The Mating (40 page)

In rapid succession, two shots rang out, signalling the beginning of a terrifying symphony of screams, snarls, and whimpers of pain. Elise pulled herself upright and saw one black wolf was down, a puddle of red spilling onto the snow covered ground. The remaining wolf, though bleeding heavily, had Marla by the leg. While badly injured, the woman wasn’t giving up. She was kicking and trying to pull herself away. Her arm was stretching towards the gun that had fallen to the ground…

“Hey!” A voice shouted from some distance away. Elise briefly swung her head towards the sound and saw Bryan a few hundred yards away, running in their direction. Help was coming, but would it be in time? She turned her attention back towards the fight.

Horrified, Elise saw that Marla’s hand had reached the gun… She was wrapping her fingers around the handle… Lifting the weapon… Now, she was bending her arm towards her unsuspecting attacker…

Elise tried to get up. She had to do something. Bryan was still too far away. Frantically, she dragged herself towards the combatants using her arms. She felt her hand hit against something cold and hard, half buried in the snow—the knife that just moments before had been pressed to her own throat! Grabbing it, she used all of her remaining energy to get to her feet and as a blinding pain shot up her leg, she threw herself forward on top of Marla.

“No!”

As the world went black, Elise was aware of three things. The gun had discharged. A warm, sticky substance was oozing over her body and the forest was suddenly incredibly quiet.

Elise awoke, sensing she wasn’t in her own room. The surface beneath her was too firm, the sheet covering her was too scratchy and overall she felt…numb…as if she was drifting on a cloud. Did that mean she was dead? She opened her eyes a crack just to check, wincing as the bright light assaulted her pupils. A large expanse of white greeted her through the veil of her lashes. Hmm… No, definitely not dead unless the afterlife had a crack in the ceiling plaster… And she certainly wasn’t at home. Her bed wasn’t this uncomfortable. The infirmary? Possibly… Licking her lips, she tried to swallow. Her mouth felt dry and a bad chemical taste was assaulting her tongue. She needed water. Maybe beside the bed? Starting to turn her head, she frowned as something pulled at the skin on her throat. Carefully lifting her hand, she felt the gauze that was there and tried to recall what had happened.

A slight rustling sound drew her attention and Elise cautiously turned to see Kane sleeping in a chair beside her. Dark circles under his eyes gave them a bruised look and stubble darkened his jaw line. A wave of love and warmth washed over her as she viewed his beloved features. She scanned down his powerful body only to stop when she noticed that his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing bandages wrapped around his chest.

The events of the past twenty-four hours suddenly came rushing back to her. As she relived those last few moments, tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. So much had happened; arguing with Kane and then blood bonding, Ryne and Kane fighting, Marla… Just the woman’s name caused a shiver to run through her. Ambivalence still filled her over the woman’s fate. She hated what Marla had done, pitting the brothers against each other, killing Zack, trying to ruin Kane’s relationship with her… Yet, no matter how she felt about the woman, her own part in Marla’s demise was hard to take.

It wasn’t in her nature to react violently, but somehow she knew, if the situation arose again, she’d do whatever was needed in order to protect her mate. She had come so close to losing him… Watching the steady rise and fall of Kane’s chest comforted her; knowing he was still alive and by her side. Soon her breathing was in time with his own; steady and deep as she drifted back to sleep.

*****

Sometime later, fingers gently brushing her forehead drew her from her sleep. Kane was leaning over her, softly calling her name. Elise blinked at him sleepily and felt a smile forming on her lips. “Hi!”

“Hi yourself.” His voice was deep and raspy as if he, too, had just woken up, and indeed that was how he looked. His dark hair was falling in his eyes and he still hadn’t shaved. She reached up to caress his jaw and he pressed a kiss to her palm. “How are you feeling?”

Elise considered the question. Overall, she supposed she was all right; a bit stiff and sore… She tried to shift herself up into a sitting position and was surprised to feel a sense of heaviness coming from her leg. She looked down in confusion and saw a cast around her lower limb.

Kane followed the direction of her gaze with his eyes and he answered her unspoken question. “You had surgery. Your leg was a real mess and it took some work to get it set properly. Nadia was swearing a blue streak when she saw it. Something about idiots that try to walk on a broken leg and the fact that she isn’t a miracle worker…” He chuckled at the memory and Elise winced, imagining the expression on the nurse practitioner’s face. “Your leg will be fine, but unfortunately, even with our rapid healing abilities, you’ll be stuck in a cast for some time.”

Grimacing, Elise eased herself back against the pillows. Well, at least she was alive. “How’s Ryne?”

“He’s fine. They removed the bullet and stitched him up. He’s resting at the Alpha house right now and, in a few days, he’ll be as good as new.”

She reached for Kane’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “And you?”

“I’m good, now that I know you’re okay.” He stared at her for a moment as if memorising her features, then leaned down to give her a slow, warm kiss. Elise opened to him and revelled in the sense of closeness she now had with him. Everything he was thinking and feeling came rushing at her and all of it was good and comforting, enveloping her in the warmth of his love. He pulled away and she traced his lips with her finger.

“I was so scared.” She admitted in a whisper.

“I know. I was, too. But it’s all over now. Marla’s gone and so is Rose, though I still can’t believe she was involved in this.”

“I can’t either. I wonder why she did it.”

Kane shrugged. “We’ll never know. I’ve talked to her parents. They aren’t sure either, but wonder if being involved with Marla and her scheme gave Rose a feeling of importance because someone was paying attention to her. It was also a chance to show off how clever she was—something we never gave her credit for, I guess. Rose was so quiet, no one ever really noticed her. She was just…there. Maybe we’re all a bit at fault for ignoring her.”

Elise nodded slowly. “And what about Daniel? I thought he and Rose were starting to become a pair.”

“Yeah—he feels bad and thinks he should have known something was going on, but really, it was just a new relationship. The whole thing started before he was even in the picture.”

“It will still take him a while to get over this.”

“Possibly. We’ve talked and he’s thinking of making a new start.”

“A new start? Where?”

“With Ryne.”

“Ryne is still leaving? Even though his name has been cleared?”

Kane nodded. “I’ve asked him to stay and told him he could be co-Beta with John—there’s certainly enough work for another Beta—but he’s not interested and I can see his point.”

Biting her lip, Elise hesitated to ask the next question. She knew she could find out the answer by probing Kane’s mind, but felt he needed to say the actual words. “Umm… How do you feel about what happened to Marla?”

Kane’s jaw tightened and he sighed heavily. “It’s all my fault. I should have believed what you told me—what everyone tried to tell me over the years—but I guess I just didn’t want to hear it. In some ways, Marla was like my little sister when we were growing up and then later…I thought there was something else, but it was just familiarity and a misplaced sense of responsibility. I know I should be sad that she’s gone, but I’m not. The Marla I thought I knew, never really existed.”

Elise wanted to ask a few more questions, but Nadia, the nurse-practitioner arrived and shooed Kane outside while she delivered medication, checked Elise’s leg, and fixed the dressing on her neck. Nadia was efficient, but in Elise’s opinion, had no bedside manner. She endured the woman’s fussing by watching Kane through the window. He was talking to someone, she just couldn’t see who. From the look on his face, he wasn’t pleased.

Hitching herself up in the bed, she earned a scolding from Nadia, but gained a better view of the activity outside. Kane was talking to…Bryan! Uh-oh! And he looked mad. She bit her lip. This couldn’t be good. Elise had been sure that since she and Kane now had their mental connection, the rivalry between the two would cease. Apparently, she was wrong. For a moment, she considered eavesdropping on the conversation, but felt that would be rude. Even though they now had a special bond between them, she believed each of them still deserved some privacy.

After a few more verbal exchanges, Bryan left and Kane stood watching him go, shaking his head. She observed Kane rubbing his neck, staring at the sky and then exhaling gustily before turning to re-enter the infirmary. Mentally, Elise braced herself for what she might hear. Without even trying, she could sense Kane’s mental disquiet. Deciding to grab the proverbial bull by the horns, she broached the subject as soon as he was near.

“I saw you were talking to Bryan. What’s wrong?”

Kane glanced towards the window, obviously realising she’d had a perfect view of their exchange. “You mean you don’t already know?” He quirked a eyebrow at her.

“No, I don’t already know. Just because we’re blood bonded doesn’t mean I’ll be constantly tiptoeing through your head.” She picked at the blanket covering her, and then glanced up at him through her lashes.

Sitting down beside the bed, Kane stilled her agitated fingers and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth over her hand. “I know you won’t. I was just teasing. And don’t worry, I’ll try to give you some space, too.”

She squeezed his hand, but then lifted her brows in inquiry. “So… You and Bryan?”

“Oh. Bryan. Well, he had some disturbing news. After the…er…fight was over, I carried you back here and Bryan helped Ryne. We just left the bodies there, planning to return for them later.” Elise nodded. She’d regained consciousness for that part. Kane looked away for a moment before speaking. “They’ve retrieved Rose’s body, but…” He paused and then met her eye. “Marla’s body is gone.”

“What?” Elise sat bolt upright, then grimaced as her body protested. She paid it no mind however, too shocked at this news. “But she’s dead! I know I missed her with the knife, but I landed on her arm—the one with the gun. It bent back against her stomach so that it was pointed directly at her when it went off. I felt her body jerk and suddenly going limp beneath mine…” She gulped as the horror of the moment returned; feeling the kickback of the gun against her stomach, the hot stickiness of blood seeping into her clothing…

“You’re right. She did shoot herself, but no one ever checked that she was dead. I was too worried about you, as was Bryan. We just assumed…” Kane frowned. “I suppose she must have dragged herself off, but I don’t know how far she could have gotten. Bryan says Ryne’s having a fit and is determined to head out right now to see if there’s still a trail to follow.”

“Surely he’s in no condition for that?”

“Of course not, but my brother’s more than a bit hard-headed and impulsive at times. I’ve told Bryan to go out in the morning with a few of my patrols and see what they can find. In the mean time, he’s supposed to be trying to talk some sense into his Alpha.” Kane snorted. “If Ryne heads out now, he’ll probably rip out his stitches and then Nadia will really be on his case. She hates having her handiwork messed up.”

Elise snuck a peak at the stern woman sitting at the far end of the room and figured that the threat of Nadia being upset should be enough to deter anyone.

*****

A week later, Elise was home and sitting in the front room, her leg almost healed. Many times during the past few days, she’d thanked her genetics for the recuperative properties that werewolves possessed. She couldn’t imagine how normal humans endured an extended period of time lugging a cast around.

For once Kane wasn’t with her, having rarely left her side since their ordeal. However, a meeting with the pack’s lawyers had required his presence, and he’d been forced to go into town. Elise didn’t mind. It was nice to have some time to herself. Snow was falling softly outside and she stared at the scene letting her mind drift. Tall snow encrusted pines lined one side of the property, casting interesting shadows across the blanket of white fluff. Individual crystals twinkled like diamonds, while lazy snowflakes slowly drifted down, only to disappear and lose their identity in the white drifts that covered the landscape.

It was a beautiful territory to live in and she smiled, reminiscing how just a little while ago, she’d thought her life was over when she came here. Now, she couldn’t begin to imagine living anywhere else.

Ryne popped into her mind, no doubt due to the fact that he was leaving tomorrow. No sign of Marla had been found, much to everyone’s frustration, but Ryne vowed to keep an eye out for her and would warn any pack he might come in contact with, as he searched for a new home. Both Bryan and Daniel were accompanying him and Elise wondered how the three would fare.

She’d miss Bryan of course, but knew their lives were heading down separate paths. Daniel had been very quiet lately; hopefully a new environment would help him come around. And Ryne… She smiled when she thought of him. He was so like Kane, but with a very strange sense of humour. The man was also a bit rough around the edges, at times making her blush with some of his comments. It was all meant in fun however, and she wished she could have longer to get to know her brother-in-law. Still, once he was settled somewhere, they’d be able to visit occasionally.

As if he’d known her thoughts, Ryne appeared in the doorway. He was dressed all in black, exuding the same air of confidence and power that Kane did. “Hey, Elise. What are you up to?”

“Nothing much. Just enjoying some quiet time.”

“Mind if I join you?”