Shadow Read online

  Memory surfaced. “He said he was protecting me from Shadow.”

  “What where you two doing when this happened?”

  “Having sex.”

  “Son of a bitch!”

  Beauty agreed with that sentiment. More hot tears filled her eyes. It had been wonderful but then everything had become a nightmare. Shadow suddenly stirred and hope soared that he’d be fine. His eyes opened as she leaned over him. The blue of his eyes was a welcome sight but the confusion in them wasn’t.

  “Beauty?”

  “I’m here.”

  Rage twisted his features and he snarled, sitting up so fast he almost smacked his head into hers. She barely avoided the collision by jerking back. A loud groan came from him and one hand reached up to his forehead while he swayed a bit.

  “Easy. We’re safe.” She gripped his shoulders, trying to steady him, dropping the phone in the process. “Help is coming.”

  The room spun as Shadow sought the threat. His vision was messed up. His head was too, by the feel of the wetness his fingertips found when he touched the sorest spot and located a painful bump. Knowledge of what had happened crashed through his mind along with the throbbing pain. Fury gripped him. He’d been so focused on Beauty that he hadn’t heard the male sneak up behind him until he’d been attacked.

  He turned his head and saw blood on Beauty’s delicate mouth. It hadn’t been his imagination. When he’d landed hard outside and managed to stagger to his feet to reach Beauty, she’d been naked and rushing toward the open door as he entered, but he’d seen red on her face before she’d slammed into his body. He’d barely kept them both upright. Then Torrent had come after her.

  He snarled, forced his gaze away to hunt for the male. “Where is he?”

  “He’s outside. I locked the door.” Her hands stroked his arms then his chest. “Help is coming. Did you hear me?”

  The immediate threat wasn’t present. He focused on her, twisting on his ass to reach for Beauty. They were both naked but that fact barely registered. He was too worried that she was hurt. He gripped her jaw, searching for the injury, but only saw blood on her lips and chin.

  “Open.”

  “What?”

  “Open your mouth. You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s not my blood.”

  That stumped him. “Whose is it?”

  “I bit him.”

  She bit Torrent. He snarled. He’d kill the male. “Did he hurt you?” He sniffed loudly but his senses were confused. All he could detect was blood.

  She shook her head. “He was too intent on fighting with you.” Tears filled her eyes. “I attacked him.”

  Shadow glanced down her bare body but didn’t see any other injuries. He must not only be suffering from slightly impaired vision but he was hearing things too. “What did you say?”

  Her chin rose. “I attacked him twice. Upstairs after he threw you out the window and again when he was hitting you.”

  She glanced away and he followed her gaze. A fire poker lay on the floor a few feet away, the end of it bent slightly. Shocked, he jerked his attention back to her. “You hit him with that?”

  She nodded, her hands still roaming his arm and chest. “In the back of the head. Are you okay?” Her voice trembled. “You wouldn’t wake.”

  He probably had a concussion. He wasn’t sure if he’d passed out when he’d landed but he knew he’d struck his head on the way out the window or perhaps on the edge of the roof when he’d rolled off it to crash into the hard-packed dirt. Torrent’s fists slamming into his face hadn’t helped either but he’d been too dizzy to be effective against the male’s attack when they’d fought.

  Shadow had to allow Beauty’s words to really sink in. The image of her fighting with a male was beyond his comprehension. He just couldn’t picture it. She was too small to get into a violent confrontation. Gift Females fled from violence instead of initiating it. A horrible thought struck.

  “Did he attempt to mount you? Touch you?” His voice deepened into a snarl. He would snap the male’s neck if he had.

  “No.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He was grateful she hadn’t been sexually touched by the male but he also felt other emotions. Guilt and shame mixed strongly, leaving a taste in his mouth as bitter as the blood from the cut inside his cheek. He’d failed to protect Beauty. He’d gotten distracted by her sexy body and how good she felt while he’d mounted her. His guard had been down enough to allow another male to sneak inside his room. He had not sensed the danger until rough hands had gripped him and he’d been sailing through the air. Then falling.

  “For what?” One of her hands left his chest to caress his cheek.

  He couldn’t look at her anymore so he turned his head away. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

  “The sex?”

  The pain in her voice was clear enough to stun him and snap his attention back to her. She definitely appeared emotionally distressed over believing he rejected what they’d shared. “No. I failed you.”

  “You were amazing.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “I allowed a male to attack us, to attack you. You were in danger but I couldn’t protect you. You had to defend yourself.”

  “Oh. I thought you were talking about what we did in your bed.” She continued to stroke his cheek. “We were both distracted. He is to blame.”

  The sound of engines penetrated the cabin walls. “Go put on clothes.” He openly stared at her breasts. “Now. Help has arrived—more males will come.”

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  He growled and jerked away from her touch. Pain lanced through his head at the sharp motion. “Do it.” He didn’t want anyone to see her bare. She was too tempting and appealing. “I am fine.”

  He wasn’t though and knew it. He’d already be outside hunting Torrent to kill him for endangering Beauty if his legs would carry his weight. Spots danced in front of his eyes and he felt weakened with the agony inside his head. He’d suffered concussions before and knew the signs. Nausea roiled but he refused to get sick in front of Beauty. He wouldn’t be able to stand more shame added to the growing list he felt.

  Regret and indecision passed over her face but she reluctantly followed his orders by rising to her feet. He watched her go, unable to look away from her perky little ass as she took the stairs two at a time in her haste to return to him. He knew that’s why she hurried. Her faith in his ability to provide safety was as damaged as his head.

  He looked down his body when she was out of sight and groaned. He had no clothing to cover his nakedness and no strength to stand on his own. There was no way he’d ask Beauty for more assistance. He’d never forgive himself for allowing the attack to happen.

  The voices outside were faint but his keen hearing picked up the words.

  “Torrent,” a female hissed. “What have you done? Sit or I’ll have one of the council members beat you.”

  “I…uh. Hell. I’m sitting, Creek. Jaded, don’t you and Bestial look at me like that. This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “What is going on?” The male sounded furious as he snarled. “You attacked a Gift Female? What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I came to teach them how to swim.” Torrent paused. “I heard noises and let myself inside the cabin to find out what was going on. Shadow was mounting a Gift Female. What was I supposed to assume? I thought I was saving her but I’m having my doubts now, Jaded.”

  “They are here to bond.” The female sounded less irritated. “Didn’t someone tell you that? She’s curious about the male. They were sent here to see if she wanted to share sex with him.”

  “Shit,” Torrent groaned. “Nobody told me that. I just saw him on top of her and thought she was being forced.”

  “She showed an interest in that male and resents being protected from his attention,” Bestial announced. “Breeze had the Gift sent here so they could spend some alone time to give them the opportunity to see if they’d like t