The Shifter and the Dreamer (10 page)

It was several minutes before anything happened but finally he felt the faint pull from her. She was still alive, though afraid. He could feel her heart beating like he could his own.

In the back of his mind, he could feel another presence trying to break in. He continued to concentrate on Katy but acknowledged his partner.

Ryan must be following his scent because his partner was close. Holding onto the thread he was connected to Katy with, he once again howled to let his partner know where he was.

He moved more slowly towards Katy once he’d notified Ryan his of location. Ryan would be able to follow him.

Katy sucked in a breath as big, heavy fists gripped her arms. She tried her best to keep from crying out as the man holding her started to beat on her back, his evil laughter ringing in her ears.

She thought about Cameron and
Allysa
…anything but what was happening to her body. She’d stopped trying to dodge each strike after too many landed on her face. Her own blood tasted metallic as it dripped from and into her mouth. Several well placed punches to her kidneys, and she finally broke her silence.

That only made her abductor laugh
harder.

As her vision began to darken around the edges, she heard the faint howl of a wolf.

She would have thought she had imagined it, but it grew louder. The man above her must have heard it also because he paused and she felt him tense.

That was the moment before all Hell broke loose.

One minute she was being held down, the next the window above her head broke as a large black wolf jumped through. The wolf landed on the man and he went down to the ground. The wolf was growling and she could hear the sound of flesh being ripped. The stench of blood assaulted her nose and she had to fight not to gag.

The horrible
sounds of a human dying only lasted seconds but even after all was
quiet, she could still hear it in her head.

She flinched when the wolf raised his head. Blood dripped from his muzzle, making his dark fur mat. Katy raised her eyes and gasped.

She knew the moment her gaze met that of the wolf’s exactly what Cameron’s secret was.

“Oh crap,” she managed before she finally passed out.

Katy didn’t want to open her eyes. If she did she would have to acknowledge everything that happened to her and what she had witnessed.

“Come on, baby,” Cameron encouraged her. “Open your eyes.”

She could feel his hard but comforting body around her. Her hands were free and he was rubbing her wrists.

“Katy, I know you’re awake,” he whispered against her ear.

She took a deep breath and did as he asked. Tears threatened to fall at the soft, worried and scared look on his face.

“Cameron…” she murmured.

“
Shh
, I know, honey.”

“I saw… You were…” She couldn’t get the words out.

“Yes,” he confirmed as he began to rock back and forth.

“How?” she asked before she noticed the room was full of people. She saw his partner taking pictures aided by her deputy Davis. She kept her focus above ground level to make certain she didn’t see the body in case it hadn’t been removed yet.

Cameron gently held her chin while he turned her to meet his eyes once again.

“I’ll tell you everything, I swear. I know you have questions but I promise to answer them. Don’t pull away again, Katy,” he pleaded. “I already thought I’d lost you forever once
tonight,
please don’t let that happen now.”

Katy closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. It didn’t matter what he was. Did it?
 

He was different, like her, but in entirely another way. It didn’t matter. She loved him. She’d sworn to herself that if she made it through, she would fight for him.

She blinked open her eyes, unable to hold in her tears. “I love you,” she whispered.

“Oh God, baby!” he choked. “I love you too.”

He stood with her in his arms. Katy buried her face in his chest, unable to look around. It didn’t matter if that made her weak. With Cameron with her, she felt like she could take on the world.

It was still dark outside when Cameron carried her out of the building. He walked over to the waiting ambulance and Katy started to object.

“You took several good blows. You need to go to the hospital,” he cut off any excuse she would have made. He set her on the gurney and she noticed he was naked.

“Um, Cam?”
She chuckled.

The worry and exhaustion on his face lessened. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said. “I’ll get dressed and then I’m riding in with you.”

Katy watched as he walked to the vehicle he and Ryan had rented. There was no shame evident, but he moved quickly. Both paramedics were looking after him, though. Katy knew the two from her work and cleared her throat.

The young woman, Stacy, blushed, but Ned, who she’d gone to school with, laughed. “Looks like we missed one hell of a party,” he said.

Katy grinned. Oh, he had no idea how much he missed. Actually neither did
she
. Cameron had found her pretty quickly.

Ryan and Davis hadn’t been too far behind obviously. But how was she going to write this in her report? A wolf jumped through the window? Oh yeah, that would go over well with the town folks.

She closed her eyes and leant her head against the hard surface of the gurney. So, okay—Cameron was a wolf.
Part wolf?
And he had saved her. Had he changed back before Davis got there? If so, how would they explain why he was naked?

She felt a gentle hand on her cheek and opened her eyes. Cameron, fully dressed, bent over her.

“Let’s get you checked out and then we’ll work through this.”

She nodded. What else could she do?

* * * *

They wanted to keep her for observation. Katy tried to argue with the doctor but between Cameron and
Allysa
, there was no way she was going to win. She gave up and let them take her to a private room.

While she was rolled down the hall, she pressed her hand to her head. They had cleaned her wounds, but she still felt the sticky residue from the blood in her hair. She needed to take a shower. She wondered if she would be able to manage at least that when she got into her room for the night.

The orderly who was taking her for the ride kept talking about all the interesting cases he’d seen since he started working at the hospital. Katy grunted when she figured it was needed since that was all she could manage.

Her head was starting to get fuzzy. She’d told them no painkillers. They made her loopy and she hated that.

Her mouth went dry and she could taste the medicine from her IV. Damn, they
had
given her painkillers.

Katy groaned as her eyelids started to droop. The orderly announced they were there and swung the door open. Katy grinned when she saw
Allysa
and Cameron inside waiting.

“My family,” she said happily before she was out.

Her head pounded and she had a terrible taste in her mouth. Katy opened her eyes but had to squint at the bright light in the room. Damn, that hurt.

She must have made a sound because Cameron leant over her, blocking out the light.

“You okay, babe?” he asked, his voice soft and husky.

Katy blinked her eyes several times to try to clear her vision. She licked her lips but there wasn’t any salvia in her mouth. “Bright,” she managed.

Cameron nodded and quickly made his way to the window. He closed the blinds before turning to her. Katy watched him, trying to notice the differences. Should she have known he could turn into a wolf?

Cameron met her gaze, letting her take her time assessing him.

“I had no idea,” she told him, her voice husky.

He nodded.

Katy had so much to say but none of it seemed as important as having him close to her. She shifted in the bed until she was sitting up. He continued to stay across the room.

“Cam…” she called to him and held out her hand.

He shuffled his feet as he slowly approached.

“Hold me,” she requested as their fingers touched.

“Oh, baby,” he whispered and gathered her gently against his chest.

Katy just soaked up the warmth he provided and rested her eyes. He felt solid and good. He felt like home. After everything that happened, she was so glad to be able to touch him that her eyes began to fill up with tears.

She didn’t wipe the moisture from her face. Instead, she buried herself deeper against Cameron and let herself cry.

“Oh, honey, baby,” he soothed, hugging her and running a hand up and down her back. “
Shh
, it’s okay. It will be okay.”

She tried to stop trembling but it was no use. She’d lost control of her emotions. She sobbed loudly and clung to Cameron.

“Let it go. Just give it to me,” Cameron urged.

“I love you…love you so much,” she chanted as they rocked.

It took several minutes to calm herself but when she did she took a deep breath and lifted her face to his. “Don’t ever leave me. I love you,” she declared.

“You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Katy,” he responded. “I’m not going anywhere. I know we have a lot to talk about. I need to explain things to you, but now that I have you, I will never let you go again.”

Katy had every intention of holding him to that promise.

Chapter Twelve

Cameron pulled in front of the Sheriff’s office with his truck loaded down with everything he could fit. It had been a long three months he’d been away from Katy and he couldn’t wait to see his mate.

Plus he knew the surprise he had for her would leave her speechless.

He turned the vehicle off and stepped out just as Katy exited the office and stepped onto the sidewalk. Her sunglasses were in her hand but she just paused and squinted at him. She blinked several times before she whooped loudly and ran to him.

Cameron barely had time to plant his feet before Katy launched herself through the air and into his arms.

“Cameron!” she shouted happily.

He laughed and pulled her tight against him. Their mouths collided in a messy, passion-filled kiss. Cameron’s cock hardened and he had to pull away so he could remain in control and not drag her to the truck to ravish her. “Hey, baby,” he greeted.

“I thought you were coming this weekend,” Katy questioned as he set her back on her feet.

Cameron stole another quick kiss. “I couldn’t wait another minute,” he admitted.

“Thank God!” she said on a laugh.

Cameron laughed with her. He’d only made it back for a couple of weekends over the last few months and all but one she’d had to work. She had tried to spend as much time as she could with him when he was in town but a Sheriff’s job was never quite finished. That had given him time to look around the town that would be his new home. He’d been pleasantly surprised with everything he found. It had taken a lot of help from his family, friends, and
Allysa
but finally everything had been put into place. The plan had come together. Starting that very night, Cameron was home.

He was there to stay. Both his and Ryan’s transfer to the El Paso office had gone through smoothly, so next week he would start making the forty-five minute drive to his new office.

He would stay in town with Katy, while Ryan had rented an apartment in El Paso. The commute every day was worth it to Cameron.

He couldn’t wait until he was able to go to bed and wake with Katy beside him every day.
Which was why the surprise he had in store would be even sweeter.

“Come on,” he urged. “I have something to show you.”

Katy gave him a curious look, but with a shrug let Cameron
lead
her to the passenger’s side of his truck. He’d had every intention of stealing her away when he reached town. He didn’t think she would have put up much of a fight.

Once he got her inside, he slammed the door and hurried over to the driver’s door. He climbed in quickly, his entire body jumping with excitement as he started up the old truck.

“Where are we going?” Katy asked as she reached out to run her hand over his thigh.

Cameron’s entire body tightened at her touch. Just the faint scent of her could make him go rock-hard in seconds. Her taste, the feel of her hands on him, drove him crazy.

Cameron bit back a groan as Katy lightly ran her nails over the zipper of his jeans. “You’ll see,” he told her.

“Hmm,” she breathed. “I wonder where you will take me, Special Agent?” she asked as she teased. The sound of his zipper lowering echoed around the truck and he tightened his hands on the steering wheel.

“Katy…” he practically begged. He could smell her arousal and it mixed perfectly with his own. “Honey…you can’t…” He trailed off as she spread the jeans material apart and pulled out his hard erection.

The open air brushed against his sensitive member as she fisted his cock. “Oh, how I missed this…missed you,” she commented, lazily stroking him.

Cameron dropped his head back against the seat but managed, barely, to keep his eyes on the road. “Oh God, baby,” he complained. “We’re still in town.”

Katy chuckled. “I know.”

Next he heard the sound of her seatbelt being released. He jumped when she dived across the seat and swallowed his dick. “Fuck,” he yelled and slammed a fist against the steering wheel.

Katy hummed in agreement around his cock.

Cameron left one hand on the wheel and buried the other in her thick hair as she sucked and teased. “Don’t stop,” he pleaded.

Her response was to tease the heavy vein that ran under his prick. He bucked his hips, automatically trying to get deeper into more of that hot, wet heaven.