Jericho Read online

  Jericho stopped breathing as he watched the massive beast cover Abe. His heart dropped to his feet as he accepted the bear had full control and could crush her with a simple shift of his body. He clawed away his fear and terror, refusing to give in or up to anyone, even a bear. Abe was here, needed help and he was fucking it.

  Deep, weary creases marred Jericho's handsome face and he felt the beast's intense stare as if taking his measure. Indeed, he realized, that was exactly what the bear was doing.

  A big male, he was the one Abe had sent him images of. Bear liked that he was protective and fierce, driven and strong, but that didn't stop Bear from being difficult. As his girl lay on the earth on a hasty mat he'd built, she was healing and he meant to make it clear to one and all – his way or the highway. Simple and clear. Repeat – his way or the highway.

  “Abe? Myn lykyng? Sweetheart? It really is me. Jericho. Are you okay? Where’s all the blood comin’ from? Can you get him to back off?” Jericho arrowed one rapid question after another at her.

  Roald moved in closer, hands still at his sides, taking easy strides.

  Her mind foggy with pain, she clung to the word sweetheart. Had he really called her that or was she imagining it? “Legs cut up bad…Bear healed. Left side is numb, can’t see… Jericho? Not nice…you didn’t warn me and you shoulda. Can’t imagine where you get…your females from!”

  Conn roared with relief, “That’s our lass.”

  Bear swiveled his massive head to glare at the Scot. He snarled, curling back his upper lip to reveal six-inch incisors – long enough to rip damn near anything apart. He huffed repeatedly, but stayed next to Abe.

  “Sir, tis good tae meet you, Mr. Bear.” Conn bowed formally. "Connor McFeerson of the Clan McFeerson at your service and Abe's."

  Abe released a long snorting groan. “Name’s just Bear. Says he’s…First Order…whatever that means, so don’t rile him. He’s my hero.”

  Chuffed, Bear reared up onto his hind legs, now fifteen feet tall, swiping his claws through the air, his massive chest billowing out.

  Resentment spread like a rash over Jericho. And there was nothing he could do about it – not even wrestle the fucking beast to the ground – he’d be crushed first. A fucking animal took better care of Abe than he did. And the fucking payback – Abe calling Bear her hero. The only fucking hero in her life was gonna be him and only him. Jericho couldn’t believe he was competing with a bear.

  First Order? Roald struggled to understand, finding it hard to believe that this beast was First Order – those Kodiak’s of old legends were long gone. Yet it was difficult to dismiss that here in mighty flesh was a ton or more of the finest of his kind. Was it possible giant Kodiaks still lived?!

  Nose lifted high in the air, Bear came down hard on his front paws, the impact sending more tremors over the ground.

  “Bear! Stop! Head…hurts.” Abe’s voice was growing weaker. Bear pawed the ground, next to her, massive claws digging deep as he whined softly.

  “Bear, my friends will help me.”

  Zulu thrust out his chest, it wasn’t often anyone called him friend – many were too afraid he held hidden desires to eat them after a slow roasting over an open flame. Conn stood solid as a rock wall, pleased to the tips of his Scottish toes. Reno whistled softly in appreciation – not a male of many words, but he liked that she considered him a friend.

  Jericho bristled – it wasn't friendship he was after – he wanted all of Abe.

  Every. Fucking. Inch.

  And he wasn’t into sharing.

  Ever.

  Up and down Bear’s massive head bobbed, as if agreeing with Abe, huffing softly as he did so. Quiet now, he stilled. Slowly, purposely Bear sidled away, but not by much. A bare ten feet to prowl back and forth in a figure eight formation.

  “Piccola? How bad are you hurt?” Jericho took his time, arms out from his side, head and shoulders back. If anything, he wanted to present an image of someone in control. He almost snorted in disgust – he certainly wasn’t the fucking master of control here as he usually was. Another first. He had no control over this entire situation. If Bear wanted to eat him, no one and nothing was fast or strong enough to stop the beast.

  “Can’t see…my legs…numb.” A long pause ensued, then, her voice reedy, “Promise …you won’t hurt Bear.”

  Jericho moved so fast, Bear had no time to reject his advance. He knelt next to Abe, covered in blood seeping from semi-healed lacerations and deep cuts above her knees. But, it was her face that blew the roof off for him. Eyes swollen shut, the entire left side of her face blooming with colorful bruises and a gash as thick as his finger split open her forehead. Dried blood crusted in her hairline revealing she had bled heavily from that wound too.

  Leaning down into the mulch and thick wads of grass, Jericho coaxed her into his arms. A short painful wail and Abe passed out. Her left shoulder was dislocated, the skin stretched taunt around bone sticking out at a horrifying angle. He grunted, peering up at Bear, who hovered closer than was comfortable.

  “Ro? Her shoulder's dislocated. Needs to be set before we can move her. Come closer.”

  Bear growled several times, swiping a paw at Roald, moving to rear up on his hind legs again.

  “Uh, uh, can’t. Abe musta communicated that you were safe, Jericho, but I don’t think she included me in the mix. He won’t let me get any closer. Go slow, go easy.”

  Conn ignored Roald and stepped forward, bowing deeply at the waist in Bear’s direction. “Aye, I’ll tend the lass.”

  Whiffling softly, Bear nodded once and returned to his figure eight pacing.

  The big Scotsman moved quickly, hunching in close to Jericho holding Abe in his arms. Shite! It was a nasty dislocation, her shoulder bone completely out of the socket, meaning he would have to drive it back in with tremendous force and that meant a lot of pain for Abe.

  Conn swiveled his head up, ignoring Jericho and speaking directly to Bear. “It’s going to hurt her bad,” he nodded down at Abe. “Tis unfortunate and mayhap she’ll pass out, but if she screams you can’t attack. I know you understand me.”

  Bear halted his figure eight pacing to snuffle his nose in the earth, puffing up great gusts of dirt.

  “Was that a yes?” Jericho’s voice strained with impatience, he glanced at Roald.

  “Nah, he’s thinking.”

  They waited silently for some kind of sign.

  Briefly, Abe came to and let out a painful groan.

  It broke Jericho’s heart to hear it. He hated to think about what Tess had done to her.

  Bear lifted his massive head, tilted it to one side and let out a long low growl.

  Somehow, they all knew Bear had just agreed.

  “Ready?” he asked Jericho. Not waiting for an answer, Conn got a firm grip on Abe’s floppy left arm and with the other hand cupped the protruding rounded part of her shoulder bone and drove it down while pulling her arm out and up at the same time to fit the bone neatly back into the socket.

  To a male, all faces were blanched white with tension.

  Abe’s scream ended abruptly as she lost consciousness again. Jericho cradled her gently in his arms as Conn placed her left arm over her waist, tucking her hand in against Jericho’s chest.

  Bear sat on his haunches, paws up as a sad blast of air echoed around them. Then, he whiffled softly, big head bouncing up and down.

  Roald bowed deeply. “Well met. I am Roald Gildwood, Leader of the Shifters and you, my friend, are one hell of a surprise.”

  Wide mouth splitting into a grin, Bear rapidly huffed, but gently while nodding his big head.

  “We’ve got to get her inside,” Jericho said turning slowly, refusing to cause her any more pain. A killing rage consumed him. After he tended to Abe, he was going after Tess. Never again would she be a threat to his female. “Tess Danbury is gonna die.”

  An angry snarl rent the air as Bear curled his lip back, revealing his deadly incisors.

  Jerich
o looked over his shoulder at Bear who abruptly turned his paws outwards as he stretched out his long claws, spreading his pads wide. His yellow fur was matted with blood at the base of his claws and deeply embedded there was a hank of something dark with chunks of white stuff attached.

  It made them all take a closer look.

  Jericho blinked several times. Were there strands of blue black hair attached to those white, ragged chunks? He blinked again, realizing what he was seeing wedged deeply between Bear’s long claws – a clump – scalp and all – of short curly black hair. He no longer cared it was ridiculous to be talking to a bear – asking the massive motherfucker openly, “Tess is dead?”

  At first, Bear hung his head, chin resting on his chest, but then he began huffing repetitively, his head swinging up and down.

  Roald bowed. “Very well met, my friend.”

  Happily, Jericho roared, “Fuck yes!”

  Bear mulled his head about, back and forthing it. When he clapped his pads together – it was a sure sign that he was happy about the news too.

  Roald took a few steps back and bowed to Bear again before turning to Jericho. “We’re outta here. Never been here, we know nothing. True.”

  “Thanks, I owe you. Call it in anytime.” Swiftly, eating ground with long strides, Jericho carried Abe into the compound, making his way up the drive, Bear bounding beside him at an easy gait.

  Nothing made any sense and nothing mattered to him. He only cared that Abe was safe in his arms and he was never going to let her go again.

  Matty rushed around the side of the house waving to them. The wave stopped in mid-air as she took in the scene. Abe covered in blood and so pale in Jericho’s arms it made her heart clench with fear. She ran for the front door and threw the double doors wide. She assumed the bear was a shifter and as big as a damn house. There was no way he wasn’t going to do damage once inside if he didn’t shift first. Christ Jesus, the floors probably wouldn’t hold up under his massive weight.

  Jericho headed directly for the stairs to the second floor. Abe woke then and shifted in his arms just as his shit-kicker hit the first step.

  “Stop!”

  Everyone did as Abe bid. Bear lifted his head, huffing and then let out a long whiffle sounding somewhat like a relieved chuckle.

  Abe eased her wobbling head off Jericho’s arm – the room swimming in her vision and her shoulder on fire. “Bear? I’ll…never doubt you again.”

  A soft grunt laced with pure love was Bear’s response.

  Everyone felt that abiding love as if a wave were washing over them.

  Zulu realized Bear and Abe were joined in the way of those of his tribe.

  It was obvious that Reno and Conn just didn't get it – the scope of the massive beast who communicated and was a friend to Abe just beyond them. New thinking shit they wanted no part of. Modern males – they were still old school in many, many ways.

  “Bear…to me,” Abe commanded with no hesitation.

  Bear disappeared right before their eyes. He didn’t smoke out, there was no spiraling mist, no vortex or portal – nothing in the front hall changed except Bear was gone.

  Reno groaned. “Hope you got that on vid, Cal.”

  Over the house speakers came a soft, “Roger that, Hollywood.”

  Head resting back on Jericho’s shoulder, Abe breathed deeply through unending pain and shifted to look up at Jericho. Only one eye was open a tiny slit and she tilted her head to get his face in view. “You can’t…hurt Bear. He’s somehow a part of me-” Pain exploded in her head and all over her body as the room spun and nausea clawed. Thankfully, she sank into blackness where pain didn’t exist.

  Jericho pounded up the stairs, the impact of his shit-kickers absorbed by his thighs and lower body muscles. Abe never felt a thing. “Is Fifi back yet? Fuck, we need a doctor.”

  “No, but I can help. And Reno’s a skilled medic,” Matty offered, heading up the stairs behind Jericho.

  “I’m in. Lemme get our Med Kit.” Reno ran for the basement.

  CHAPTER 12

  Abe lay in the center of his big bed while Jericho paced as Matty and Reno tended her wounds. Tess had done a real number on Abe, smashing her face up and the marks on her legs were gut wrenching and telltale. Tess had used her chains, weapons of pain and a slow bloody death. What else had she done to Abe?

  He refused to think on it, instead focusing on her safety while attempting to get a grip on himself. There was nothing to stop his building rage – it was a burning urge mowing through him – he needed to tear Tess apart with his bare hands 'n watch her bleed out real slow. Retribution for harming his female. It didn’t soothe him that she might already be dead.

  Half an hour passed before Matty and Reno finished and a knock came on the bedroom door.

  Rad stood on the other side, hands loose at his sides. Pain was etched into the dark shadows under his hazel eyes and in the hard crease of his mouth. “Caleb says Noke will arrive within the hour.” He took a deep breath. “I’m here to heal her. You gonna let me?”

  “Yeah, maybe. Let’s talk.” Jericho strode to the foot of the bed, his intense blue eyes swirling with arcs of purple lay squarely on his female. “Not sure, Rad, if healing Abe is the right answer. We don’t know who or what she is. She's got a lot of power and it's not harnessed. Trying to heal her might do more harm than good." He scrubbed a hand through his black hair. "I don’t fucking know how to call this.”

  Matty finished sponge bathing Abe and Reno helped her pull the blanket up, tucking her in.

  Turning to Jericho and Rad, Matty said, “Abe’s gonna be okay, she’s strong. Lost a lot of blood though.”

  Reno eyeballed Rad then Jericho, then went back and forth a couple more times. He asked Jericho, “You thinking what I’m thinking, my man?”

  “Rad’s already offered to heal her, but we don’t know what race Abe is. It’s risky and might backfire. She’s an unknown.”

  Reno nodded briefly, agreeing with Jericho.

  Matty eyed them. “What are you going on about? Abe’s got a huge Bear protecting her – he's around here somewhere.” She glanced warily around the room. “I just know he wouldn’t let anything else hurt Abe right now. Call it female instinct. Jericho, we’ve got to let Rad at least try to heal her.”

  Jericho strode to the bed, peeling the blanket away from Abe’s legs. Matty had dressed her in another one of his black t-shirts. He peeked under loosely wrapped gauze above her knees. Black lines of dried blood traced the worst gashes; jagged, ragged torn skin was likely to leave deep scars. Ugly scars that would only serve to remind his female of what she had gone through. He’d never allow that and turned to Rad. “Give it a try. Go slow. If you get any kind of push back, stop. Agreed?”

  “Of course.” Rad stepped to the other side of the bed opposite Jericho. He stared at Abe’s battered face, both eyes swollen shut and beginning to bloom deep purple, burnt yellow with hints of shit green. The slash on her forehead, almost hidden beneath massive swelling, caused his teeth to clench and fists to tighten. Softly, Rad vowed, “Someone’s gonna die for this.”

  “She’s already dead,” Jericho muttered.

  Rad nodded, easing back on his heels while attempting to rid himself of billowing rage – it was like a second skin – he slipped it on as if an old comfortable coat. Now, forcing his mind to clear, he waited a moment or two before realizing his rage was actually fading. It was essential that he be calm and in complete control if he was gonna try to heal Abe. “Good. That’s real good news.”

  Matty peeked at Abe, unconscious and still breathing. “Who’s dead?”

  “Tess Danbury,” Reno supplied. “Or at least we think so.”

  “Huh?” Matty frowned. Was Reno messing with her at a time like this? “Tess is dead but you only think so? How’s that working for you?”

  Reno grinned, shaking his head.

  Jericho added in, “Bear, uh…he told us.” He tried but failed to keep a brief grin from sliding o
ver his face. Voice rough with laughter, he added, “Problem is: can we trust Bear?” The grin fully escaped as his deep blue eyes twinkled with amusement. He shook his head. “Craziest convo I’ve ever had. Hands fucking down.”

  Matty laughed, smiling widely, revealing nice white teeth. “If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never believe it. Thought he was a shifter until he lumbered up the front stairs. Made the house groan – never heard it do that before. We still might have a cave in somewhere.”

  Laughter broke the tension wide open. Minutes later, the room grew quiet as the others slipped out.

  Jericho settled in, bringing his thigh up next to Abe’s side. He held her small hand in both of his and thought about praying.

  Already in a trance, Rad sat quietly with Abe’s left hand cupped in his as healing warmth flowed over the bed. Many minutes passed in silence as it grew warmer. Since Rad’s rescue, this was the first time he healed anyone. Rad, captured and tortured for three years, was a shell, nothing left of the great warrior he had once been by the time they rescued him. More animal than anything else, everything in him and about him eradicated.

  Or so it had seemed for months now. A spark of life in Rad’s eyes was all it took and Jericho had begun to believe Rad was healing. Slowly, very slowly.

  At one point, he had privately reached out to Jericho, pleading for help, spilling his guts that he couldn’t handle it anymore. Without thinking about it, Jericho had grabbed Rad and wrapped his arms around him, giving him a male hug. It sent the message home when Rad hugged him back. He wasn’t alone and help was here. That had been Rad’s first breakthrough, his first step forward and he was going strong.