Page 51 of The Protector’s Heart

She was trying not to think of what had happened, how things had gone from bad to worse in a heartbeat. What would happen to her now that Damien was dead and she was the one who had killed him? It probably didn’t matter to Isaiah that Damien had run out of the woods so fast she hadn’t seen him until he was standing in front of her vehicle. Even though she jerked the steering wheel, she’d still hit him.

The sickening sound of the body thumping under the tire. The way the SUV bobbled a bit as she jerked the wheel the other direction and then spun entirely, until all she could see was another set of bright headlights heading her way.

“Am I,” her voice caught in her throat and she coughed to clear it. “Is he going to come after me because D-Damien’s dead?” She didn’t want to cry. She felt like she’d been crying for months because of Damien.

Malachi slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about Isaiah, sweetheart. What happened was an accident, and you can’t be held accountable for that. Regardless, I’m here to keep you and Jack safe.”

She mulled over his words as they drove back to Wilde Creek. Since he’d told her he wanted her to drive directly to Acksel’s house, she wasn’t surprised when he took her there. They must have been expecting them, because a handful of males were standing on the sidewalk.

Malachi got out, came around to her side and opened the door. As he helped her and Jack out of the vehicle, he said over his shoulder, “Has Sam apprised you of what’s going on?”

A male she didn’t recognize said, “Yes, we’re on it. Patrols have been stepped up around town.”

“Good. Thanks, Robert. I’m going to get my mate inside; it’s been a hell of a night.”

Another male said, “Let us know if you need anything. Adam and Jeremiah are inside to help.”

Malachi held her against him as they walked up the now-familiar sidewalk leading to Acksel and Brynn’s home. Jack was awake but silent; her normally talkative son was either too traumatized or too tired to talk. She hugged him a little closer.

Jeremiah opened the door and Malachi ushered her in, following close behind as the door was shut and locked.

Brynn and Mia stood a few steps away from them, both looking concerned, and it took only a second for Malachi to step away and the girls to surround her and Jack.

“We’re so glad you’re okay,” Mia said, sniffling.

“Are you hurt? Doc is here,” Brynn said.

She felt Malachi’s hand on her back and he said, “Yes, she needs to see Doc and so does Jack.”

Doc appeared out of the kitchen and joined them as Brynn and Mia moved out of the way but still stayed close. He took one look at Nila and Jack and said, “Let’s go in the spare bedroom and see what we’re dealing with.”

Malachi led her to the bedroom they’d stayed in before, and she squinted at the brightness of the overhead light when Doc flipped the switch. Malachi grabbed a towel from the bathroom and laid it on the bed. She laid Jack down on it, stripping him so Doc could look him over. For the first time since he’d been taken, she got a good look at her son. His fingers were still claw-tipped, and when he opened his mouth and yawned, she could see his fangs.

“I thought I was imagining things,” she said as she rubbed Jack’s shoulder and smiled down at him.

Malachi said, “I’ve never seen anything like it. Doc?”

Doc didn’t answer for several minutes as he checked Jack over, testing his limbs and checking him for injuries. After listening to his heart, Doc laid the stethoscope over his neck and gripped the ends, exhaling deeply.

“Physically, he’s fine. There’s some minor bruising on his arms and chest, probably from being grabbed or held while he struggled. He wasn’t fed, though; I can hear his stomach grumbling.”

Nila lifted him from the bed and he snuggled into her, resting his head on her shoulder. “Mama,” he cooed, fisting her hair.

“Hey little man,” she said, relief twining through her.

“And the claws and fangs?” Malachi asked.

Doc sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed his temple. “I have to tell you that I’m stumped. Wolf shifters, even full-blooded ones, don’t shift until their teens. Partially shifting is very unusual for wolves, even close to the time they’re ready to shift. Occasionally in a time of high stress, a teenager might partially shift, but not a baby.”

She lifted one of Jack’s hands and looked at the dark claws. They looked like tiny, curved needles.

“Is he stuck like this?” she asked.

“What happened before he partially shifted?”

Nila looked at Malachi and he moved closer, lending her his strength. She told them what happened, starting with getting Jack away from Maura, Tanner’s attack, and Jack’s sudden shifting.

“I think he took off one of Tanner’s fingers, but I…I don’t want to think he actually ate it.”

---