He quickly got out of the car and went around to open the door and help the smaller man to the snowy ground. He wrapped a hand around Adrian’s arm to make sure he didn’t slide on the ice. His graceful mate gave him an amused look but didn’t protest as Talan led him up the stairs.
“It’s slippery here,” he muttered. That sounded lame even to him. He couldn’t explain his obsessive need to make sure Adrian didn’t suffer a moment of harm. While he knew his delicate-looking lover had tremendous inner strength, sometimes he worried about Adrian’s slim bones and his fragile air.
As if he could read his mind, Adrian responded, “I’m stronger than I look.”
“I know.” He really did, however that didn’t stop him from hovering.
He received a gentle smile and a shake of the head as Adrian turned his attention to peeling back the police tape and opening the door.
“They didn’t lock it?” Talan asked, curious to see the scene again.
“Apparently not.” Adrian stepped inside with Talan close on his heels.
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Amber Kell
30
The police had taken the body but there were blood streaks on the floor. A half-hearted attempt at cleaning it had soaked up the pool of blood, but there were still obvious signs of red on the wood floor.
The smell of death hung heavy in the air. Talan wrinkled his nose and nearly smiled when he saw Adrian’s lip curl. Sometimes his lover’s wolf was very close to the surface.
“It’s almost impossible to smell anything useful. One of the people must’ve been wearing some awful cologne,” Adrian muttered.
Talan scented the air and had to agree. Whoever it was liked patchouli. Talan shuddered, his nose twitching. “Let’s take a quick look around and get out of here.” Adrian shrugged, a defeated motion of his shoulders. “It was a stupid idea. I doubt I’ll see anything the police missed even if the sheriff did a half-assed job.” The pair walked through the cabin but since it only consisted of a main room, one bedroom and a single bathroom, there wasn’t tons to explore.
“Well that was a waste of time when we could’ve been having sex,” Adrian said, looking around.
Talan smiled. Despite the lingering smells of death and heavy perfume, he was happy to be alone with Adrian. “Come on. Let’s go back to our cabin and get away from this stench.”
It was the fragrance of patchouli clogging his nose that made him unaware of the danger until it was too late. After opening the door, he immediately noticed that the Hummer’s tyres were slashed. He held up a hand to stop Adrian.
“Someone’s been here.”
Footprints surrounded the vehicle but there were no signs of another person in sight and no other tyre tracks. Stepping carefully around the vehicle, he saw a set of what looked like ski marks.
“Looks like someone else doesn’t like your planet-polluting vehicle either,” Adrian said.
“Cute,” Talan replied. The tingle on the back of his neck alerted him to someone watching them, but a thorough scan of the area brought out no suspects. “Let’s shift and run back to the other cabin. It’s only about a quarter mile away.” Adrian nodded. “Sounds good.”
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TALAN’S TREASURE
Amber Kell
31
Stripping quickly and trying not to worry about his nuts shrivelling to raisins, Talan closed his eyes and concentrated on changing. Minutes later, he pranced around in the snow on large lion paws. A soft bark from his mate had him turning around to see the pretty grey wolf who held his heart in his furry paws.
He growled low before running off. He knew his mate would follow. Still, the sensation of eyes on him didn’t fade. He turned back to give a warning growl when the sound of a shotgun cracked and Adrian gave a yelp.
No!
Spinning around, Talan rushed back to his mate. The snow exploded around him as he ran across the icy earth, heart pounding. Adrian had to be all right. He had to be. Terror struck him, almost bringing him to his knees when he saw his beloved wolf lying in the snow-covered grass, the icy white turning red beneath the small body.
Heedless of his nakedness, Talan switched back to his human form and picked up the injured wolf. The sound of a snowmobile starting up filled the air. Talan didn’t even bother chasing it. He needed to get Adrian back to the cabin where he could get warm and Talan could examine his wound.
Adrian let out a soft whimper when Talan jostled his body. “Shh, love, we’ll get you to safety.” Hopefully the bullet had gone straight through.
“Mate.”
Adrian’s voice came through their mate link. Soft and filled with pain, it ripped out Talan’s heart. “
Hurt.”
“I know, baby, I know. I’ll get you patched up.” He rushed back into the shelter of the caretaker’s cabin and settled Adrian on the couch, the closest flat surface he could find. The soft gurgling noise coming from Adrian’s chest concerned him.
With a careful touch, he prodded at the wound but with all the fur it was difficult to determine the level of injury. The large amounts of blood pumping from the bullet hole didn’t help the situation. Talan could almost feel his heart bleed out along with his mate’s.
“Don’t shift!” he warned the wolf. If Adrian shifted while a bullet was lodged in him, it might move to a more critical place and he could potentially die.
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TALAN’S TREASURE
Amber Kell
32
Sweat beaded Talan’s brow as he looked at his injured love. If this bullet killed Adrian, he would follow him. As much as he loved his family, his home, his life, he couldn’t live without his heart.
“Don’t be an idiot. You’ll be just fine. The bullet went through.”
Adrian’s pain-filled words drifted into his mind. With a soft cry, the wolf transformed into Talan’s favourite human.
“Fuck.” Blood smeared across Adrian’s chest as the wound sluggishly spurted out blood from the quickly healing hole.
“I-I’ll be fine. The bullet went through,” Adrian said again.
His voice, shaky and weak, reassured Talan as nothing else could. If his wolf shifter bothered to expend the energy to speak out loud, the situation couldn’t be as dire as Talan had feared.
“You can’t die on me.” It was a stupid thing to say but the words came out, necessary as air. There was no in-between. They lived or died by Adrian’s life.
“I w-won’t die,” Adrian insisted but his voice, usually so strong and definite, sounded faded and uncertain.
“You better not.” Talan swallowed the lump of emotion building in his throat. His mate needed him to be strong.
Relief cut through him sharper than any knife as he watched the hole close before his eyes. Holding back the uncharacteristic urge to sob, Talan grabbed a hand towel from the kitchen and dampened it before rushing back to Adrian’s side to wipe at the blood clinging to his wound. “You’re healing.”
Adrian’s skin had an unnatural pallor, but the bullet hole was almost closed. “I told you I’d be fine.”
“Yes you did,” Talan agreed soothingly. “I should’ve trusted you more.” Should’ve trusted that his lover wouldn’t leave him. After taking so long to find his soul mate, he lived in terror of the loss.
Closing his eyes, Adrian slipped into a healing sleep. Talan placed a hand on his lover’s chest to confirm its rise and fall. Assured that Adrian was truly sleeping, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Seconds later he was talking to Kade.
“He was what?” Kade’s hard voice had the tone of an Alpha, demanding and strong.
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Amber Kell
33
“Shot. Who else might be in this area that you can think of?” After telling Kade about the sheriff’s half-assed investigation, he needed someone on his side. Preferably not his beloved. If he never saw his love injured again, it would be too soon.
“I’ll be right there.” The coldness of the Alpha wolf’s voice was chilling.
“No, you have a pup on the way. You can’t leave your mate any more than I can leave mine.”
“I’ll send someone then.”
Talan lifted his head and looked out the window. “It’s snowing again, too dangerous.
Tell me who might want us dead.”
“I don’t know. We’ve owned that land for centuries. Our great-great grandfather bought it.”
“I thought at first it was a case of rage against your cousin, maybe one of his casual lays, but there’s no reason to shoot at us.”
“Have you talked to the sheriff?” Kade asked.
Talan laughed. “I got the impression the sheriff would throw a party if we got our asses shot. He’s definitely not a member of the shifter fan club.”
“Do you think he shot at you?”
“No. He disliked us but I didn’t smell any true hatred. I think we were more annoying, and he was indifferent to Darren’s death. Coming out here and slashing my tyres and shooting at us doesn’t make sense. Especially since, like you said, you’ve been coming here for years. It must be someone new.”
“I agree, but I didn’t hear of anyone new moving in,” Kade said.
“I’ll do what I can on this end but we are pretty much stranded. My vehicle is out of commission and the snow makes things impassable.”
“As soon as things clear I’ll send up a helicopter to get you guys out of there.”
“Thanks, Kade, but I can get one of my pride to fetch us. You don’t have to bother.”
“When you mated with my brother you became part of the family. You might never be a member of my pack but you are still my brother-in-law. I won’t leave my family abandoned, especially on my own property,” Kade insisted.
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Amber Kell
34
A warm glow filled Talan. He’d never really given Kade much consideration other than thanking him for sending Adrian his way. That the man considered him a member of the family took Talan by surprise. He didn’t know why—wolves were very pack-orientated.
“Thanks, Kade.”
Accepting the wolf Alpha’s help would make both Kade and Adrian happy. He knew his mate would like it if everyone got along. They hadn’t fought in the past but they weren’t close either.
He wrapped up their conversation with little more knowledge about their situation than he started with, but a better understanding of his brother-in-law. Looking over at his lover, he gave a low growl. The man who’d shot Adrian would pay. Carefully lifting the smaller man, Talan carried him to the big bed. The small cabin stank of blood and cologne but fortunately the smell was less in the bedroom. If they stayed there much longer, Talan wondered if he’d lose his olfactory sense beneath the stench.
Adrian’s beautiful green eyes fluttered before finally opening. Talan got a tired smile and his lover’s fingers traced Talan’s lips. “My hero.” Talan blushed. “I’m not a hero. I’m a man who almost lost the most important thing in my life.”
His mate’s smile brightened. “No one else knows what a romantic you are.” Laughing, Talan kissed the tip of Adrian’s nose. “Everyone knows I’m a sap where you’re concerned.
“True.”
The pride constantly hassled Talan, especially his sisters, but he didn’t care what they said as long as he had his wolf.
Talan finished stripping off Adrian’s clothes before quickly removing his own. His lion needed the feel of flesh-to-flesh comfort of their mate’s warm body…the reassurance that the smaller man was healing.
“I love you,” Talan whispered.
“I know.”
The wide smile and sparkling eyes warmed Talan’s heart. He slid his fingers across Adrian’s healed wound. “When I thought I’d lost you, I knew my life would be over if you died.”
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TALAN’S TREASURE
Amber Kell
35
“I’m not going to die on you,” Adrian’s eyes glowed with fervour. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Talan shook his head. If anyone could will themselves to not die, it would be Adrian.
“How are you feeling?”
“Thirsty,” Adrian’s rough voice had Talan springing out of bed.
“I’ll be right back,” Talan tossed over his shoulder as he rushed to the kitchenette and grabbed a glass, quickly filled it with water and returned to Adrian’s side. With all the blood loss, the smaller man was probably suffering from dehydration.
“Thanks.” Adrian sat up, drained the glass then set it on the table beside him.
“Do you need another?”
“No, I’m good. I could use a kiss, though.”
“Always.” Talan leaned over and brushed his lips across his mate’s. “Oof.” Adrian jumped him, pinning him to the bed. Bright eyes sparkled down at him. “Got you.”
“Honey, you already did.”
Adrian tilted his head in that endearing puppy way. “That’s true. But I get to play Alpha this time and mark you as mine.”
Talan’s lion growled a little but didn’t make a huge fuss. Adrian didn’t top often but after almost losing him to a bullet, Talan would let him do any damn thing he wanted.
Talan tilted his head back submissively, a motion he knew Adrian’s inner wolf would appreciate. “Do whatever you want. I’m all yours.” A low growl filled the room as Adrian licked Talan’s neck. The rasp of his mate’s wet tongue sent chills of need down Talan’s back. “Ummm.” A slight prick of fangs and Talan became harder than granite.
Adrian slid lower, licking and nipping as he went. The air became soaked in the scent of their pheromones. Talan was almost surprised there weren’t clouds in the room with the power of their need.
Taking a deep breath, he inhaled his lover’s desire and felt proof of Adrian’s readiness hard against his shin even as the wolf shifter nudged behind Talan’s cock to mouth his balls.
“Oh fuck.” Adrian was like crack cocaine to Talan’s addiction. He would never have enough of his sweet wolf…never.
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Amber Kell
36
“That’s my job tonight,” Adrian said in a smooth, calm voice—the one he used when he planned on torturing Talan beyond reason.
His lion purred in contentment then shivered.
Adrian pulled open the drawer of the side table and let out gasp as his body froze.
Curious, Talan leaned over Adrian to see what had upset him. The drawer held lube, condoms…and a gun.