Justin had bent over to get a new handhold on the chain to pull Eli up as soon as she had a grip.

That’s when he saw the wolf leap up and latch onto her ankle, dragging her down.

The damn wolf lifted his weapon, too.

Without any thought to how it would turn out, Justin jumped over the edge, aiming his body at the wolf. He hit Cazador’s shoulder, sending the gunshot wide.  The wolf had clearly decided to kill both of them and walk away from this job.

Justin’s bad leg folded as soon as he hit the ground.

A flash of energy buzzed the air. The fucking wolf was either shifting or using magic.

Shoving up on his arms and shaking his head, Justin dragged his supersized self around to deal with Cazador. That wolf had to die first so Justin could get to Eli.

But Eli’s clothes had been shredded and Mishka stood in her place. The grolar shook off the remnants of shifting.

Then Mishka ripped into Cazador, who screamed. His fingers clawed for the gun, but it had landed against the wall, out of reach.

Mishka severed his head then finished him off using her claws and enormous fangs. 

Heaving deep breaths by the time she finished, Mishka turned her blue-eyed gaze on Justin and moved over to rub her head all over his face and shoulders.

She made whimpering noises.

He lifted his hand to stroke the soft fur around her face.  Herc still wanted out, but more to check on Mishka than to attack what was left of Cazador.

Justin had a sick moment of wondering if he could change at all.

Herc said, Me strong.

Yeah, you are, buddy, Justin answered silently instead of trying to force words through his screwed-up jaws.  Let’s try to change all the way into our bear. We’ll just take our time.

Closing his eyes to focus all his energy internally, Justin called Herc all the way up. 

His arms finished changing before his torso was halfway there.  That wasn’t a good sign.

His torso should have shifted form faster.

As his legs fought to make the change, bone scraped against bone.  Justin wanted to throw up, but any distraction that stopped the change right now might end it all.

Warm hands covered his chest and energy soaked into his body, flooding his organs and limbs.  The change began to move faster and finally, he could feel Herc whole again.

His head felt light with relief, but it could be the titanium and blood loss.

Opening his bear eyes, Justin looked at the most beautiful blue gaze in this world. Naked and dirty, his Eli kneeled in front of him. 

He gave her a big lick across her cheek.

She laughed, a sound so pure and honest he was sure some angel had gifted her with it. But her laugh ended in tears. 

She hugged his neck and rambled watery words.  “You jump. Could die. Never do. Ever.” 

Justin told Herc to tell Mishka, We will always protect our mate.

He could tell when Mishka relayed that, because Eli’s arms hugged him harder.  “Do not die. I could not breath.”

Those words circled around inside him and found a home in his heart. 

They sat there, staring at each other, ignoring the wolf parts Mishka had tossed around.  They had to get out of here before the smell went from fresh blood to spoiled meat.

Eli leaned in and kissed Herc, who literally sighed.

No one would ever be a bear tamer like Eli.

He asked Herc, Ready to shift back so I can get Eli out of here?

How? 

Good question.  Looking up, Justin considered their options.  He asked Herc, How bad is the leg?

In reply, Herc moved the fractured leg and gave the equivalent of a bear wince.  But the leg didn’t flop around, meaning it had started healing again. 

Justin had a feeling Eli’s energy had something to do with that.  More questions to get answered about his unusual mate.

Gazing up at the top of the hole, Justin suggested to Herc, What if we stand on the strong leg and use the bad one just for balance so it can keep healing?

I like.

Okay, then you need to tell Mishka that when you lean against the wall, we want Eli to climb up until she can stand on your front legs. Then we can push her to the top.

Yes.

Eli had been stroking Herc’s shoulder, which was above her head with them sitting down.  Her hand stopped. She cocked her head and Justin figured she was listening to Mishka.

“We can do?” Eli asked.

Herc nodded. 

Standing up, she said, “Do not hurt leg more.”

Herc swung his big head back and forth.

Justin talked Herc through standing. His leg burned like crazy, but Herc never slowed from getting set.

On all fours in front of the place Eli had climbed last time, Herc walked his front paws up the wall instead of standing up on his hind legs. That prevented putting too much weight on the fractured bone all at once.

When Herc was ready, Eli pulled on her ragged shirt, which did little to cover her.  She slid between him and the wall.

Following her original path, she worked her way higher until she did a contortionist act to get herself above Herc’s forelegs, where she could put one foot on each thick leg.

She was still a foot short of the top edge.

Justin instructed Herc on what to tell Mishka so that Eli would put both feet on one leg.

Eli did as told.

Herc moved a paw away from the wall for her. When Eli stepped on the massive pad, he shoved her up in the air.

Justin hoped he hadn’t miscalculated.

Eli landed with her chest against the top edge and grunted. Then she clawed her way over and out. 

Hallelujah. Now how could he escape this stinking pit of death?

Herc eased back down and sat with the bad rear leg sticking out.

Justin said, I’ll explain to Eli how to get in the truck and call for help.

More wolves?

I don’t know, Justin told him, not satisfied with that plan either.

Where had Eli gone? She hadn’t stuck her head over the side yet.

Herc growled loud to get her attention.

Still no Eli.

Light was fading. If the sun vanished before she got down the mountain, she might not find her way. She might fall and hurt herself. She might ... 

Justin told Herc, We need to change back so I can talk to her.

Herc blew out a weary breath, but did his part to make the shift from animal to human take place. It was easier this time, which Justin took to mean they hadn’t damaged either of them permanently with the partial shift earlier.

Small blessings.

When he stood as a naked man again, Justin called out, “Eli?”

“Yes. Be quiet.”

“What?” Okay, that sounded angry, but he’d had better days.

Her head popped over the top.  “Sorry. Busy. Stay back.” She went away again.

Grabbing his aching head, Justin counted to ten ... and  then fifty.  Now was not the time to get cranky. 

A bear growled from above.

Herc had been resting, but hearing that brought him to attention. Mishka!

Why would Eli shift again? 

Herc said, Move to wall!

That order had probably come from Mishka, so Justin put his back against the rock and dirt side. 

A loud crack sounded and his heart fell.

Wait. That hadn’t been a gunshot. 

The sound of branches slapping around heralded a tree crashing down. Grunting followed that, and the next thing he knew a broken tree trunk with roots sticking out came into view over the edge above him, then it angled down.

Sliding slowly, the tree finally came to rest on the bottom.

He stuck his head out from his position to look up.

Mishka stared down with a happy bear grin. 

And someone thought Justin would give up that woman?

They were betting against the wrong bear shifter.  He made a move to climb and stopped, thinking about his weapon that Cazador had and where Justin had seen it against the wall of the hole. He dug through branches, starting to think it would be an impossible search, but his fingers grazed an object they knew well.  Fishing the gun out of that mess, he felt better knowing he had additional defense. He had more weapons in the truck and, per his usual practice with any rental, had hidden a spare key in the engine compartment. His heart thumped with renewed hope.

Climbing against rough branches and snapped-off, sharp limbs would be generally ill-advised when naked, but Justin made it to the top with all the important parts unscathed.

He stepped off the log as Eli buttoned the shirt that had belonged to Toro.

She tossed jeans at Justin. “You much bigger.”

“Glad you realize that,” he quipped.

“Men.” She shook her head but smiled. “Yes, much big, but same tall.”

Dropping the jeans, he stalked her, never slowing until he had her pulled to him and was kissing her sweet lips.  He didn’t give a damn about how dirty they both were.  After all they’d been through, he needed to feel her alive and safe in his arms.

She mumbled, “Missed kisses.”

Like he needed any encouragement to keep going? 

Hell, he’d stay right here for days and still not get enough of her. But dark would come quickly on this side of the mountain and his woman needed a hot bath, clean clothes and food.  He did, too.  Plus, he still needed Rory to get the damn titanium out of his leg.

With some effort, he let her go and stuffed his lower body into jeans that stank of wolf scent. 

He owed Monty an apology.

Then he began picking their way off the mountain, grateful as the light diminished to offer them cover to reach his truck.

Justin did a quick recon of the area around the trailhead, but saw no sign of life. Fingers crossed that there was no more magic involved that could cloak a wolf, they walked up to his rental. Eli eyed the transport parked alongside it with hate.

Justin slashed the tires to prevent it from going anywhere. He already knew who had rented it, and that shifter would not be back to claim it. 

First he had to ditch his truck, which would be too easy to track now that he knew he’d been followed here.

Once he and Eli found a place to eat and get a good night’s sleep, he had to call the Guardian and fill him in.  Justin hoped Eli would understand that they couldn’t continue on their own for another two days. He needed Rory to tend his leg and hoped tomorrow was soon enough.

Besides, he was itching to make her his mate, but he couldn’t do that until Nico’s release and transportation were guaranteed.

The only guarantee he would accept was the Guardian’s.

Justin knew how to keep a tail off of them, but he would stop only for the night.

He had to have her somewhere he knew he could protect her.

Without his mate, he had no life.