healer halfway.

Zeus and the rest of his team arrived at his house while Bull was still on the phone. He directed them to launch a drone, which was equipped with a FLIR camera. It didn’t take long for the infrared to find three heat signatures. One was several yards in front of the others.

Somehow, she’d gotten away from them.

Behemoth had shifted and run.

He grabbed the first man by the arm and threw him into the nearest tree. One swipe of his paw eviscerated the other.

He didn’t stop running when the car came around the bend, sliding to a stop on the old gravel fire road. Ghost jumped out of the passenger seat, took one look at Gaelynn, and told him to get in the back with her.

Ghost jumped back in and barked, “Hospital!”

Gravel pinged against the car as Zeus floored it.

Behemoth cradled Gaelynn in his lap and kissed her forehead. She winced and whimpered.

“Shh, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Ghost leaned through the front seat with surgical scissors and cut the ties off her wrists. He wished he could kill those men again. They deserved slower deaths.

Her eyelids fluttered and then flew open, her body tense. She melted into him when she saw his face. “Behemoth? I knew you’d find me.”

“I’ll always find you, little rabbit.”

“My head hurts.”

He raised questioning eyes at Ghost.

“She has a concussion.”

“I got tackled into a tree.” She giggled. “S’okay, though. He got deaded.” Her face scrunched up like she was trying to think. “Deaded? No. Like a horror movie. What’s the word?”

“Slashed?” Behemoth was amazed she could speak, let alone think about words.

She sighed happily. “That’s the one.”

The tires squealed as the car slid to a stop. Zeus must have called ahead. A gurney surrounded by several doctors and nurses swung into position next to the car and the door opened.

Behemoth laid her down and stepped back. He tried to follow when they wheeled her inside but a nurse stopped him before he could go through a set of double doors.

“Sir, we’ll take care of her. You need to wait here.” She cleared her throat and darted her eyes anywhere but at him. “You need to put on pants. I can find a pair of scrubs for you…”

“That’d be a crime against women!” someone catcalled from the waiting area. Someone else wolf whistled.

He’d forgotten he was naked. He didn’t care.

“No need,” Zeus stepped up next to him and shoved a pair of Supe Sec sweatpants into his hands.

He yanked them on, never breaking eye contact with the end of the hall where Gaelynn had disappeared.

“Come on,” Zeus grabbed his arm, “I arranged for us to wait in a private room.”

The room was sparse. Four chairs that had seen things, a coffee pot half full of lukewarm coffee, a stack of generic disposable coffee cups and a scattering of sugar packets.

Behemoth couldn’t sit and paced the small space. He kept looking down the hallway, expecting to see someone coming to them with an update.

“Can’t you go see what’s happening?”

Ghost shook his head at him. “I’m a medic with no privileges at this hospital, Bee.”

River, Titan, Virginia, and Bull pushed into the small space. Virginia’s eyes were red.

“Any news?” Her voice trembled, but she held it together.

He was grateful for that. If Gaelynn’s friend lost it, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

Zeus sprang from his seat. “Fuck this.”

His boss scanned everyone before pointing to him.

Zeus looked at Ghost and bit out, “Keep him here.”

Behemoth growled. Ghost’s voice was indignant. He pointed at River. “She’s the one with the tranq gun!”

“Don’t even think about it,” Behemoth said, glaring at River and Ghost. The last thing he needed was those two trying to keep him contained. His bear was so close to the surface of his skin, he felt the fur prick him.

River held her hands up and backed away. Ghost rubbed at his face and then asked Virginia, “Where’s Cate?”

“Working. She wanted to come, but she’s meeting with some big client and couldn’t leave. She’ll be here as soon as she can.”

There were too many people in the small room already. Behemoth felt the walls closing in on him and pushed past everyone into the hall. Ghost dogged his steps. “Need air.”

“I get it. There’s an exit at the end of this hall—glass doors so we can keep an eye out in case the doctors come.”

He grunted his appreciation and stalked out the doors. The cool night air wrapped around him and he inhaled. The scent of blood, death, and antiseptic burned his nose but he forced himself to do it again. As he breathed out, he repeated to himself that Gaelynn was okay. She was safe.

The thought made his claws pop out. He’d told her she was safe at his house, and she’d been taken. Because of him. He had put her in danger.

Maybe she would be better off running again. She’d done okay staying ahead of the cult to that point.

He paced between the concrete supports holding up a metal awning. When he turned, Ghost blocked his path.

“Whatever’s going through your head right now, it’s a lie.” His palm hit Behemoth’s chest to keep him from moving past. “She would not be better off without you.”

His eyes flew to his friend’s. How did he know what he was thinking?

“She’s your mate, Bee. Neither of you can run from that. She’s going to need you when her brain heals and she remembers everything that’s happened. So let it out until the docs come back, and then lock that shit down.”

When had his flighty friend with a death wish gotten so wise? His breath whooshed out and he nodded.

Movement caught both of their eyes and they watched a group of white coat clad people being led by Zeus come down the hallway.

“Showtime.” Ghost turned and looked at him. “You good, big guy?”

“I’m good.” He had to be. Ghost was right. Gaelynn needed him.

She went to slap her hand on the nightstand to shut up the incessant beeping of her phone alarm. Something tugged on the back of her hand and pain shot down her arm. She hissed and her eyes flew open.

Then she squeezed them closed. That brief glance made her head swim. She had an impression of bright light, but everything was blurry. Her stomach flipped and she moaned.

“Easy there.”

An entirely too chipper female voice spoke next to her.

“You have a concussion, so take it slow. I’ll cut the lights off for you, but your vision will probably be blurry, or doubled, and the room might spin when you open your eyes.”

“Concussion?” Her mouth was full of sand. “Water?”

“Just ice chips for now, but Dr. Stone should clear you for more shortly.”

It started to make sense. She felt at the back of her hand the bump of an IV and tape under her fingers.

“Here you are dear.”

Cold touched her lips and she opened her mouth.

She tried again to open her eyes, slower this time, and the double vision resolved until she could see the standard hospital room.

“I’ll let Dr. Stone know you’re awake.”

The chipper nurse was older with efficient movements that flitted her around the room. Gaelynn was surprised when she paused at the door and giggled like a schoolgirl.

“I’m sure those men waiting for you are eager to hear how you’re doing.” She fanned herself. “If I weren’t a happily married woman, whoo boy.”

The door closed behind the nurse with a click.

Men were waiting for her? What the heck had…

Oh.

Memories flooded in and her heart rate sped, the monitor beeping its shrill tone. She rubbed at her chest with her free hand and tried to calm down. She was in a hospital. She was safe.

Behemoth had found her. A hazy image of him naked and covered in blood floated through her mind. Why would he be naked when he rescued her? The blood she understood. Mr. Grinch had been eviscerated right in front of her. She looked down at what skin she could see outside the confines of the hospital gown.

She should be covered in blood, too. The hospital staff must have cleaned her when they were looking her over.

A sharp pain hit the back of her head, so she gave up trying to figure out what had eviscerated her captor.

The bed was hard and crinkled of plastic, the pillow flatter than the proverbial pancake, but her body sank into them anyway. Three times, her eyes closed before she jerked them open.

The nurse said the doctor would be there soon, and she had questions.

She was about to give in to the seductive lure of being pulled under when a beautiful woman in a white lab coat moved to her bedside.

Her dark brown hair was in a ponytail and when she smiled, she looked far too young to have made it through medical school.

“Gaelynn, I’m so glad you’re awake. I’m Dr. Stone and I’ve been taking care of you.” She snapped open a metal folder she carried and perused the screens of the various equipment in the room. “You’ve had one hell of an adventure, I hear.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was still scratchy, clawing its way up the mess of her throat.

Dr. Stone nodded. “We’ll get you some water now that you’re awake. You’re very lucky. You escaped with a concussion and some nasty scratches from your adrenaline-fueled Walden Pond reenactment, but otherwise, you’re healthy.”

Gaelynn snorted. She liked the doctor. Under different circumstances, they could be friends.

“I’d like to update your condition to a room full of testosterone, if that’s okay.”

“Who?”

“The owner of Superhuman Security, Reiner Hilbertson, and from what I understand, most of his staff. He said you were under his protection when you went missing. I’ll try not to judge his company based on what was clearly not Superhuman Security in your case.”

“Not their fault. They were called away on another case. I should have been fine in the house. It’s loaded with security.” Her brows slashed down. “I don’t know how they got in.”

“I’m sure that’s something for the police to figure out. They’ll be next in line to speak with you, but I’ll hold them off until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? I can’t go home tonight?”

The doctor’s face fell. “I’m afraid not. The concussion you’ve suffered is significant. You should recover just fine, but we want to run a CT scan and some neurocognitive tests to make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

“Can someone stay with me?”

Dr. Stone grinned. “Yes, but only one. I don’t need the tame version of Magic Mike distracting my nurses all night.”

“Behemoth!” She blurted it out so fast the doctor’s eyes widened. “I mean, Vital. I want Vital to stay.”

“I’ll let them know. Rest is important for your recovery, so I’ll make sure the tests happen tomorrow morning. If I find nothing serious, I’ll discharge you tomorrow night.”

Her limbs weighed a thousand pounds and her eyelids stubbornly refused to stay open.

“I’ll speak to Mr. Hilbertson and the others and let Vital know you want him to stay. I’ll be back to check on you later tonight.” She was almost to the door when she paused and turned. “I’ll make sure the nurse brings you some water.”

“Thank you,” Gaelynn croaked. She never heard the door shut.

How Behemoth managed to get inside her hospital room and set up an uncomfortable-looking post in the corner was beyond her. Every time the nurse came in to check her vitals, she woke up.

Gaelynn contemplated asking her if she’d considered a career as a dominatrix.

The older woman tittered at seeing Behemoth.

Seriously, she tittered.

Gaelynn just stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Intuition told her that would hurt.

While the nurse fussed over him, offering him a blanket, pillow, to pull the chair into what hospitals called a bed, turndown service, and a chocolate mint after she sucked his dick, Behemoth bit one-word answers at her.

Okay, maybe not all of that, but Gaelynn was sure she would be happy to provide all those services if it was just them in the room.

She saw the point where he lost patience with the lady.

“I don’t need anything. Could you come less often? The doctor said Gaelynn needs to rest.”

Bless his massive heart. He frowned and his eyes never left hers. He looked worried and on edge. She wondered if something else had happened.

“I’ll message the on call doctor and see if he’ll authorize fewer vitals checks.”

He had to growl at her to get her to leave after she tried for the millionth time to get him a pillow and blanket.

That sound danced over her skin and lit her clit up like the bat signal. Maybe she sustained a traumatic brain injury, but at least that part of her was A-okay.

Behemoth followed the nurse to the door, practically shoving her out of the room. He went back to the chair, but hovered over Gaelynn instead of sitting.

She was almost as white as the over bleached sheets. There were dark smudges of purple and blue under her eyes. The doctor assured him she’d recover fine, but it was his fault she was lying in the hospital bed with a traumatic brain injury.

Claws threatened the tips of his fingers and he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” The words didn’t reach the depth of the emotion he felt.

Gaelynn’s eyes scrunched. “For what?”

“Not being there. You getting kidnapped. Hurt.”

“That’s not your fault.”

He shook his head, wanting to argue with her but guilt narrowed his throat.

“Behemoth, look at me.”

She waited until his eyes met hers.

“It was not. Your. Fault. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did.”

He shook his head. “I should have been there.”

He heard Gaelynn’s sigh. “You can’t be at my side twenty-four seven.”

The hell he couldn’t.

She stiffened. “I want to give this,” she waved her hand between them, “a try, but I will not be controlled or curtailed. You have to give me space. Even if it means I get hurt.”

The bear roared, but the man nodded and sat back in the most uncomfortable chair ever. There was a theory that hospital guest chairs were so uncomfortable to discourage people from staying with a patient, and he totally believed it.

“I know, Gaelynn. I don’t want to control or curtail you, but I need to be part of your protection.” He took her hand in his. “To stand beside you as you fight. Not in front of you… beside you.”

He hoped she would understand. He would hold on loosely, but he needed to hold on. She was more precious to him than his own life.

“Okay.”

Her voice was small, but the relief that one word gave him was monumental. He suspected this push and pull—her wanting to be reckless and him needing to keep her from harm—would be a lifelong struggle between them.

There were issues they’d face, not the least of which was the fact that she had no idea he could shift into a grizzly bear. He would tackle that later. First, they needed to ensure she was safe from The Level.

There was a mole in the ranks. Not in Superhuman Security, Zeus would have sniffed that out long ago and that employee would be “terminated.” The boss didn’t do well with betrayal. But someone up the line, someone like … Garrison.

It wouldn’t be hard for his former commander to find Behemoth’s new address. He probably didn’t know about Gaelynn’s presence, but it was standard operating procedure when the target was unavailable to take whatever collateral looked promising.

And to keep that collateral in good condition.

“Is there any way you can get me discharged tonight? The nurse said they wanted to run more tests, but I feel pretty exposed. Matthew knows what city I’m in, and he’ll have contacts in law enforcement and the major hospitals to flag my presence.”

“Zeus is working on it. I think it will depend on the severity of your condition and how critical the docs think these tests are.”

Gaelynn’s chest rose and fell under the thin sheet. He could see her fight to keep her eyes open. “Sleep now. I’ll watch over you.”

“Mmmkay.”

Her lips barely moved and without his shifter hearing he would have missed what she said. He took the blanket from the back of the chair and settled it over her. He leaned against the backrest and stared at the door, filtering through the scents and sounds of a busy hospital.

Once they took care of The Level, they’d need to address the threat posed by Matthew. Behemoth had Bull pull together a complete workup on the man. He followed all the cult leader greatest hits. Sleep deprivation, withholding food, claiming to have a direct line to God, isolating members from friends and family, insisting they give their money to the church in exchange for redemption, and banning any form of information from the outside world.

Not to mention, he was clearly a psychopath with narcissistic tendencies. He called his followers disciples and claimed he was the reincarnation of Matthew the apostle.

It spoke to Gaelynn’s strength that she wasn’t completely brainwashed, especially since she’d joined in The Guiding Light Ministries infancy. It would have been a gradual escalation of behaviors in her eyes, and most cult members in similar positions never saw the full extent of the leader’s control and manipulation until they were free.

The only thing that kept her from getting out sooner was the physical control he had over her, and the emotional and mental control he exerted on her fellow cult members. If the compound had been a smidge more open, Behemoth was sure she would have left far sooner than she had.

Enemies on two fronts presented a problem. They couldn’t be allowed to flank them or combine their forces. It wouldn’t make a difference in the end—after all, both The Level and The Guiding Light Ministries were made up of Normals—but it would make things more difficult and present more of a danger to Gaelynn.

He turned the problems over in his mind until they were smooth like river rock, seeing all angles and accounting for all possibilities.

The sky turned a dull shade of pink when Zeus entered the room, whispering, “We have a lead. Bull got a facial recognition hit on one of the thugs. Turns out, he’s not your typical drug runner. He’s a mercenary with a history of working for the highest bidder. Not only that, he has connections to—“

“Garrison.” Behemoth couldn’t keep the growl from his voice.

Zeus nodded.

The weight of the connection settled over the room like a blanket. If he’d hoped his former commander wasn’t involved, those hopes were now dashed.

Garrison might present himself as a standup military leader, but Behemoth knew with no doubt he’d sent men to their deaths.

Including him. He was never supposed to make it out of the jungle that day, and only did because of Wraith.

Without her help, he’d be six feet under.

Might be time to call her.