Bearly Dated (The Enigma Shifters) Page 9

  A blast of heat filled the room and they all turned to look at Drago, who'd obviously let some of his control slip. He hadn't shifted, but the animal was visible nonetheless. His eyes were molten gold, his skin darkened by scales of the dragon, and shimmering heat surrounded him in visible waves. He was losing it and this was about to get real ugly, real quick.

  "Drago," Jami rushed to his side and touched him gently. "It's fine. You knew we had to come forward. I love how much you want to protect us, but we have to stand together on this. You, me and all those willing to risk everything to help. We’re in this together forever, okay?”

  With Jami working to smooth things over with her mate, attention turned fully back to Violet who stood twenty feet away from him with a scared little jack rabbit look in her eyes. It unnerved him, and made it impossible to keep anymore distance between them. She was going to have to forgive him because he couldn't leave her like that.

  He quickly crossed the room and gathered her to his side, placing a protective arm around her shoulders and waist. For a second he felt her muscles tense. He fully expected her to protest, he only hoped she would wait until after this meeting ended and he had her somewhere safe from these vultures who looked ready to pick her skin clean.

  To his surprise, she melted into him and grabbed him around the waist. The bear chuffed in his head and he understood completely. Finally, she was back where she belonged.

  “That’s him,” she whispered, the scent of her fear emanating from her in waves. “The man from my dreams. The one that hurts me.”

  Richard frowned at him. "What is going on? I thought only one of them had bonded? We were expecting to receive two unmated females today."

  "You were misinformed," Carter said, on a distinct snarl that dared him to argue. No one would be getting her away from him. No one.

  "This is bullshit," one of the other clan members who had not been introduced slammed his chair into the desk. "These are our women, and we're not going to stand idly by as you take them."

  Jax, who'd remained remarkably quiet, eased from his chair and rose to his full six foot six height. On the outside, he looked calm and aloof, but Carter knew his brother well. Underneath that pretty face and casual exterior laid the heart of a deadly snake ready to strike at will. No one, not even Drago, stood a chance against him when he decided he was done with you.

  "How dare you come to my town, on my land, as a guest and then shit all over my people. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

  Oh boy, he was just getting wound up.

  Carter shoved Violet behind him. "Jax. They aren't worth it."

  "No, these assholes aren't." He waved at the strangers, before turning to the women. "But these ladies are. And I’ve had enough. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure they never go anywhere they don't want to. Is that understood?"

  The last question he directed at Richard, who did finally look a little worried. His eyes darted between all three of them and the women they protected. But again, he either was dumb as a rock, or looking for a fight because he just couldn't let it go.

  "They belong to us."

  “No, they don't." All three of them growled the words at the same time, and they came out as ferocious as they meant it to. Everyone else in the room, except for Richard, took several steps backwards. The scent of fresh fear filled the room. Typically, Carter’s bear didn't get off on frightening people, but he was at the end of his rope with these people.

  "You wouldn't dare touch us," Richard hissed. "You won't like what happens if you do. We are different from your kind, but that doesn't make us weak. There's a reason we tend to stick with our own kind. Unlike you shifters, who seem willing to spread your seed as far and as wide as possible, with little care for the consequences."

  "Wait. Are you actually preaching to us about finding mates outside the bounds of our own clan. Really? When one of your own doing that very thing is the whole reason you are here."

  "That man was an abomination. When he tried to return to us with his human in tow, we did the world a favor and pruned him from our clan."

  "What the fuck does that mean?" Jax questioned, his bear coming out too.

  Savannah ran forward, slipping past both of them on a wild banshee like scream. They were all so shocked it wasn't until Savannah stepped in to deliver a series of punches and kicks to Richard’s face that they were able to move. Jax grabbed her and pulled her back. Richard snapped at her as he pressed his hand to his bleeding lip.

  "Little bitch fights like her mother. Too bad that couldn't save her father." He spat, blood hitting the table and the floor.

  "You son of a bitch," Violet twisted to get out of his arms, but he didn't let go. He had no intention of letting her anywhere within striking distance of that bastard.

  "Drago!" Jax ordered. "Get the women out of here."

  For a second, the dragon man looked unsure, but he must have sensed something because he nodded, grabbed Jami and threw her over his shoulder before sprinting across the room to grab Savannah. But something happened before he could scoop up Violet.

  She grabbed her head, fell to her knees, and screamed in what looked like pure agony.

  "Violet," He dropped to the floor and scooped her into his arms, wishing like hell he had a clue what had happened to her. "Baby? What's wrong?" His guts twisted and turned, back and forth and up and down until he needed to throw up from the force of it. Whatever was happening to her, some of it hit him as well.

  "It's him," Jami screamed, pointing at Richard. "He's hurting her."

  "Get them out of here!" Jax managed to growl before his body popped and twisted in the horrific crunching sounds of an angry grizzly breaking free from his chains.

  Drago grabbed Jami in a stronger hold, and dragged her kicking and screaming from the room, as Carter scooped up Violet and staggered across the room.

  "You won't be able to keep them!"

  Those were the last words Richard got out before Jax shoved him to the ground and methodically broke several of his bones by stomping on them. The idiot had no idea what he'd triggered. But he would...

  13

  “Violet. Can you hear me? Wake up, baby, please.”

  She didn’t understand why Carter sounded so far away, or why he was begging her to wake up. She was awake. But the pain throbbing in her head made it impossible to think. What was going on?

  Something cool touched her face and her neck, and she moaned. Oh my God. That felt good. She was so hot. Her brain had to be on fire. There was no other explanation for the pounding pain and the blinding heated pressure.

  “She’s burning up. I don’t think this is enough.”

  Jami. Was that Jami’s voice she heard? It sounded even farther away than Carter. Where in the hell had everyone gone?

  “Let’s get her in the tub. Get some fucking ice.” Carter’s tone… He sounded scared. But why? What did he have to be afraid about?

  Maybe if she got a cold drink, she would feel better. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing happened. It was too dry. There was no sound, no matter how hard she tried. What the hell was happening to her? This didn’t feel normal.

  “What did that asshole do to her? Why isn’t she waking up?”

  “I’m no doctor, but she’s burning up. Like literally burning. If we don’t get her temperature down…well, we just have to get it down.”

  She still had no idea what they were talking about.

  "Those fuckers obviously have some secret squirrel power they haven't shared with anyone. No one touched her, yet she seems to be burning alive from the inside out." Carter's anger reverberated around her.

  She didn't know why his concern surprised her. He'd confessed that he was her mate. She didn't think it was quite the same as love at first sight, but it meant a lot to them and that was important.

  She really wanted to ask him about it. It was important to her that he explained what it felt like. Was it a compulsion? Was it more than attraction? What exactly did it m
ean?

  "Someone get my brother. Tell him to stop playing with Drago’s guests and get in here, now. He talked to someone earlier from that clan. Maybe if he does it again, he can find something out that will help us. I can't leave her."

  Her heart broke at the pain in his voice. He really didn't want to leave.

  "I'm getting in there with her."

  What?

  "Good thing we're in Drago's suite. His tub is plenty big for the both of you."

  That explained the where, but not the why. None of this made sense. Why did she feel awake, could hear everything they said, but couldn't communicate?

  "Go ahead and leave us. I got it from here."

  "I don't think so. If anyone is going to strip her down, it's going to be one of her sisters. We've seen each other our entire lives."

  "Savannah, this is hardly the time to worry about modesty. We're trying to save her life."

  As Jami and Savi argued softly about how she would get naked, they must have done the job, because the next thing she knew she was in Carter's arms and they were sinking into cold water. It surprised her that she could sense Carter without seeing him. His touch seemed vague, and she didn't notice any particular scents. And yet, she knew. Just knew he held her against him as the cool water cocooned them.

  The water was good. The company was even better. They'd barely had time to explore each other beyond sex before her temporary world had blown up. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him. Not just about shifters, although she did want all of those details, but about his life growing up. His mother. His father.

  Although the fact he was here, trying to fix whatever was wrong with her meant more than he could never know. It spoke volumes about the kind of person he was, and it was something she would never forget.

  Yes, she'd been quick to judge him when his brother told her the truth, and rightly so. But that didn't mean she had to hold it against him forever. It was time to let go and start fresh again. If whatever was happening ended on a positive note. No, not if. It would. If ever a moment called for her positive mindset, it had to be this one.

  Her sisters might think all of that woo woo stuff she embraced was nonsense, but she believed. Just like she believed that the universe was telling her something by putting this man in her path.

  "Hey, beautiful. Can you hear me?" He brushed the hair from the side of her face and placed a soft kiss atop her head. "We're trying to figure out what's wrong with you, but it would help a lot if you could wake up and tell me what's going on. No one understands what happened."

  She tried to answer him, but again, she couldn't speak. It was as if she was locked inside her head. It was so freaking frustrating. So much for having psychic powers. All this hype and fighting over something that so far didn't exist. As far as she was concerned, a few dreams did not make a psychic.

  "I'm really sorry that I hurt you. It definitely wasn't my intention. But the minute I met you, my bear knew. It was uncanny how easily it clicked for that part of me. I've spent my entire life hearing about fated mates and yet, no one does the explanation justice." His fingers traced the curve of her neck, back and forth, from the indent of her collarbone to her jawbone. "When you mistook me for a handyman come to apply for your job, I should have been honest. But all of me wanted to spend more time with you, and I had a hunch telling you I was there to retrieve you would not have turned out well."

  That was definitely the truth. Had she known his original plan, she would not have welcomed him into her life in any capacity.

  "As it turned out, finding you there, in need of handyman help, was the best damn situation I could have hoped for. Not only did I have the hottest sex of my life, I found a woman who charmed the hell out of me with her optimism, but she was handy with power tools as well. Do you have any idea how hot that is?"

  God, she wanted to laugh. She also wanted to cry. He was telling her everything she'd ever wanted to hear and she couldn't respond. He may have omitted the truth, but he'd done the work she'd hired him for, and done it well. He'd shared his pizza with her, and even though they'd been stranded together because of the storm, she never felt unsafe with him. He had a natural protector vibe thing going and she gravitated toward it.

  "We have some information."

  Was that the Sheriff's voice? It didn't sound normal.

  "Holy shit."

  "Get out!" Carter barked, his voice deadly serious and gravely as hell.

  "Why the hell didn't someone warn me she was naked?"

  Oops. She should be embarrassed, but since she couldn't see or do a damned thing, it was hard to be anything other than frustrated.

  "Also, she's crying. Did she wake up and you not tell us?"

  "What in the hell are you talking about?" She was jostled around in the water until suddenly familiar, but rough fingers stroked her cheek. "I've been talking to her the whole time. Maybe she can hear me?"

  Yes! She tried to answer without success.

  "It makes sense. You say she's your mate. And that psy clan woman I've been chatting with for the last twenty minutes says the only way to get through to her is with the mating bond. She isn't sure how they've done it, but she says it sounds like they've locked her mind somehow and the only way to unlock it--"

  "Is the mating bond," Carter finished.

  Okay. That didn't sound too bad. Or at least it sounded less like dying by burning alive they’d all been speculating about.

  "You know what that means. How can I force that on her without her consent?"

  "I know, brother. But it may be the only way. Do you want me to get her sisters? They know her better than anyone."

  "I don't think I can live without her."

  Oh God. Had he really just said that?

  "Then you know what you have to do." The sound of the door opening and closing clued her in to the fact that the Sheriff had left them alone.

  "I'm not doing anything in a goddamned bathtub," Carter cursed.

  He lifted them both from the tub and carried her somewhere not far. A bed of some kind, if she wasn't mistaken. This whole situation was beyond surreal. Wake up, she told herself. But nothing new happened.

  Wake up! she tried to scream. Still nothing.

  "Can someone bring me some clothes for her?" His voice came from across the room, and she imagined him yelling at the door to her sisters. She approved of this plan. Just because she couldn't see her nudity didn't make it okay. Well, when he'd been wrapped around her, and they were alone, it had been. But she didn't trust people wouldn't continue to barge in every other second.

  "Anything of mine will fit her. We're the same size. I'll pick something out."

  She wanted to tell her to bring her the black jumper with the white flowers on it. It was her favorite of her sister’s outfits, and it had sort of a pretty/sexy vibe going on without being too dressy. She realized wanting to look good for Carter was stupid, in light of everything going on, but she couldn't help it.

  "What are you going to do?" Jami sounded worried. She wanted to reassure her everything would be fine, although even she wasn't sure about that. She’d been effectively locked in a prison and to get out, Carter would have to make an impossible decision.

  "I don't know. I know what I want, but that doesn't mean she does. To end up with a mate who never wants to speak to me again would be uncomfortable at best and miserable at worst."

  Jami laughed awkwardly. "I get that, but I want my sister back. And I don't think she'll be as mad as you think she will. Violet is the single-most positive person I've ever known, and while she does have a little temper, she forgives and forgets really quick. I've always been jealous of her ability to adapt and move on."

  "She was pretty pissed at me."

  "She was. But she also got-uhh-intimate with you. She might kill me for telling you this. But that's something she’s rather particular about, and when she does, she doesn't take it lightly."

  Violet wanted to hide. Her sister talking about her mostly no
n-existent love life was beyond cringey.

  "Don't get me wrong, I'm a dude and that's really cool to know. But even I know sex doesn't equate to love."

  "You're not wrong. But Violet believes wholeheartedly in love at first sight. She's always told me that some people know immediately when they've found the one, and I suspect in this situation, that might be the case. It explains why she would be so angry at you for not being open with her from the beginning."

  “Are you trying to give me permission to complete the mating bond without your sister’s express permission?”

  “Hell no. I don’t need her coming after me.”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  Jami laughed. “She’s going to be stressed and upset about her loss of choice, but my sister deserves to live a full life, and if this is what it takes then so be it. And while I think it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyways. If you don’t treat her like the mate she deserves, I’m siccing the dragon on you. He always seems hungry and dying to eat people. Although you should probably be more scared of what Savannah would do to you. She’s creative in the most demented ways.”

  “All righty then. Good to know.”

  “Seriously though? If we had another option, I would not let you do this. She’s my sister and I love her dearly, but as a triplet what the three of us have is so much more. Savannah and I need her.”

  Nothing more was said between the two of them, and Violet heard the door open and close again and assumed that Jami left. Alone again, big guy. So what is it going to be?

  He didn’t say anything right away and that silence unnerved her. She wanted to hear what he was thinking. It was so weird to have him in charge of such an important decision, and yet, she trusted him to make the right decision.

  By the time he finished dressing her, something warm inside her core unfurled and came alive. His touch on her skin was like magic, soothing and relaxing her. Despite this horrible situation, he made her feel comfortable and taken care of.

  “Just so you know. I’m going to go through with the mating bond. It’s all I’ve thought about since I met you and I want it more than anything. I do regret that we can’t talk about it first, so you know what you’re getting into.” He brushed his fingers through her hair. “I don’t believe fate would have put you in my path if we weren’t meant to do this. I just hope your sister is right and you believe or at least understand."