Page 66 of Frank's Felon
FRANK
He didn’t know anything about these two bear shifters, but they’d helped save Del, and that was the only reason Frank hadn’t attacked them after the white wolves had been taken care of. The way these two burly shifters were looking at Del, as if she belonged to them made Frank’s wolf want to do more than growl.
“She’s mine,” Frank said, barely keeping the growl from his words.
The larger shifter chuckled, even as he gently nudged the younger bear shifter. “Cenek, go find the girl, but don’t bring her close enough to see the slaughter.”
“Don’t touch that child,” Frank growled.
Soft skin brushed Frank’s ankle. Delilah. He still straddled her prone form, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the bear shifter to check on her. “Everything’s fine, Delilah,” he said, without looking down.
“Friends, Frank,” she said, her voice so weak that more fear traveled through him.
“Friends?” The bear shifter laughed. “Maybe you, sweet wolf, but I’m not sure about your guardian here.”
“I just want to get her and the child to safety,” Frank said. “We’ll leave your territory as soon as possible.”
“I’m Vasil.” The man nodded slightly, as royalty might to one of equal station. The shifter certainly carried himself like royalty. “You are safe here. We will give your female a day to heal, but then you must leave our lands, Wolf.”
“The name’s Frank,” he said, feeling more at ease now that Delilah had spoken. He didn’t know how Delilah knew the bear shifters, but he was grateful for their help. “Thank you for your help, and for the time she needs to heal. What clan are you, Vasil?”
“What do you know or care of our clans, wolf?”
“Not much,” he confessed. He knew to avoid bear territory, which apparently was more than Drake’s wolves had known. “Are you missing a bear, perhaps? Tall, with dark wavy hair and black eyes. Clan Ursov.”
Vasil said nothing, but his eyes betrayed his interest.
“They’re using him,” Frank said. “The DSA. For tracking. He was at the edge of our territory a few days back.”
Vasil’s shoulders eased. “He’s alive then.” A whistle sounded not far off. “That’s Cenek. He has the child. I can have him bring her to you, if you prefer, but a child should not be exposed to this.”
Frank warred with his own anxiety and trust issues for a moment. He was eager to get to Frankie to ensure she was okay, but he wouldn’t leave Delilah either. Slowly, he lifted her, wincing when he noticed the claw marks down her back in addition to the bite and teeth marks on her shoulder and hands. Damn white wolves would have killed her for sure. God, he was lucky she had befriended these bear shifters.
“Those white wolves are evil,” Vasil said.
“There are a few good ones,” Frank said, thinking of Hayden and Kate. He really hoped they were okay. “I’ll give you a friendly warning, though. Don’t travel south, to their pack. The situation there is. . . unstable at the moment.” He was reluctant to tell them too much, yet he felt compelled to warn them of Drake. This diplomacy thing wasn’t as easy as he had thought. “I’m sure my alpha would welcome your clan, Vasil, or meet for talks if your leader prefers. Damien Black, southwest of here.”
Vasil nodded, as Frank peered down at Delilah. She wasn’t moving at all, which worried him. Frank didn’t walk far, just a few hundred yards to get away from the carnage. He eased Delilah onto a bed of grass, then rose.
“Frankie,” he called out. Within seconds, Frankie ran into his arms. He scooped her up and hugged her. She buried her face against his neck. Small hands circled his neck as she started crying. Frank placed a hand on her back, while he kept his eyes on Vasil and now Cenek.
“Yours?” Vasil asked.
“As close as I’ll ever get,” he said.
Vasil’s eyes drifted down to where Delilah lay unconscious at Frank’s feet. “Maybe not.” With a nod goodbye, the two bear shifters headed back into the woods.
“The agent’s name at the DSA, the one who had your friend, his name is Gallagher,” Frank called after him.
“My brother, wolf. I’m in your debt. Take care of your family.”
As the shifters disappeared into the woods, Frank sat down beside Delilah. Frankie pried herself free to sit next to Delilah. “Why is Del sleeping?”
“Her wolf’s tired. Needs to rest before she heals her injuries.”
Frankie settled on the ground next to Delilah’s head and started pulling the leaves and twigs out of her hair. Frank tried speaking with her, but his questions were met with silence. Once Frankie had removed the debris, she stroked Delilah’s hair.
“Maybe you should tell her a bedtime story, Squirt.”
