Fighting Dirty for His Girl (Wylde Bears) (3 page)

Now was her chance, but even as she started pushing her way through the crowd, all she could think about was Bram and making sure he got out okay. A quick glance behind her showed him
holding his own with Rook, although she didn’t miss the large claw marks that riddled his side, or the blood that was a steady trail down his thick, dark fur.

She was shoved to the side by a drunken human, and when he righted himself and grabbed onto her she felt revulsion take control of her entire body. His touch was like acid
, and her inner deer started to rise to the surface, ready to sprint away. That really was all she was good for, running away, but a lot of good that did her all these years.

“Let go of me.”

The greasy human’s hand tightened on her arm, and his hot, foul breath filled her nostrils.

“Come on, baby, let
’s me and you get a little closer tonight.”

An anger she had never felt came barreling out of her at full speed. The door was only a few feet from her, and this human was keeping her from her freedom. Bringing up her knee she connected with his crotch and felt a sick satisfaction when he cried out in pain and cupped himself.

“You stupid bitch.”

She may be a stupid bitch, but she would be a free one. Bram was a fierce male, which was clear as day in just the minutes she had spent with him, and she knew he could handle himself,
or at least she hoped so. She couldn’t let guilt take over, because she couldn’t hold her own with Rook, but Bram could. Pushing the front door opened and feeling the cool air brush along her face almost brought her to her knees. This was no time to bask in the weather, not when she wasn’t free yet. To her right was the town of Sweet Water, and to her left was a road that disappeared into nothing. The sky was dark, and all she could see to her left, away from civilization, was the thick covering of trees. No, that was a death trap. It didn’t matter how fast she ran, a panther could catch her in no time. The town was a better option. Maybe she could get someone to help her, to take her in for the night until she thought of something else? She had no money and only the clothes on her back, but she had her life and that was more priceless than anything else. The sounds of the wild animals inside grew to a deafening roar, and Kenzie didn’t want to be one of those girls that got killed right as they touched freedom.

“No, just go. Run as fast and as far as you can.” She made it three steps before the front door to the bar crashed open. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Rook swinging his massive head back and forth before stopping on her. He bared his huge canines at her
, and she knew she could never outrun him. Not as a deer, and most definitely not as a human. Despite her fate coming right to the front of her mind, she thought about Bram.

“You killed him.” It wasn’t a question. And although he couldn’t answer back, she swore she saw him grin. His black fur was matted in several places, and she saw a few gaping wounds covering his body. That sight had pleasure coursing through her, because even if he hurt her, or even killed her tonight, he had suffered as well. He took a step forward, and then another. His move
ments were slow, coordinated, and precise as he stalked her, and that was exactly what he was doing. Her heel hit a large rock, and she fell back. Rook was on top of her a second later, his hot breath streaming down her throat, and the very tip of his fangs skimming the tender flesh. In just one quick swipe he could rip her throat open and bleed her dry. A flash and a pop sounded, and he was naked and in his human form. His hardness pressed between her thighs, and Kenzie couldn’t help it. She started crying. There were so many times when she wished she was stronger, prayed that she could fight her own battles, but the fact of the matter was he had broken her, and she didn’t know if she would ever be whole again.

“Shh, pet, did you think I was going to kill you for trying to
escape again?” Dipping his head and running his tongue up the center of her throat had bile rising to the surface. “No, no, no, precious, you know I like to play before I maim. Besides, you are far too important and pleasing to me alive.” The burning white-hot pain of Rook’s claws unsheathing and pressing into the side of her body, opening the tender skin, had her crying out. He slapped her across the face, hard, and leaned in close to her ear. “I would have been gentle with you even though you stepped out on me and were all over that bear.”

He said the last part on a growl and slipped his hand down to her neck where he slowly started adding pressure. Everything that came out of his mouth was a lie, and always had been. The air slowly started to leave her
, and Kenzie was ready for death, even welcomed it. Rook started undoing her pants, and she knew the sick bastard would have his fun right as she took her last breath. Gasping and feeling panic rise inside of her, she reached out and grasped the hard, gravel laden ground. Instinct told her to grab his hand, force him to loosen the hold, but she wanted death, didn’t she? Her mother’s and father’s faces flashed before her face, and although she just wanted to let go and be with them, their voices rose inside of her head, telling her to fight, to not give up.

Rook chuckled and worked his hand
past her panties. He didn’t care about anyone seeing what he was doing, and certainly didn’t care about what he was doing to her. An image of Bram flashed through her mind, and as strange as it was a wave of serenity went through her. It was then, as her parents’ voices filtered through her ears, and Bram filled her mind with calmness for the first time since she was a young girl, that Kenzie realized she didn’t want to die, not by Rook’s hand. Bram had protected her, kept her shielded from this panther until shit had hit the fan. She was a nobody to Bram, yet he had gone out of his way to see to her safety. Her fingers brushed along a large rock, and she tried in vain to reach it. After several attempts she finally managed to get it in her grasp. She clutched at it and brought it up and toward Rook’s skull without any hesitation. The sound of the stone cracking against his head came through in sickening clarity. Rook stared down at her, and at first she didn’t think anything had happened. Had she imagined all of it? But after what seemed like forever, but was probably only a second or two, he loosened his hold on her throat. A blank look covered his faced, and a gushing trail of blood slid down his temple and splashed against her chest.

“Kenzie, I won’t let you go…” That was the only thing he said
, in a deep, guttural voice, before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped on top of her. She quickly moved out from under him, and stood there transfixed as she watched the blood continue to fall from his head and make a pool in the dirt beside him. It looked like spilled ink under the moonlight, growing and growing until she was forced to take a step back so it didn’t reach her feet. The front door of the bar slammed opened again, and she spun around and raised the rock in her hand. Marek was thrown out of the bar in his human form first, and then Tank had the same fate but he was still a cougar. Bram came out, his body still that of a bear. He was a massive animal, and when he roared out at Marek and Tank, the vibrations seemed to rattle the glass of nearby vehicles. She was only a few feet from him, but close enough that she saw his massive wounds. They made her wince, had bile rising in her throat, and all she wanted to do was bring the rock down upon Rook’s head once again. How anyone could get off on harming another was beyond her, but Rook had been the worst of the worst. Kenzie looked back down at Rook and saw him in the same state. She would have thought she killed him, but the rise and fall of his chest told her the bastard was still alive. The dark blood that continued to make a puddle around his head had since slowed, but it was like everything came crashing into her all at once. The world tilted, started going in slow motion, and she knew she wouldn’t stay upright for much longer. Through the whirling and buzzing noise that filled her ears, Kenzie was aware of the gravel crunching near her, coming closer and closer, and then of the hot, humid breath of something right in front of her. She turned back around and saw the bear standing before her. He rose on his back legs, reaching at least ten feet tall. There was no fear from her as she stared at Bram, but she knew there should be. This was a very wild and unstable male, and she had sensed as much in the bar, but there was no denying there was something different about him, something that drew her in. She stared into his eyes that were no longer blue but a deep brown. Dizziness overcame her, and she couldn’t hold the rock any longer, and the dull thud of it hitting the ground beside her pierced her foggy mind.

“I’m going to be sick.” She said the words right before she bent
at the waist and emptied everything in her stomach. Darkness swarmed at the edges of her vision, and she weaved on her feet. Right before she toppled over and let the shadows of the world consume her, she felt strong arms wrap around her. The last thing she saw was Bram’s face right in front of her, and his now sea blue eyes promising all kinds of things that would never happen.

Chapter Three

A jarring motion had Kenzie slowly coming back to consciousness. The past events were at the forefront of her mind, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel any kind of remorse. Her eyes felt heavy and gritty,
but she couldn’t open them. Inhaling deeply, she took in the scent of evergreen and something darker, more arousing and wild. Even after everything that had happened her body had its own mind, had its own desires. She was lying on a leather seat, and when she inhaled again she could smell the material right below her nose.

“Shhh, relax
, sweetheart.”

The voice was deep, soothing, but slightly distorted. Her pulse beat
frantically in her ears, and she knew that was the cause for the funny way he sounded. A heavy, warm hand landed on her bare arm, and she flinched away. It was gone a second later.

“I won’t hurt you. I would
never
hurt you.”

She knew that voice, and even as he said the last sentence, she knew he had been speaking to himself. Kenzie sank further into the seat as burning pain lanced through her side. Biting her lip to control herself from crying out,
there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Rook had done a number on her. He had always harmed her in human form, but the fact he had unsheathed his claws and brought his animal into his “punishment” had her thankful the events had turned in her favor. She may be bruised and battered, but she wasn’t broken, at least not physically. Emotionally and mentally ruined was a whole other thing. The only thing that kept replaying through her head was Rook’s last words. They still had her flesh tightening because she knew he always got what he wanted, and what he wanted was to see her suffer. He wouldn’t let her go.  He couldn’t because he wanted her too badly. 

Bram’s voice was low as he spoke to himself, but she knew he had to be aware she was awake, even if she didn’t say anything and was motionless
. He was a bear with senses far keener than a human’s.

“I should have fucking killed him, ripped off his balls and shoved them down his throat.”
He spoke to himself again. The air in the vehicle grew thick with his rage, and despite her initial feelings that she should stay away from him, it was clear he was nothing like Rook. Her thoughts drifted away as she felt the heaviness of darkness crash into her again. The rhythmic motion of the truck, the deep timbre of Bram’s self-musing, and the fact she just wanted to escape reality, had Kenzie succumbing to the shadows that surrounded her once again. She welcomed oblivion, because it was sure as hell better than the situation she was in right now.

****

Bram looked over at Kenzie, who was now sleeping. He had sensed when she woke, yet he had sensed her pain and exhaustion. She was in shock, and he knew he had to keep control or he would lose the fight for supremacy with his bear. As it was he was hanging on by a thread, trying to not go back and finish the fight at Slater’s that would have three males lying dead at his feet. The little deer was his mate, and he had fought to protect her, and had felt his bear calm for the first time. But when he realized she had left and the two cougars attacked him in unison, he had let his animal fully out. The shifters that fought with him in the underground fight club had gotten in on the violence, but soon they were going after each other, their animals attacking anyone that got in their way. He had been in the mind frame to go after the panther and finish him, finish what his brave little female had done, but she was hurt and his first priority. He had seen her wounds, and red had covered his vision. The scent of her blood had filled the air, and when he turned and saw her standing over Rook’s still form something inside of him had grown proud of his mate. But that pride over his female had vanished when he saw her wounds. The she had passed out, and he had felt something grow inside of him that he had never felt: fear. He was scared that he would lose her before he even got the chance to know who she was.

He took the last turn that would take him to his cabin deep in the heart of the Sweet Water Mountains. Another ten minutes and he was pulling his truck in front of the two
-story home he and his brothers had built with their bare hands years before. Having her here felt right, but he couldn’t let his primal side take over. He and his bear were in agreement that they needed to tend to her wounds and get her well. After she was better he could discuss with her what he wanted … her as his mate. He also needed to know what in the hell was her relationship with the panther. The possessive need that had come from the asshole in regards to Kenzie had been nearly as strong as Bram’s, but what the panther didn’t have was that connection to her like he did. They were mates, and nature dictated he had supremacy over any douche-bag that fucked with her. Bram didn’t doubt the prick would come for her, because he sensed the obsessive need in the other male, and knew he wouldn’t stop until they got what they wanted, and it was clear he wanted Bram’s female. But what the panther didn’t know was that Bram would fight dirty for her, and if that meant pulling out every resource he had to accomplish it, then so fucking be it. Although he didn’t mind using his bear’s strength to defeat his opponents, he would go bare knuckle with this fucker.

He quickly got out of the truck and walked around
until he reached the passenger door. When he had the door opened and Kenzie gently cradled in his arms, he took a second just to look at her. She was passed out, and what had been peach colored flesh back at the bar looked a sickly shade of gray. But still she beckoned him like no other female had. Her eyes were closed, and he couldn’t see the beautiful steel colored eyes that had stared up at him so innocently. He had no doubt his wee mate had been horribly abused at the hands of the panther, but he clenched his jaw and pushed those thoughts away, for right now. He couldn’t think about that right now, not when his first priority was tending to Kenzie.

Once he was inside he laid her down on the wide leather couch. She seemed so small on it, and that sight had his chest clenching in discomfort. Bram left her only long enough to get the first aid kit. Kneeling beside her had the scent of her blood filling his nose. Her jeans were covered in blood, and her shirt was torn almost completely off at the side. Gripping the torn shreds of her top he ripped the material the rest of the way. He pulled the two sides apart
unbuttoned it, pulling the zipper half down. A fierce growl left him. Her shirt was torn on the side, and the claw marks that marred her delicate, smooth skin were deep. They ran from her ribs to her hip bone. He had a suture kit, and even though he had sewn himself up plenty of times after a fight, had even done so to his brothers, he was hesitant to pierce Kenzie with the needle. The thought of causing her any more pain was like a dagger in his heart, but it had to be done. Bram disinfected the wounds as gently as he could, and went about suturing her up. He was just thankful she was still passed out and unable to feel what would no doubt cause her even more pain. It was a lot different from suturing up his brothers, because with them it was just do it and get done, but with Kenzie he went slow and easy, and kept glancing at her face to make sure he wasn’t causing her any discomfort. A light sheen of sweat coated her forehead, but once he was done patching her up and had a clean dressing on the wounds he let his ass hit the floor.

Damn, if that wasn’t one of the most stressful things he had to do
, then he was in for one hell of a trip when she was healed up. Bram ran a hand over his jaw and stared at her. What in the hell was he going to do? He knew damn well he wouldn’t and couldn’t let her go. Even if she wasn’t his mate it was clear that psychopath wasn’t going to leave her alone, so that only meant one thing … he would have to kill the fucker.

After putting everything away and draping a blanket over her, he walked to the breakfast bar and leaned on it. Having her in his home made him feel a bit calmer, but he was still feeling his animal pacing within him. The motherfucker wanted blood and wouldn’t be sated until it got what he wanted. A glance over his shoulder showed that she appeared comfortable, which went a long way in relaxing him. After grabbing
the Crown from his liquor cabinet and drinking it straight from the bottle, he finally felt the exhaustion from his numerous fights of the night settle within him. His chest hurt like a bitch, and when he looked down to inspect the damage, he was surprised there wasn’t any bone showing for how fucked up it looked. He needed a shower hot enough to wash away his blood as well as the blood of the fuckers he’d knocked down. Taking one more long pull from the bottle, he set it aside and headed into the bathroom to do just that.

****

Kenzie came awake in a start and sat up, but the rapid movement caused her to gasp in pain and clutch at her side. Sweat broke out along her face and neck, and when she glanced down at her side she could see fresh blood start to seep through the white dressing that covered her from rib to hip. She looked around the rustic cabin, but realized it was only part of the décor as it had all modern updates. The kitchen was to her right, and a lot of dark wood, stainless steel, and black granite adorned it. The couch she was on was leather and warmed beneath her. A fireplace was to her left, and a big screen television hung right above that. Aside from that there were no pictures or other things to decorate the house. Bram’s smell saturated the interior, but even if she hadn’t been able to smell him she would have known a male lived here. It screamed bachelor pad. Kenzie looked down at her side once more and started peeling away the tape that held the bandage in place. She had stitches, and the fact Bram had tended to her was so touching that she actually felt tears in her eyes. There hadn’t been a time in the last eleven years where someone had done something so kind for her. Not even when Rook first found her did he show genuine care for her like Bram did tonight.

The sound of the pipes creaking as water was being shut off had her slowly rising and turning toward the sound.
Her pulse kicked up, and she twisted her hands together in front of her. The cabin was quite large with an intricately carved staircase that led up to a loft. The sound of a door opening had her glancing over at the first door down a short hallway. Steam billowed out, and then the light clicked off. Bam stepped out, a towel covering his head and one around his hips. Everything stalled inside of her as she let her eyes travel up and down his body. His wounds were horrid, and were now a bright red from his shower, but even that didn’t detract from the overall power that made up the bear. His shoulders were wide and his arms massive with layers upon layers of muscle. His chest looked like stone, well-defined, with a six pack that was so ripped it almost seemed unreal. He also had that tight V of muscle that disappeared beneath the towel. She sure as hell didn’t know what it was called, but damn did it look good.

Rook had been in shape, but where her former captor had been leaner, sleek muscle, Bram was hard, raw-cut power that challenged anyone to mess with him. He screamed masculinity, and never had she seen a person more
… male.

The towel seemed five inches too short, and boy did it not leave anything to the imagination, but if she was being honest there was no way in hell she would have thought something that big could be possible. As if he sensed her obscene appraisal of him he lifted his head and stared at her. The towel still hung loosely over his head, and the sight made him look like some kind of roughened fighter. Kenzie supposed that was a pretty good description of him after what she had seen tonight.

“You’re up.” It wasn’t a question, but more of an accusation. “You should be resting, especially with the wounds on your side.” Placing her hand lightly on the point of discussion, she realized that the pain was still there, intense even, but she had been so caught up in Bram’s physique that she had blocked it out. “Please, sit down.”

He came forward
, but Kenzie couldn’t find it in her to actually do as he said. When he was close enough that she could make out each individual bead of water that dripped down the dips and bulges of muscle she found her mind wandering once again. Her mouth watered, and her tongue itched to trace one of those lone beads all the way down the length of his chest.

Oh God, she was growing aroused, and this was so not the time for that. Kenzie noticed the change in him instantly. His chest started to rise and fall at a faster rate, and the scent of his animal pheromones came at her like a gust of wind. It was so strong and intoxicating that she took a step back on instinct. The deer inside of her grew calm
and pliant from the aroma, and all she could think about was stripping out of her clothes, pulling his towel free, and giving in to the desire to lick every part of him. She was seriously deranged, sick and twisted. Her time with Rook must have messed her up more than she thought, because what person in their right mind lusted after another in a situation like this? They were both injured, yet she was wetter than she had ever been before.

“Sit down, Kenzie. I need to
… look at your side.”

He sounded winded, like he had just run a marathon. His eyes traveled up and down her body, making her feel so very exposed, but in the best way imaginable. Slowly she lowered herself to the couch, but she instantly knew what a bad idea that was, especially when his erection was right in her face. The towel still covered him, but his shaft tented the material so much that her throat went dry
, and she knew her eyes were wide.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you, Kenzie.” Voice pitched low, he sounded more animal than man at that moment.
Had she ever wanted to see a male naked as much as she wanted to see Bram? No. The answer was that simple. Her reaction to him was so uncontrollable that there was only one explanation for it.