Blood Moon (Entangled Select Otherworld) Read online

  No. No. I fought for control, but she was too far gone. We jogged forward, pursuing the final threat to our mate. He fired the dart, stinging us right between our shoulders, but it barely slowed our pace. The confidence faltered in the man’s eyes. He cocked the rifle for another shot, but not soon enough. We sank our teeth into the flesh of his calf.

  He slammed the butt of the rifle into our side. Pain flared. The wolf released him just long enough to fire one more time, and a sting burned our back. Our jaws snapped again. This time the man stumbled, and we were on him.

  I insulated myself from the carnage, sensing our strength fading.

  The tranquilizer impaired us, but it didn’t stop us.

  The blinding pain in our head did.

  Inside I screamed. There was no escape from it, the sensation like claws tearing into our brain, ripping it slowly into pieces. Whining, the wolf dropped to her belly, no longer able to stand. The gut-wrenching agony stole my will to live. I just wanted the pain to stop.

  Gareth still lay quiet on the gravel driveway. With the last of our strength, the wolf dragged her body to his side. We licked his face, whimpering and panting.

  We couldn’t get enough air.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Gareth

  Something wet brushed my cheek. Over and over. Hot air blew my hair back. I blinked and then blinked again, hard. My heart stuttered. A large dark brown wolf with bright green eyes lay beside me. Blood dripped from both her nostrils, and the pained mewing noises that escaped between pants made my gut twist.

  Nadya.

  I rolled to face her, touching the soft cheek of her muzzle. She leaned into my touch as tears stung my eyes. I didn’t fight them. Didn’t even try.

  “No.” I strangled on a sob. “Oh god, sweetheart. Not yet. Please. I’m not ready.”

  Sliding my hand down her back, my fingers found the end of a dart. I plucked it free. She didn’t flinch. I discovered another fucking dart and yanked it out, too. Her panting grew even shallower until she fell listlessly over onto her side.

  “Nadya. No!” I sat up, growling in pain as my cracked ribs pushed into my lung. I held her head up to look directly into her eyes. “Stay with me. Please.”

  I got to my knees and carefully slid my arms underneath to lift her. Her head lolled. She didn’t struggle or move. I prayed it was the tranquilizers and not her brain hemorrhaging.

  Blood dripped from her muzzle in a foreboding trail behind us.

  Once I had her inside, I laid her on the cool cement floor of the garage. The whimpers silenced, and her eyes drifted closed. Her flanks bobbed up and down much too fast, her only sign of life.

  I was losing her.

  Lying on the floor beside her, my busted ribs screaming in pain, I prayed to whoever might be listening to save Nadya. I closed my eyes and my heart poured into my voice. I couldn’t get a good breath into my injured lungs, but I chanted anyway. Over and over. I kept trying to find her in my mind, to see her and separate her from her wolf, but there was only fog. I was surrounded, lost.

  My lips chanted and my mind shouted, “I’ll follow you, Nadya. Don’t leave me behind.”

  No answer.

  I kept chanting. The coppery taste of blood stung the back of my throat, but it didn’t stop me from calling her wolf. The fog billowed, gradually thinning. And finally I found her. Too weak to stand.

  I approached slowly, begging the wolf to sleep, to let Nadya come forward. Her green eyes met mine and somehow I understood. She worried for Nadya. The pain was too much.

  My song continued, breathless to my own ears, as my mind whispered, “Brave wolf. Protector. Let me care for Nadya while you heal. Let me love my mate.”

  Her wolf stared at me and slowly relaxed onto her side. Behind her lay Nadya, naked, shivering, and covered in blood.

  My eyes snapped open, another tear leaking down my cheek. Nadya was back in her human form again, but blood oozed from her nose and ears. I reached out to touch her forehead. Her skin was hot, too hot. But she was still alive. Unconscious, but alive.

  I needed to call Jason and get her some help. My pulse raced as I started to stand, but before I could pull out my phone, her words echoed in my head. She didn’t want to be trapped in a bed, in a coma like Wyatt. If I called Jason, would he respect her wishes? Maybe I was over-thinking. She could still wake up on her own anytime. I hoped.

  I lifted her into my arms, growling at the pain in my chest. Those assholes had cracked my ribs and maybe punctured a lung. But Nadya’s wolf had made certain they’d never hurt anyone again.

  Slowly I carried her through the shop and into my studio, gritting my teeth to keep from wheezing. Inside the bathroom, I started the bath and lowered her into the tub. The lukewarm water didn’t wake her, but it did seem to lower her body temperature.

  Once I cleaned off all the blood and dirt, I checked for more injuries. Her nose still oozed a little, but nothing like it had been. I chose to take that as a good sign.

  A car pulled up outside, and I recognized the engine. Adam’s Jeep. He’d had Cheney since he turned sixteen. Over the years, I’d helped him replace the head gasket, a clutch, brakes, and we even rebuilt an engine. I’d know that rumble anywhere.

  I grabbed a towel and lifted Nadya, wrapping her up and trying not to obsess that she was still unconscious. Adam’s muffled curses echoed outside as my Alpha surveyed the carnage in my driveway.

  Finally he knocked on the door. “Gareth. Are you in there?”

  “Yeah.” Carrying Nadya wasn’t getting any easier. I needed to wrap my ribs, but I didn’t have time for that now. “Be right there.”

  I put her down, still wrapped in the towel, on the couch and grabbed the blanket off the bed to drape over her, too. Hopefully she was comfortable. I wished she would open her eyes.

  I wished for lots of things I wasn’t going to get.

  “Is Nadya with you? Is she okay?”

  Adam’s voice jarred me back to reality. There were five dead Nero agents in front of my garage. I crossed the room, rubbing my hand down my face, and opened the door.

  Adam clasped my forearms, his gaze moving to the sofa. “Nadya shifted?”

  I nodded. “Completely.”

  His eyes met mine. “Shit.”

  “Yeah.” I cleared my throat to find my voice again. “She’s breathing, but she hasn’t opened her eyes.”

  “Did you call Jason?”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. I wanted to make sure Nadya was…” My words drifted off as mental puzzle pieces came together. “I didn’t call you, either. What are you doing here?”

  Adam pulled out his cell phone. “Since I became Alpha, I get these feelings when the Pack is in trouble. Tonight they woke me up and involved you, so I got dressed and came over.”

  I should’ve asked more questions, but I didn’t have it in me. “The danger’s gone now. I made a dent in their team, but they shot me with a tranquilizer dart and when I woke up they were dead and Nadya was a wolf.”

  “We’ve gotta move the bodies before daylight. All we need is for the police to get a call.”

  I kept watch over Nadya. “I need to stay with her… Until she wakes up.”

  Adam’s gaze met mine and we left the “if she wakes up” unspoken. “Yeah, you take care of her. I’ll have Lana call the Pack. If Jared brings his truck, we should be able to get the bodies up to the ranch where we can dispose of them.”

  Adam’s ranch was rural enough that we could burn or bury the bodies without anyone noticing. No neighbors for miles.

  “Thanks, Adam.”

  He pulled me in for a hug and I growled in pain. Adam stepped back, frowning. “Jason needs to take a look at you, too.”

  “Just some cracked ribs. I’ll be all right.”

  Adam nodded, but his expression made it clear Jason would be checking me over soon.

  …

  My Pack took care of the mess outside. Jared, Luke, and Logan never came inside, and Adam and Aren ke
pt it short. I was grateful for the privacy. Watching Sasha weep over Nadya, stroking her hair and reliving childhood memories gutted me. I didn’t know Sasha that well, but I’d dished plenty of shit her way, and she always came back fighting.

  Seeing her hands tremble and hearing her voice break only made what was happening more real.

  I was losing the only woman I would ever love.

  I’d known this day would come. I understood when I left Colorado what awaited me, but I thought I’d get more time. She’d just moved in with me. I hadn’t made her breakfast in bed, or taught her to ride a Harley on her own, hell, we’d barely scratched the surface of what our life together could have been.

  This was fucking unfair.

  Jason came in, a welcome distraction from watching Sasha mourn her sister. “How’s she doing?”

  I got up and met him by the door to give Sasha a little more privacy. “She’s sleeping.”

  He shifted his focus to meet my eyes as he clasped my forearms. “Jared just left to take the bodies to Adam’s ranch, and the others are washing down your driveway out there.” He lowered his voice. “The full moon is tomorrow night.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “So what?”

  “So if Nadya wakes up from this shift, she’s not going to be strong enough to face another one in less than twenty-four hours.”

  Shit, I did not want to hear this. “What are you suggesting?”

  Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “I think we should sedate her and keep her from shifting. It’ll at least buy her some more time.”

  “You don’t have any leads on anything that can reverse this?”

  “Sorry.” He shook his head slowly. “I wish I did.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to figure out what Nadya would want in all this. “Tonight she shifted without the full moon, and got shot with two tranquilizer darts, and if she wakes up from all that, you’re going to turn around and sedate her again so she doesn’t shift with the moon? And this is supposed to help her somehow?”

  “She’s already lost a lot of blood and hasn’t regained consciousness. Without a CAT scan, I can’t tell how close she is to a brain hemorrhage, but I don’t need a scan to see her body is breaking down. Her body wasn’t made for this. None of us are. She’s exhausted.” He paused, collecting himself. “We’re not going to be able to cure this. The next step in treatment will be to prolong the time she has left. That means no more shifting.”

  Prolong the time she had left. I was all for that plan.

  Sasha came over to us, her arms wrapped around her middle in a protective embrace. “Is she going to wake up?”

  Jason started to open his mouth to speak, stopped, and then tried again. “I wish I knew. Gareth said she was shot with two tranquilizer darts so I hope that’s the reason she’s not waking up. With any luck, she’ll sleep it off and be alert in the morning.”

  “What’s the worst case scenario?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

  Jason sighed. “Worst case, she’s already suffered some hemorrhaging in her brain and her organs will start shutting down.”

  Not the answer I’d hoped for. I ground my teeth to keep my emotions in check.

  Sasha wiped her eyes and nose. “How soon will we know?”

  “Probably within the next ten hours or so.” His gaze met mine. “Try to get some sleep. Call me in the morning if she’s not awake and I’ll bring over an IV to keep her hydrated.”

  “Thanks, Jason.” Sasha’s breath hitched and I prayed she wouldn’t ask to stay with her sister. This was my mate. I was a selfish bastard, and I didn’t care. Sasha touched my forearm. “Please let me know if she gets any worse.”

  I nodded. She sniffed and headed for the door.

  After she slipped out, Jason focused on me again. “You should let me have a look at your ribs.”

  “Maybe later.” I shook my head. “I can wrap them.”

  My answer obviously didn’t satisfy him, but we’d been Pack brothers long enough for him to know there was no changing my mind. “You sure you’re all right here? I could stay with you if you need me.”

  “Nah.” I jammed my fists into the pockets of my jeans. “I’ll be fine.”

  Jesus, I was thousands of miles from fine.

  “Okay. Call my cell if anything changes.”

  He left and I went back to Nadya’s side. I didn’t bother going outside to thank Adam or my Pack mates for cleaning up the mess. They’d understand. After all the motors vanished in the distance, I scooped her into my arms and carried her back to the bedroom.

  “Damn it,” I groaned as I laid her down on the mattress. My ribs were getting worse, not better. “I’m a real prize, sweetheart.”

  She didn’t move. I got into bed, spooning her in front of me. Pulling her close against my chest, my breath hitched. I pushed the pain back and closed my eyes. If I could sleep, I might be able to find her in her dreams. If she dreamed. It was all I had.

  My lips brushed her ear as I whispered, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m alive because of you. We’re safe now. You take all the time you need. Just get better and come back to me. I love you, Nadya.”

  …

  Falling asleep took an eternity, but it must’ve happened because suddenly I was at Pyramid Lake. About a hundred yards away, I noticed a woman sitting at the water’s edge near the Stone Mother. Nadya.

  I ran toward her, grateful that my dream lungs seemed to be unharmed. She looked up at me and smiled. “You found me.”

  I sat beside her and leaned over to steal a kiss. “I hoped you’d wait for me.”

  Her eyes fluttered open as our lips parted. “You’re safe.”

  I nodded. “Your wolf saved us both.”

  She stared out at the water. “I’m not ready to leave you.”

  “Good.” My pulse raced. For a second, I worried I might wake up. Slow breaths. “I’ll never be ready to let you go.”

  “My body won’t respond. I tried to open my eyes, but…”

  “They shot your wolf with two tranquilizer darts. I hope that’s all it is.”

  “My head hurt so bad.” She found my hand, clasping it tight. “If my body doesn’t wake up… I have no regrets. I love you.”

  “Don’t be making your good-byes.” I squeezed her hand. “This isn’t over. I know you’re tired and sore, but don’t give up. Not yet.”

  She turned my way, her green eyes shiny with tears. I kissed her. Hard. I slid my free hand into her hair, holding her tight as our tongues tangled slowly. I still didn’t understand dream walking or the native magic that made it possible, but every part of my soul wanted to give her strength, to give her more time, even if it shortened my own.

  I growled into the kiss, envisioning my spirit feeding hers. Behind us, her wolf and mine approached. They watched, silent sentinels…to what, I had no real clue, but my body tingled, almost tiny stings from head to toe. As the prickling sensation eased, our wolves howled together beneath a bright moon.

  Nadya coughed, waking me instantly. I sat up too fast.

  “Damn it.” Pain screamed through my torso. She rolled over and looked up at me. My heart stuttered. “Nadya?”

  “You brought me back.”

  Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. I bent to kiss her. We were on borrowed time, but I’d treasure every second we got.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Nadya

  The scent of bacon enticed me away from my dreams. Gradually my eyes cracked open. Tentatively, I blinked and the room came into focus, along with my handsome mate. Gareth stood in the doorway, barefoot, in nothing but a pair of low-slung blue jeans and an ace bandage wrapped around his chest. His black hair was tied back at the base of his neck, and he held a platter piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and two forks.

  “Good morning.” He smiled and my heart fluttered. “I figured you’d be hungry.”

  My stomach growled in a
nswer as he brought the food over to the bed. I pulled myself up, leaning back against the headboard, and he sat beside me.

  “No one’s ever made me breakfast in bed before.” I took a fork and poked at the scrambled eggs.

  “I’m happy to be your first.” He winked and scooped up a forkful of eggs.

  His lower lip was swollen, and he had a bruise over his right eye. And his hair… I blinked my eyes again, frowning. I reached out to run my finger along a patch of silver hair over his ear. “What’s this?”

  “I’m not sure.” Gareth shrugged. “Just noticed it this morning.”

  I struggled to remember my dream. I’d been so tired, drifting. And then Gareth had come. Kissed me. And… “You really did bring me back. What happened?”

  “I don’t know. You were fading and I tried to channel some of my energy into you.” He took a bite of a piece of bacon. “Whatever it was, you’re here and I’m grateful. That’s enough for me.”

  I watched him for a moment, unsure of what to say. He saved my life, or gave it back to me somehow, and he acted like it was no big deal. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  His gaze met mine, his voice deep and quiet. “You’re my mate, Nadya. One soul, one love. You don’t have to thank me.” He picked up another piece of bacon. “You should eat.”

  My appetite took over. I devoured the mound of eggs and way too much bacon before I munched at the hash browns. Once my belly was appeased, I set my fork on the platter and basked in the afterglow. “That was delicious.”

  Gareth put the plate on the side table and took my hand. “I should call your sister and Jason and let them know you’re awake, but I’m too damned selfish to share you.”

  I leaned in close to kiss the base of his neck. “I’m okay with that.”

  He lifted my chin, his lips brushing mine slowly, warming me. Sliding his hand around my waist, he drew me in closer. Suddenly he pulled away, growling. “Damn it.” He winced, clutching at his ribs.