Chapter Seven
“What the hell is going on here?”
“Micah, calm down. No one can talk to you when you’re like this,” Stacey said crossly.
“I’m gone for two weeks, and not only has someone tunneled their way into the territory, but another bear has attacked? And there is a goddamn witch in the clinic? Explain yourself. Now.”
Jackson winced as Micah screamed at him. The alpha had every reason to be angry. Everything had gone to hell since he’d been gone.
“Can we have some peace and quiet?”
Heads turned as Dr. Gratsky entered the waiting area. “She needs to sleep.”
Stacey reached out and put a reassuring hand on her husband’s arm. “Micah, sit down. Maybe give them a chance to explain before you start yelling at them.”
Micah sat and glared at his two best friends. “Explain. Now.”
“I found Natalie stealing a jacket from the store. I could sense her fear and panic. She was running from a bear shifter, and she had every reason to believe that her life was in danger. I offered her protection.”
“Why?” Micah shook his head. “Why would you offer to protect a witch?”
“I thought she was just an empath. She thought she was just an empath. We didn’t know. It doesn’t matter though. I love her,” Jackson said quietly. “She’s my mate.”
Micah growled. “When I said you could marry whomever you wanted, I meant human. You can marry a human.”
“Don’t be a hypocrite,” Stacey snapped. “And let him finish.”
“Paul thought she had stolen something from him. He was desperate to get it back. It turns out that she did inadvertently take something, but she thought it was just a pen.” He nodded to Brent.
Brent pulled out his laptop. “It was actually a flash drive, and it outlined a pretty sick plan. Paul wanted to be alpha. He was strong, but their alpha was still stronger. So he began to boost himself the blood of a witch. All the information is here.”
“We think that he suspected that Natalie was a witch. She, of course, didn’t know, and so she had no issues being with him. Paul wanted to turn her so that he could use her. But she got away before he could carry out his plan.”
“How does a witch not know that she’s a witch?”
“I can answer that question,” Gratsky said smiling. “Natalie’s witch gene is recessive. It leaked out every now and then, but it didn’t truly show its potential until it mingled with the saliva of a shifter. It protected itself by becoming a more dominant gene. Had Paul never bitten her, Natalie would have never had any active powers.”
Micah stared at Jackson. “What are you going to do?”
“Marry her,” Jackson said instantly.
The alpha rolled his eyes. He looked at Brent. “Do you trust her?”
“She protected Jackson. He’d be dead without her. That’s good enough for me.”
“Where did the tunnel come from?”
Brent shook his head. “I’m still working on that.”
The alpha nodded. “Keep it under wraps for now. Doctor? Will the witch be okay?”
“She’s stable. We’ll know more when she wakes up.”
“Great. I’m going to unpack. Jackson?”
Jackson lifted his head uneasily.
“Good job holding down the fort while I was gone,” Micah said easily.
Jackson nodded. The alpha and his wife left the clinic, and he looked at Brent. “Thanks for having my back. Both with Paul and just now.”
His friend nodded. “I need to speak to the alpha of Paul’s pack and let him know what’s going on. While I’d love to take care of him, I’m sure he’ll be better suited to dole out justice.”
“Is he still unconscious?”
Brent nodded. “He hit the wall pretty hard. I’m not sure when he’ll wake up, but the silver irons should keep him docile for now.”
Jackson shuddered. Silver was the one weakness of a shifter. Brent took out his phone and stepped out to make the call. Jackson looked in on Natalie. “What’s going to happen to her?” he asked anxiously.
The doctor shrugged. “I’m about to draw some blood and run some tests. I’ll let you know then.”
***
Natalie felt surprisingly energetic when she woke up. Her vision was sharp, and she sprang up in bed. Where the hell was she?
“Easy.”
She turned to the familiar voice. “Jackson! You’re okay.” She reached over to hold him, but he kept his distance. “Jackson?” she asked hesitantly.
“Dr. Gratsky, she’s awake,” he called out. Immediately, an older and portly man came into the room.
“Natalie! How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she said, bewildered. “How long have I been out?”
“Three days.”
“Three days!” she gasped. Suddenly, she remembered what happened. Her eyes widened as she grabbed at her shoulder. “Oh god. I’m a shifter. Paul. Paul bit me.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“You are not a shifter,” the doctor said with a smile. “I ran some tests, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure that you won’t turn.”
“How is that possible?” she asked in a small voice.
“Jackson tells me that you’re an empath. What do you know about being an empath?”
Natalie shrugged. “Not much. My grandmother was much better than I am. I just get a few faint traces of people’s emotions. Usually only when they’re strong.” She swallowed hard. “Although, now that I think about it, I feel some traces from both of you.”
She turned to Jackson. “Why are you afraid?”
He backed out. “I’m going to give you two some room,” he said quietly.
“Jackson?” she turned to the doctor. “What the hell is going on?”
“Natalie, has there been anyone you could talk to about this empathic ability that you have?”
“No,” she said slowly. “My grandmother has been gone for awhile now, and my mother never had the ability. But she passed away a few years ago. Why?”
“I just think if you knew more about your heritage, this might not have happened. You see, an empath isn’t just a psychic ability. It’s a type of witch.”
“A witch?” Natalie recoiled. “I would know if I was a witch.”
“It appears to be a recessive trait in you. When the shifter bit you, your body had to choose between one ability or another. And the recessive trait became a dominate one. It’s a good thing, too. It saved Jackson’s life.”
Shifter’s hated witches. That explained why Jackson didn’t want to stick around. He’d never care for her now.
Once again, she was alone.
“Do I need to stick around?” she asked in a neutral voice. “Is it okay if I leave?”
Gratsky frowned. “I’d like to keep an eye on you for a few more days, if that’s okay. I’ve never been able to examine a witch. It’s with your permission, of course.”
Natalie nodded, but she had no intentions of sticking around. Being near Jackson and not having him would hurt. She already knew that. “I’m going to get you something to eat,” the doctor said kindly. “Any requests?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said honestly. She didn’t plan on being around to eat it.
He exited the room. When she heard him leave the office, she immediately threw off the sheet on her bed. Stripping the bed gown off, she pulled on the pajamas she was wearing the morning of the attack and slipped out of the building.
At least this time she wasn’t running for her life. That would, at least, make things easier. She could go back to original plan of going to the city and settling down. If she hid the fact that she was a witch, maybe she would blend in with society a bit better.
“Always on the run.”
She froze. Jackson stood under the tree outside the clinic and watched her intently. “I just thought it would be easier,” she muttered. “For everyone.”
“You though it would be easier if you just ran away again? Is it that easy for you to leave me?”
She turned away from him. “Look, I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me. I really do. You saved my life. But things are different now.”
“How?”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean, how? Before I was a human with some psychic abilities. Now I’m a witch. Everyone knows that witches and shifters don’t mix. I know you hate me now.”
“Hate you?” in the blink of an eye, he’d crossed the small clearing and grabbed her wrist. “Why the hell would you say that?”
She pulled out of his grasp. “Are you kidding me? You could barely look at me inside. It’s clear that you can’t stand the sight of me. Why are you fighting me on this?”
He laughed hoarsely and pulled her into his grasp. “I definitely don’t hate you, Natalie. I failed you. I promised that I would keep you safe, and if it weren’t for your witch gene, you’d be a bear shifter. And you’d belong to Paul’s pack. I figured you’d hate me.”
She collapsed against him. It was nice to feel his warmth again. “You didn’t fail me. Every time I was in danger, you found me. I don’t hate you,” she muttered. “I love you. You did save me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, Natalie. I have from the moment I felt you enter my building.”
“Even though I’m a witch now?”
“You’ve always been a witch. Just because you’re more powerful now doesn’t change how I feel about you. And it doesn’t change anything about you. I don’t care if you’re a witch, vampire, or otter shifter. I love you. I love everything about you,” he whispered into her ear.
And in that moment, she was happier than she’d ever been in her entire life. Jackson loved her. “What do we do now?”
“You’re going to marry me.” He pulled back and searched her face. “You’re my mate.”
She punched him lightly in the arm. “Aren’t you supposed to ask, first?”
He shook his head. “And give you a chance to say no? Absolutely not. You’re mine.”
“I am yours,” she said with a smile. “But what about your pack?”
“They’ll love you. And no one is going to be upset with a witch by our side. But I have to warn you. I think something big is about to happen. And I’m not sure I want you in the middle of it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not leaving your side. If you’re going to be in the middle of it, I’m going to be in the middle of it. That’s what marriage is. That’s what love is.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and Natalie suddenly didn’t care about her being a witch or him being a shifter. She didn’t care about their past, and she didn’t care about the future. At that moment, he was a man that she loved. She was the woman that he loved. And life couldn’t be more perfect.
THE END