Dark Wolf Rising (Heart of the Shifter) (15 page)

"Cash. Please. I love you. I believe in you. Cash!"

Her voice was angelic, music more beautiful than he'd ever heard. His soul strained in response, fighting to acknowledge her. He didn't want to kill her. This wasn't right. It wasn't right.

Slowly, painfully, summoning every last shred of willpower, he released his grip on her throat and pulled back. He managed to bring her into focus. She was gazing at him, her fingers still in his fur. Memory flooded back to him, and he recognized her. His mate. His woman.
Bryn.

Her gaze flicked past him, drawing his attention behind him. Instantly, he sensed movement behind him. He whirled around just as Damien lunged at him. Cash charged for him, slamming into the wolf in midair. Teeth snapping, the two heavy bodies crashed to the ground. Damien bit his shoulder, ripping flesh, but Cash tore into him, prying the older wolf off him and hurling him across the room.

Damien hit hard, leapt to his feet, and launched himself at Cash.

Get Grigori!
Jace's command filled his mind as the alpha launched himself at Damien.
I've got Damien.

Cash whirled around in time to see Grigori grab Bryn and sprint for the door.
Bryn!
Cash bolted after her. He sensed Drake racing for the intruder at the same time. They leapt simultaneously, their attacked timed perfectly from years of living together, their teeth tearing into Grigori's shoulders, hitting the alpha just as he reached the grass outside.

He threw Bryn aside as he fell, hurling her into his team of snarling wolves. Cash had a split second to decide, and then he cut off to the left, charging after Bryn as she hit the dirt, Drake right behind him. Cash sprang through the air, landing beside Bryn, sinking his teeth into a wolf just as it lunged for her. He threw it aside, and it fell, shifting back into a man as its neck broke from the fall.

Drake attacked another wolf, protecting Bryn's other side. Bryn grabbed a stick and hit a wolf coming from the other side. The three of them fought together, taking down the wolves one by one, until finally, there were none standing. Grigori was not among the dead, and he was no longer present. All that remained of him were tire tracks in the dirt.

Cash braced himself on his legs, panting, pain spinning through his body as Bryn fell to her knees, the stick falling from her hands.

There were still sounds of fighting coming from the cabin, and Drake spun toward the building.
You stay with her. I'll help Jace.

Cash didn't argue. Damien didn't matter to him anymore. None of it mattered. He just needed Bryn. He walked over to Bryn and pressed his face against her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his fur, her body shaking violently. "Cash," she whispered. "I knew you would come back to me."

He needed to hold her. He needed to kiss her. He needed to be himself. The effects of the forced shift were still holding him in wolf form, fighting his efforts to shift back. She clung to him, her fingers tight in his fur.

As she held him, he felt his body begin to relax. His muscles lost their tautness, and he felt his body coming back to him, reclaimed by her touch. He tried again, and this time, he shifted easily back into his human form.

Tears filled her eyes as she watched him shift. She was covered in blood, dirt, and sweat. Her shirt was torn, and she had a bruise forming on her cheek...and she'd never looked so beautiful. "Bryn." He crouched in front of her, framing her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head, her blue eyes glistening. "You won," she said. "You couldn't kill me. I knew you couldn't. I love you, Cash."

He knew she wasn't talking about teenage love. She was talking about the kind of love that bound two souls together for all eternity. The kind of love that was forever, that was about self-sacrifice, commitment, and the kind of peace that came only from trusting someone enough to give them your heart, your soul, and your body. "I know, babe." He bent his head and kissed her gently, ignoring the pain screaming through his body. "I love you, too, Bryn. Always and forever."

Her face lit up, a huge grin illuminating her tear-streaked cheeks. "It's about time you admitted it."

He laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I was trying to protect you from what I am."

Her smile faded. "I know what you are. I've seen the worst of it, haven't I?"

He shrugged, grimacing at the memory of his teeth around her neck. The memory was terrifying...except for the fact he hadn't done it. He'd been in a killing rage, and he hadn't hurt her, not even one bit. "Pretty much. It doesn't get much worse than tonight."

She nodded. "Will you teach me how to shoot a gun? I realized tonight I need to develop better self-defense skills if I'm going to be hanging out with you."

He groaned at the idea of having to face that again, of having her in danger. "I'm going to retire. You and I are heading to the Caribbean islands and forgetting about the wolf thing—"

Before he could finish, Drake walked out of the cabin, in human form. He was naked, his skin slashed in a dozen places. He made it only a few yards before he sank down onto the grass, his muscular body shaking violently. "Damien's dead," he said, bracing himself on his hands, digging his fingers into the dirt. "Jace is in rough shape. I'm not sure he's going to make it." He dragged his hand over his forehead, wiping away a trickle of blood as he raised his head to look at Cash. "Grigori got away, didn't he? He's still out there. He'll be back."

Cash swore, but before he could say anything, Bryn slipped her hand in his. He looked down at her, and his heart softened when he saw her smile. "Your family is mine, too," she said. "You're all I have left. We're not going to abandon them. Besides, you need me. I'm the only one who can bring you back from the edge. We're not going to the Caribbean. We're staying right here."

He touched her cheek. "You're sure?"

She grinned. "Of course I'm sure. You know you want to stay. Just admit it, and let's get Drake some clothes."

Rightness surged through Cash, and he cupped her face, kissing her again, long and hard. "I love you," he whispered.

She beamed back at him. "I know."

"Hey." Drake was lying down in the grass now. "I'm kind of offended that you'd rather make out than keep me from bleeding out. Just wanted to point that out."

Cash laughed and stood up, staggering slightly to keep his balance. "If we're going to help Jace with the pack, we need to get in better shape." He limped over to Drake and held out his hand. "Come on, buddy. Let's get inside." He hauled Drake to his feet, and the other man staggered, nearly collapsing into him.

Cash caught him just as Bryn walked up, catching Drake's other arm. Together, the three of them limped back to his cabin. The night was a mess, the aftermath would be rough, but Cash felt a sense of deep peace and satisfaction that he hadn't felt since the day he'd turned into a wolf and walked away from the only one he'd ever loved.

He looked over at Bryn as she helped Drake up the steps. "I'm not letting you go again," he said.

She smiled at him. "I'm not letting you go, either, so don't even try."

Rightness pulsed through him. "I'm not going anywhere, babe, unless you're with me."

And he wasn't. He had everything he wanted, everything he needed, and everyone who mattered. It wasn't going to be an easy road ahead, but he wasn't walking away this time. He'd found where he belonged.

As they crossed the threshold into his cabin, he saw Bryn's stuffed reindeer on the floor in the corner. It was Christmas morning now, a Christmas of blood, death, violence, and—

"Merry Christmas, Cash." Bryn smiled at him, a smile so full of warmth and love, that his chest tightened.

—and also love.

That was the other part of Christmas. The best part. The part that would sustain them no matter what came next.

CASH LOOKED SO handsome in his suit...gorgeous, but still so lethal. No matter how much he cleaned up, Bryn knew she'd always see the wolf in him, the feral dangerous side that had saved her life, the wildly passionate and seductive man who shared her bed every night.

He looked over at her, and smiled, but tension was thick in his green eyes. His jaw was clean-shaven for the first time, and she missed his whiskers. He held her hand tightly in his lap, his fingers entwined with hers.

Beside him sat Drake, also wearing a suit. His arm was in a cast, and he had stitches down the side of his temple and at the base of his neck, from a bite that had nearly killed him. It had been only three days since the fight, but their wounds were already beginning to heal.

They were the only people in the back row of the courtroom. No one was sitting near them. No one would even make eye contact, not since Drake and Cash had testified at Jace's trial about how Damien and Grigori had forced them to shift.

They'd both revealed themselves as werewolves to save Jace, a sacrifice that would forever strip them of the anonymity they both burned for. She'd backed them up, her own wounds evidence of the battle they'd fought.

The jury had debated for less than twelve hours, and the verdict was about to be delivered.

Jace was sitting with his head down at the front of the courtroom. He was in even worse shape than Drake from the fight with Damien, his left foot almost completely severed. But even worse was the dead look in his eyes. He was a man without hope, without spirit, without a will to live.

The judge called for attention, and Cash squeezed her hand as the courtroom fell silent, waiting for the verdict. Bryn couldn't take her gaze off Jace, barely listening as the judge began to talk. Jace's head was down. He wasn't even watching the judge. He was just staring at the floor, his shoulders hunched.

She knew he was thinking of Melissa, the woman he'd killed. Cash had told her that he remembered everything he'd done while he'd been in the killing rage, which meant that Jace recalled every moment of killing that woman. Being acquitted would not bring her back, and it would not erase the stains from his soul. She knew that, because she'd lived with the same guilt her whole life. It had taken Cash's love and support to help her past it. There were still times when he woke her up from nightmares and held her until they subsided, and she knew that would continue for a while…but she also knew he would stand by her without question.

Jace didn't have someone to hold him at night. He didn't have someone who would love him with every ounce of her soul. He didn't have someone who would see past the wolf and love him no matter what.

Cash looked over at her, and smiled, a private, tender smile that made her heart tighten. "Thank you for believing in me," he whispered. "Without you, I'm the one who would be sitting up there, with blood on my hands. You were the only thing strong enough to break me free of Grigori."

She traced her finger along his jaw. "I'll always believe in you, Cash."

"I know. I need that." He pressed a kiss to her knuckle. "I can't live without you, Bryn. Life is too dark without you in it."

Warmth flooded her, the kind of warmth that came from deep inside, that couldn't be destroyed by any external force. "Back at ya, big guy."

He chuckled, and kissed her knuckles again. "You're such a sassy little thing."

She grinned. "I know. That's why you love me."

"That, among other reasons," he agreed. "Like your great ass."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. "Seriously? We're in a courtroom."

"Ssh." Drake elbowed Cash. "The judge is about to deliver the verdict."

They both settled immediately, turning their attention to the front of the courtroom. The judge was solemn and serious in her black robe as she read from the paper the jury had given her. "And for the charge of first degree murder—"

There was a pause, and Bryn held her breath, leaning forward, gripping Cash's hand.

"—we find the defendant, not guilty."

Relief rushed through her, and she felt like jumping to her feet and fist pumping. The crowd gasped, and someone burst into tears in the courtroom. Cash let out a breath, and bowed his head, pressing their joined hands to his lips. Beside him, Drake leaned back in the seat, covering his face with his hands. But Jace flinched, as if someone had hit him.

The judge continued. "For the charge of involuntary manslaughter, we find the defendant not guilty."

The courtroom erupted into a frenzy of discussion, cheers, and shouts of outrage. Cash let out a low whoop, and punched his hands together, sandwiching hers between them. Drake sighed loudly and seemed to sag in his seat, weeks of tension draining from his body. Everyone stood up, talking excitedly, but Jace still didn't move. He just sat there, hunched over, staring at the floor.

Bryn's heart sank at his response. "He doesn't want to be exonerated," she said.

"It's not his fault," Drake snarled. "Grigori is responsible for that woman's murder, not Jace."

"It doesn't matter if it's his fault or not," Cash said, squeezing her hand. "He's taking responsibility for it." He glanced down at Bryn, his face understanding.

Tears clogged her throat, and she knew she would be forever grateful for Cash's acceptance of her past, and his ability to help her let go of her guilt. He was a lethal protector, but he was also a man of deep emotions and compassion, despite the rawness of his childhood.

Jace's lawyer stood up and began shaking hands, but still Jace didn't move. "He's not going to be okay," she said, her throat tight. "Look at him."

Cash squeezed her hand. "He is going to be okay, because he has us."

Drake stood up. "Damn right he does. Let's go get our boy." He walked out into the aisle, ignoring the whispered looks and the way people moved out of his way. Bryn hurried after him, and Cash stayed right beside her, always keeping his body close enough to her to shield her, a habit she knew he'd never stop, at least not until Grigori was no longer a threat.