CHAPTER ELEVEN
Many of the werewolves just sank to the ground wherever they stood, those in their fur changed back to human form and began searching for their discarded clothes and shrugging into them. Those who had remained in human form looked bewildered and seemed to be seeking the comfort of their fellow Pack mates.
Ezra went over to Thea and just held out his arms, letting her choose whether or not to come to him. He was okay with whatever she wanted to do. She was a full grown, badass grizzly bear, and he loved every inch of her furry little self. Of course, she was little only in relation to him.
His bear was larger than hers, so to him, she was petite, while to everyone else, she was one titan of a mama bear. He loved that. He loved that everyone else would give her a wide berth, but she was his perfect match. She would never have reason to fear him in either of his forms, because she was as fierce and not-to-be-trifled-with as he was.
Thea came up to him and nestled close to his side. He ran his hands over her soft fur and reveled in the feel of his mate, safe, sound, and whole. He knelt in front of her to look into her eyes.
“You’re amazing, Thea. Gorgeous and strong, and all mine,” he whispered for her ears alone.
She put her massive, furry head over his shoulder, and then, he felt the tickle of magic as she turned back into her human form, hugging him with all her might. She was luscious and naked, but everyone around was a shifter. Nakedness was no big deal among their people. Still, she’d need some sort of covering to drive back into town. Ezra would deal with that in a minute. For now, he just held her through the shakes that came after the confrontation.
Thea wasn’t a hardened soldier. She wasn’t used to this kind of thing. Still, she’d handled the problem like a pro and had come out the victor. Her actions had brought about the end of an evil person who had held not just one, but two entire wolf Packs in thrall and ready to do mayhem to each other. Thea had helped save many wolf lives this night, and if she was a little shaky after the fact, nobody would think less of her for it.
On the contrary, the fact that she didn’t take the death of the sorceress in stride made the wolves respect her more. They’d heard what she’d said to Sarella, even in their zombie states. They might not have understood the full import as it had happened, but they knew what Thea had been saying now, and Ezra saw many of the wolves looking at them with approval, some with compassion, others with awe.
Not every member of the Packs that had been about to fight were actual fighters. There were many women and younger Pack members present on these hillsides. Many that wouldn’t have been engaged in warfare in the normal course of business. Those were the one who wore looks of horror at what had been about to happen. Non-dominant wolves and downright submissive wolves who would normally have been protected from this sort of confrontation.
Ezra noted the two Alphas going around to their people, speaking quietly and offering comfort. Nobody approached Thea and Ezra, though. The three bear brothers stood guard around them, their tall forms blocking the way even if any of the wolves had gotten up the gumption to interrupt.
But the wolves were moving away, gathering around their respective Alphas, seeking comfort and a clue as to what was going on. All hint of hostility was gone, and Arch was acting as go-between among the older and more military-looking of the Pack’s elders. Ezra thought that was a good sign.
“You guys okay?” Ace asked from beside Ezra. He was facing outward, watching the crowd below and the body of the dead sorceress rather than Ezra and his lady. Classy. And vigilant.
“We’re good, right, Thea?” Ezra drew back to look into her eyes. She was still a little shaky but doing better with each passing minute. She smiled for him.
“Right,” she told him. “But I ruined my clothes.” They chuckled together, able to smile after the ordeal. They’d lived, and the bad guy was dead. That had to count for something.
“That’s okay,” he told her. “You’re a knockout, no matter what form you wear. And I bet we can scrounge up something for you to cover up with for the ride back to the hotel.” He spotted something over her shoulder. “Your shoes survived, at least.”
Ezra looked up at Ace and gestured with his eyes. The other man went over and picked up the shoes Thea had worn, which had taken only minimal damage when she’d shifted to her bear form. Ace dusted them off and placed them down next to Thea, then he seemed to go into hunt mode.
The sorceress had ridden in behind the Southern Buttes Alpha, and she’d left some of her gear on his bike. Ace seemed to realize about the same time Ezra did that the other woman wouldn’t be needing her fancy coat or the scarf she’d left behind anytime soon. Plus, there might be information in her clothing that they could use. Regardless of whether or not Thea wanted to wear the coat or scarf, they’d be taking it back with them when they left, for further examination.
Ace called to his youngest brother—the one who was sensitive to magic—and asked Jack to sniff over the belongings of the dead sorceress. Wise precaution, Ezra thought. Jack nodded before Ace turned and brought the items back to Ezra.
Meanwhile, King went down to talk to the local wolf Alpha. When he came back, he went right back to the Alpha’s bike and removed a set of saddlebags, handing them to Jack for a good going-over before he headed toward Ezra and Thea with them. King crouched down beside Ezra and emptied the bags, which were full of clothing.
“Chase said that this was all Sarella’s, and we’re welcome to it, if it’ll help. He’s a bit in shock and feeling a lot of guilt. I think we’re going to have to talk to the man tomorrow, once this all sinks in,” King said.
Ezra nodded. “We can get help for him, and the others, if we need to, but I think he’ll bounce back. His Pack is strong and, aside from this incident, solid. Now that they’ve been badly burned once, they’ll be more hesitant about who they let close in future.”
While Ezra talked in low tones with King, Thea peeled back from him and started looking through the scraps of fabric. They were just clothes, as far as Ezra could see. Nothing dangerous, even if they had belonged to a madwoman.
Luckily, Thea was able to find a pair of stretchy yoga pants in the pile and a matching tank top. Both were black and both fit her like a second skin. Yowza.
The little white leather jacket fit over the stretchy black and looked amazing on Thea. For borrowed clothes, they fit like a glove. Nobody would ever know, looking at her now, that she was walking around in someone else’s kit.
Everybody else who had shifted had gone back to human form and found something to put on, just in case their little party was found by any passing humans. They hadn’t exactly hidden their trail here, but so far, it looked like they were going to get away with it, without any humans having seen anything.
When Ezra noticed Chase approaching Brock, holding out the hand of friendship, he realized everyone was holding their breath to see if the visiting Alpha would take issue with what had almost happened because of Chase’s girlfriend. But Brock was a steady sort of fellow, and he took Chase’s hand without hesitation, even pulling him in for a bro hug and some quiet words. Ezra noticed Arch nodding in approval from the background, as were several elders on either side.
When the Alphas broke apart, they walked together to where the bear shifters were safeguarding Sarella’s body. Thea was keeping her distance, but Jack was right next to Sarella, keeping watch with his extra sharp magical senses.
“How can we thank you?” Brock asked simply, looking at all five bear shifters in turn but focusing especially on Thea.
“You saved us all a lot of bloodshed and sorrow,” Chase added in a subdued tone. “If not for you, a large part of our Packs would be injured or dead by now.” Murmurs of fear and agreement met the local Alpha’s pronouncement.
“I’m just glad Thea was able to stop her,” Ezra said, standing tall beside his mate. She really deserved all the credit here. If not for her, they would have had a hell of a time dealing with Sarella.
“You killed her?” Chase asked Thea, looking at the body of the woman he’d been sleeping with until now. Ezra knew there was a lot of regret in the other man’s eyes, but he’d have to be one cold-hearted son of a bitch to not feel something now that the woman was dead.
“I’d have to take credit—or blame—for that,” Ezra said, stepping in. “She had the knife pointed at Thea’s belly. I dove for Sarella, grabbing for her hands, and we tumbled. In the tussle for the blade, it got turned around, and when we rolled, she took it to the chest,” Ezra reported the way he’d been taught in the military. Just the facts. No excuses.
“You weren’t intending for her to die?” Chase asked, proving that he wasn’t as cold-hearted as he tried to portray. That was actually reassuring to Ezra.
“No. If we could have captured her, I would have escorted her to the Lords myself. She might have been a good source for information about what our enemies are up to right now,” Ezra said, honest as he could be with the man who had just had his love life turned on its ear.
Chase nodded solemnly. “I know I’ve been a fool, but I really liked her when we first met. I’m not sure when the brainwashing—or whatever you want to call it—started, but she seemed like such a nice girl before…” Chase swallowed hard. “It’s going to take time,” he said finally and turned away.
Ezra felt for the man. Brock put a comforting hand on Chase’s shoulder, and the two werewolf Alphas walked away, back to their waiting Packs. Both Packs were intermingled now, friends again after a harrowing experience, Ezra was pleased to note.
By ones and twos, they began to head back to their bikes and then get on the road back to town. They’d arrived in a staggered fashion to avoid causing too much of a stir. They’d go back the same way.
Arch Hanson came up to the bears with a delegation of older wolves who all had that military bearing Ezra knew, from experience, was hard to shake. Arch looked at Ezra and then at the body of the fallen mage.
“Any plans on what to do with her?” Arch asked quietly.
“Not a one,” Ezra replied. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Clint here is a local, and a fellow SEAL.” Arch gestured to the burly werewolf standing to his right. “We can disappear her where she’ll never be found, if that’s all right. Is there anything special we need to do considering her magical past?”
“If you don’t mind me tagging along, I can take care of that for you,” Jack volunteered. Ezra nodded at the youngest brother, glad he’d stepped up.
“Jack’s your man for magical stuff. He’s got the best nose of all of us and not inconsiderable abilities of his own.” Ezra endorsed the younger bear.
“Then, we’ll be glad of his help,” Arch said, nodding, as did the other ex-military wolves with him. Then, Arch stepped up to Thea and took her hand in his. Ezra watched carefully, bristling at the nearness of any male to his mate. “Thank you, milady,” Arch said softly. “Your bravery in standing up for us has not gone unnoticed. We owe you a blood debt, and we will never forget that. You have friends among the White Oaks and Southern Buttes Packs, now and forevermore.”
Then, Arch leaned down and kissed the back of Thea’s hand like some kind of medieval knight. Ezra watched, bemused, as Thea blushed. She seemed surprised by the attention but truly touched by the warrior wolf’s words.
Arch turned and left her, moving to discuss logistics with his small group of ex-military wolves and Jack. Thea just shook her head as he left, meeting Ezra’s gaze with a sort of shocked and amused expression on her lovely face. Ezra went to her and tugged her in for a quick hug.
“All right?” he asked. When she nodded, he shifted so that his arm was around her shoulders. “Ready to roll? I think these guys can handle the cleanup here.”
“Yeah, I’m ready to leave this place and never come back,” she said, her words dripping with post-battle exhaustion. After the adrenaline that must’ve been powering her moves throughout the confrontation, there was bound to be a bit of a letdown now that things were quieter.
Ezra walked, arm in arm, with Thea back to where they’d left their bikes and took a moment to just hold her before they took off. When they parted, they mounted their separate bikes and headed out, making their way back to town and their waiting hotel room.
Once back at the hotel, Thea stripped out of the borrowed clothes and put them in a plastic bag. She didn’t want to see them ever again, but Ezra might want them for some reason, since they’d belonged to Sarella.
Sealing up the plastic bag as tight as she could, she put it in the farthest corner of the room. She didn’t want to be reminded of that woman or her clothes for as long as she could manage it. Sure, the fallout of this day’s work would take a long time to deal with, but Thea didn’t really need the visual reminders on display every time she walked through the room.
Thea heard Ezra making a phone call and letting someone know that the cavalry was no longer needed. He had a large network of friends with very interesting skills, it seemed, which she thought was probably a very useful thing to have when you put yourself on the line as part of your daily work routine. He may call himself a troubleshooter, but he was more of a trouble-magnet.
Of course, there was no one better suited to deal with trouble when it found him. Ezra was one in a million. She’d respected him before, but after the action today, her admiration for his skills and acumen had only risen. He was hell on wheels when it counted and she was so blessed to have him in her life. He was a special man. A special bear.
As she listened for a moment, she could hear him giving a concise report of what had happened. She went about her business as he spent a few minutes explaining the action to whoever he had called, but Thea tuned him out after the first few moments. She had better things to do than rehash what she’d just lived through.
She marched herself straight into the shower and turned the water on as hot as she could stand it. She needed to wash off the stink of the battle. The stink of her own fear and sweat. The smell of Sarella’s blood on her hands.
A hot shower would be a good start.
Ezra let Thea have a few minutes to herself, but he knew not to leave her alone too long. He had a few reports to file, and he could easily guess at the kind of emotional issues sweeping through Thea’s mind.
He’d been in combat. Many times, in fact. He knew what it could be like after, and he hoped he could provide what Thea needed so that she wouldn’t suffer damage to her own fierce spirit by what had happened tonight.
He vowed that he wouldn’t let that happen. No how. No way. Thea was done being hurt if Ezra had anything to say about it.
He made a few, very necessary, phone calls. There were folks higher up the food chain who needed to know what had happened here, including his employers and even his contact close to the Lords of all Werefolk. The Lords were keeping track of all the strange happenings in their territory, which included the entirety of North America. It was one of their tasks to look for patterns in magical activity or threats to shifters in their domain and coordinate a response, if at all possible.
By the time Ezra had given his reports to the proper people who could do something useful with his information, he figured he’d left Thea alone long enough. He started stripping off his clothing on his way towards the bathroom. When he opened the door to what had become a steam box, he was barefoot and bare-chested. Whether he lost his pants and joined her under the steamy spray of water was up to Thea. He leaned up against the wall to the side of the enclosure and met her gaze through the foggy air.
“How are you doing, honey?” he asked quietly.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s hard to get clean.”
Now that said more than the simple words used in the sentence. He knew that feeling. The stain of death on your soul that made it hard to feel truly clean.
“Do you want some help? I can scrub your back,” he offered, smiling gently at his lover, his mate.
In answer, she pushed aside the clear curtain and invited him in. Ezra shucked his pants in a quick move and joined her under the near-scalding spray. He adjusted the water temperature to something a little lower than the molten lava setting she’d had it on and gathered her into his arms.
She was wet, and her skin was slippery against him, soap suds still lingering in places where she hadn’t yet washed them away. And she was trembling.
That would never do. Ezra rocked her slick body against him, trying to impart some of his strength to her shaky limbs. He stroked his hand down her spine, trying to soothe her, and she responded to his touch, calming after a long while. At that point, he began to take care of her. He grabbed the soap and lathered her body again, making sure to get the spots she’d missed the first time and scrubbing her back like he’d promised, combining washing with a gentle massage.
She leaned back into him after a while, and he just held her, wrapping his arms around her middle and enjoying the sensation of her soft, wet body against his. He lowered his head, nuzzling her ear.
“You feeling better now?” he asked, his voice low in the echo chamber of the shower.
“Yeah. Thanks.” She paused before continuing. “I didn’t expect it to feel so bad…after. I mean, I felt triumphant at the time, and I’m glad I was able to overcome my fears and all, but it’s not like I expected it to be now.”
“That’s because you have a conscience and you’re a good person,” he told her. “While you may have felt a thrill of exhilaration at the moment of triumph, you aren’t the kind of soul who revels in death.” He kissed her temple. “It had to be done, and it wasn’t your fault. Fate decided Sarella’s final moments. Neither of us intended to kill her. It just happened. And, because we are people of conscience, we’ll think about it and wonder if there was something we could have done differently.”
Thea turned in his arms to look up into his eyes. “I saw what happened with her and that knife. There was nothing you could’ve done differently, Ezra. She basically killed herself by not surrendering when she knew her plan was foiled. By continuing to fight and by pulling that knife on me, she sealed her own fate.”
He knew his tender-hearted mate was saying this to make him feel better, but he’d long ago come to terms with the fog of war. Things happened. Things you couldn’t control, didn’t plan, and never expected. How you dealt with them after the action was what determined your path in life. If he hadn’t been able to cope, he would’ve given up soldiering long ago and become a fisherman…or something even less confrontational.
“I’m glad you feel that way, Thea,” he said quietly. “What you just said? It applies to you as well as me.”
Thea’s eyes widened, and then, she chuckled softly and shook her head. “You’re a sly one, Ezra Tate.”
He tapped one finger to his temple and returned her grin. “Always think a step ahead.”
“Is that what they taught you in the military?” she asked, almost purring.
Ezra took her playfulness as a good sign that she was coming out of the battle shock. He stepped up his game, leaning in to kiss her, taking his time about it.
When Ezra kissed her like that, time and space stood still. They were the only two beings in the universe, and soon, it would be hard to tell where she started and he left off. She loved the way he could make her forget everything but him. Her mate.
Maybe that’s what mates were supposed to do? She’d bet the Mother of All knew exactly what She was doing when she matched up certain souls. In her case, Ezra had seen her at her absolute worst. And he was starting to see her at times when she was proud of the woman she had become out of her ordeal. Maybe, as they traveled the path of life together, he’d get to see her when she’d finished evolving into…whatever it was she was now becoming.
She still wasn’t exactly sure what she was. She’d been a warrior tonight, but it didn’t feel good after the fact. Maybe that wasn’t her path. But she’d certainly felt good helping Ezra track down the problem here in South Dakota. Maybe she would be able to help him in his investigations, if he kept working as a troubleshooter.
There were so many question marks about the future. They hadn’t really discussed it at all yet, but she was confident they’d figure it out. At the moment, all she really could concentrate on was Ezra. Kissing her. Making her feel not-alone in the universe. Making her feel…loved.
She welcomed him when he pushed her up against the cool tile of the shower. After the near-scalding temperatures she’d started out with, the slick tile felt good against her back. And it was slippery, so when he lifted her up with one strong hand under her buttocks, she slid happily up the wall in defiance of gravity.
When he probed at her entrance with his hard cock, she was ready and waiting, wanting him inside with no further preliminaries. Tonight was about raw emotion, not finesse. She didn’t have time or patience for finesse. They’d do that later. Much later.
For now, she wanted him inside her, fucking her in the most primal way. Man to woman, need to need. Life to life. Love to love.
They had survived the test and come out the victors. They had vanquished their enemy and saved a lot of souls from pain and bloodshed. They’d done good. But this moment was just for them. Alone. Two souls, becoming one.
Ezra pushed inside as she held his gaze, loving him silently, yearning for the moment when they would be complete, yet not wanting to rush to the culmination of this experience. It was too powerful. Too raw emotionally. Too honest to let pass too soon.
He seated himself, and they just stayed there for a long moment, looking deep into each other’s eyes. All traces of mirth were gone. This was just them. Bare. Naked in every way. Unrefined emotion billowing through their spirits and buffeting each other, protecting each other when they finally found the sync between their souls.
Then, he began to move within her, and they found a new synchronization. A new rhythm that was theirs alone in all the universe. Ezra pushed, and Thea accepted for a long while until it felt like they were straining together toward some unreachable knowledge that would reveal all the secrets of existence, just for them.
Thea growled, and Ezra answered, from deep in his throat. Their animal spirits were present and approved of their human sides’ actions. The animals didn’t understand some human concepts, but they grasped devotion and the natural perfection that Thea and Ezra, together, created and refined. Their animal instincts had recognized it well before their human sides, when Thea’s bear had fought to survive because Ezra was there, holding a promise of this moment in his soul, as he’d held her tortured body in his arms.
She’d have known way back then, if she’d been able to hear the thoughts of her splintered bear half, that they would come to this moment out of time. This communion of souls. This commitment of hearts.
She exploded in sensation as Ezra shouted her name, his growls driving her own passions higher. She felt the rumble of his bear under his skin, the sound vibrating against her sensitized skin. It was glorious.
The climax went on and on, them straining together while the water kept pulsing down around them, steam wafting through the air like the clouds in the sky. She was floating on them, held suspended by Ezra’s strong arms and the wall behind her.
She never wanted to move again. She could die happy, right here in the hotel room shower.
But Ezra wouldn’t let her do anything of the kind. After long, long moments of bliss, he lifted slightly away, bending his head slightly to kiss her. Deep, drugging kisses. Kisses of thanks. Kisses of joy. Kisses of the commitment of one heart to another that said, without words, that this… This was forever.
He lifted her off him and out of the shower, depositing her bare ass on the stone countertop next to the sink. Luckily, it was covered with a towel she’d left out, or she would’ve jumped at the cold stone on her overheated skin. The tile in the shower stall had been one thing while her passions were riding high, but in the aftermath, she was feeling a bit more sensitive.
Ezra dried her off, using another of the fluffy towels provided by the hotel. He wrapped one around her hair and squeezed a lot of the moisture out. She’d scrubbed her scalp hard before he’d joined her and used the entire little bottle of shampoo provided by the hotel. They’d have to get more if they stayed, but she couldn’t regret her cleaning binge. She felt a lot better and knew that not a single molecule of Sarella’s blood was left on her person. That was important.
Her claws had sunk deep into the sorceress’s skin, and when Thea had shifted back, that meant her nails and fingers had been bloody. She’d wiped it off as best she could, but Thea hadn’t felt that her hands were really clean until she’d scrubbed at them under the hot water with loads of soap.
Ezra dried his own stunning body with a lot less care than he showed her. Still, she felt herself salivating as he drew a damp towel over his chest and muscular torso. She wanted to lick the moisture off his body, but her muscles were limp. He’d loved her into the next incarnation, and though her spirit was willing for more, her flesh had experienced about all it had the energy for just at that moment.
She didn’t protest when Ezra picked her up in his strong arms and walked, naked, with her into his bedroom. He deposited her on his bed and came down next to her, tucking them both under the covers. He drew her into his arms and spooned her close. She felt absolutely wonderful. And tired.
“Sleep, honey. We’ll talk about everything in the morning. Right now, we both need some rest,” he whispered against her ear, nibbling on the lobe lightly, as if he couldn’t help himself.
She smiled, even as sleep started to steal over her senses. “You’re a good mate, Ezra.”