Dominion: A Shifter of Consequence Tale (Shifters of Consequence Book 4) Read online

My mates would kill them without thinking twice, and I didn’t want to be responsible for triggering the war that had been brewing for such a long time. Lots more lives would be lost than those two, and maybe some of those I loved. The alpha would know how to handle the situation in a diplomatic fashion.

  I hoped he wouldn’t be angry at my method of escaping. I could have done it less violently but had let rage and fear control my decisions. Not behavior you’d want in a healer who held pack members’ lives in her hands. If the alpha also felt this way, he might decide I should go to Rattlecreek.

  What had I been thinking? Mirella warned me about darkness and light, giving and taking, and I don’t think she meant “Vengeance is Wendi’s.”

  Home was calling my name, though, and getting there was my first priority. I needed to get to the alpha before my mates found me if I was going to avoid bloodshed. Besides my knees, which were currently so scraped up, the knees of my pants just a memory, I was watering the earth with my blood. Luckily, they were still numb, so it didn’t hurt.

  Much.

  As I used the bit of motion in my hips to bring each leg forward, I noticed a slight sting. I’d never been happier to feel pain. It would be handy if my legs were able to help me stand and run because, though the pack lands weren’t far apart as the wolf lopes, they might as well be on the other side of the planet from each other as the human drags her lower body in the dirt. If a regular wolf of a coyote…maybe a bear or mountain lion showed up, I’d be lunch. Funny how I’d grown used to being upright, climbing stairs and strolling with my mates, so quickly. Pretty much taking it for granted. This was a rough way to learn not to do that.

  As I moved along, my legs became a little more present, and I was able to crawl, like a baby just learning how, but it was better than dragging part of myself. My wolf still couldn’t quite reach me, but her presence grew stronger, and more real, less ephemeral. I turned around and could still see the cave I’d emerged from, but at least it was far-ish away. Maybe a few hundred feet.

  Perhaps the exercise was helping the medication to work its way out of my system. I hoped so, anyway, and crawled extra hard. My mates were looking for me.

  Chapter Three

  Bark pierced my back as I leaned against a tree, the first one I could reach when I realized my energy stores had been completely drained and I could scoot along like an inchworm no longer. I heaved in and out while taking in my surroundings, making sure to notice if the scents on the wind changed, a sure sign my captors were on my trail.

  And let’s be honest here, my trail wasn’t long.

  Let me do this for you. Let me out.

  I swallowed against the fear in my throat and looked down at my bloodied hands. What if my animal was right? Could she even run with this poison in my veins still lingering?

  The shift will burn it off.

  Well, why in the hell hadn’t she spoken up earlier.

  It was too much—too much poison, all the time pushing me down. It wanes. Let me out.

  “Okay,” I relented and felt the shift of consciousness, putting me in the backseat and my beast in charge before any of the bodily changes took place.

  That was the easy part, it would turn out.

  As my skin turned furry and my limbs became wolf legs with paws instead of hands and feet, the shift ripped through me like a knife, rusted and dull. I’d never experienced a shift so rageful, so intent on burning every cell in my body, and yet, I knew the excruciating pain was necessary.

  In what seemed like hours, I was on all fours and stretching out my wolf legs behind me, loving the feel of having control of them again. The feeling hadn’t completely returned. My paws tingled, and my muscles were achy like I’d been running seven marathons back-to-back without a rest, but I could use them.

  My wolf took over, darting in between brush and trees, all the time keeping her snout in the air, so very aware of every noise in the distance, every inhale of scent, making sure she and I were safe. While I was meandering around the forest, just trying to get away, she had a direction. She knew exactly where she was going, and, step by step, I was sure she was taking us home.

  Back to our mates.

  As minutes and hours passed, I felt myself heal along with her. We were still weakened, but the healing was taking place.

  We must’ve run for miles and miles before she came to a dead stop, once again raising her snout in the air and taking in a deep breath.

  Then she let out a whine.

  Fuck. We’d been caught.

  My wolf took three steps back into a grouping of shrubbery and ducked down to an army crawl until we were fully camouflaged by our surroundings, or at least, I thought we were.

  She continued to take long breaths, but soon the wind brought about another scent.

  A scent we knew like our own selves.

  I cried out his name in my head, but my wolf whimpered, knowing he was near. Knowing he would be able to scent us. Knowing he would hear his mate and respond.

  The black wolf came into a clearing, and I almost cried at the sight of him.

  Escher.

  He shifted at once onto two legs and approached me slowly, taking measured steps and holding out his palms in surrender.

  My wolf came out to meet him, but I couldn’t wait one more second. I took over and shifted to two legs in front of him, tears already falling down my face despite the dehydration.

  “Wendi,” he whispered, and his body swayed a bit as though he were about to lose it and pass out.

  “Escher,” I returned the call, and, in moments, I was wrapped up in his embrace. His body was warm against my colder one ,and I nuzzled my face into his chest.

  “Wendi…” he began, and I nodded. “Wendi, get behind me.”

  Chapter Four

  “Escher, what do you…? Goddess!” I hastened to obey my mate’s order to get behind him without looking around because the rapid footfalls heading in our direction cut off my questioning. And in less than a moment, a circle of wolves formed with us at the center. I searched the group for Cole and Tano, but since I’d never seen them in wolf form I couldn’t be sure. I also didn’t know whether shifting would have healed what I’d done to them or if they’d be able to shift while under its onus. No idea, and it didn’t matter because whoever these snarling beast were, they meant us no good.

  “Wendi,” Escher muttered, “do you think you can pull yourself up into that tree there?” He tilted his head toward a trunk close to us.

  “I won’t leave you to this fight,” I insisted, wobbling in my effort to remain upright. “Not alone.”

  He glanced at me quickly, eyes burning. “I appreciate that, but I can’t deal with all these dogs”—a snarl from the largest wolf, black-and-gray-speckled with an alarming trickle of foam dripping from his muzzle let us know how much his comment annoyed them—“and protect you at the same time. You’re barely able to stand.”

  Dammit, I hated when he was right. But I couldn’t argue; even if I’d wanted to, we had no time, so I turned and sprinted the few yards to the tree and, after grabbing a handful of loose rocks scattered at the trunk, using mostly upper-body strength, scrambled up to a broad limb overhanging the clearing. After a moment’s consideration, I straddled the bough and shimmied out so I was directly over Escher. I didn’t know if he was aware of my location, but since the ring of teeth and claws were closing in on him, I could do nothing to distract him.

  I counted eight of the fanged monsters, all of them large, but lean and rangy, fur not nearly as luxurious as the Midnight Alder wolves, instead stringy and matted. I could see some with open sores, others whose movement was hampered by injury or general poor condition. No wonder they wanted a healer, but that still did not excuse kidnapping. And it was still eight-to-one. If only I was at full strength and could be some help. Or, better, if my other mates were here. Anything to even the odds a little.

  Escher, still in human form, turned in a slow circle, clearly taking their measure. He stood loose
limbed and confident, but, of course, he couldn’t take them on without shifting. Which, although he was among the fastest I’d ever seen, would still make him vulnerable for a second or two.

  My breathing was so harsh, I feared I’d be heard, and I closed my eyes tight and tried to soften the sound. Below me, my mate was ready to shift. I’d seen the signs before, the way his posture stiffened then his form tipped forward, bones reconfiguring, muscles covering them and over all of that, luxurious fur. Unfortunately, the Rattlecreeks also recognized their chance and started forward.

  Frantic, I tried to think of any way I could help from my perch. For one insane moment, I considered dropping to the ground, but, of course, that would serve no purpose. I’d probably break a leg, and then Escher would really have to try to save me while we were both being attacked by the mangy octet.

  I squeezed my hands into fists then gasped as the sharp pebbles I’d gathered cut into my palm. I’d had some vague idea of them as weapons, silly, but I’d seen nothing else of any use. No, they wouldn’t hurt a wolf, but they did have a purpose. Shifting one to my other hand, I drew back and flung it as far as I could, straight toward a heap of larger rocks beyond the ring of predators.

  I didn’t have a lot of experience in aiming for things, had never played any kind of sports like baseball, since my aunt had not enrolled me in any kind of sports for kids with physical limitations, but what I did have was really good upper-body strength. I had developed it to compensate for what my legs wouldn’t do for all those years. And I put every bit of that strength behind my toss, along with a few prayers, and was rewarded with a sharp thwack.

  The encroaching wolves paused, all muzzles jerking toward the sound, giving my mate just long enough to come into his wolf before the first of the others charged him. Escher met him halfway and closed his jaws around the other wolf’s throat with a ferocious snarl. I probably should have at least winced at the snap of his spine, but I silently applauded instead. The second followed almost instantly, and Escher tossed aside his dead opponent and treated the second almost exactly the same as the first.

  The third, a mottled shades of gray, approached with more caution, but Escher didn’t wait for him to arrive before leaping on him and ripping open his right jugular. With three down, the odds were improved, but so far, it had been one on one. And the two who crept up on Escher now, came at him from his right and left at the same time. I wanted to shout to him to watch out, but I feared I’d do more harm than good. I hated this helpless feeling. It, and a lot of things that had happened today, reminded me far too much of the time when I could barely stand up and walk at all. Before my aunt died and I decided to take control of my life.

  The two leaped at once, and Escher took a series of quick steps back, his rear legs bowing as he moved. The pair of brown-and black wolves, alike enough to be brothers, crashed into one another with an almost comical thud, and one even bit his brother on the shoulder before he realized his quarry was no longer between them. The other wolf snarled and bit him on the ear, drawing blood, and, for longer than I had any right to expect, they fought one another, doing a fair amount of damage before stopping, staring at one another, and limping off into the underbrush, leaving a trail of crimson and the tip of one ear behind.

  The two wolves who still stood nearby, without warning, turned and fled, and I breathed a sigh of relief until I remembered there had originally been eight. He’d beaten five, two had left without trying to fight, but where was the last one? The rangy black-and-gray. The one I’d thought of as the leader of the group. And while he might well have run also, while I was watching the action, something about him made me doubt he was the type to run away. But where was he?

  Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my question was answered. I didn’t need to look behind me to know. But how had he gotten up here without my hearing him? And when had he shifted into a man who was more lean than underfed—another sign of a leader in a pack where food was scarce. He had reached my height and was carefully placing one foot on the bough where I sat. A bough that could take my slight weight, but another two hundred pounds or so?

  Somehow, I doubted it.

  “Escher, watch out!” I shrieked, terrified the limb and both of its occupants would fall on him and injure him. “Move!”

  The naked and fully erect Rattlecreek was making his way toward me, and I scooted farther out where the branch narrowed. “Don’t come any closer! We’ll both fall.”

  He sneered, ogling me. “Then come to me before you get hurt. If you come with me, your friend down there won’t get hurt.”

  “If you get off the branch, none of us will get hurt.” Really, what was he thinking? “And my mate down there is only in danger from us.” Please let him have moved aside. Goddess, if I fall, let me die before I cause Escher the least harm.

  “Where are the others?” he demanded, as if I might have them in my pocket. Apparently, he’d been sneaking around to get to me and missed the whole thing. The Rattlecreek paused, still standing on the bough. He had incredible balance, but that didn’t lessen his weight. Or the branch’s strength. Looking for a way to avoid crushing my mate, I spotted another tree close enough I thought there might be a chance I could get to it. The nearest branch was only a foot or two away, but the closest one I thought could bear my weight was at least six. Two yards.

  Could I do it?

  I had to do it. Because the alternatives—land on Escher and hurt him or be kidnapped and tortured again—were not going to happen. Trying not to let the naked guy who really was far too happy to see me see what I had planned, I shifted my weight then yelled, “Look over there!” and pointed behind him.

  Like in the cartoons, he twisted to see, and I stood up and leapt for the targeted branch, reaching out, stretching my arms, and feeling the bark scrape my fingers as I missed. And plummeted toward the forest floor. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, the thought at least I wasn’t right over Escher filled my mental movie screen. He will be safe.

  I closed my eyes and waited for death, wind whistling through my hair, and landed in Escher’s arms. When had he shifted?

  “I got you, mate.” He stepped into the tree line, and we both stared up at the last remaining enemy. The crack surprised me not at all, although I was a little shocked Escher didn’t wait to see the result. “Let’s go home.”

  As he strode through the forest, cradling me against his chest, I asked, “How long did you know I was right over you?”

  “Long enough, mate.” He dropped a kiss on my sweaty forehead. “Long enough.”

  Chapter Five

  Somewhere between Escher picking me up and getting to the house, I’d drifted into a deep sleep. I thought it was the sleep of pure relief like the sleep you got after a catastrophe was over or a bout of pain had subsided.

  Slipping into the dark bliss was a blessing.

  I woke up to my mates showering me, literally with warm soapy water and with their love and adoration. They grumbled about washing the scent of those other wolves off of my skin along with all the dirt and sweat.

  My feet hadn’t touched the ground since Escher picked me up in the forest after tearing those other wolves to shreds.

  I was placed in my bed where I slept until the warmth of sunlight poured over me and the tantalizing smells of breakfast tickled my nose.

  My mates were cooking for me.

  Strike that. One mate. The rest of them were all around me, I realized as I stretched out my achy legs.

  My legs tingled, but they seemed to be working again. As I moved them, though, every movement, no matter how small, sent a lightning bolt of pain up my spine.

  More than ever, I was grateful for the movement of my legs, a thing most people probably took for granted.

  I would never take it for granted again.

  “Wendi, you’re awake.” At Brandon’s voice, I opened my eyes to see they were all huddling over me, well, three of them. Escher must’ve been the one downstair
s cooking.

  “I am.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as I took in the sight of them. A sight I hadn’t known I would ever see again.

  My mates.

  The loves of my life.

  The men who were born to be by my side for the rest of our lives.

  I tried to sit up but cringed and bit the insides of my mouth at the surge of pain. If only I could heal myself.

  Each of my men, worried looks on their faces, hugged me, and I shared a lingering, sweet kiss with them.

  There were words to be spoken, but at the moment, in the peace of the morning, just having them near was enough.

  “You need to eat, female.” Escher appeared at my bedroom door, holding a tray of divine-smelling food that made my stomach growl.

  “Thank you, Escher,” I answered, and he put the tray on my lap, but his gaze never met mine. He chose to sit in the chair by the window and looked out of it.

  I tried to dig into the food but, after only two bites, found myself ready to throw up. The fork clinked against the plate, and every one of my mates jumped to their feet.

  “What is it, Wendi?” Moss took my hand in his.

  “I don’t…it’s like the food gets stuck in my throat. I can’t…I’m so hungry, but I can’t eat.”

  “Well, that’s why I’m here,” a familiar voice called from the stairs, but she hadn’t come in yet. “Get your pants on, boys, I’m coming in.”

  My mates scrambled to put pants on—it said something about my poor condition that I hadn’t realized they were only in their underwear—and cleared their throats when she sailed in as though they should have been expecting Mirella at the crack of dawn all along.

  “Why are you here?” I was still drowsy despite the hours of sleep.

  “Because you need healing.” Somehow, I knew what that meant. She didn’t have a lot of healing left in her since I had come into my own powers.

  She was willing to use what she had left on me.