Chapter 2

Pierce's lipstingled where they'd touched hers. He'd just been giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, an exercise he'd been well trained in as a firefighter. Normally, it didn't mean anything other than saving someone's life and didn't make his wolf go berserk. It didn't make his skin have a hard time deciding whether it was cold from the river water he'd just thrown himself into or warm from the sunshine on his back. It definitely didn't make him excited to be kneeling over a woman who had bits of weeds and dirt stuck in her hair and had just coughed up half the Willamette.

But this wasn't just any woman who'd almost drowned. She was a shifter, that much he'd been able to tell right away. His inner beast had been able to sense it in her, though she wasn't like him.

She was also his mate.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, trying to force himself out of this odd state of mind. There was a procedure for everything. Any pains or other symptoms she might be having would let him know what he needed to do next.

"Like I almost drowned in the river," she responded grumpily.

He smiled. If she had enough energy to be cranky, she was probably going to be okay. "That's accurate."

"Is she all right?"

"Should I call 9-1-1?"

I am 9-1-1, Pierce thought as he looked up. He and his family hadn't been the only ones who'd come out to enjoy a nice day at Skinner Butte Park, and the commotion of the rescue had brought some onlookers. "She's fine."

"Are you sure?" A woman was holding out her cell phone. "I can call an ambulance."

His muscles tensed, knowing just what that would mean. "No, really. It's all right. I'm with the fire department, and I've got this handled. You can all go back to whatever you were doing before."

"Did you see that?" the woman with the cell phone asked her friend. "He just ran right into the river and pulled her out, carrying her in his arms! I wish I'd gotten it on video. It was like something out of a movie."

"Oh, great," the woman beneath Pierce mumbled. She wiggled around a bit, covering her body with her arms.

"Hang on." Clearly, she didn't want the audience any more than he did. He got to his feet, walked about ten yards away, and plucked a picnic blanket off the ground. He picked a few bits of grass off it before kneeling beside her and putting his hand under her shoulder. "Let's get you sitting up. This won't be so interesting, then."

"Thank you," she said as he draped it around her shoulders. She clasped the corners together, hunkered beneath it, and then squinted in confusion. "Where did you even get this?"

"It's mine. I left it here with my lunch while I was fishing with my dad and brother," he explained. As he did, he began to wonder just how far fate would go when it wanted to. They could've picked almost any spot to set up, and it just so happened to be right there.

"I'm sorry." She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Of all the things you could've pulled out of the river, I'm sure you didn't plan to find me. Thank you, though."

"Not a problem." Damn. Even wet and dirty, she was beautiful. She was funny even when she'd almost drowned. There was no doubt that Pierce's wolf was having a thorough reaction to her. Now that he thought about it, actually, it had already started to go nuts even before he'd glanced over and seen her flailing in the water. She might not think so, but she certainly looked like the catch of a lifetime to him. "Any time."

She made a coughing sound that was probably a bit of a laugh. "Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere near inner tubes again. Ever. For the rest of my life."

The sound of splashing made Pierce look up before he could reply. A man was hurriedly walking out of the water, dragging his kayak behind him. He abandoned it on dry ground as he jogged over. Concern was etched all over his face. Unlike the other onlookers, he didn't hesitate to come immediately over. "Is she okay?"

Shit. Who was this guy? His wolf lashed out inside him, suddenly possessive and protective, though he didn't even know this woman's name. "I believe so. Do you know her?"

"I'm Kevin with Tubular River Tours." He held out his hand, but his eyes stayed focused on the woman. "She somehow got separated from the rest of us. I got over here as quickly as I could once I saw what was happening, but I never would've made it on time. I'm glad you were here."

"Yeah. Me, too." The rescue worker inside him had immediately sprung into action, but he knew that wasn't the only thing that had driven him to run into the river, swim into the rapids, and pull her free from the water.

Kevin was on his knees next to her. "What was your name again?"

"Holly." She used the edge of the blanket to sweep a drip of water off her temple. "Holly Brigham."

"Holly, right," Kevin confirmed, although Pierce doubted the guy ever really knew her name in the first place. "I'm going to have to get you to the hospital."

She instantly shook her head and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "I really don't need that. I'm fine. I promise."

But Kevin wasn't going to take no for an answer. "It's company policy, and it was in the paperwork that you signed back at the beginning of all of this. We have to go. They just need to check you out really quick."

Holly's eyes traveled up to Pierce's. Those gray-blue depths were desperate and worried, and he knew exactly why. People like them couldn't just go to the hospital. A careless nurse or doctor might not notice anything and send them on their way. Anyone who was a bit more diligent, though, who wanted to make sure they checked every little box, might find something significantly different.

"I'll take her," Pierce volunteered, giving Holly a subtle nod to show he understood. "That way, you can get back to the rest of your group and let them know she's safe."

Kevin hesitated. He glanced over his shoulder at the flotilla of brightly colored tubes where the rest of the tour was waiting.

"I'm with the local fire department, so she's in good hands," Pierce assured him.

"Is that all right with you?" Kevin asked Holly.

Though Pierce's hackles had raised when Kevin had shown up, he had to give the guy credit for making sure Holly was comfortable with the situation before he just left her to it. After all, Pierce was a stranger. Mate or not.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay. I'll be getting in touch to get the hospital paperwork from you." With a sigh of uncertainty, Kevin headed back to his kayak and paddled back out to the group.

"Holy shit, this is embarrassing," Holly grumbled.

Pierce looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw that the embarrassment wasn't over for her just yet. He came from a whole family of rescue workers, and they certainly wouldn't think anything less of her for having an accident like she did, but this still wasn't an ideal time to meet her mate's relatives. "Holly, this is my dad, Rick, and my brother Hayden." He helped her to her feet, and she instantly yanked the blanket further around her shoulders so that it hung around her like a robe.

She barely lifted her eyes from the ground. "Hi."

"Looks like you've got it all under control, but is there anything we can do?" Rick offered.

Pierce looked at Holly. Now that they were standing, he could see that her head came just up to his chest. It was a detail that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, yet he found himself enjoying that height difference. Yep. This was definitely not just an ordinary woman. "I'm just going to get her to the hospital."

The other two men nodded in understanding. "Not a problem. I'll take Dad home. Just let us know if you need anything," Hayden offered.

"Sorry I ruined your fishing trip," Holly said.

"You didn't ruin a thing, dear," Rick insisted. "Besides, you're the prettiest fish Pierce has caught all day."

"All right, Dad." There was definitely something between them, but he couldn't dare bring it up when she'd just regained consciousness. He took Holly's elbow and guided her toward the parking lot, leaving the other two behind. "It's not a long walk, but do you think you can make it? I can carry you."

"I'm good." Holly walked slowly, with her shoulders slumped and her head drooping. "I think I've been enough of a spectacle today."

"These things really do happen all the time," he assured her as they stepped onto the asphalt.

"I suppose you would know," she admitted. "I just wish it hadn't happened to me."

Though he wouldn't wish her any harm, Pierce couldn't say he completely agreed. He'd just been standing along the bank of the river, happily fishing with his dad and brother. They'd been talking about buying different bait as if it would've made any difference and how they ought to prepare the fish that night. Hayden had talked excessively for a while about his son Jack and how remarkable his recovery from his automobile accident had been, as well as how his new blended family was getting along. It'd just been a normal day, and Pierce had been content to watch the water for subtle signs of fish when his attention had immediately shifted. He didn't even know what had happened to his fishing rod because he was pretty sure he'd dropped it on the bank as he ran toward the screaming woman in the river. It had all happened so fast, and it was only now, as he opened the passenger door of his truck and helped her up inside, that he realized just how quickly he'd been running. It wasn't just the rescue worker in him. It was his soul, the part of him that knew its other half was missing.

He went around and got in the driver's seat, realizing that he had his mate right there in his vehicle, and she didn't even know his name. "I don't think I've even introduced myself. I'm Pierce Westbrook."

"Holly Brigham, although I guess you know that by now. Listen, I really appreciate you volunteering to take me to the hospital, but I can't go. I mean, I can take care of this myself, but… I don't know what I am going to do, but I can't do that. I don't even have my phone." She leaned her elbow on the door and tried to run her fingers through her wet hair. It was tangled, so she pulled her hand back out of the mess.

"I know. These things are much easier to handle on our own." There was no need to ask if he was right about what he'd felt in her. That shifter vibe was strong, even if it wasn't quite the same as his. "Fortunately, I've got a good connection at the local hospital. One of my packmates is a well-respected nurse in the ER. I'll give her a ring, and she'll make sure you're only around people who understand."

Holly's shoulders relaxed visibly. "Thank you. I might've been able to figure out a way to ignore that Kevin guy, but not my boss."

"Your boss?"

"That whole float trip was basically the beginning of a business meeting," she explained. "I work for Newman Media Group."

"Oh. Forgive me, but the Willamette doesn't really look like a conference room to me."

She let out a derisive snort. "Nope, not exactly. Marshall Newman has a very different outlook on things than most corporate leaders. I can respect that, especially because it means I'm mostly working remotely, but he sometimes goes a little too far outside the box."

"I see." Pierce slowly guided the truck out of the park, avoiding a group of children crossing toward playground equipment without bothering to check for traffic. The hospital wasn't all that far away, but they'd have to take a little detour first. He headed southwest, winding his way out of the heart of Eugene. He certainly didn't mind having a bit more time alone with her for now. "What exactly do you do for a living, anyway?"

"I'm a journalist," she explained, "and don't get me wrong about my job. I know I'm complaining a lot right now, but Newman is actually great to work for. I practically get free reign with my articles, and they don't even care what I wear. There are some major benefits, and I can't imagine working anywhere else, but today was a bit much for me."

"Understandably."

"I'm sure it's nothing for you since you're a firefighter. That's got to mean danger every day." She burrowed further into the blanket.

Pierce adjusted the air conditioning so that it wouldn't blow on her. "Not necessarily. There are some days, sure. Other times, we're just rescuing kittens out of trees."

She shot him a sideways glance, and for the first time, Holly didn't look half-drowned and miserable. There was a spark in her eye that sent a shiver across the underside of his skin. "You don't really do that."

"I have, actually," he admitted. "Well, it wasn't a kitten. It was a grumpy old cat who definitely knew how to use her claws, and she didn't appreciate being pulled down from her tree where she could sit and watch the birds. So maybe I was in a little danger that day."

"I sure hope they gave you a commendation of some sort," she said with a smile.

"No, no. They saved that for when I bravely went into an elderly gentleman's home and relit the pilot light on his water heater."

She laughed. Though it was still weak, Pierce reveled in the beautiful sound. "Did you really?"

"Actually, yes," he admitted, finding it incredibly easy to talk to her despite the fact they were still essentially strangers. "We don't normally get calls like that, but it makes more sense for us to respond to a genuine request for help instead of coming out to a structure fire later. The old guy was really grateful, too, so it was worth it. Here we are."

"Where is here?" she asked as she peered through the windshield at the woods.

"This is a small part of my pack's land. There's no reason for you to be uncomfortable. You can shift here, heal up, and then we'll head to the hospital." He got out and came around to open her door.

"Thank you." Holly moved her head in one direction and then another, looking around cautiously. Her natural shifter talents meant her body was already repairing itself somewhat, and she seemed much more lively than she'd been half an hour earlier. A shift would be the final thing to fix her up. "Um…"

"What do you need?" He lingered next to the door of the truck, knowing he'd say yes no matter what she asked.

"I, um, I know this is kind of a weird thing to ask, but do you mind keeping an eye out for me? I'm not familiar with the area, and even if it is your pack's land, I just…"

"Say no more. I'm right here with you." Pierce shut the door to the truck. He walked a short way into the woods and pulled in a deep breath. His wolf had been dying to get out ever since he'd held her body against his and carried her from the water. The earth felt comforting under his paws, and the thick coat of fur that suddenly bristled against his back quickly warmed in the sun. He shook his shoulders, letting the ripple carry all the way down to his tail. His sharp hearing picked up on a grunt as he turned and found a black bear standing behind him.

It was her. Rounded ears perched on her head amongst her dark fur. The slate color of her eyes had changed to a brown that matched the deep gold of her muzzle, a contrast to the rest of her body. Her claws were long and thick where they scraped the ground. She stretched and breathed, fully taking up the space inside her animal form. She was absolutely glorious.

She turned to him. What do you think?