Nikos watched as the ground grew farther and farther away, all while gripping Ari’s hand tightly. He’d never been on a helicopter before and couldn’t stop himself from gazing down. When they moved higher, they felt as if the moon was close enough to reach out and touch.
Like magic hovered in the air around them.
Nikos drew in an unsteady breath, knowing they’d need a little magic to ensure they remained safe. Once they were in flight, he turned back to watch the medic working over Ari’s body. As each bullet was dragged out of him, Ari’s grip nearly broke the bones in his hand.
Yet he said nothing, knowing he’d do anything to absorb some of his brother bear’s pain. He caught his lover’s amber gaze and held it. He knew Ari’s sensitive shifter hearing should pick up his words over the rotors and sound of rushing air. “You’re doing awesome.”
Ari smiled, but his face was pale. Even in the moonlight, he could tell the difference thanks to his enhanced vision. Sweat dotted his brother bear’s brow. Nikos could feel the man’s heart beating erratically through the tight grip they held.
He used his free hand to brush away a few errant strands of dusty blond hair. “Not much more.”
“Says who?” the medic spat, lifting his head. “I’m maybe a quarter of the way in, if that. They went to town on him.”
Nikos glared at the medic who suddenly seemed to realize his mistake. “Sorry.” He quickly looked back down at his work. Another shifter sat at the medic’s side, holding a flashlight in one hand and a metal bowl to collect the bullets in the other.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” Ari said.
Nikos brushed his hand over his brother bear’s forehead again. “I’m not lying.”
Ari winced as the medic pulled out another. “You’re lying. And you suck at it.”
Nikos smiled, but he wasn’t feeling too much humor. Not when Ari was in pain. He squeezed his lover’s hand, trying to lend any strength he had. “I love you.”
Ari met his stare. “And I love you. More than you can know.”
Nikos cupped Ari’s cheek before lowering to press a kiss to Ari’s lips. Not long after he lifted back up, he looked to the medic. “How much longer before we’re there?”
The medic shrugged. “The heli is new for me. Not sure.” He looked to the man beside him, the one holding the pan for the bullets. “How long?”
“We’ll need to stop and refuel,” the man said, gazing at his watch. “From there, maybe another hour or so.”
Ari groaned, his eyes fluttering closed.
“You’ll be fine,” Nikos said, gazing around the helicopter. For something new, it didn’t look the part.
“Of course I will,” Ari said, lifting his lids and finding Nikos’ stare. “You’re here.”
Nikos raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to Ari’s white knuckles.
“Keep him still,” the medic spat before dragging out another bullet.
“How’s our patient?” Bull asked as he stepped closer and hovered near.
“Still breathing,” the medic said.
“Do what you can, Jamie,” Bull said before looking at Nikos. “Any idea why Project Zed would’ve singled Ari out?”
Nikos frowned. How did the rhino know Ari’s name? “No idea.”
Bull dropped to sit beside him. “Most of the shifters we’ve saved thus far had a unique talent, even for those in the paranormal world. Jericho was targeted because he’s a natural mutation of bear and werewolf.”
Nikos looked up at the one called Jericho, shocked. He didn’t know it was possible for a bear shifter to also be a werewolf. He’d scented it earlier and thought his nose was wrong. In the matter of an hour, their world had been flipped upside down… and he’d thrust them both into the center of it. Later, he’d worry about the repercussions. For now, he only wanted Ari to be well.
“We’ve also stopped Zed from capturing a shifter of enormous size. Another had an extremely strong sense of sight. It led me to believe they are looking for shifters who were above and beyond others.”
“I—” Nikos had barely opened his mouth to tell Bull of his own sense of smell when Ari squeezed his hand tight. He met his brother bear’s stare. Ari slowly shook his head, understanding his bear from that single look. “I—I don’t know why they would’ve gone after Ari.”
Bull glanced between them and didn’t look completely convinced at Nikos’ words. “Well, if you think of something… I hope you’ll tell me. We’re trying to stop them from hurting others of our kind. The more information we have… the better our chances.”
“If I think of anything, you’ll be the first I tell,” Nikos said. Ari’s words came back to him… saying he sucked at lying. He hoped he was doing an adequate job of it now.
A thought flickered… they’d seemed interested in Ari, yet he was the one with the above average sense. Had they truly been targeting the wrong bear by mistake?
He gazed down at Ari as Bull rose in his peripheral. Nikos watched as the man checked in with the pilots. He scented that one was human. He’d already noted one of the soldiers was, too. A dark-skinned human who smelled pregnant. Nikos frowned, wondering if the soldier had realized he’d put his unborn child at risk coming to fight that night. If he were able to carry a son, battle would’ve been the last place he’d go.
A small smile came to his lips as he saw the human hugged by one of the males… one of the creatures—the one who’d born wings. If Bull had in fact freed the monster… and now he was free to love and start a family of his own…
A family…
An ache hit him square in the gut. It was all Nikos wanted. A babe… his and Ari’s love made flesh. He wanted more than one, but he would take whatever fate gave them. He wasn’t greedy. A cub would cement their legacy, another generation of bear shifter made from their bond.
“What’s making you smile?” Ari asked, his voice almost too low for Nikos to hear.
“Nothing,” Nikos said, turning back to his brother bear. It was just a dream… one they might never reach. They would need to find a mate, and he knew how lucky he was to have simply found his brother bear amongst the humans.
Not that he should’ve had a brother bear. He was only a gamma, not a member of the beta class. When he’d met Ari, he’d felt utter shock to feel the bond he did. Ari hadn’t cared that he wasn’t beta. His brother bear had accepted him wholly… and loved him with everything the man was.
With shifters so scattered in the modern world, there were no true dens anymore, and those that did exist were filled with family. The only option was to search outward. Shifters were cast out, roaming in search of one another, many not even finding what he and Ari had.
It’s enough. He will always be enough.
Ari winced in pain as the medic pulled another bullet from him, and it pulled Nikos’ mind from its wandering.
“He’s healing so fast, I can barely keep him open long enough to pull the bullets out,” the shifter said before growling in frustration. “I have to rip him open just to get to them. And only the superficial ones. They’re going to have to prep for surgery at the clinic,” he spat at the male beside him.
That male began speaking into a radio on his shoulder.
“Surgery? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” Nikos asked, worry filling him.
“The doctors will have to open him up to get to the deeper ones,” the medic said. “I just don’t have the means to get them all out in the field.” The helicopter shuddered, making his hand slip—and Ari scream in pain. “And that doesn’t help.”
“Where’s this clinic? In the human world? Or in this Bear Mountain of yours?” Nikos tensed. If it was humans… that was impossible.
“We have our own clinic. More like a hospital now that the new surgical wing has been added on,” the medic said, still working to pull out another bullet. “Staffed by shifters. Shifters who went to medical school, I might add.”
Nikos relaxed some. “You have your own shifter hospital?” He’d heard tales of such in Midnight, though he’d never been there to see it himself. They were lucky to have a shifter who worked as a veterinarian not far from them. He was the best they could hope for.
“Bear Mountain has its own town—pretty much the whole Norman Rockwell painting and more. Except all the residents are shifters,” the male beside the medic said. “Where we’re free to be who we are and not worry about fitting in with humans.”
Nikos was almost afraid to believe a place like that truly existed.
Ari roared in pain as the medic pulled another bullet free.
“I’m going to put him under,” the medic said. “He’s healed so far at this point and I’m hurting him too much.”
“No,” Ari murmured, his face now coated in sweat.
“It’ll make the pain stop.”
Ari shook his head. “No. I can manage it.”
“I can protect us,” Nikos said. “Trust in me.”
Ari frowned. Nikos could feel the slight tremor in his hand and knew the reason why he fought being put under. Ari wouldn’t be able to protect him.
“I can watch over you,” Nikos said, reassuring his brother bear.
Ari finally nodded and a moment later, a needle was stuck into his arm. The medic kept working, extracting the bullets… but Ari slowly grew calmer… until he slipped away.