Page 71 of Hers to Call
“You’re bluffing.” No way would he believe Charles over the bears in his clan.
“Not like you can tell.” Charles smirked.
Simon was pissed because the male was right. Even as close as he was to Charles he couldn’t smell him. “What’s wrong Rossel? You’ve got family in the government, and they can’t get land for you? Or don’t they even acknowledge that they know you?”
Charles flinched and Simon knew he’d hit a sore spot.
“You have no idea who it is,” Charles continued, directing the conversation back to the supposed traitor.
Rage danced through Simon. Even if there was no traitor, just the rumor that there was would undermine the security in his clan. His bear pushed against him, fur rippling up and down his arms, his teeth elongating as he met Calita’s eyes. She was terrified, it was there easy to read, though the scent of it was slowly tapering off. He knew firsthand how easily she masked her feelings, but he was impressed. He watched her visibly compose herself, though it did nothing to soothe his beast. Simon’s claws pierced through his skin, the need to eviscerate the threat to his mate uppermost in his mind. He had no plans to negotiate with the male. Charles would die, he decided. He was no longer waiting on Nate.
He was opening his mouth to say as much when Cali’s body tensed. With movements quick for a human, she stabbed into the shifter’s leg and swiped down. Blood saturated Charles pants and he roared, his claw piercing her neck. Simon watched in horror as the male’s bear began its shift. Calita screamed, and pulled out her knife. Her next backwards stab missed its mark, but was enough to loosen Charles’s hold on Calita’s neck. She ducked and rolled out of the way.
Simon was on him not even a second later, his bear forcing its way out of his body. Even with Cali near and hurt, he had no trouble forcing the bear to concentrate on the fight with the trespasser. His bear wanted Rossel dead, and with every swipe of his claws, he worked to finish the job Calita had started. Charles was starting to weaken and Simon heard a woman’s scream. He couldn’t let it distract him.
A weight slammed onto his back, and small human fingernails scratched at his fur. He shrugged her off, his determination to kill the male not wavering.
“No!” Miranda pushed between the two fighting males, diving on top of her mate in protection.
Simon pulled his claws back a scant second before they could touch his ex-wife. He didn’t want to hurt Miranda, but he also didn’t want the male to live. Simon’s enforcers grabbed him, pulling him further from Charles before he could try again. Human laws forbade them from settling disagreements in the shifter manner, but the scent of the other male’s blood was in the air, and Simon found it hard to pull back his bear. It was a fight, his human consciousness being pushed further back as the bear demanded its price.
Nate and his crew had rushed forward to help Charles as he lay on the ground. They hauled him up and rage had growls rumbling Simon’s chest as he jerked against his enforcers’ hold. He inhaled as deputies carried Charles from the clearing, a furious Miranda demanding medical care behind them.
Calita’s scent surrounded Simon, bringing his attention back to her. He scanned the woods for her. She was being tended to by the clan females. Her body healing itself thanks to the transformation it had gone through when they’d mated.
“Simon,” Calita stepped away from the women and came to him.
He shuddered at her hand on his chest, the bear allowing him more control. He scooped her up, careful of his claws and tucked her into him. He roared, the clan answering him back in pride and relief. He walked his mate the six miles back to his land, his bear not once relinquishing to Simon. Slowly her scent and the feel of her in his arms brought the animal’s rage down. Once they got to his home and with every step up to his room, he shed his bear. By the time he’d reached the bathroom, he was nude, his erection jutting forward from the adrenaline and the feel of Calita in his arms.
She clung tightly to him, her body trembling. He set her down gingerly on the bathroom vanity and ran a warm bath. They were silent as he dumped in salts Anika had sent him some time ago to relax. The scent permeated the bathroom, his animal finally calming. He picked Calita back up and stepped into the tub. They were silent, letting the bath salts soothe both their emotions and their battered bodies. Her body relaxed on a shuddered breath, and a small hiccup. He kissed the top of her head.
***
Calita turned her head into Simon’s chest. She hated the tears that tracked across her cheeks and landed on his chest, but damned if she could stop them. The possibility of what could’ve happened kept going through her head and she cried harder. Simon had rescued her, yes, but she knew the nightmares were coming. A part of her was relieved that she had defended herself, the other part couldn’t help thinking about the violence she’d seen. Simon had nearly killed Charles, and it would be a while before she could get the image of his bear fighting out of her head. Simon said nothing, just held her tighter and soon the warmth of the water and his presence lulled her. She took a shaky breath.
“What will happen? I know shifter fights are illegal.”
“That’s not for you to worry about, love. Nathan will take care of Miranda and Charles and word of what happened won’t leave this town.”
“You don’t mean—”
“No,” he hastily reassured her. “No. He won’t be killed. Now that the heat of the bear is not riding me, I’m glad I stopped. Nate will hold him and tomorrow morning I’ll handle it.”
“What if he tells the council?”
He sighed and kissed the top of her head, and snuggled her closer. “Put it from your mind. As it is, you’re already going to have a hard time sleeping. Let it go and let me take care of you tonight.”
She nodded, happy to have one less thing to add to her nightmare reel tonight.
