Mandy's Story (15 page)

A split second before she was purposely
going to give her location away, a whooshing noise traveled through
the air, and an arrow struck Patreous in the chest. Mandy stood
frozen for several seconds—enough time for an enemy cat to step
from the brush, his bow at the ready. Patreous didn’t move and
Mandy could smell the tangy hint of blood, though she had no time
to be thankful she hid downwind. The cat checked the boy’s pulse
and began notching another arrow.

She didn’t think… she
attacked.

Upon impact, the cat tripped over
Patreous’ legs. Mandy knew her only chance to save the young bear
and herself was to rely on every bit of fight training she’d ever
had. She shifted to human, grabbed the man’s too-long ponytail, and
slung his body around. Control the head, control the enemy. She
brought her smaller body up from a crouch, and pulled his head
sideways and then down, butting her skull against the bridge of his
nose. She didn’t stop there… her elbow jammed into his Adam’s
apple, and then she released his hair and drove her combined fists
into his jaw.

He fell to the ground.

Mandy’s hand grabbed for the arrow he
dropped and she plunged it into his chest. His startled eyes looked
up and then he gave a small groan before his stare went
vacant.

She scrambled to Patreous and realized
she should have immediately called Dmitri. Her silent scream
traveled through their link, and he appeared at her side as she
tried to stop the blood that was coming from Patreous’ back and
quickly saturating the ground.

“
Step aside, Mandy.”
Dmitri’s hand settled firmly on her shoulder.

“
No, no, he’s dying.
Please do something.”

“
Step back.” He gave a
light shove and then knelt by the small child. “It didn’t go
through his heart, but it did puncture his lung. I need to remove
the arrow—I can’t heal him with it inside. You lift him up and I’ll
break the shaft and then push it through,” Dmitri said with
complete calm.

Mandy responded immediately, grabbed
Patreous, and leaned him forward. Dmitri was quick and the arrow
slid from the boy’s chest a moment later. The vampire didn’t wait,
and sunk his teeth in the child’s throat while Mandy held on
tight.

Bears descended on their location. She
sensed Honey immediately, but wouldn’t let go of Patreous. Dmitri
finished and moved back. The next thing Mandy knew, pain exploded
on the side of her face and she flew back several feet. She managed
to see Tyboll go airborne and Dmitri standing over him, fangs
glistening with Patreous’ blood and amber eyes flashing. “If you
ever touch her again, I will kill you. She saved your son’s
life.”

Honey tried to grab Mandy, but she
scrambled away and clutched the unconscious boy to her chest again.
She watched as Honey turned away and charged Tyboll.

“
Shift, you motherfucker,
because I’m going to kill you for touching my mate.” The words
meant for Tyboll blasted into every bear’s mind.

Dmitri stopped Honey’s charge with one
hand. “Stop.” The vampire’s eyes remained amber.

Honey shifted and stood before his
liege, breathing hard, barely in control of himself. “It’s my right
and you know it.” He spit the words out, not caring that Dmitri
could easily kill him.

A low human growl came from Tyboll, but
he didn’t shift. Turning his amber eyes pointedly back to Tyboll,
Dmitri’s hand held Honey back. “It is his right, but we have more
important things to do at the moment. If you go after Honey before
I agree to the challenge, I will kill you myself.”

Mandy watched everything unfold as she
rocked Patreous in her arms, willing Honey to look her way. Ever so
slowly, she saw his shoulders relax and finally he
turned.

The Kodiak’s voice rumbled just as
loudly as usual. “Who killed the cat?” He moved in close to
Mandy.

She looked him in the eye, while he
stood only a foot away. “I did.”

“
How?” he barked
out.

“
With every bit of
self-defense I’ve ever been taught.” She took an angry breath and
didn’t stop there. “We are going to war and every man, woman, and
child needs to know how to protect themselves. You place your women
at a disadvantage. They are physically stronger than I am, but will
be left with little help if the war continues for long. Maybe you
should stay out of the war and save your clan, you stupid bear.”
She continued to hold his gaze with daggers shooting from her
eyes.

Low grumbles echoed through the trees
as already tightly strung he-bears heard every word she said to
their alpha.

The Kodiak’s arm came slowly forward
and he tipped Mandy’s chin to the side. “My brother marred your
skin. Dmitri, my liege, would you take care of my son’s mate?” For
the first time she heard his voice soften and he looked at her with
something besides impatience.

Mandy turned to Honey and noticed
Dmitri continued to hold him back. “I’m okay. The cat didn’t hurt
me.”

She didn’t hear what Dmitri whispered
into her mate’s ear, but the vamp was suddenly by her side. She
tilted her head back and gave him access to her neck, though she
never took her eyes from Honey’s as the vampire fed.

Honey walked slowly toward her and then
leaned down to pick her up when Dmitri finished.

“
No, please carry
Patreous,” she pleaded.

“
I will carry my son,”
Tyboll shouted.

The Kodiak’s voice boomed louder than
Tyboll’s. “I will carry him and you will go back to your cabin and
wait for word on his condition. If you leave, I will consider it a
challenge and though I would hate taking the right away from my
son, I will kill you.”

Mandy released Patreous and Honey
picked her up. “I can walk.”

“
Too bad.” His nose sank
into her hair and she heard him inhale deeply.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Honey trailed his father to The
Kodiak’s cabin knowing Mandy wouldn’t leave Patreous until the boy
woke up. Sonora waited with hot tea and immediately poured a cup
for Mandy after Honey brought a chair so she could sit next to the
bed the young cub lay on.

“
He followed me,” she said
softly.

Honey stood behind the chair and
circled his arms around her neck placing one hand over the beat of
her heart. “Who followed you?”

“
Patreous, and his father
will punish him.”

“
No, he won’t.” Honey
kissed the top of her head.

A long sigh left her throat. “Was the
entire property searched for other cats?”

“
Yes, my fierce she-wolf,
and we are posting additional guards.”

“
Thank you.” She leaned
her head back against her mate’s stomach.

“
We owe you the thanks,
Mandy. Patreous will survive.” Honey’s gruff voice held
conviction.

“
Yes, I think so, too. His
color has returned, but please can I stay until he wakes
up?”

“
Yes, we’re
staying.”

Honey stood behind her for two more
hours and didn’t let go.

“
What happened?”
Patreous’s question startled them both.

Mandy’s hand went to his cheek. “A very
bad cat shot you with an arrow.”

A huge grin broke out on his face.
“Cool.”

She laughed and Honey expelled a
relieved breath. He wanted his mate happy.

“
I followed you.”
Patreous’ gaze turned fearful as he looked around the cabin,
probably searching for his father.

Mandy’s soft voice soothed, “I know,
but that’s okay. Please don’t worry about it.” She rubbed his cheek
with her thumb.

“
I’ll be punished.” His
voice quivered.

“
No, you will not.” The
Kodiak had walked into the room. “Taking an arrow is enough
punishment.”

Patreous’ body shook when he looked up
at The Kodiak and then quickly looked back to Mandy. “I was
protecting you so nothing happened while you went
running.”

“
You are very brave and I
thank you.”

Patreous’ eyes grew fearful. “What
happened to the cat?”

“
He’s dead,” The Kodiak
spoke up again.

“
Did you kill him, my
alpha?” The cub’s voice trembled.

“
No, Mandy took care of
him and saved your life.”

The shock on Patreous’ face was
actually comical and everyone laughed.

Honey joined the conversation. “I know
she doesn’t look like much, but she did manage to kidnap me,
survive an attack by three cats, and then kill the cat that shot
you. I think my she-wolf deserves your thanks.”

The boy’s gaze shot to Mandy. “You
kidnapped Honey?” This obviously seemed the most incredible of the
three situations.

“
Yes, he is one stubborn
bear and I needed my mate one way or another.”

“
Cool.”

Laughter broke out from
everyone.

“
Honey, take your mate
home so she can clean up and rest.” The Kodiak’s voice was back in
full force. “Then come back here so you and I can talk.”

“
Yes, sir.”

Mandy leaned forward and kissed
Patreous’ cheek, though his hand came up and wiped the kiss away.
“Yuck.”

“
Rest or I’ll kidnap you
and force kisses on you every hour.”

“
Yes, ma’am.” He ruined
the words by sticking out his tongue.

Honey took her hand and they left the
cabin after Mandy thanked his mom for the tea. They took a shower
together and he cleaned the blood from her skin with soapy hands.
She returned the favor, slowly smoothing her hands over his stomach
muscles and then wrapping her fingers around his erection. What was
supposed to be a quick shower took longer than he
expected.

“
Will you be okay for an
hour or so?” he asked after they dried off.

“
Yes. I need to search
some things on the internet.”

“
That’s always dangerous.”
He couldn’t help his grumble.

“
You know you enjoyed the
nurse’s uniform.” She laughed and gave him a quick kiss much like
the one she gave Patreous.

“
Yes, I really liked the
nurse’s uniform.” His grumble turned into a soft growl as he pulled
her close.

She smiled as she tilted her head back.
“Go do your duty, oh son of The Kodiak.”

“
When I return, I will
show you my true duty.” He looked into the front room. “After I
nail the door shut.” Now his grumble was back.

“
I impatiently await your
return.”

***

Mandy stayed put for ten minutes and
then set about her mission. She found a backpack in the closet and
filled it with the supplies she needed. Containing her anger in
front of Honey was difficult, but she’d managed. The last item she
removed from the closet was the tranquillizer gun. She stormed from
her cabin with a single purpose.

She held the gun at the ready and
pounded on another cabin door. The door suddenly swung open and she
was ready. The dart found its target. Dragging, grunting, and not
caring what she hit his body against, she pulled Tyboll onto his
bed. She removed the rope she’d brought from the backpack and
quickly secured him spread-eagle to the four posters. She smiled
with a feeling of déjà vu while filling a bucket with cold water
and then dumping its contents on the idiot he-bear.

As soon as she sat the bucket down, she
covered her ears, but his loud roar still nearly burst her
eardrums. She calmly waited for his attention. Finally, the last
echo sounded and she lowered her arms and looked into her seething
captive’s eyes.

“
You and I need to talk
and solve a few problems.” Her gaze remained steady. He didn’t
blink, and if looks could kill, she’d be saying her last blessings
to the goddess. “I think you and I got off on the wrong foot and
I’m here to fix that.”

His muscles bunched and he struggled to
get out of his bindings.

“
If you think you’re bear
enough, call your liege and I’m sure he’ll help you.”

His roar filled the cabin again. At one
point, she thought the bed would break because of his struggling,
but it held. She had no more darts, but Tyboll didn’t know that, so
she picked up the gun and aimed it at him until he calmed
again.

“
Now, where were we?” She
studied him for a moment before continuing. “I want to tell you a
story.”

Mandy then poured out her soul. She
spoke about her father, Malcolm the rapist. She told him about her
childhood and the loneliness she felt. Then, told of her brother
and his struggles to feel accepted. Large tears rolled down her
cheeks when she explained about Emily coming into their lives. Her
story ended with kidnapping Honey and all that happened until they
arrived in bear territory. Tyboll’s head and eyes were turned away
from her by the time she finished.

“
I didn’t tell you about
my true father so you could feel sorry for me. I wanted you to
understand. I will not stay away from your son and I refuse to be
afraid of you. I have no wish for Honey to kill his uncle or, if it
went the other way, for me to kill you.”