Savage Awakening

Rowan showered quickly, got out, dressed. Opting for simple, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and went with little makeup, applying only enough so that she didn’t look like a corpse at almost six in the morning.

Next she repacked her duffel with clothes for a good week or more. Then she called Dean and left him a message, telling him what she knew. Which wasn’t much.

A call to her sergeant was next, and boy, was that one as fun as a colonoscopy. He wasn’t amused to learn that she wasn’t coming back on shift this morning as scheduled. His ominous tone as he spoke the words “We’ll talk when you return” didn’t bode well. It hit her that she might not have a job to come back to.

And then it occurred to her that she really didn’t care.

The one thing that mattered was Aric, and something terrible had happened. All she could think of was getting to him. After watering her plants, she scooped up the bills from her table and stuck them in her purse. She’d mail them from Wyoming.

Then she was on her way, leaving L.A., and she had the strangest notion that she wouldn’t be back. But she’d have to return, wouldn’t she? She chewed on that all the way to the strip, and some more as she waited for the jet that would whisk her to Aric.

Finally it appeared, dipped low and came in for a smooth landing. The craft taxied to the end of the runway, and the pilot didn’t even bother to shut it off. Instead, the door opened and Jax popped out, jogging over.

“Here, let me help you with that,” he said, taking her duffel and slinging it over one shoulder. “Come on. There’s not one minute to waste.”

She trailed him, panic beginning to eat at the edges of her self-imposed calm. What could have happened? What could be so bad? And why would they come after her in the middle of the night? She didn’t see how she could help, grateful as she was to be able to get to him quickly. Jax tossed her bag in, and held out a hand to assist her into the plane.

“In you go. Kira rode along with us. She thought you could use some company, and an explanation.”

Relief swamped her. “I appreciate that, more than you know.”

“Oh, I have some idea.” With a kind smile, he climbed in and shut the door, heading for the pilot’s seat. “Buckle up.”

She took a seat next to the petite blonde and snapped her seat belt in place. Normally she hated takeoffs, but this one barely phased her. She was much too upset to think about the plane ride.

Kira smiled warmly at her, but Rowan could see the worry shadowed in her eyes. “Hey. I thought you could use a friend.”

“I could, thank you. You know, I don’t have many girlfriends,” she mused. “I guess it’s because I’ve worked for so long in a male-oriented environment. Most women don’t warm up to me because of it, especially the cops’ wives.”

“They think you’re out to prey on their men?”

Rowan laughed humorlessly. “Something like that.”

“Well, they’re stupid bitches, then. Anyone can see what a great heart you have.”

“Thanks. So tell me, what’s wrong with him?”

Kira was silent for a long moment, then met her eyes. “He’s sick, Rowan. I mean, deathly sick.”

“He… he could die?”

Kira’s eyes filled with tears. “Yeah. I just hope we make it in time.”

Rowan felt the blood drain from her face. “With what? How? He seemed fine when I left him!” But had he, really? Now that she thought about it… he hadn’t seemed like himself. There was also that fever the doctors had been concerned about.

“You know about wolf shifters’ mates, right?”

“Some. The other day, I didn’t want to leave Aric. The idea alone made me sick, and it physically hurts to be apart from him. Before I left, Micah told me to ask Aric if he felt the same pull I did. So I asked, and he denied it. Christ, it still hurts.”

Kira took her hand. “Honey, Aric lied to you. He felt drawn to you, like you did to him.”

“That’s what he said in my dream. What does it mean?” She blinked, making the connection at last. Damn, she was dense. “Wait, are you saying we are mates?”

“Yes. And he’s known it all along.”

The truth ripped through her, the pain almost too much. “Why would he lie? Does he not want to be tied to a cop? Or he doesn’t want any mate?”

“Nothing like that. He doesn’t feel worthy of your love, of being your Bondmate.”

Rowan stared at her. The light shone through. “Because of Beryl and what happened to Micah and the team.”

“Exactly. He feels like he should pay, and to him that means denying his mating. When a wolf shifter doesn’t claim his mate within a certain amount of time, he gets sick. Jax got sick because he didn’t want to push me into mating before I was ready, the idiot.”

“Hey, I heard that!”

“Anyway, what Aric is going through runs deep. He honestly feels he’s doing the right thing, and is unworthy.”

God, this was messed up. “How does he claim me?”

“He bites you. Pretty simple, or it would be if he was conscious. They’ll have to try to rouse him so he can do it.”

She didn’t want him to die. No matter her remaining doubt about them as a couple, she would not let that happen.

They fell silent for a few minutes. Then Rowan looked at the hand still holding hers and felt the tears well up. “Thank you for being here. It helps.”

“You’re welcome,” Kira said softly. “But there’s one more thing you need to know. After you mate, there’s a good chance you could turn into a shifter, too.”

“Sure, why not?” Her laugh was a little desperate. “I’ve encountered just about everything else, why not me getting furry?”

“It’s not so bad. Actually, it’s really fun to run with Jax through the woods while we’re in wolf form. And then there’s the hot, naked forest sex when we shift back.”

This time Rowan’s smile was real. “You do make a good point.”

“I thought so.”

They lapsed into silence and Rowan fidgeted for the rest of the trip. After what seemed forever, the plane was touching down. Scrambling out, she turned to reach for her duffel and Jax waved her off.

“Go on. I’ll take this to the room you were in before.”

“Thanks. I appreciate you guys coming to get me in the wee hours.”

“Not a problem.”

Rowan hurried to the infirmary, Kira at her side. They burst in and Noah jumped up from the desk on seeing Rowan.

“Thank Christ! Come on, the docs are waiting for you.”

He hurried her to one of the rooms, a couple of doors down from Micah’s, and ushered her inside. Nick, looking haggard, was propped in one corner. The two doctors hovered on either side of the bed, Melina taking Aric’s vitals. There were bundles wrapped in towels, one sitting on Aric’s chest, others tucked against his sides. Rowan walked over, laid her hand on one bundle. Ice packs.

“He was literally burning up,” Melina told her. “Those seem to be helping.”

“How is he, really?”

“Not good. Honestly, I don’t know if he’ll be able to bite you—if you agree to it.”

“Of course I do! I lo—” She stopped herself, took a deep breath. “I want him to be the first to hear how I feel. But, yes, I agree.”

“Great. Now we need to get some of your blood into his mouth, try to stimulate his instinct to clamp down on you. Give me your finger.”

Rowan held out her arm, palm up. Melina snapped on a pair of latex gloves and took a finger-pricking device