Julia looked at the bonfire, and before the idea was even fully formed in her mind, she was rising and letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. She whipped it around as she took the few steps toward the bonfire. It was searingly hot but she didn't care. She flung the blanket across the flames and immediately the clearing was thrust into darkness.
Julia backed away to the cabin, listening to the growls and bites, the snaps, scared to be caught in the middle of the fray. Jordan and the woman slammed into the wall of the cabin next to her and she shied away from them. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness and saw Damien coming in for a jump, landing on top of Trax.
Only a few seconds passed before the blanket caught fire and then there was light again, brighter than before. The leader tore Damien off of his back. Julia screamed as she saw her grandmother's neck torn by Trax's claw. Then his body twisted and he tossed Damien as easily as if he were a puppy, across the clearing and into a tree. Julia felt her heart stop as she heard the loud crack of his body against the trunk of the tree. She stepped forward to go to him but then her grandmother struggled up again and Julia froze, unable to tear her eyes away from Dee.
Blood gushed over her white pelt, turning it scarlet. The blood spilled over her shoulders like a red shawl. Trax was hurt, but she was hurt too, and her agility was gone whereas his strength was still there. She backed up and then two other wolves were at her back from out of nowhere.
Julia gasped. Kyle and Katherine. Dee looked at them, then turned back to Trax. Tears ran down Julia's face. She couldn't look away. She knew what would happen, but her eyes were glued to Dee.
Then Kyle and Katherine sprang forward over Dee and at the leader. Katherine snapped at his haunches, catching his leg, and he howled in pain. Then Kyle bit down on his neck, and the howl turned into a gurgle. Blood rushed from his neck, pooling on the ground. By the light of the bonfire it looked almost black.
Dee limped toward the cabin. Julia ran over to her and bent down. Dee nuzzled her snout against Julia's nose.
It was the same gesture that Granny Dee made as a human: "Everything is alright."
Jordan was still fighting the female wolf, and Kyle and Katherine turned to her. She kicked away from Jordan, limping. She whimpered and backed up against the edge of the clearing, the three other wolves closing in on her.
"Stop."
Damien's voice was clear. Amid the hubbub, he had shifted back into human form and he now stood nak*d, stepping forward slowly with his arm clutching his chest in pain. Everyone stopped in their place. He addressed the female wolf directly.
"Your leader is dead. Join our pack."
She rolled over in a gesture of pure submission, exposing her belly. The other wolves retreated and Damien stood among them in the middle of the clearing, the light of the bonfire playing over his wounds. He turned his head to Julia, who stood nak*d along with him in the light of the flame.
"Julia," he said, and held his uninjured hand out to her. With Dee following in wolf form, she walked forward to him, her broken arm hugged close to her chest. When she reached him, he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. His voice, still in pain, was deep and low.
"Join my pack. Be my mate."
Julia looked up at Damien, his chest smeared with blood, his eyes golden in the light of the fire. She had never loved him so much.
"I already am," she said.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Ow! Could you not do that?”
“I don’t know, could you stop being such a baby about a couple of stitches?”
On top of Julia’s bed, Damien leaned his head back onto the pillow. Jordan pulled the last of the stitches tight and Damien winced.
“There, was that so bad?”
“Horrible,” Damien said, unclenching his jaw. “How is the rest of the pack?”
“They’re all recuperating downstairs.” Jordan put the suturing tools back into his bag and snapped the clasp shut. “I think Kyle is trying to convince Katherine that part of his recovery requires sexual therapy.”
“I didn’t think Kyle was hurt in the fight,” Damien said, lifting his arm so that Jordan could finish bandaging up his ribcage.
“He wasn’t.”
Damien chuckled. A knock came on the door.
“Go away, we’re busy making pups!” Jordan called.
The door opened slightly and Kyle eased himself inside, the scent of guilt on him. Damien’s smile quickly faded.
“Can I talk with you, sir?” Kyle asked. His voice was quiet, contrite.
“Yes,” Damien said.
“I just need to finish bandaging this up,” Jordan said apologetically.
“It’s alright,” Damien said. “You can stay. This won’t take long.”
Kyle entered the room and stood in front of the bed. His breaths were shallow.
“Sir, I—”
Damien held up his hand.
“Before you start to explain, I know that you are on my side. You and Katherine both. But there are a lot of questions that need answers. The pack needs answers.”
Damien tried not to wince as Jordan tightened a bandage on his side. Kyle shifted his weight on his feet.
“I betrayed you, sir.”
Damien waited. After a moment, Kyle continued.
“I lied. I—I betrayed the pack. But Katherine had nothing to do with it. Please. Even if you exile me, don’t force her out.”
Damien raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think she could let you leave without coming with you.”
Kyle exhaled, a long, deep sigh. A crack of guilt worked its way into his voice.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I thought I could fight them off before they got to Julia.”
“Your old pack? The ones you told about Julia?” A growl came into Damien’s throat.
“I contacted them before I ever knew she was your mate!” he said. “I thought she was just a shifter.”
“One you could throw to the wolves?” Damien snapped. Kyle choked on his words, and Damien waited for him to calm down before going on. “Kyle, that doesn’t sound like you.”
“I didn’t know what they were planning to do! I thought they just wanted her to join the pack,” he said.
“Why would she want to join a pack like that? Why would you?”
“When I was a pup…I don’t know, it seemed different,” Kyle said, speaking quickly. “It seemed more like a game. And the wolves were so strong, and I—I was so weak. I wanted to be like them. And then my leg got more twisted, and I knew I couldn’t stay, but…but I always wanted to go back.”
He sounded so young, and Damien could hear the pain in his voice.
“I’ll do anything to make it right. And if you tell me to go, I’ll go. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Jordan stood silently and began to gather the rest of his medical equipment. That was what good friends did; they talked when you needed it, and stayed out of the way when you needed it. Damien lay quietly, thinking. On a gut level, he’d wanted to throw Kyle out of the pack the instant he read the letter. The kid was right. He had betrayed the pack. And when Damien thought of what might have happened to Julia, his blood ran cold through his body.
And yet…he sensed that Kyle had matured after seeing Julia and the pack being threatened. There was no longer the brash certainty that he’d come with when Damien had first met him. While it was certain he had a long way to go, Damien thought that he could be trusted. At the very least, given another chance. Damien hated to think of the kid out on his own, with no pack to look after him.
“You can stay in the pack,” Damien said flatly. “But if you ever lie to me again, you’re gone.”
Kyle swallowed hard.
“Thank you. I can’t—I…Thank you so much.”
“Can you tell Julia we’re almost done here?” Damien said.
“Yes! Yes, yes, I’ll go find her right away.” Kyle nearly tripped on his way out of the room.
“You’re going soft in your old age,” Jordan said.
“Yeah, well, what could I do? The kid saved my life and Dee’s.”
“Is she coming into the pack, too?” Jordan asked.
“Why? You don’t think she’ll want to join?”
“Join?” Jordan laughed. “I think she’ll challenge you for alpha status.”
Julia came into the room, her perfume wafting through the air ahead of her. Damien inhaled her scent, calming down as she came to sit next to him.
“How’s he doing, doctor?” she asked.
“I’m afraid I have bad news,” Jordan said. “I was able to fix the cracked rib, but he’s still blind.”
Julia’s worry vanished into good humor.
“Oh, no!” She squeezed Damien’s arm in mock horror.
“Don’t worry,” Damien said. “The rest of me is in perfect health. And I do mean perfect.” He slid his hand around Julia’s waist, and she leaned over to kiss him.
“Well, I’ll just take my leave then,” Jordan said.
“Thank you,” Julia said, a smile in her voice.
“Just doing my duty,” Jordan said, clicking his heels together and closing the door behind him.
Damien kissed Julia again, pulling her in more closely.
“Thank you for letting Kyle stay,” Julia said, her breath warm on his cheek. “He and Katherine are off celebrating. They’re adorable together.”
“Good. I was worried what you would think. He did sell you into slavery, after all.”
“And then rescued me.”
“I would think you’d be more upset.”
Damien felt a mix of emotions flowing from Julia. He caressed her cheek and she kissed his hand softly.
“Truth be told,” she said, “I’m happy that I learned about my past.”
“Well of course you are. You didn’t crack any ribs.” Damien grinned.
“I’ll crack another one if you keep sassing me,” Julia said.
Damien pressed his hand on hers, turning serious. “What did your grandmother tell you? About, you know…”
“About shifting? She says she doesn’t know if I’ll ever be able to shift again,” Julia said. “It didn’t work, you know, when I tried it during the fight. Dee says it’s the procedure they did.”
“She doesn’t know how to reverse the process?”
“No,” Julia said. “But she thinks we will be able to have children. Shifter children.”
“Children? Isn’t that a little presumptuous?” Damien teased, arching his eyebrow.
“Hey, I said no sass!”
“What if I want you to break another one of my ribs?” Damien said, pulling Julia completely down onto the bed next to him.
She laughed and ran one hand down his chest.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I can be gentle.”
Damien breathed in as Julia’s hand moved down to unzip his pants. Her fingers slid under the fabric of his underwear and wrapped around his already growing member.
“Julia—”
“Shh,” she whispered, moving herself down to where his pants were bulging. His heart beat faster as she pulled down his pants and exposed him. Her breath felt deliciously hot against his head, and he twitched in anticipation. Softly at first, her tongue darted out and licked the tip of his head. Immediately he became entirely stiff.