Page 31 of Grizzly's Bear

Rissa jerked the shirt over her head as the woman led her to a second vehicle.

“Hold on.” The order was no sooner given than they were moving at a fast clip, falling in behind the one that held Slade.

“I can’t lose him,” Rissa murmured.

“You won’t,” Vic called back. “He drew all the fire on himself. Fucking crazy, but still. He kept anyone else from getting hit. Your brother-in-law will have everything he needs to make sure Slade survives. Between him, my mate, Diane, and the professor, your mate will be up and around real soon, chewing out your ass for running off without him and parading around naked with a bunch of male shifters, who were equally naked.”

Rissa knew the woman was trying to make her laugh, to ease the tension that had a death grip around Rissa. Instead, all she could do was picture Slade lying in the grass covered in blood. If he’d felt even a fraction of what consumed her now when he’d found her in a similar position, then she understood his need to keep her close at all times.

“He was trying to get to me,” Rissa whispered.

“That he was,” the woman agreed. “You’ve got a fiercely protective mate.”

“Yes,” Rissa agreed.

“Here we are.”

They pulled up, and Rissa hurried to follow as Jensen disappeared into the medical center with Slade.

“Follow me,” Vic said as she dodged around Rissa. “I know where they’re headed. I’m Vic, by the way. In case, you didn’t catch it earlier. I know there’s a lot of faces here.”

“Thank you, Vic.”

“No problem. I’ll show you where you can wait. The other’s will be here soon. Don’t let them overwhelm you. They care. Slade and the rest of the Holloways are well liked here.”

“Thank you,” Rissa said again, feeling as if she were stuck on repeat. She wanted her mate. God, she wanted her mate.

“Please don’t let me lose him.” She whispered her prayer to the universe over and over until it became a mantra in her head. “Please don’t take him from me.”

Chapter Thirteen

There wasn’t a part of Slade that didn’t hurt. He groaned even before he opened his eyes. Then groaned again as a solid weight hit his chest.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Are you really awake? Slade, are you awake?”

“Mmm,” Slade moaned as he wrapped an arm around Rissa and held her close to his side. “Lie still. Let me feel you.”

She buried her head in his neck and started crying. Crying wasn’t her. He didn’t like it one bit.

“Hey.” He tried to turn and ended up hissing as a jolt of pain went through him.

“I’m hurting you.” Rissa started to push away, but he tightened his hold, biting down against the pain he felt.

“Stop. I want you here. What the hell happened anyway?”

“You were shot!”

“Fuck,” Slade muttered. He remembered the alarm sounding when they were at Tony’s. They’d raced out and immediately headed toward the main house of the pride. Then he’d nearly lost it when he’d found out Rissa and Ariel were missing. That the two women had been out walking when the alarm sounded. At which point, Slade had completely lost his head. Daniel hadn’t been far behind. “What the hell were you thinking? I nearly lost my mind when I saw you behind those men.”

She sat up beside him. “What was I thinking? Jesus, Slade! You charged the whole group, making yourself a huge target! Do you know how many bullets Jensen removed from your sorry hide? No, because you were unconscious and bleeding everywhere! You could have died, Slade!” Her breath shuddered out of her as she dropped down to rest her forehead against his. “I almost lost you.”

“Never going to happen,” he swore, kissing her softly on the lips then hissing his breath out as she leaned against him, hitting a particularly sore spot.

“None of that,” Jensen snapped as he walked in to join them. “I removed eight bullets from you four days ago. Anything other than rest and recuperation will have to be put on the back burner for a few more days.”

Rissa immediately went to slip off the bed, but Slade kept his arm around her, refusing to let go. Jensen merely shook his head as she finally settled at Slade’s side.

“How’re you feeling?”

---