Page 19 of Theirs

Mr. Scary stared at her. “This is the one mum’s whining about. This is your mate?” He glared at Brian and Blake.

They grinned and pulled her forward. “Yes, this is our mate. Brock, meet Susie. Susie, meet Brock, and this one is our cousin Slater, although he is more a brother too.”

Both men nodded to her and Slater remarked, “Saw her earlier at the restaurant. She’s cute.” Brock stared at her, until his lips finally curled in what she assumed was a welcoming smile. She shivered. He was scary.

Brian tightened his arms and pulled her in to him. “Do you have your badge, Brock?” Brock nodded and Brian walked with her to the door.

Leaving Brian’s arms as they all walked in, Susie went straight to reception and waited for the person in front to finish. When the lady left, she asked what room Sammy could be found in. They all travelled to emergency room ten B. When they arrived, two men in scrubs stopped them. “Sorry but only family is allowed in here. Are you…” They stopped as Brock flashed his police badge.

Just before Sammy’s door, Susie paused. She was angry with Blake and Brian for inviting a cop after she’d told them what happened with Greg. Pointing at Brock, she said, “He can’t come in. I can’t believe after what I told you, you invited a cop.” She gave both of her men a death stare.

Susie was surprised when her guys didn’t answer, but Brock did. “Oh, I like you. You’re feisty, and I don’t like men who beat women.” He touched his nose. “I have a built-in lie detector. It’s one of the perks of being a shifter.”

She gulped as she turned to Blake and Brian who had shit-eating grins on their faces. Stomping her foot. “Fucking fantastic.” This would make it a lot harder to get away with anything if they knew when she told a little white lie. “Another reason to feel so lucky.” Before she opened Sammy’s door, she said, “Give me five minutes alone with her first, please.” She didn’t wait for them to agree and slipped into the room.

Susie gasped as she saw her friend’s battered and bruised face. Anything visible was purple or black. She rushed straight to her friend, who looked startled to see her. The one eye that was open dilated, and she tried shaking her head. “Oh, sweetie, what has he done to you?” She stroked Sammy’s hair. “I’m going to help you get away from him this time. I will lend you some…”

A hand came down hard on her shoulder and squeezed until she winced. Glancing behind her, she saw Greg, with his short blond hair and his brown eyes that seemed almost black as he stared down at her with so much hatred. “You little fat bitch. You won’t be taking her anywhere.” He dragged her up, and a scream escaped her before he covered her mouth and whispered, “If I ever see you near Samantha again, I will…”

“You’ll do what?” She sighed as she recognized Blake’s voice. Greg turned with her in his arms and she screeched as his hands caught her hair, pulling it. Blake moved toward her, his eyes glowing, as Brian went for Greg.

Instead of letting her go, Greg gripped her tighter. “I would let her go if I were you, buddy” Brock chanted in an almost eerily calming voice. “If you don’t, you will die an ugly death. You see, you never harm a bear’s mate. And unluckier for you, this lovely lady has two of them.”

She hoped Greg listened to Brock, because right now, Brian as a giant grizzly bear came at them. She didn’t know how, because Brain was terrifying, but she knew he would never hurt her, bear or human form,

Greg squealed as bear claws slashed him across the face. Blake grabbed her, yanking her out of Greg’s arms and to him. Brian went for Greg again, but Brock stopped him, standing in front of the bear who hunched over in the small room. “Brian, enough. Change back. We can’t kill him here. We can’t kill him today.” The bear made a snorting sound, and she watched transfixed as the bear seemed to shine, and light of every color swirled around like magic, and then suddenly Brian stood there, still in his clothes, looking like he hadn’t just changed into a huge bear.

Greg lay on the floor shaking, and Brock knelt and talked to him. Susie stepped away from the chaos and checked on Sammy, who had passed out. Susie frowned, wondering why no one came in with all commotion. A doctor or a nurse should have come in. She flinched as Brian pulled her to him. His body seemed to sag as he sighed. “Please tell me you’re not scared of me now.”

Thinking back to a moments ago when he changed and charged at them, Susie was stunned to realize that she wasn’t afraid of him. Even when he clawed Greg, it never once crossed her mind the bear would hurt her. Turning in his arms, she stared up at him. “No, I’m not.” She reached up and stroked his face. “I love you, even when you’re a grizzly bear.”

Brian beamed down at her and brushed his lips across hers. “Say it again for me, honey.” Her hands moved up to wrap around his neck, and she pulled him closer and whispered into his ear, “Brian, I love you.”

He picked her up and muttered as his head rested against hers. “I love you so much. Don’t ever do anything so silly again. You knew he was about somewhere.”

She giggled as she thought of everything. “Oh, no one better mess with me. I am probably one of the safest women in the world now.”

He gave a mock growl, and gently placed her down, only to pause and swear. Susie turned to see what he was swearing at, only to gulp, and try to run over to Sammy. Brock stood over a whimpering Sammy, being held back by Brian. He said, “Mine.”

She looked over the other side of the bed to see Slater, who also said, “Mine.” Susie started to get cranky as the two men seemed to have a show down like they were trying to figure out how to kill each other.

Brushing off Brian’s hold, she went over, caught their attention and gave them her best death stare. “Stop it now. This is not the time or the place for it. Not only that, you are scaring my friend. I don’t care what she is to either of you, but if you don’t get away, I will whoop your arses.” They both turned on her and looked her up and down. Straightening, she tried to look taller, well, really, just more intimidating. “Fine, I will get Brian and Blake to do it.” Okay, they weren’t scared of her, so she’d tried another way. They grinned as she felt four hands on her back.

She glanced down at Sammy to see her give a slight nod in thanks. All the guys moved away, and she was finally alone with Sammy. “I promise, he won’t hurt you again. You are safe now.”

In a croaked voice that could barely be heard, Sammy asked, “Where is Greg?”

Slater came up next to the bed, mumbling, “Alive, unfortunately, but going to jail.”

Sammy shut her eyes as tears streamed down her cheek. “Thanks.” Susie leaned down and wiped the tears away and gave each cheek a kiss.

****

They arrived back at Susie’s place in the early hours of the morning. They all collapsed into a heap together on the bed. Blake prayed for the rest of the week to be quiet and uneventful. They sorted out a watch on Sammy. She’d agreed to come and live with them for a while until she fully recovered, which didn’t go down well with Brock and Slater.

Blake was happy for the next couple of days. He only worked seven till four, and Susie finished at four thirty. He picked her up from work every afternoon and she would growl about her perfectly good car. She hadn’t used it since meeting him and Brian.

On Friday afternoon, Susie called him at work to tell him she’d been writing all day and was heading over to see Sammy. He and Brian left work late, but made sure they got back in time to surprise her with a dinner. The phone started ringing at about six. Blake grabbed it, even though it was Susie’s phone. “Hello.”

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