ChoosingHisChristmasMiracle (6 page)

Kontra shifted back to human form. Unmindful of his nudity, he checked over Raul’s injuries. The two wounds on his limbs didn’t seem too bad, but the one in his chest needed attention, immediately if the human were to have any hope of surviving.

“Manon,” he roared. “You’re a paramedic, right? Get over here.”

Chapter Six

Sean sat in the glider in front of the fire, gently rocking Lily to sleep. He hoped Raul wouldn’t mind that he’d moved the chair closer to the fire, but he loved being able to relax and watch the flames dance as he fed his niece. It was peaceful—the first inkling of peace he’d felt in months. The only thing that would make it perfect was if his mate was by his side.

Noticing Lily had nodded off, Sean rose from the chair and headed deeper into the house. As he laid her down in the crib, he still couldn’t believe the events of the last couple days. The beta, Shane Alvaro, had come and introduced himself as Declan had stated. After the shifter had confirmed that Raul and Sean were mates, he’d taken one look at the infant in his arms and made a call to someone named Caroline, who turned out to be his mate.

Forty-five minutes later, and during that time Sean had been completely stressed out because he’d thought Shane wanted Caroline to take his Lily from him, the woman in question had arrived with several others in tow, men and women. Instead of taking Lily, they’d set up a bedroom for her.

To Raul’s spare bedroom, they’d added a crib, a changing table complete with fully stocked drawers, and an armoire, also fully stocked with baby things from diapers to toys to enough clothes to last Lily until she turned at least one.

Shane had just sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, and let his mate work. It was like watching a queen with her ants. Just amazing! After they had everything set up, the twenty questions began anew. This time, Caroline and her friends, Victoria and Teline, had asked about Lily and Lily’s mother. They’d ooh and ahh and even growled in all the right places, all the while promising support and help if he ever needed it.

After many best wishes and congratulations on his mating, they had left and Sean found himself alone again, except he no longer really felt alone. He had the phone numbers for at least a dozen pack members in the new phone Shane had given to him.

He knew he’d have trouble putting faces to names, but as he’d watched them all leave, two men stood out. A funny smelling human named Miach and his wolf mate Nick. He watched in amazement as Miach opened the door of a very pretty classic car, then cupped Nick’s jaw and kissed him thoroughly.

Instead of looks of derision, or even scowls, the women tittered and a couple men smirked. Even Shane just rolled his eyes at their display and helped his mate into their sedan.

It was then when Sean finally came to grips with the fact that this pack was like none other he’d ever heard of. It was a place he could call home, with a safe open environment for Lily to grow up, a place where the pack would accept him and his mating. And people would really be happy for them instead of lying through their teeth.

Now, all Sean had to do was convince Raul.

Another thing Sean realized pretty darn quickly was that he couldn’t
not
sleep in Raul’s room. He’d tried. Sean knew it’d be best if Raul actually invited him into his bed, but Sean’s wolf was having none of it.

He’d lain down at night on the spare bed in Lily’s room, only to wake up in wolf form on Raul’s bed. Sean was mighty glad that no one else was there to witness the indignity, because pajamas bunched up around a wolf’s tail, hips, and shoulders was not a good look.

Sean likened it to sleep walking. His baser instincts took over and he went to where his psyche was calmest. After two nights like that, he slept in Raul’s bed with no incident. Sean acquiesced to his wolf and planned to stay there.

He was getting ready for bed on the fifth night after his mate’s leaving—
but really, Sean wasn’t counting
—when the phone call came. It was Declan himself, and when the alpha calls with a grave tone in his voice, the news was never good. Even before hearing more than his name, Sean’s wolf was cowering in his mind. As he sat down on the bed, he told his beast to buck up. Their mate may need them, and he asked the alpha what he could do for him.

Declan’s next words would have made his knees buckle if Sean wasn’t already sitting down. “I’m sorry, Sean. Raul’s been shot. He’s been taken to a hospital near Springville and I’ve just received word that he’s in critical condition.” The alpha’s voice turned soothing. “He is listed as stable right now, Sean.”

Sean had to swallow twice to clear the lump in his throat. “Can I—can I go see him?” he asked tentatively.

“Normally I’d say, yes, Sean, but they’re already making plans to airlift him to Colin City Memorial.”

Sean frowned. “Where—”

When he couldn’t seem to manage to finish the question, Declan said, “That’s about forty-five minutes from your house. As soon as I know when he’ll be landing, I’ll send someone with a car. Don’t worry about Lily,” he soothed. “I’ll send someone to watch her, as well.”

“Th-thank you,” he stuttered.

“Don’t thank me yet, Sean,” Declan replied, revealing his own worry. “Raul’s not out of the woods, yet.”

A whimper escaped Sean as fear ripped through him. After all this time, after fighting for his life, for Lily’s life, for the chance, the hope, of seeing, of being with his mate, would life be so cruel as to take Raul away without giving them a chance together?

“Breathe, Sean, breathe. Long, slow, deep breathes. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” The faint voice of Declan’s human mate, Lark, came through the line. “You’ve got to calm down. Concentrate on three words. Raul…is… alive. He needs you to be strong. Be strong for Raul. Be strong for Lily. Your family needs you.”

Sean obeyed, concentrating on the alpha-mate’s words. Finally, his heart rate returned to something resembling normal, and he could speak again. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Please let me know when I can see him.”

After he hung up, Sean sat in a daze for the longest time. Lily’s fussing, the noise coming through the baby monitor, finally brought him out of his stupor. Sean walked into the other room. He saw that her face was scrunched up in irritation and she waved her fists impudently.

“Hey, sweetie,” he crooned. Reaching into the crib, he gently rubbed her back, hoping she’d just drift back to sleep. “What has you so upset, hmm?”

For a heat beat, Lily stopped fussing and froze. Sean grimaced, knowing what was coming. Lily proved him right as she let out a loud wail. He picked her up and laid her on the changing table, asking, “Are you wet, little girl? Hmm? Did you make a stinky?”

She did
.

While Sean cleaned her up, Lily’s cries quickly diminished and turned into coos and burbles. She laughed at Sean’s silly faces. Once he was done and had her in a clean outfit, he then picked her up and headed to the kitchen. “One of these days, you’ll sleep all the way through the night, won’t you?”

He kept up the inane chatter as he heated her bottle. Then he settled in the glider and fed her, staring into the empty fireplace, wondering if he’d ever get the chance of enjoying the view with his mate.

Mentally shoving the useless, not to mention depressing, thoughts away, Sean finished feeding and burping Lily. Sean laid her back in her crib and turned the mobile on, letting its soothing melody capture her attention and lull her back to sleep. He then stripped off his sweats and crawled into bed. Raul’s scent soothed his frazzled nerves and he managed to drift off to sleep.

The ring of the doorbell jerked Sean out a very pleasant dream, a dream where his mate was going down on him and wrapping his shaft in wet, sucking heat. Sean groaned, staring at his aching erection. The ring of the doorbell followed by the pounding of a fist on wood told Sean in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about his dick’s engorged state.

Besides, now that he was awake and remembered Declan’s call last night, he was already wilting.

Sean sighed, pulled his sweats back on, and hustled to the front door. He glanced through the peephole and frowned. It wasn’t anyone he knew. “Who is it?”

“Me name’s Cliff MacDougal. I’m here to take ye to Colin City,” said the man behind the door.

“Who will take care of Lily?” he asked warily.

“I have me mate, Lisa, with me,” Cliff replied.

“Sean, will you open the door, please?” came a woman’s voice, probably Lisa. “I don’t like Abigail being out in the cold like this.”

“Who’s Abigail?” he asked on reflex.

“Me cub,” Cliff responded, agitation working its way into his voice.

Sean’s wolf wanted to obey, and fast, recognizing a more dominant shifter. Opening the door, Sean beckoned them to enter. In trooped a tall, dark-haired wolf shifter and a slender, petite blonde woman carrying a babe wrapped in blankets.

The woman, Lisa, smiled. “Caroline told me how cute Lily is. It’ll be nice for Abigail to have a girl her own age to play with when she gets older.” As she talked, she unwrapped a couple folds to reveal a pink-faced sleeping infant.

“Oh,” Sean breathed. “She’s lovely,” he said, more because he was supposed to than because he really thought the baby was all that. He was a man, after all.

Lisa smiled. “Thanks. Now, just show me where Lilly’s things are and then you can be off. I’m sure you’re eager to see your mate.” She finally looked at him for the first time and smirked. “Maybe you should be
less
eager and put on some clothes,” she said, hand over her mouth to smother a snort.

Remembering his state of undress, Sean glanced toward Cliff. The shifter was clearly amused more at his wife’s reaction than caring about Sean running around bare-chested. Like most shifters, Sean figured Cliff didn’t care about nudity much.

Sean still scurried to obey because the sooner he dressed, the sooner he could go see his mate. He pulled on jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, socks, and boots. Heading to Lily’s room, he found Lisa already in there sitting on the bed. She held a finger to her lips and made a shooing motion with her other hand.

He mouthed
thank you
, then headed toward the front room.

Cliff took one look at him and started toward the front. Sean grabbed a coat and followed. Once Sean settled in the other man’s sedan, he had to clasp his hands between his legs to keep them from trembling.

“I’m sorry about yer mate,” Cliff murmured, breaking the silence.

Sean nodded, uncertain what to say.

“I have great respect for the man,” Cliff continued. “He’s been invaluable in our fight against the scientists using us as lab rats.” He shook his head, then glanced toward Sean, catching his gaze for a couple seconds before returning his focus to the road. “He’s a tough human, that one. Don’t ye worry. He’ll pull through.”

Somehow, Sean managed to force a weak smile.

Needing something to talk about, Sean murmured, “How long have you known Raul?”

“Oh, a little over a year now. He moved to Stone Ridge with his friend, Jared, after the guy mated with Carson, our enforcer.” Cliff actually snickered. “Gods that be, what a pair. Crazy humans.”

Sean grimaced. He didn’t know if he should be offended on behalf of his mate or not. “What do you mean?”

Cliff spared him a glance before answering. “This isn’t common knowledge, but since ye’re mate is Raul, I figure ye’ll learn sooner or later.” Cliff shrugged. “Jared worked as an assassin for over a decade before meeting Carson. Raul worked as his spotter when needed and his cover if his presence was ever questioned.” Cliff shook his head and grinned, clearly amused. “Devious bastards.”

This time, Sean did fill with indignation. “That is my
mate
you’re talking about,” he snapped.

The other shifter’s brows shot up, but instead of putting him in his place, Cliff nodded. “Me apologies. It was meant as a compliment.”

The pair fell into silence, and soon, the lights of the city appeared in a valley below them. The tight turns of the mountain roads forced Cliff to slow the vehicle, and Sean fought his urge to tell him to go faster. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if they got into a wreck on the way.

Sean felt like he was ready to jump out of his skin by the time Cliff finally pulled up in front of the hospital and was out of the car before Cliff turned the ignition off. He strode swiftly toward the doors, but once inside, had no clue where to go.

Fortunately, Carson was waiting and motioned to him. Sean followed willingly as the stoic man led him down a corridor and into an elevator. Once the door was closed, Sean murmured, “What happened to him?”

“When Raul and Payson broke into the facility through a side door, there were some guards waiting. They made the mistake of diving in opposite directions. Payson ended up in an empty room. Raul wasn’t so lucky,” Carson told him, his voice soft and low, as if saying the words quietly would lessen their impact somehow.

“Raul dove behind a desk, but it was a cheap piece of shit. Several bullets went right through, hitting him in his shoulder, his thigh, and his chest.” Carson shook his head, his expression fierce and angry. Then the big man swallowed and cleared his expression. “If it hadn’t been for Kontra shifting and covering him with his bulk, Raul would probably be dead.”

Sean nodded, recognizing the name of the guy Declan said had called him. “Be straight with me,” he said as the elevator came to a stop and the doors whooshed open. “Is he going to make it?”

Carson placed his hand on the elevator bumpers to keep it from closing, then turned back and stared Sean in the eye. “I don’t know.”

Chapter Seven

Three days…three days Sean had been sitting by his lover’s side. Still no change. A cat shifter named Doctor Ailean Carmichael encouraged Sean to talk to Raul and hold his hand. He thought that a little odd, but did as the guy said.
Who knows…maybe it will help after all.
He’d do anything that would bring his mate back to him.

Every day, Lisa brought Lily to him. Sean felt horrible for just dumping his niece on the kind woman, especially when she already had her own cub to care for, but she and Cliff were extremely understanding and supportive.