Blake, Abby - Suddenly Bear (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

“Anxiously waiting for you,” he said with a mischievous smile.

“And your parents?” She almost didn’t ask. Her anxiety over their relationship had doubled when she realized that the family business they ran included their parents. Not wanting to cause a rift in such a tight-knit family, Violet had spoken to their mother on the webcam a couple of times needing to be certain that her dating all three of the woman’s sons wouldn’t create problems. Eileen Delko was a lovely woman and seemed quite happy for her sons and their unusual arrangement. Their father, however, was a growly bear of a man who disliked telephones, computers, and flat-out hated webcams, and despite their mother’s assurances, Declan, Brandon, and Jayden’s father seemed opposed to their relationship. Violet had tried, but it had been difficult to get to know the man long-distance.

“Dad is still chopping more firewood than we need,” Declan said on a laugh. “But he’s also anxious to see you.”

She held on to Declan, marveling at how much heat he and his brothers seemed to generate. It was late night and damn cold, and the man was wearing a T-shirt for heaven’s sake. She shivered just thinking about how cold she would be. He wrapped his arms tighter around her.

“Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

“When did you get here?” she asked as she realized he had a soft-sided suitcase with him.

“About an hour ago.”

“You could have waited inside. Jayden should be home.”

Declan shrugged. “He didn’t answer the buzzer. Maybe he had some extra studying to do and lost track of the time.”

“Maybe,” she said, but didn’t really agree. Jayden had always been home when he said he would be home, or he called her and let her know. As she unlocked the security door to the apartment building, she reached into her bag and fumbled for her cell phone. Maybe Jayden had left a message.

But the moment they stepped into the foyer, Declan’s demeanor changed.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered as he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the stairwell. They climbed four flights of stairs faster than she would’ve thought possible and then burst into the hallway and ran toward her apartment. She had no idea why he was acting so strangely, but the open front door of her apartment scared the spit out of her.

“Stay here,” Declan demanded as he swung the door inward and entered the room cautiously. She stood there, not sure what to do, annoyed at herself for meekly following orders, but very glad to have Declan here to tell her what to do. “Violet, I need you.” She forgot her own fear as she answered his frantic summons.

The apartment was completely normal. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but she nearly fell to her knees when she realized that in the middle of their living room Jayden lay bleeding. “Close the door,” Declan said urgently. She immediately turned and slammed the damaged door shut. She was almost beside them when she realized she still had her cell phone in her hand.

“I’ll call emergency.”

“No,” Declan barked in a voice that barely sounded human. “We need to get the bullet out.”

“Bullet?” Fear gripped her stomach, making it hard to breathe. “He needs a doctor.”

“Violet!” She turned immediately at Declan’s sharp tone. “I need pliers or oversized tweezers. Something that I can use to grab the bullet.”

“But…” Hysteria was threatening her composure. Jayden needed a doctor. He could die if he didn’t get to a hospital.

“Violet,” Declan said in a calmer voice. “I’ll explain everything. I just need to get the bullet out first.”

Confused as hell, but willing to trust him, she nodded and ran for Jayden’s room. Violet practically turned the room upside down, but she finally found pliers in a small tool kit Jayden kept under his bed. She ran back into the living room to find Declan probing the wound in Jayden’s stomach with his fingers. Jayden grunted in pain, but at least the sound let her know he was still alive.

“Thanks,” Declan said as he grabbed the pliers and pushed them into the wound. The harsh, coppery smell of blood filled the room, and Violet needed a couple of deep breaths to still the woozy feeling. “Got it. Help me get his clothes off.”

Violet nodded, no longer questioning Declan’s actions, just willing to do as he asked. Declan tore Jayden’s shirt with his hands, shredding the soft material easily as she fumbled with Jayden’s belt. As soon as she got it undone, Declan grabbed the hem of Jayden’s jeans and dragged them off his legs.

“Okay, little brother, time to shift.”

Jayden groaned and shook his head slightly. Violet was beginning to panic, wondering if Declan really had any clue what he was doing. You didn’t shift a seriously injured patient. She dug her hand into her pocket, determined to call an ambulance no matter what Declan might say, but Jayden groaned loudly, and then she watched dumbfounded as dark brown hair seemed to grow rapidly all over his body. His face seemed to change shape, the hair on his head getting longer as he seemed to grow in size.

A loud snarl filled the room, and Violet didn’t know whether to bolt or faint. In the end she did neither. She fell backward and landed on her butt, her eyes never leaving the huge, sharp-toothed creature that lay on the floor growling in pain.

“Enough,” Declan said in a sharp voice. “You’re scaring Violet.”

The creature—the thing, the bear?—nodded and slowly changed back into Jayden. But this time, instead of bleeding and damaged, his stomach was a smooth contour of unbroken skin. Not even a mark remained. If the carpet wasn’t still covered in blood, she probably would’ve believed she’d been hallucinating.

She could feel her mouth opening and closing, but her mind was a complete and utter blank. Neither man’s words had meaning as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

Jayden sat up, his face pale, his exhaustion obvious. He was talking to her, but she had no idea what he might be saying. The roaring sound in her ears replaced everything. Declan stood back, his hands covered in blood, the pliers still holding the bullet gripped in his hand.

Anger, like a raging torrent, swept over her, and every question she’d ever had about Declan, Brandon, and Jayden rose to the surface. Before she even realized her intention she was on her feet, her hands on her hips, her stance wide, her legs braced.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“Babe,” Jayden said as he stood up and walked over to her. He held his arms open, but she hesitated. Had she really just seen her best friend and lover turn into a bear? Her gaze darted between them, and she almost burst into hysterical laughter when she realized they were approaching her as if
she
were a cornered and injured animal.

“Don’t ‘babe’ me! What the fuck was that?”

But her anger deflated when Jayden wobbled and nearly fell trying to step toward her. Without thinking she moved to hold him up.

Declan moved to Jayden’s other side. “He’s exhausted,” Declan said to her. “We need to get him into bed.” She nodded and sort of helped Declan move Jayden into the bedroom. She suspected that Declan let her help rather than needed her assistance, but despite her anger and confusion she truly cared for these men.

They got Jayden cleaned up and onto the bed, and he grabbed Violet’s hand as she tried to move away. “Please,” he said quietly as he tugged her closer. She nodded, unable to deny him or herself the physical contact. He sighed as she cuddled up to his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Are you going to need a transfusion?” Declan asked. “You lost a lot of blood.”

“I don’t think so,” Jayden said in a tired voice. “Rest and fluids should help.”

Violet must have been wearing a concerned expression because Declan pressed a kiss to her hair and said confidently, “We heal physical damage when we shift, but it doesn’t replace the blood. We have people we can contact if we need to.”

She nodded, but a million questions circled inside her head. People? Not doctors or hospitals? A small snore escaped from Jayden, and she glanced worriedly at Declan. She didn’t know what was normal and what wasn’t for a bear-man or a man-bear—who would ever have thought she’d being wondering about something like that?—but Declan didn’t look worried, so she tried to force herself to relax.

“You’re all like Jayden,” she whispered, not sure if she was asking a question or making a statement.

Declan smirked. “None of us are like Jayden, but yes we’re all bear-shifters. So are our dad and mom and our grandparents and all the generations before us.”

“Um…okay.” What else could she say? It’s not like she could express disbelief when she’d already seen the proof with her own eyes.

“Will you be all right to stay with Jayden while I try and clean up the living room?”

She nodded again, and he left the room quietly. In some ways it was nice to have a little space. She cuddled closer to Jayden and gently touched the place where he’d been shot. There wasn’t a mark or a scar or anything to indicate that he’d been close to death only minutes ago. If they hadn’t come in when they did…

She shuddered, unable to finish that thought. She glanced up at his face. He was still very pale, but he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She lay in his arms wondering whether she should help Declan with the cleanup but not really wanting to leave Jayden alone.

She must have fallen asleep for a little while because she woke to Jayden and Declan talking quietly beside her. It was probably a little bit selfish, but she hid the fact that she was awake while she shamelessly listened into their conversation.

“Brandon won’t stand for it. He’ll want to catch the next flight and come and get her.”

“It’s probably not such a bad idea. Until we know who attacked you or why, she’d be much safer at the lodge.”

“I’m not sure she’ll listen to reason. She’s quite stubborn.”

“I am not.” So much for hiding her awake status. She’d actually been lying there wondering if she already had enough money to catch a super-cheap budget flight to their home. She’d planned to save a little spending money to take on her holiday, but it seemed kind of silly in light of the fact that she’d almost lost Jayden. Life was simply too short. “But what about you, Jayden? If I leave, you’ll be on your own.”

“I can take care of myself,” he said in what she suspected was supposed to be a reassuring tone. She wasn’t having any of that macho bullshit. If Declan hadn’t been here, Jayden would likely be lying in a hospital or worse.

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “You can’t stay here alone, and since we have no idea who shot you…” Her words trailed off when she noticed him look down and away. She’d known him long enough to know when he was trying to lie to her. “You know who shot you.” She didn’t phrase it as a question. It seemed obvious that was what he was keeping from her. When he nodded, even Declan looked annoyed enough to thump him. Well, he could damn well get in line.

“Who shot you?” Declan asked in a tone of voice that made it obvious he wanted an answer immediately.

“Bruce.”

If she hadn’t already been lying on the bed, she might have fallen over. Her ex-fiancé had been the one to shoot Jayden? But why? They hadn’t heard from him in months. Not since Jayden had thrown him from the room. Why would he act like a jealous lover now?

“It wasn’t about you,” Jayden said as if he could read her mind.
Could
he read her mind? Did bear-shifters have any special skills she was unaware of? Changing into another creature certainly made him different to mere mortals. Did he—hell, did any of them—possess extrasensory skills like mind reading or telekinesis or…or…fire starting? Fuck, she knew absolutely nothing about him. So much for their friendship.

Declan moved to take her in his arms, but she backed away, rolling to her feet, and holding her hands in front of her as if to stop him. Hell, they were probably stronger than mere humans, too. Declan held his hands up and stepped back in an obvious attempt to show her she had nothing to fear.

“Breathe, kitten. This isn’t how we planned to tell you, but we would never hurt you.”