Once Upon a Shifter (107 page)

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Claimed by the Werebear Billionaire

By Mackenzie Black

Chapter 1

Jackson

I heard her scream tear through the night air and sprinted faster towards her. I cursed myself for not picking up the scent sooner. Normally my senses were more finely tuned, but tonight I had let my guard down. I couldn’t bear the thought of the poor girl coming to harm because of my poor decisions. Not ever again. I prayed I wasn’t too late.

The cold rain whipped against my fur as I barreled around the corner, guided by the acrid smell of fear overpowering my nostrils. One more block. I could see them, now. There were two of them. The large, burly man with the blue skullcap had her pinned up against the brick wall of the building, muffling her cries. I would have to take care of him first. The other man blocked her exit.

The woman struggled fiercely against her attacker’s bulk. Despite the fact that man was massive, she wasn’t going down without a fight. I admired her spirit, but she was fighting a losing battle. She flailed her body against his strength, trying to writhe her way out of his grasp. But there was no give in the man’s grip. The crack of her head against the wall pierced my eardrums. He raised his other hand to strike her.

Though the deafening roar of the rain and the howl of the wind had cost me precious seconds in my recognition of the threat, I was grateful for them now. The fury of the storm masked my approach as I leapt through the air towards the woman’s attacker while his first descended in slow motion towards her skull.

He didn’t see me coming.

I heard the sickening crunch of his ribs as all six hundred pounds of my grizzly weight slammed into his body, knocking him to the pavement. Rearing up on my mind hind legs, I towered over him and roared forcefully before descending upon his body. A furious strike from my paw gashed his cheekbone, knocking him unconscious.

The man’s partner backed away slowly as I turned to face him. His knife clattered to the asphalt as he shifted into his cougar and took off at a full sprint.

I could catch him. It would be easy to run him down as he fled down the city street, tracking his scent to learn where they were hiding. And I wanted nothing more than to make him suffer for what he had done. They were lucky that I arrived when I did.

What they did was horrible, but what they didn’t have the chance to do was unforgivable. The bear inside kicked my adrenaline into high gear, pressing me to pursue him, to make sure he could never harm anyone. Ever again. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place. And I would make sure they didn’t return.

But he would have to wait. The woman, whoever she was, was hurt. Her life was more important than my vengeance.

Her opaline hazel eyes locked with my own as she slumped back against the brick wall.

I felt it immediately. The pull was unmistakable. No, no no…not her. Not now.

But the moment our eyes met, I knew. I had finally met my true mate. And I had already let harm befall her. Anyone close to me was in danger, and I swore that I would never allow it to happen. I had gone to such great lengths to remove myself from my clan, and my past. I vowed that I would never put anyone in a position that allowed them to come to harm. But it was too late for that, now. She was already here. Already hurt. I could hardly fight destiny.

The girl was probably in shock, but she didn’t look frightened. She kept her eyes on me as I carefully made my way towards her. Her dark blood pooled into the rain water beneath her as it dripped from the side of her head, matting her deep auburn hair to her cheeks.

She was losing consciousness fast, and would require more medical help than I could give her. I had to get her to the hospital.

But I couldn’t drop her off like this. I had to shift. And I didn’t have any time to waste going somewhere else to do it. She needed my help. I didn’t care what rules I was breaking, and I didn’t care if she saw me. She was probably too far gone to remember, and the truth would need to come out eventually, anyway. There was no way I was going to let her bleed out alone on the street. It was worth the risk.

I knelt down beside her and nudged her gently with my nose. Placing my paw gently on her hand, I began the transformation back into my human form. She didn’t pull her hand away from me as the fur drew back inside my body and I returned to my normal size, holding her gaze.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

The faintest trace of a smile crossed her lips as she slumped over and passed out in my arms.

Chapter 2

Emily

The slow, deep whirring noise stirred me slowly awake, but I kept my eyes shut tightly. I couldn’t place the sound, but the low drone was soothing, and at the moment that was all that mattered.

I stirred slightly as I lay in the bed, searching for a more comfortable position. But I was awake now, and I couldn’t escape the searing pain in my head. I slowly took an inventory of my body, wiggling my fingers and toes. Aside from the general malaise of soreness, nothing seemed to be in too much pain. Nothing broken, at least. What on earth happened?

I searched my memory, straining to remember how I got here. But the only thing I could see was a pair of golden eyes staring deeply into mine. Seared into my memory. Kind eyes. And even though I couldn’t place them, I knew I could trust them.

My eyes shot open and I glanced at the room around me. A hospital.

“You’re awake,” the nurse said calmly as he came to my bedside. “We’ve had you on a drip, but you’re probably still a bit dehydrated. You were out for a long time,” he said as he placed he scribbled a quick note on his clipboard and handed me a glass of water.

“How long?” I asked, taking a sip. I didn’t realize how thirsty I had been until the water trickled past my parched lips. I swallowed the rest as quickly as I could, trying hard not to spill the precious liquid all over my body.

“At least thirty hours. You were unconscious when he brought you in.”

Thirty hours? That couldn’t be right. I wrestled again with my empty memory. I had gone downtown to the theater to relax. I wanted to immerse myself in the local scene so I’d have a conversation starter with my new coworkers when I started my new job at Halloran Software.

I didn’t know anyone else in the area, so I went by myself. It was a leap of faith for me to move to the Rockies alone to take this position, but at twenty four years old I wanted to start my career on the right track, and this position was a step in the right direction. The people around here seemed friendly, and the area seemed safe enough. It was my home now, after all. So I didn’t have any qualms about spending a night alone at the theater.

But then…

I was attacked. There were two of them, following me as I left the building. The images were still a blur…It must have been my imagination because it’s simply not possible. But I could have sworn I saw a bear. And those golden eyes, and…

“Wait a minute.
Who
did you say brought me in here?” I asked him.

“Your brother. He’s waiting out there.” The nurse tilted his head towards the hallway.

“But I don’t have a brother,” I said.

“Of course not. If Jackson Halloran had a brother we’d all know about it,” the nurse said. “But only family members are allowed back here. And he
really
didn’t want to leave you on your own. You two have something going on that he wants to keep out of the news?”

I had no idea who he was or why he here in the hospital with me. Everything was so hazy. I wracked my brain, searching for any trace of memory that would explain this stranger’s interest. But I could only see those intense golden eyes that seemed to stare into my soul. Still, the name was more than familiar.

“Jackson Halloran?” I asked, confused. “That guy has the same name as the CEO of my new company.”

“Honey, if you’re working for Halloran Software, that man
is
the CEO of your new company. I’m a little surprised you didn’t you know that, considering how much attention he’s given you over the last thirty hours. He didn’t want to leave your side. You must have hit your head harder than you realize.”

Holy shit. The CEO. I’m going to be fired before I even start
.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess I’m still a bit out of it.”

Way to start my new off life on the right foot. I had taken this job and moved halfway across the country to put as much distance between myself and the troubles of my old life as possible.

“Don’t worry. Your memories will come back. You’ve already recovering faster than any of us thought possible. I don’t understand it, but in this line of work I’ll take whatever miracles I can get,” he said.

“Yeah,” I murmured, still puzzling over why on earth Jackson Halloran was waiting in the hallway for
me
.

“I’ll go and get the doctor, now that you’re awake. My guess is that you’ll be released soon. Your
brother
has been talking to the cops, and managed to convince them that it was some sort of an accident. Between you and me, that’s just fine. I don’t like dealing with all that legal headache. But honey, you
are
okay, right? If you’re in some sort of trouble, it’s safe to let me know.”

Trouble. How was I supposed to explain to him that I had moved half way across the country looking for, well, not trouble, but at least to lose myself to adventure. I
craved
danger. They’d commit me to the psych ward for sure. Safe of not, I really wasn’t looking forward to life in a padded cell, pumped full of sedatives.

“No, it was…that man, Jackson, told you the truth,” I said, doing my best to put on a convincing tone.

“It’s none of my business, honey. I just don’t want to see you back here, hurt again.” The nurse turned and headed for the door. “You do have somewhere to go, right? Mr. Halloran didn’t have an address for you when he checked you in.”

“I’m still sorting that out, actually,” I said. The offer that I had put in on the condo fell through at the last minute. No doubt due to the fact my ex-boyfriend’s knack for destruction had left our left apartment in shambles when I told him I was leaving.

“She’s staying with me.” Neither of us had noticed when Jackson entered the room, but his presence was unmistakable now. He stood tall, with broad, well-muscled shoulders. Despite the stubble on his square jaw from a worried night in the hospital, his face looked warm and sharp. He was easily the most attractive man I had ever seen, and his voice was calm and reassuring. Jackson spoke with an authority, a deep and certain tone that was utterly and irresistibly masculine.

My telemetry monitor beeped faster, betraying my thoughts. “NO!” I cried sitting up quickly in my bed.

“Easy. Everything is alright, Emily” Jackson said as he raced to my side, lowering me back down to the bed. I relaxed into his touch, inhaling the scent of his body. I couldn’t deny my attraction to him, but I did my best to fight it.

“How do you know my name?” I asked.

Jackson shot a quick look over to the nurse, who had cocked his knowing eyebrow.

“Because, I’ve known it my whole life,
sister
.”

“Right. Of course,” I said. “I’m still a bit out of it.”

The nurse rolled his eyes and went back to his charts. “I’ll just give you two a minute to catch up,” he said. “Clearly you need it,” he said as he left the room for the nurse station.

“Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll get you home, and you’ll be back to your normal self in no time.”

“Are you crazy?” I said, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I can’t go home with you. I don’t even know you!” My heart rate monitor beeped faster again.

“Emily, please calm down. I’m here to help you,” he said. His voice had an immediate calming effect on me. For reasons beyond my comprehension, I trusted him.

“But why?” I asked.

“We’ll get to that, I promise. But for now, let’s just say that I have a vested interest in your well-being.”

“You mean, because I’m supposed to start work for you? Gotta protect the new employee, right?”

“Emily, listen to me. There’s a reason I haven’t left your side since… There’s more going on here than I can tell you right now, and I would appreciate your giving me the benefit of the doubt. I’m here to help you. Please.”

It was the first time I had seen him tense. I sensed a wildness inside him, boiling just beneath the surface as his hands clenched. But he spoke softly, but his concern seemed genuine. Whatever he was holding back, I was not afraid.

I told myself that my judgment was sound, and I wasn’t just reacting to the growing animal attraction I felt for him as he touched my face with his hand. The last thing I needed was another man in my life.

“I have a spare bedroom that you can stay in. We can get you some new clothes. Anything else you need, we will take care of. Most importantly, you’ll be safe.”

In my current state, I didn’t see any other options. “Alright,” I said. I could manage my attraction to him. The last thing I wanted was another man in my life. Another chance to be hurt. I wasn’t taking any more risks with love. But a man of Jackson’s status and heart-breaking good looks would never be interested in someone as common and curvy as me, anyhow. He certainly didn’t seem to have any conflicting intentions. I felt safe. And right now, that was all that mattered.