Chapter 25

Dumont's grizzly stalked toward me, and though he was blinded from Dutch's heroic act, I couldn't fight him alone. Shifting would get me killed, especially with the chaos, blood, and fire swarming around us. Maybe if I could shove the board down his throat, I'd have a fighting chance.

His jaws opened like a steel trap, saliva dripping in long streams as he craned his neck and roared. My hair stood on end, but thinking about Tak erased my fears. I wanted to go to him—protect him—but I couldn't. The idea that we might never hold each other again filled me with anguish.

Taking advantage of Dumont's blindness, I threw the board a few feet to the side. It clacked against the concrete, diverting his attention.

This bear had blood in his mouth, so I needed to lure him away from Tak. Maybe I could climb onto one of the trash bins and make some noise. When I fell back a step, my foot knocked a pebble across the concrete. The grizzly turned so fast that my wolf rippled beneath my skin.

Seconds before the beast barreled into me, Tak appeared out of nowhere and savagely ripped at the grizzly's throat. Blood poured onto the concrete as skin and fur tore away.

"Hope!" Wheeler shouted. Before I knew it, he hooked his arm around my waist and hauled me back.

The black smoke had changed to pale grey, and voices shouted from behind me. No one cared about Tak. Whether these men were Shifters or otherwise, they had no skin in this game. All they wanted to do was extinguish the fire as they continued hosing down their stores with water. Breed rarely called the fire department because it got humans involved in their business. Dumont had used so much gasoline to set the trash and building ablaze that several people were using fire extinguishers.

Unable to see Tak anymore, I writhed in Wheeler's grip. "Why don't you help him? Let me go! Tak!"

Wheeler set me down and gave me a grievous stare. "If I shift, it'll be bad news. My wolf will turn on your friend."

I spun around when the grizzly roared. It wasn't as ominous this time and sounded like a death knell. I sucked in a sharp breath when he collapsed in a heap of bloody muscle and fur. Somewhere beneath six hundred pounds of bear was Tak, his hind legs thrashing wildly.

When he went still, my heart sank.

This couldn't be happening. My eyes blurred with tears, and my feet rooted in place. The world had just stopped. Maybe if I blinked, I'd wake up, and all of this would have been a dream.

Tak's leg twitched. Moments later, he crawled out from beneath the bear, his dark fur cloaked in blood.

My body sagged with relief. "You're alive," I whispered. "Thank the fates."

Tak stood atop the creature and howled, his face stained with so much blood I didn't recognize him. His victory cry sent chills up my spine.

When I started to run toward them, Wheeler grabbed my arm. "He's got blood in his mouth!"

I wrenched away and kept going despite the danger. Predators who had gotten a taste of blood were geared up for a kill. Often those impulses were so powerful that even the animal's human counterpart surrendered to their primal instincts. The grizzly's eyes were swollen shut, his tongue hanging out. Water flooded beneath my feet as the men washed away the gasoline.

Tak's wolf staggered off the dead animal before collapsing with exhaustion. His injuries weren't grave, but when I looked past him, my eyes widened in horror.

Dumont's grizzly had severely mauled Dutch. The gruesome scene looked fatal, but I could hear him gasping for air.

An older man jogged up and looked between us. "I'm a Relic, but I can only take one."

Dutch choked on his own blood, and I pointed at him. Tak would survive his injuries, but Dutch wouldn't.

"Someone help me put him into my car!" the Relic shouted.

Two men rushed over and carefully lifted Dutch's limp body. There was so much blood that it pained me to think he would probably die. Dutch didn't deserve this ending. I'd been wrong about him all along. He wouldn't have fought the grizzly if they'd been working together. All this time, Dumont was the culprit.

And with Dumont dead, I would never understand why he'd gone to such lengths to ruin me. Maybe he was one of many who'd lost the bid on the property, or maybe he didn't like seeing wolves taking over his town. The packs were strong, and that sparked animosity among local rogues.

It didn't really matter anymore.

"Tak," I cried, falling to my knees.

Wheeler squatted next to him. "We need to get him to shift. I don't like the looks of that wound on his shoulder. It's deep."

Wheeler yelled and shook Tak's haunches, but Tak remained unresponsive. His injuries weren't as grave as Dutch's, but if he didn't wake up and shift, he could wind up disabled. There was also no way to know if he'd sustained any internal injuries.

I smoothed my hand over his ear. "Can you hear me? If you don't shift back, you might die. Please, Tak. Fight harder. You have a purpose in this world—you matter." I stroked his face, wiping at the thick blood.

Wheeler snatched my wrist. "If he wakes up, he'll bite you. I know you care about him, but it's not worth your life."

"Let me go," I bit out.

I'd called to Tak once before as a stranger, and now I called to him with all the love in my heart. Any doubts I'd had about what real love felt like were extinguished the moment I saw him bravely challenge Dumont, turning the threat away from me and onto himself. Tak was a man I could give my whole heart to—someone I wanted by my side as my mate and the protector of our children. Our future flashed before my eyes, and it filled me with a fierce determination to undo this wrong.

"Don't you dare give up," I pleaded, tears blurring my vision. "If you're looking for a reason to stay, then stay for me. Maybe it's not enough, but I love you, Tak. I'll never find anyone else I love as much. You're the bravest man I know, and maybe I don't deserve you, but I can't imagine a life without you in it. Don't break my heart."

One of his brown eyes opened and looked right at me.

In a ripple of magic, Tak transformed into a wounded man. I stared in horror at the claw marks over his shoulder and the lump on his head. Seconds later, Tak fell unconscious again.

"That's a big fucking hematoma," Wheeler remarked. "Help me lift him. I'll take him back to the motel."

"He's not staying there anymore. We're taking him home."

"Home. As in your home?" Wheeler stroked his circle beard. "And the plot thickens."

I swung a frosty gaze up at him. "I don't live a pious life, and I don't expect you to treat me like some kind of princess. So you can either help me carry him, or you can move out of my way."

"Take it easy, sweetheart." Wheeler rolled him onto his back. "Mayhap I was just curious why you'd want to invite a stranger into your home."

I stood up and wiped my bloody hands on my shirt. "He's no stranger. This man has taught me more about love in one week than anyone else has in my entire life. I love him, and you can spread that rumor far and wide if you like, but it's the truth. Maybe he doesn't love me half as much, but that's a chance I'm willing to take."

Wheeler chuckled and shook his head. "If this is a contest on who loves who more, I'm staying out of it." When he stood up again, he raked his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Love is the damnedest thing. Pull your car around, and we'll load him in. He's not riding in my Camaro with all this blood, so I hope you have a roomy back seat."

* * *

I'd been standingfor ages in my narrow hallway, rubbing missed spots of dried blood off my hands while the Relic treated Tak. This wasn't the same Relic who'd collected Dutch but an old family friend.

What if I lose him?It seemed impossible that I could fall so hard so fast, but now I couldn't imagine a world without him in it. I'd never seen a wolf fight a grizzly before. The local shopkeepers had seen the bear, but not one of them possessed the courage to do anything about it. Shifters didn't usually fight to the death, so it wasn't until Tak took a powerful blow and Dutch went down that I had turned my back on the fire to help.

When the Relic emerged from my bedroom, I lurched forward. "How is he?"

Edward ran his fingers through his dark blond hair. If only the look in his eyes was as reassuring as his British accent. "He's not woken up. I dressed his wounds and have done all I can, but unless he shifts—"

"Will he live?"

"He's an alpha. They're too stubborn to die." Edward led me out of the hallway and into the living room. "It's not grave, but given how close his wounds are to a major artery, I can't say what might have happened had he not shifted. Time will heal his injuries, and he'll keep the scars. There's quicker recovery time if you can get him to shift once or twice more. I'd encourage you to try."

"And the pain?"

Edward reached into his bag and handed me a bottle of pills. "Give him one every six hours. These are strong, so they'll make him sleep for a long time. Only give them as needed. If he's lucid enough to shift, I'd rather him do that a few more times than sedate him. But sometimes they don't have the energy left to shift, or their animal won't wake up."

I held the pills against my chest. "Thank you for coming on short notice. Stay here while I get your money."

Relics had clients they worked with exclusively. For a little extra, you could sometimes find one who was willing to squeeze you into their schedule. Edward had a long history with Melody's old pack, so he was willing to come on short notice.

I padded down the hall to Melody's bedroom. Breed bankers weren't open all hours, so we made deposits twice a month. Every week, one of us would fill a deposit bag with money and take it home to put in the safe, which Lakota had bolted to the floor of Melody's closet. It was convenient to have cash on hand in case of emergencies or large expenses, such as buying a car. But it was too dangerous to keep all your money in your home. Some did, but if word spread, criminals considered it an open invitation.

After opening the closet, I knelt and punched in the code. When the safe door opened, my heart stopped as I stared into an empty box. Had Melody made an early deposit? No… No, I was certain I'd put money in the safe after they left town. I closed the door and examined the hinges, looking for signs of tampering. The empty deposit bag was sitting in its usual place.

A dreadful thought nestled in my head: I'd left Tak unsupervised in my home. If he was in the process of breaking away from his father's tribe, would he have been tempted by a safe full of money? The Tak I knew now wasn't capable of such a devious act, but what were his original intentions? If he wanted to get even with Lakota, it would've been easy to steal from right under our noses. But without the code, how did he get the money out? And why didn't he just leave town afterward?

I refused to believe it.

"Everything okay?" Edward asked, peering into the room.

I sprang to my feet, my cheeks flushed. "I'm so sorry; I thought we had enough cash in the house to cover it. Everything's in the bank. I promise you'll get your money. You know I'm good for it."

"That's fine," he said, glancing at his watch. "I trust you or else I wouldn't have come."

I fought back tears. "Thank you."

"If you need my assistance, just give me a ring. The ointment on the bedside table will speed up the healing process. I'm more concerned about the lump on his head being the reason he won't wake up. He might have suffered a severe concussion, and I'm afraid if that's the case, there's very little I can do. Put ice on it every few hours, and ring me at once if his condition worsens or there's no change in twenty-four hours."

After escorting Edward out, I lumbered into the dark living room and collapsed on the sofa. I needed someone to talk to, so I picked up the phone and called the one person I could count on.

"Hello, sis," Lakota answered.

"Come home."

"Miss me already?"

"I'm so sorry to ruin your trip, but I need your help. Tak's here."

"Tak? Is he harassing you?"

"No, he's injured. The Relic was just here, and I couldn't pay him because someone robbed our safe."

"What the hell?" he growled. "Someone broke in? Were you home?"

I could hear Melody frantically asking him what was going on.

"Lakota, someone set the store on fire. They didn't burn it to the ground, but I don't know how extensive the damage is. There was a grizzly attack and… I just need you to come home so I'm not alone in this."

"Are you safe?"

I stared listlessly at the vacant room. "Yes."

"I'm flying home tonight."

"What?" Melody exclaimed. "Is Hope okay? What's going on?" She must have grabbed the phone from him, because her voice came on next. "Are you all right? What's happening?"

That was when I broke down. "Please don't hate me. I kept secrets from you. Someone's been harassing me and vandalizing the store while you've been gone. I didn't want to worry you because I wasn't sure how serious it was. All that stuff that happened before with the graffiti we ignored, and it was fine."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but Tak is."

"What the hell is Tak doing there?"

"Mel, I love him. I doubt that's going to make any sense to you right now, but that's how it is. He needs me now, and I have to take care of him. Don't say anything to Lakota. Not yet. I want him to stay focused."

"What happened?"

"Someone set the store on fire, and we need to hire contractors to look at the damages. A Councilman stopped by to question me, and I didn't have anyone to advise me what to say, so I told him the truth. I don't want to be alone anymore."

"What happened to the arsonist?"

I rubbed my forehead. "Tak killed him. I'm also worried about Dutch. He might have lost his life fighting that bear."

"Who the heck is Dutch? I go out of town for a week, and all hell breaks loose. A bear attacked you? Look, we'll be there soon. Lakota's on your dad's phone getting airline tickets."

"What about your truck?"

"The truck is the last thing on my mind right now. We'll have someone take care of that, so don't you worry. Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurt or anything?"

"I'm fine. I'm just shaken up. Make sure you tell my parents I'm not injured. I don't need them worrying for nothing. The money in the safe is gone. I don't know how it happened, Mel. I'm doing everything I can to set things right, and it's falling apart."

"Oh shit," she whispered quietly. "Your father just kicked one of the doors off the hinges. I guess it's safe to say they're coming home early too. How's Tak? Is he there right now?"

"He's unconscious. The Relic couldn't get him to shift, but I'm going to try in a little while. He saved my life, Mel. He really did."

"We'll be there soon. And don't blame yourself, you hear me? Sometimes shit happens, and I've experienced my fair share of it. You shouldn't have to go through it alone. Hang in there. I love you."

"Love you too."

How I'd gotten through this day without having a panic attack was beyond me. I set the phone down and hurried to my bedroom, the bottle of painkillers still in hand. When I entered, Tak was in my bed, the blanket pulled up to his waist. A few puncture wounds had already healed some, but not the claw marks on his right shoulder that stretched down to his chest. They were deep, and the Relic hadn't bandaged them since getting an infection was impossible, and bandaging an unconscious man could cause more damage if he shifted. The towel beneath him collected the blood still seeping from the wound.

I sat down beside him. Only the inked side of his face showed since Edward had draped an ice bag over the right side of his head. I gently lifted it off and examined him closely. His skin was bright red all around the lump, which stretched the skin taut just over his right eye.

"Tak," I whispered. "Can you shift?" I placed my hand on his chest and felt a rumble. "Wake up," I said more loudly. "Wake up or else I'm going to tell everyone the truth."

His left eye popped open, but he didn't say anything.

I had nothing to tell except for how brave he was, but I was willing to try any tactic to get him to listen.

"Please shift for me. You'll scar if you don't."

Tak slowly closed his eye. When his breathing grew heavy, I knew he'd fallen into a deep slumber.

Even though the bed was too small for the both of us, I curled up next to him as close as I could get. Every breath he took was a gift, and just thinking about that split second when I thought I'd lost him made me nuzzle against his shoulder. How had he known to come at the moment I needed him most?

Moonlight poured through the open window and held us together. For the first time, my wolf felt indescribably content. She knew where she wanted to be even if she didn't understand the uncertainties that still lay ahead. What would Lakota say about my devotion to Tak? What would Tak's father say when I called him in the morning to tell him his son was severely injured? How soon would they arrive to take him home where I might never see him again?

How many precious hours did I have left to hold him in my arms?