Cynful

Chapter Twenty-One

Cyn couldn’t believe she’d allowed the asshole to get a drop on her. One minute she’s healing Micah’s shoulder, the next she’s experiencing blinding pain. It didn’t matter if the pain was Micah’s or hers. Boyd had sure taken advantage of it. He’d used her disorientation against her and dragged her out of the shop, forcing her down the alleyway. But now he would have to shoot her ass to get her to go any further.

There is no way she was getting in that van.

“Don’t worry little girl, you’ll help me, whether you want to or not.” Where Micah’s light brown eyes had been filled with warmth, Dennis Boyd’s were cold and dead. He had a huge pistol pointed at her with some kind of a hunting scope on the barrel. “I’m certain she’ll come back for your funeral.”

That is a really big gun. And it would leave a really big hole in her if she didn’t move her ass out of the way now. “You could’ve just killed me in the shop.”

“It’s harder to drag a dead weight than you think. This way all I have to do is shove you into the van, pull the trigger, and we’re gone.”

“Gone to where?” She had a pretty good idea of what he had in mind, but she had to keep him distracted until Julian and Gabe arrived. And she had no doubt they were on their way. She could practically feel Julian chasing her down, pissed off because she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Scared because of who had her. If I die he’ll never let me live it down.

His smile was chilling and creepy, and not just because he was going to shoot her. “I figured I’d dump it somewhere in the woods near the Red Wolf Lodge. How do you think that big, scary Alpha will feel when he finds out that I’ve killed someone he was supposed to protect?”

“I think his Luna will eat your intestines on toast.” Because, if for some reason she didn’t survive this, Tabby would hit Def Con One. If Rick or Alex didn’t get to Dennis Boyd, Belle would, and it wouldn’t be pretty. The Luna had a seriously wide streak of mean in her that scared Cyn a bit. But it was Alex’s reaction that the man should be worried about. “And if they don’t get you, her mate certainly will.”

Oh how she wished she were one of those mystical Hollywood shifters. Then she wouldn’t need to worry about things like clothing when she shifted into her Bear. She’d just shift and take this S.O.B. down before he could hurt anybody else. And then she’d magically be not naked when she shifted back. Unfortunately, she already knew that if she shifted in her clothes she would wind up hurting herself.

Hurry up, Julian!

“A mate, huh?” Boyd shook his head with a wry grin. “I’d wondered how she’d gotten into the Poconos Pack.” Boyd didn’t realize that Alex was a Grizzly and not a Wolf. She almost laughed out loud. She couldn’t think of anyone who deserved an angry Grizzly mauling more than this man. “Richard Lowell is supposed to be a real hard-ass. I wonder what he did to make her prove herself?”

She’d done absolutely nothing but be herself, and that had been more than enough for Rick and Belle.

Boyd’s gaze narrowed and he braced himself. It looked like her time was up. She closed her eyes, unwilling to watch him pull the trigger that would end not only her life but Julian’s as well. “I love you, Jules.” Why hadn’t she been brave enough to tell him that when she had the chance?

A deep, gravelly roar sounded from right behind her, startling her. She’d never heard anything like it. She opened her eyes to see what fresh hell she was about to face and flinched as a wall of dark brown fur dashed past her. A deep, moaning wail sounded from the behemoth as it swiped at Dennis Boyd, shredding the man’s arm from hand to shoulder. Screeching, Boyd dropped the pistol…but not before pulling the trigger.

The Grizzly reared up on its hind legs and roared once more in Boyd’s face. Julian barely recognized the fact that Ryan was literally ripping Boyd apart despite Gabe’s pleas to stop.

All he saw was that Cyn was on the ground, and she was bleeding.

It didn’t matter that he was naked, that he’d never completed the shift. Her blood poured out from her chest and onto the ground. She was already unconscious, her eyelashes dark against her pale cheeks. He was going to take every ounce of strength he had to heal her, and it might not be enough.

If her soul fled her body, he would follow.

Julian dug deep, tapping into areas he’d never dared touch before, dancing further down the spiral of the healing path than he’d ever been. What he was doing should have been impossible, and would most likely cost him his life, but it was something that he would gladly give up to save her. Ancient prayers repeated over and over in his mind as he begged for the power to do what needed to be done. He battled death itself, and this time there was no one there to lend him strength, no one to save him from himself.

Beneath his hands torn muscles knit back together. Blood vessels repaired themselves seamlessly. The fragments of her shattered ribs drew together, whole once more. The bullet had been large caliber, bouncing around inside her rib cage before exiting and doing far more damage than he’d ever been forced to fix before. Her heart was nicked, forcing it to beat erratically. He mended the damage, making sure it beat properly once more. He moved next to her lungs, doing his best to be clinical and detached, and failing miserably. He wanted to scream at what had been done to his beautiful mate.

The damage was extensive. Cyn’s right lung was practically torn in half. He knitted it back together piece by piece, repairing torn and inflamed bronchi. The pleural cavity had been breached, causing the fluid within to burst forth. He delicately repaired both the parietal pleura along her rib cage and the visceral pleura on the surface of her lungs, rerouting the pleural fluid in between the membranes back to where it belonged as he went.

He was beginning to tire, slowly losing contact with his body. He wasn’t going to survive.

“Julian.”

There was a minor risk of infection, but he boosted her immune system in preparation for that.

“Julian. You need to stop now.”

But he wasn’t done yet. He needed to repair the damage to the bones and muscles of her shoulder where the bullet had exited. If he wasn’t careful, she would never again be able to use her right arm the way she had before. Her career, the living art she lived and breathed for, would be over.

“All right. I’ll try and help, but if I cry I’m so haunting your ass.”

Energy poured into him, feminine energy that was unlike anything he’d felt before. “Chloe?”

“That’s me. Hang tight, Julian. I promise, you’re not going anywhere.”

It was just enough. He was going to be able to complete his work. He’d hurt, and hurt badly, but thanks to Chloe and their connection he’d live through it.

He’d just have to see if he’d live through what Cyn would do to him when she found out how far he’d gone. She wouldn’t be too mad, right?

“You keep telling yourself that.”

From somewhere far away he could hear the sounds of someone pleading with him to stop, but that was the last thing he planned to do. He was almost done. Her shoulder was almost completely repaired. All that was left to do was to repair the skin, make sure that not a single scar was left behind.

The only mark that should mar her skin was the mating one he’d given her.

“Jules.”

Cyn’s bleeding had become sluggish, almost nonexistent. No internal bleeding remained. Chloe withdrew with a quick, psychic hug, leaving him to his weariness and the last of Cyn’s scrapes and bruises.

“Knock it off, Super Bear. I think I can put a Band-Aid on the rest of it.”

Part of him recognized that voice, but he couldn’t respond to it. It had gone dark where he was. He could no longer remember which way was up and out, and which way was down and in. The flesh between his hands was still knitting; he needed to hold on just a little bit longer.

He was going to sleep for a week when he was done.

“Gabe, knock his ass out.”

What? No—

Cyn was going to kill him.

Okay, maybe not kill him. He was so good at trying to die all on his own. He certainly didn’t need any help on that front.

“Thanks.” Cyn took the spare clothes and, uncaring who saw, changed out of the shredded, bloody shirt she’d been wearing into the T-shirt.

“You’re welcome.” Sarah sat next to her and held her hand. “You’re really angry.”

Damn straight, she was. He could have stopped when he knew she’d live. Instead, he’d insisted on trying to heal everything down to the smallest scratch.

“Gabe risks his life every day, and not just as a Hunter. He’s Marshall’s Second, and a cop. I worry every time he walks out the door that it will be the last time I see him.”

Oh hell. Another Dr. Phil moment was coming on. Cyn could feel it. “I understand Julian’s obsession with healing. Hell, I encourage it.” She shot Sarah a wry glance. “Mostly. It’s when he pushes beyond what he should do that I want to tie him up and lock him in the closet.”

Sarah laughed softly, not wanting to disturb the members of the Pride currently sleeping. It seemed all of the Pumas had arrived at the hospital to rally around Julian, ready and willing to lend a helping hand.

Emma, the tough Curana, was currently curled up on Max’s lap, sound asleep. She looked young and innocent, and Max watched her with the same loving focus that Julian lavished on Cyn.

Becky was nibbling on some fruit Simon handed her, her eyes red-rimmed from either tears or lack of sleep. Possibly both. Simon barely looked away from his conversation with Adrian, until she stopped eating. Then he turned and frowned at her, pointing to the fruit, ignoring everything around her until she rolled her eyes and once again began to nibble.

Adrian was stroking Sheri’s hair, her head pillowed in his lap, her dark glasses protecting her sensitive eyes.

Gabe was pacing, his gaze glued to a subdued looking Ryan. Ryan was staring at his hands as if he’d never seen them before, a haunted look on his face. Occasionally he would rub them together, a washing motion that made her wince in sympathy. He wouldn’t be forgetting how he’d torn a man apart any time soon, no matter how justified he’d been. Gabe had told Cyn he wouldn’t be arresting Ryan for defending her, but he was going to keep an eye on the Grizzly to see if he showed signs of going feral.

Cyn hoped not. As much as Glory protested, she would be devastated if anything happened to Ryan.

William and Barbara Bunsun, Alex’s parents, had both gone into Julian’s room to help his healing along. They’d both come out white-faced and exhausted. She still didn’t know if they’d been able to help, but she was grateful nonetheless.

“Cynthia Reyes?”

Cyn stood as the doctor entered the room. With Jamie still out of commission, there was no longer a Pride doctor in the hospital. The very human doc smiled at Cyn and waved her over.

“How is he?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s exhausted and dehydrated. We’ve got him on a drip and a sedative for now. He keeps fighting us, wanting to get up and find you.”

“Can I see him?” She clenched her hands to keep from wringing them like some weepy romance heroine. She wanted to see him so badly she was ready to burst into tears.

“Yes, but make it brief. He needs his rest more than anything right now.”

“Thanks, doc.” She practically ran into the room Julian was in, stopping dead at the sight of her mate hooked up to tubes and wires again.

This shit had to stop. She was ready to set up a bedroom in the hospital, she was here so damn much.

Julian whimpered, twisting in his sheets, fighting the medication that kept him unconscious. Cyn placed her hand over his, careful of the IV strapped to the back, and watched in astonishment as he immediately settled down.

It seemed Super Bear was still trying to save her, whether she needed it or not.

She settled in the bedside chair, prepared to fight to stay by her mate’s side. If Julian needed her presence in order to rest, then she wasn’t going anywhere, hospital regulations be damned.

It was hours before Julian stirred. Cyn had a cramp in her lower back, her arm was partially asleep from reaching for his hand, and her eyes were dry from lack of sleep. But when those beautiful brown-flecked silver eyes opened and focused on her, she smiled. “Hey, Jules.” She swallowed around tears she refused to shed. “I love you. Moron.”

He was too weak to say it back, but that was okay. He was alive. Nothing else mattered.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, damn it.” Cyn’s hands were fisted on her hips. Her foot tapped out an annoyed tattoo on the floor. “Fuck this, no.”

Julian sighed and adjusted the flash he was hanging on the wall. In its new thick, black frame it stood out against the pearly gray walls of her new shop. “It’s the best solution for everyone, Cyn.”

Cyn set the box of ink she’d been carrying into the back room on the floor and growled. “You are not going to medical school, Jules.” No fucking way. If he went back and became a doctor he’d have to do a residency in a hospital for at least three years. What the hell was he thinking? He’d kill himself! He’d been out of the hospital a month and now he wanted to go back? “Max and Rick are working on a solution. Let them deal with the shifter doc, please.”

Julian made a face. “I just wish…”

She stroked his arm as he looked away, his expression one of guilt and regret. “I know, Jules.” Saving Jamie hadn’t been a blessing. The man had finally woken up, but he had become cold, and angry at the world. She’d never seen someone do such a personality one-eighty before in her life. She wouldn’t be surprised if he turned into a serial killer.

Everyone agreed that if Jamie ever decided to take vengeance on Jules for saving him he would go after Cyn first. Even his family had told them to keep away from the former doctor, fearing that the sight of Cyn and Julian would trigger a need to kill in him. Gabe was keeping a watchful eye on him to see if he came out of the current funk or turned rogue.

He’d told her in private he was worried. Needless to say, she was keeping her distance, and making sure Julian did too.

“What do I do? There are people who aren’t getting help because Jamie has his head up his ass.” Jules flopped down in the turquoise chair by the window and watched the cars go by.

They’d kept the old chairs but had them reupholstered to match the new gray, turquoise and black color scheme. She liked the new color scheme even more than the aqua color of her old shop. It was soothing, yet modern. Tabby had talked them into buying a totally awesome chaise lounge in smoky gray that Glory had declared hers and a lighter gray sofa that Cyn had fallen into and in love with all at the same moment. The curtains at the window were white and black, in a modern floral print that Cyn wanted in her house.

Hell, even the floors here were nicer, a gorgeous dark oak that had sold her on the shop even without the added incentive of an awesome landlady.

“You’re a Spirit Bear. If the Pride or Pack needs help, they can come to you. Otherwise, let the humans find a new human doc to deal with.” Jamie’s practice had been closed by the Howard family shortly before he woke up. He’d been in the coma for six weeks before waking up, raging and crying. He’d torn up his hospital room before being sedated. There was no way he was in any condition to deal with patients. “We could also have the shifters go to Doc Woods.”

He rolled his eyes. “Jim Woods is a veterinarian, not a doctor.”

“See? Perfect.”

He snorted out a laugh, but it didn’t last long. Julian looked pensive, never a good thing with her mate. He worried far too much in her estimation. “What do I do? If Immigration finds out I’m not working I could be deported back to Canada.”

Cyn shrugged. “If that happens, I’ll open a parlor in Manitoba.”

“British Columbia.” He turned and stared at her, stunned. “You’d go back with me?”

Was he really that stupid? “I can’t believe you just asked me that.” She’d follow her mate to hell. It was an odd feeling for someone who’d never wanted to be tied down to someone else’s whims, but the knowledge that her mate valued her happiness above all else made the decision easy.

“Your family is here. All your friends.” He stood and crossed over to her, caressing her cheek. “I can’t ask you to give that up for me.”

“Then marry me.” Really, it was a no-brainer. Even if it took three years to get his green card, he’d be able to find a job and update his visa, she was sure of it. If not, she’d see if Gabe couldn’t pull some strings with the shifter Senate and get Jules a permanent residency in the good ole US of A. Having one of the rare, elusive Spirit Bears on American soil should go a long way to getting Jules his citizenship, legally or not.

He laughed. “That sounds oddly familiar. Aren’t you the one who asked me to mate you?”

“Because you take too long to get this stuff done.” She wiggled her fingers in his face. “Make with the ring, Share Bear.” She knew he already had one. Her Jules was thorough that way.

He closed his eyes and groaned, but the laughter still lit his face. “I’m not going to ask how you found out.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Ve haf our vays.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You were the one who wanted to go slow and date, remember?”

She shrugged. “I’m invoking a woman’s prerogative and changing my mind.” She wiggled her fingers again. It had irked her something fierce when the hospital nurses had tried throwing her out of Julian’s room. She’d had to bring in Gabe to lie for her and say she was Julian’s fiancée. She wasn’t going without spousal privileges again. “Ring me.”

He shook his head and pulled a ring out of his back pocket. It was gorgeous, a small but brilliant diamond flanked by emeralds, set in gold. “The diamond is my birthstone.”

She grinned, loving it. His birthday was May 30. “And the emeralds are mine.” She’d been born on April 5, and thanked God every birthday she’d been four days late.

He lifted her hand and kissed the back, his brown eyes twinkling. His dark hair had been left loose around his shoulders, just the way she liked it. “Thank you for agreeing to be mine.”

She chuckled. “Agreeing, my well-padded ass.”

He squeezed her butt and sighed happily. “I’ve come to enjoy that little extra bump in your grind.”

She smacked his arm as Tabby walked, or rather waddled, into the room. The woman was barely four months along and acted like she was about to pop any minute. “I swear, I’m going to whelp triplets.” She lowered herself into a chair with a groan. “My ankles look like Mama Leone’s meatballs.”

Julian immediately went to Tabby’s side. He’d been concerned about her swollen ankles ever since she’d first complained about them, worried about gestational diabetes, but he hadn’t found anything wrong with her when he checked her. Alex was threatening to toss all her high-heeled boots away, suspecting they were the culprit.

“Nice rock.” Cyn jumped, startled when Glory picked up Cyn’s hand from behind. “Hey, Alex. Check this out.”

Alex sauntered out from the back and grinned at Cyn’s engagement ring. “So he finally popped the question?”

Julian shook his head, his hands roaming over Tabby’s tummy bulge. “Like she’d give me the chance.” A small silver streak appeared in his hair as he worked on Tabby.

Glory dragged Cyn’s hand, and Cyn, to the front window. She held the ring up to the Christmas lights they’d been hanging. “Oh yeah. We can so add this to the decorations.”

Cyn smacked the blue-haired sprite upside the head, secretly tickled that Glory seemed to be back to her old self. Her breathing was still labored at times, but she seemed none the worse for wear. Even the fact that Ryan was constantly underfoot no longer seemed to bother her the way it had.

The bell over the front door jangled. She didn’t even need to turn to see who it was. His timing was always the same. “Hey, Ryan.”

“Cyn. Nice hand candy.”

“Thanks.” He stared at Glory with a look of longing that was quickly masked. He moved to her side, steadying her on the short ladder. “Let me get that, SG.”

Glory snorted, hanging garland in the window of their new shop. “That had better stand for Super Glory, and not that blue furred freak of nature.”

“If you say so.”

Ryan, too, was mostly recovered. He’d told them how he’d gone and tried to hunt down the man who had shot his mate, but it wasn’t until Cyn had become bait that he’d had any luck. He’d spent time roaming the woods just outside Halle, thinking the shifter was hiding there since it was the only place that Gabe hadn’t checked yet. He’d been able to keep himself from going feral by focusing on Glory. The fact that his mate wouldn’t be safe until he took out the shooter had been his saving grace.

When he’d found no sign of any stranger, he’d returned to Halle just in time to see Cyn get kidnapped. He’d quickly shifted, saving Cyn’s life. Boyd had been aiming for her head; Ryan’s intervention had knocked off his aim, giving Julian the time he needed to save her. When Julian had tried to thank him, he’d actually blushed. To him, Jules was family and, by extension, so was Cyn.

The bell jangled again, startling her. “Morning, Mrs. H.!” One of their best customers had become their landlady, renting them a place less than two blocks from their old one. Cyn had been grateful for what Evelyn Hagen had done, and promised her free tattoos whenever she wished. And Mrs. H. had no trouble with the security their Bears had insisted be added to the interior and exterior of the shop. In fact, she’d paid for it herself. Apparently Mr. H. had taken good care of his widow, because she got top-of-the-line stuff to keep “her girls” safe.

“Hey, girls and boys.” She held up a couple of large white bags. “I brought barbecue!” Mrs. H. laughed as three large men descended on her and began to beg and whine shamelessly. Cyn had the urge to hang a sign over them: Don’t feed the Bears. Mrs. H. had practically adopted all three of them, to the amusement of their mates and families. Mrs. H. had even paid Mrs. Bunsun a visit, and didn’t Cyn wish she’d been a fly on the wall for that conversation?

Tabby sauntered over to Cyn and flung an arm around her shoulder. “Do you think they noticed the new sign?”

Cyn shook her head. She’d waited to unveil it until everyone was here, including Mrs. H. It had hurt, changing the name of the shop, but Tabby had insisted that they needed to change their luck. The best way to do that, she’d said, was to change the name. Glory had agreed. The three of them had sat down and hashed out what the new name should be. She still wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Glory and Tabby had overruled her. Since Tabby was now a full partner, she’d gotten a full third of the vote and had used it to bludgeon Cyn into submission.

She could admit it now, if only to herself. The name they’d come up with was somewhat flattering. However, when the boys saw it, she was going to be in for some ribbing, especially from Julian.

Glory hopped off the ladder, much to Ryan’s obvious dismay. The Bear was frowning at her. He’d been treating her like a fragile china doll despite her clean bill of health from the doctor. If Cyn knew Glory as well as she thought she did, that wasn’t going to fly for much longer. Glory was going to do something absolutely outrageous just to show how well she was. She still had trouble catching her breath, but all of the doctors assured them that her problems would resolve themselves with time. “I say we unveil the new sign now.”

“New sign?” Julian smiled as he helped the other men lay out the food. “I thought you were going to use the old one.”

Cyn shrugged, embarrassed. “We decided we needed a new name.”

“We figured we could stand to change our luck.” Glory twirled a powder blue curl around her finger.

“And we love the new name.” Tabby’s tone was so coy Cyn was surprised Alex didn’t suspect something. Then again, the way he was sniffing the Styrofoam containers, she was even more surprised he hadn’t started scarfing down ribs, Styrofoam and all.

“What’s the new name?” Julian was the only one who was eyeing them with any suspicion. Ryan had sauce all over his chin and a blissful expression on his face.

Cyn exchanged a look with the girls. “Now?”

“Now.” Tabby took hold of Alex’s hand, ignoring his grumbly protest as she made him put down the beef brisket.

“Definitely.” Glory stood by the door and waited. Sure enough, Ryan wiped himself off and ran to open it for her.

“Little princess.” Cyn rolled her eyes and followed Glory out the door, smiling as Tabby joined them. Mrs. H. remained behind. They’d already told her what they were planning on naming the shop, and she’d laughed until she cried. But she did raise two thumbs up and, like the wonderful woman she was, began dishing up huge plates of food for the boys.

“Ready?” Tabby grabbed hold of the dangling rope that lead to the canvas cover over the sign.

“I am.” Glory actually leaned back against Ryan, causing the Bear to freeze in place, a look of utter shock on his face.

Cyn nodded. “Do it.”

“Yes, dooo eeet,” Glory drawled, her teeth chattering. She shivered in the cold December air, the gauzy dress no barrier to the chilly wind. Ryan tentatively wrapped his arms around his mate, lending her his warmth.

Maybe it will be all right between them after all. Cyn smiled, happy that her friend was finally beginning to thaw toward the Bear.

“Here we go!” Tabby tugged the rope, but the canvas snagged on the corner of the sign.

“Wait. Why am I seeing C Y?” Julian tilted his head and squinted, as if that would let him see through the canvas.

“Stop trying to use your x-ray vision, Super Bear.” Cyn blew her hair out of her eyes and tried to suppress her own shiver. “Any clue what it’s stuck on?”

Tabby tugged again, but nothing happened. She walked to the other side of the sign, rope in hand, hoping to drag it along the sign and pull it down that way.

“I see,” Julian whispered in her ear as the C Y N was revealed. “You named the shop after yourself, didn’t you?”

“Sort of.” She could feel her cheeks heating and knew she was blushing. She crossed her arms over her chest. “They outvoted me.”

One dark brow rose as he stared at the sign. “Now I’m intrigued.”

She rolled her eyes and snuggled up against him. Damn, it was cold out here.

“All right. I think I’ve got it.” Tabby tugged one final time and the canvas fell. She backed up before she was covered in the falling tarp.

Julian burst into laughter as the sign was finally revealed.

Ryan’s jaw dropped. He stared down at the powder blue head of his mate. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Alex shook his head. “Somehow it suits this place.” He hauled Tabby into his arms with a huge grin. “Congratulations, Cyn.”

Cyn stared up at the sign. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

Julian kissed the top of her head. “I think it’s perfect.” He chuckled. “I’ve always said you were sinful.”

“No, Jules.” She grinned up at the sign that bore her name…sort of. “I’m Cynful.”