Broken Wolf_A Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 12

  Bonnie remembered that massive raven on the porch and she shivered despite the warmth in the house. “What about ravens?”

  Shane gave her a sharp look.

  “Anything that flies can shift until it touches the ground,” Alexander replied.

  “Why ravens, Bonnie?” Shane asked.

  Her coffee was hot against the sudden chill and her hands felt clammy. “One was watching me from the porch at your house. It was huge, and creepy. But birds are generally creepy. I didn’t think it could be a shifter.”

  This was why she’d been uncomfortable about being a human alone in the world, knowing the paranormal was out there. How in the hell was she supposed to know it could have been a shifter? A goddamn raven of all things? Bonnie never would have made that leap on her own.

  “Fuck! They’re here.”

  “Assassins seem a bit extreme,” Jacob said. His eyes went wide.

  “Assassins?” Bonnie asked, feeling worse as the cold seeped in.

  Jacob nodded slowly, keeping an eye on Shane. No one was eating anymore. “Ravens are assassins for hire. They could be working for someone else, or they could want vengeance. Not the last Alpha, but the one before that had a raven on a leash. Figuratively and literally. He used the shifter for all his dirty work.”

  Shane’s shudder was almost imperceptible, but Bonnie was so attuned to him now she could sense a darkness in him rising up to swallow him whole. She placed her hand over his on her thigh and squeezed.

  “Going on a hike with Shane on the property to help catch this guy? I’m down,” Bonnie said. Her voice was stronger than she felt. “I want this over and done with. Have everything handled by lunch.”

  “You’re not going to be bait. Alexander, send out a notice everywhere that we’re closed for the day due to a family emergency. We need to hunt these bastards down.” He started rubbing his thumb over his pointer finger like he had when he’d asked her to take a walk.

  “How do you know it’s more than one?” Bonnie asked crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at Shane.

  “It’s always two at least,” Noah told her.

  “Yeah, that’s why the previous Alpha caught one. He was alone,” Liam said.

  “I said no,” Shane snapped.

  Bonnie glared at him and he rubbed his thumb against his finger faster. She didn’t care if this whole thing stressed him out. He didn’t get to make those kinds of decisions for her.

  “Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do,” she hissed. “You and the pack will protect me. It’s not like I’m defenseless. I know how to handle a bow, and a gun.”

  Everyone was silent while Shane glowered and the tension in the room spiked as they all waited for him to make the final decision.

  “I can’t lose you,” Shane growled.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “You won’t.”

  “Fine, but you take a gun. That’s my one condition. Otherwise this isn’t happening.” Shane eyed her, assessing her level of determination.

  Bonnie flared her nostrils in annoyance. “Not a bow?”

  “We don’t have one on the property.”

  “Fine,” she snapped, echoing his own reluctant agreement. “I’ll carry a gun. But you’ll buy me a bow.”

  Shane’s glower eased and he stopped the rubbing and grabbed a piece of bacon, biting into it viciously. “It’ll be pink.”

  She narrowed her eyes, but it was so ridiculous she couldn’t help but laugh.

  Jacob guffawed and the twins snickered. “Everyone is going to know where you are with that thing,” Jacob muttered.

  And just like that she and Shane were on the same page again. Bonnie ate her breakfast and listened while the pack made plans around her, making sure everything would be taken care of before the Alpha female came back.

  It gave her butterflies and a shock of adrenaline. She still wanted to do this, but she was not stupid. It was going to be terrifying.

  But the pack was there. Six wolves to take on whatever or whoever wanted revenge. And Bonnie would have a gun.

  She hadn’t touched one in almost ten years, but she’d won sharpshooter contests back in the day. It was hard to forget skills like that. Still…

  “Do we have time or a range for me to get a feel for whatever gun you’re forcing on me?” Bonnie asked, shoving her empty plate away from her. She needed more coffee.

  Shane nodded. “There’s one in the basement. Let me take you while everyone works out where they’ll be.” He got up from the table and Alexander gave him a nod.

  As they walked to the library Bonnie glanced back at the people willing to put their lives on the line for her. If she accepted the mate bond Shane wouldn’t be the only family she’d gain. “Is Alexander the Third?” she asked.

  Shane nodded again and opened the door to the secret room. “Yes, then Olivia at a very close Fourth, followed by Jacob and then the twins. Noah and Liam are pretty equal and it’s hard to tell them apart sometimes so we leave that up to them.”

  The door to the gun locker was actually another secret door into a room with enough guns and rifles and whatever else to arm a small army.

  “You guys are ridiculous,” Bonnie muttered as she looked around, feeling uncomfortable. “How many secret rooms do you need?”

  Shane grabbed a pistol from the wall and checked it. “There are a few. We have to make sure that if there are ever humans in our house we can stand up to an investigation. Here, try this one.”

  Bonnie made a face, but took it from him anyway. The weight was nice and the grip fit her hand like it was made for her. She checked the safety, the chamber, and then the magazine. Satisfied it wasn’t loaded she held her hand out for the bullets.

  Shane’s jaw clenched as he handed her three loaded magazines and then a box of bullets. “I can’t lose you, Bonnie,” he said again. His words were so quiet she almost didn’t hear them.

  Setting the gun and magazines on the table she stepped forward. Bonnie wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes. “Why?”

  Shane looked away from her. She could feel his discomfort. “You don’t want to hear it.”

  Bonnie arched an eyebrow at him. “I’ll be the judge of what I do and don’t want to hear. Spit it out.”

  He looked at her again and the depth of his emotions took her breath away. “Because I love you, Bonnie. I know it hasn’t been long, but the mate bond is strong and I can feel you. You anchor me. Without this bond…I don’t know what I would do.”

  Inhaling sharply she tightened her grip on him. “You love me?” She wasn’t going to question its possibility. The same sensation was in her own chest, tying her tighter and tighter to Shane with every moment that passed. But she did want to hear him say it again.

  “I love you,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I don’t know how to live without you anymore.”

  She smiled up at him. “Good, because I’m one of a kind.”

  There were so many emotions roiling around in her head and in her heart. Did she love him? Bonnie wasn’t sure yet, but she felt that bond between them, stronger than anything she’d ever felt in her life.

  “I know it’s a lot for you to take in and I don’t expect you to say it back, but I wanted you to know,” Shane said, saving her from an awkward ‘thank you.’

  “You won’t lose me,” she promised him. Bonnie was sure of that at least. She wanted Shane in her life. “We’ll flush them out and take care of the problem. It’ll be a very productive day.”

  Shane smiled at that and leaned down to kiss her.

  His taste and gentleness made her toes curl. Shane felt like coming home – he felt like family. Bonnie refused to let go of that and some asshole ravens weren’t going to take it from her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shane

  Bonnie was chatting and smiling next to him like everything was normal, but it was not fucking normal and Shane wanted to rip his hair out for agree
ing to this in the first place.

  But he knew – he could feel their bond weaken when she yelled at him for daring to tell her what to do. That was her line. It didn’t matter if he was right or wrong. He couldn’t make a unilateral decision. They had to be a team with their vastly different personalities or this mate bond wasn’t going to work, the love wouldn’t be enough.

  She would reject the bond if she felt it was inhibiting her freedom. And Shane respected that. But it rankled with his intense need to control. Bonnie was the only thing that could cancel out that compulsion.

  Didn’t mean he liked the idea of her as bait.

  The rest of the pack was within running distance. It wasn’t an incredibly detailed plan.

  Stay far enough away the ravens wouldn’t notice so they’d come down and attack him and Bonnie. Once they were distracted with them the others would close in and attack.

  Shane wanted to know why they’d threatened his mate. He wanted to make sure more wouldn’t be coming.

  Kai would have to call the witches again to make a ward specifically for ravens that applied to flying.

  At least Bonnie was an excellent shot. It had only taken a few tries before she got the hang of the pistol. Then every time she fired after that was perfect. Shane was blown away by her skill, her self-assurance, and her willingness to do what needed to be done regardless of how she felt about the weapon personally.

  Shane felt better knowing she could hit a bullseye from two hundred yards. Probably farther if they’d had the space to test her. His mate was right, she could handle herself and he loved that about her.

  “It’s really not that cold,” Bonnie said even though her teeth were chattering. “I’m so glad we went on this hike.”

  Shane unclenched his teeth. If he didn’t talk to her then whoever was following them would know something was up. And he could feel them with a tingling on the back of his neck that set him on edge. “We’ll be coming up on one of the ponds soon,” he told her. “It’s been frozen over for a while, but it’s still nice.”

  “Oh, a pond?” she asked as though she cared.

  Maybe she did, but right now that was the last thing on their minds. They’d have to do a proper hike some other time, and Shane vowed to himself they’d have that time.

  “Yes, we have a lot of them. Even a few lakes.”

  Another rustle in the trees. Whoever it was, they were getting sloppy if he could actually hear them.

  Shane knew this land like the back of his hand. He’d spent days scouring the property when they’d first moved there with only their caravan of trailers while the houses were built. As Second he needed to know where everything was…he’d needed to heal. And the first few weeks he’d spent as a wolf, exploring the peace and serenity of the property.

  His senses warned him the attack would happen soon, probably over the next rise. The pond would create one barrier, and the trees were thicker. It would be easy to box them in. But once they landed on pack land they’d be stuck in that form.

  Too bad the assassins weren’t stupid enough to stay in raven form…or smart. Depended how you wanted to look at it.

  “How much farther?” Bonnie asked, brushing against his side as she stomped through the snow.

  Shane glanced at her, noting the red blooming on her cheeks from the cold and the way her breath puffed in the air. Bonnie was in excellent shape but he could hear her heart racing. She wanted to know when they’d attack.

  “Not long now.”

  They made it over the rise and the pond sparkled in the winter sun. The evergreens towered around them, casting too many shadows for Shane’s liking. One whistle and his pack would be there to back them up.

  It wasn’t as comforting a thought as he hoped it would be.

  “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

  Shane could hear the truth in her words. Despite everything she enjoyed the beauty of the wilderness. She’d make a glorious wolf one day.

  Leaves rustled and a caw ripped through the air as they suddenly descended, aiming their talons at Bonnie, but she whipped out her gun and aimed so fast even Shane had a hard time following her.

  The two raven shifters scattered.

  “I don’t want to shoot you,” Bonnie yelled loud enough for the rest of the pack to hear.

  The ravens circled around and landed on the ground in their naked, human forms just like Alexander had predicted. Now they couldn’t just fly off.

  Bonnie blushed as she took them in. Most humans were extremely modest, even if they didn’t think they were.

  “Hello Shane,” one of the ravens said.

  Instantly he recognized that voice. “Can’t say that I know who you are,” he said, taking a step closer to Bonnie.

  “No, but you knew my brother.”

  Damn it. He’d known this would come back around to bite him in the ass at some point. “I did. I also tried to release him.”

  And he’d limped from the broken leg for a week just for saying that to the old Alpha.

  “But you let the Alpha kill him.”

  Shane grimaced. ‘Let’ was a strong word, but yes, he’d stood by and done nothing. If he hadn’t that Alpha would have murdered the twins.

  The other one stepped forward, looking similar enough Shane wondered if he was a cousin. “We’re here for the blood debt,” the second raven said. “One of our flock was murdered by your pack. So we will murder one of yours.”

  Bonnie’s fear perfumed the air. Shane growled and put himself between the ravens and her.

  “That Alpha was killed and this is not the same pack any longer.”

  The first raven tilted his head and studied them. “We’ve heard of your changed ways, but that does not erase the blood debt. Another wolf killed that Alpha. Not one of our own. It must be paid.”

  Both took a step forward and Shane did as well, feeling his muscles get bulky as his wolf injected him with strength. “There’s been too much blood. There has to be another way.”

  “With her death the debt will be paid and you will suffer for the part you had to play.”

  They moved to attack but the rest of the pack circled in and they couldn’t change into ravens and flee. Both glared at him when they took in the others and nothing happened when they went to shift. Shane knew it wasn’t over no matter their odds. They’d kill Bonnie or die trying.

  He signaled to the others and they moved right as the ravens charged. There was a flash of metal. A blade. Shane could smell the poison on the knife – fashioned to fit over talons in raven form.

  “Poison!” he yelled, moving to push Bonnie out of the way.

  But they weren’t after her.

  Shane just barely missed the first attack, the acrid scent of whatever nasty concoction that would most likely kill him in seconds scented the air.

  Bonnie screamed his name as he grabbed an arm, the blade inches from his neck.

  The others attacked the second raven, bringing him down in seconds when he tried to fly and failed. The first would nick him before they could reach him – Shane could see Alexander running toward him but the raven was strong and desperate.

  Shane managed to push the blade back and too late he realized there was a second knife.

  A shot rang out in the clearing and he flinched.

  The look of surprise on the raven’s face…they both looked down and blood blossomed from his chest, spreading quickly.

  He stumbled back, away from Shane. A second shot went right through his forehead and the raven dropped like a stone.

  Shane stared with his mouth slightly open, not quite understanding what had happened.

  Then Bonnie was there, running her hands over him, checking for blood. “Did he get you?” she demanded. “Are you poisoned?”

  She’d saved him. “My hero,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her in close.

  There was no way she’d realized what she’d done. At least not yet, and he would give the world to keep it from her, to take
the weight of that life onto his own soul – his own shoulders.

  Suddenly she pulled away and vomited. He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. “I know,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  Bonnie shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I’m not stupid. It was him or you and I will always pick you. But…”

  “I know,” Shane said again, holding her tight. How many times had he had to make the same choice? “Thank you.”

  Olivia shifted into a human and grabbed one of the ravens. “I’ll take care of the bodies.”

  Then Alexander was human. “I’ll help.”

  The other three stayed as wolves, holding the perimeter.

  Shane took out his phone, Bonnie still in his arms, and dialed Kai. It took only a minute to describe the situation and what he needed from him. Then he focused one hundred percent of his attention back on Bonnie.

  “Kai is going to contact the raven flock,” he told her. “They’ll handle the politics to make sure this never happens again or he’ll report them to the Council. You’re safe now.”

  Bonnie started weeping, but still she handled the gun with care. Putting the safety on and unloading it all while tears streamed down her face. “I’ll never forget the way he dropped like that.”

  “I know it won’t make you feel better, but he never would have stopped. The ravens take blood debts very seriously. Their flock leader will rescind the debt on their behalf.”

  She nodded and gave him the gun. “I never want to touch one again.”

  He hoped with his entire being she would never have to. “Let’s get back to the main house and clean you up.”

  Those still in wolf form followed them to the house and then circled around to run the perimeter again, splitting off from each other.

  At least it was over. And Shane’s mate was alive. They’d handle everything else later.