Chapter 26
The pack decided there was enough evidence against Keech to report him to the police.
They decided he acted alone, and the others on the force could be trusted.
The pack wouldn't let her go to the hospital for her hand. Instead, they tried to convince her into shifting.
“I don't understand what good it'll do me,” she asked, and they all seemed to smile at this.
“We should just explain it,” said Carter, obviously annoyed at this behavior.
“No, no, let her figure it out,” said Miller, the shifter from the newspaper.
“I can't shift when I'm this stressed out,” she admitted. Her hand was throbbing in pain. She was completely sure it was broken, and she just wanted to go to the hospital.
Carter made a face and then sighed.
“I'll shift. Under certain circumstances it might make you shift as well,” he said softly.
“Well, yeah, if she's your True Mate, but that stuff isn't real,” Miller laughed. “It's princess fairy tale shit,” he continued. It was strange for Willow to hear a shifter – basically a werewolf – scoffing at the improbability of anything. Carter made a face, though. whatever Miller had said hurt him.
She didn't want that.
“Try it,” Willow said. If it would ease her pain, she'd try anything.
“All right,” he said. Was that worry she heard in his voice?
Carter shifted slowly, his back and body rippling. He slipped out of his shirt, his pants, and underwear. His human nakedness was visible for only a moment as he became a wolf.
He was a beautiful wolf.
Charcoal and gray fur, streaked with white that made it look like a night sky with blurry stars.
Her heart beat heavily, and Willow could feel her body forcing her into the change.
She dropped to the ground in the pain of it, falling on her broken hand, and yelped out in pain.
Within moments, that pain was gone.
There was a paw, instead, and it seemed entirely intact.
What?
Miller stared at the two of them the same way the pack had the first time she shifted.
“I thought it was fake,” he whispered. “Fated Mates are a real thing?” she could hear him mumble.
Carter walked over to her, his wolf teeth nipped gently at her face, and then he licked her, and it was embarrassing how nice it felt.
When they finally shifted back, her hand was intact.
Painless.
“How?” she managed to get out, wiggling her fingers and flexing the hand.
“When we shift, our bones all break and rearrange anyways. It just fixes them if something's off,” he explained. “Doesn't work if the hand is cleaved off. You just end up missing a paw,” Carter went on.
***
She had to go through three different rounds of questioning with the police and two rounds from the pack.
By the time they made it back to the resort, night had long since fallen.
They held hands as they walked in, not saying anything. Their hearts were heavy, and their minds were busy.
Willow didn't know how to explain today.
She'd woken up in love, and by the end of the day found out he felt the same.
At the same time, she'd been kidnapped, had her hand broken, and had been terrified for her life. It was neither the best nor the worst day of her life. Willow squeezed Carter's hand gently, thoughtlessly, and he squeezed hers back with the same pressure without pause.
Commotion from their left came blazing out, causing them to drop hands.
“MISTER ANDRESSON!” Edwin, the owner of the resort, came running angrily. “How dare you step foot into my resort after that show you put on earlier?! Get out!” He stuttered to a stop as he finally took his eyes off Carter and realized Willow was next to him. His demeanor spasmed, like he wasn't sure whether to keep chiding Carter or put on a fake face for a good review. “Miss Royd,” he said, sweetening his voice.
“Yes?” she asked, amused by how transparently fake he was being.
“Mister Andresson here isn't a savory person to stay around. Please come with me, and I'll comp your dinner. He stormed out this evening, angry and aggressive,” Edwin explained, motioning angrily toward Carter.
“I think you should know the full story,” she shook her head. Edwin watched Carter carefully, like he suspected he had tricked Willow into liking him. “This man just saved my life,” she explained. “He saw I was missing from the resort and knew that there has been a recent trend of missing people being taken from town.” Edwin's face deflated as she continued on. “I was being held at gunpoint tonight by a serial killer, and Carter saved my life,” she explained. “The newspaper is running a story on him tomorrow that I helped pen. I wouldn't be here without Carter running out from work today,” she motioned to him.
Edwin looked like he wanted to cry from embarrassment.
“I'm so sorry,” he said, his bald spot beginning to sweat from nerves. “Please forgive my outburst. I had no idea,” he continued.
“I know you didn't,” she answered. “I'm not vindictive. Don't worry, I'll still give your resort an honest review,” Edwin seemed to fill back up with life.
“Of course, you can have your job back, Mister Andresson,” Edwin offered.
“He's got a new job now. He'll be applying at the police station,” she said as she shook her head.
Edwin eyed Carter thoughtfully.
“Him? Doesn't he have a past?” he asked. Willow bit the inside of her cheek and told herself that she'd need to ask him what that meant later.
“They couldn't afford to not have him,” she shrugged. “I'm going up to my room now. Have a good night,” she said dismissively, leading Carter by the hand again.
When they were out of earshot, Carter murmured in her ear.
“What do you mean I'm applying to be an officer?” he asked softly.
“You need a job where you can do good,” she explained. “You deserve so much better than being a security guard at an empty resort.” Willow lifted Carter's fingers to her lips and kissed them gently.