Taming his Mate (Black Hills Wolves, #8)(12)

Well, crap. She had to get him out of there before the others showed up.

Certain the hunter was unconscious, Kate grabbed the rifle once more and searched through his gear for ammunition. Once the weapon was reloaded, she stuffed the extra darts in her pockets in case she ran into trouble with his buddies on the trek to her house.

Slinging the rifle strap over her shoulder, she bent down and wrapped her arms around Stephen’s middle. She attempted to lift him, but in his Wolf form, he was too bulky to carry. Resigned, she blew out a breath and hoisted his front half under her arms.

After the first few steps with his back half dragging the ground, she realized it was going to be a long walk.





***





When Stephen swam into wakefulness, his first thought was of Kate. Alarm slammed into him. Without a second thought, he shifted to his human form and bolted upright, his forehead smacking into something solid. An explosion of pain burst behind his eyelids, and he grimaced.

“What the f*ck, dude?”

Cracking his bleary eyes open, he squinted at Jace, who stood over him, scowling and holding his chin in both hands.

Stephen swallowed against the dryness in his throat. “Where’s Kate?”

“I always knew you had a hard head, but damn, man.”

Ignoring his friend, Stephen shoved the covers off and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. “Where is Kate?”

Jace threw up his hands to stop him. “She’s downstairs in the kitchen.”

“What the hell happened?” Stephen rolled his shoulders, groaning from the ache in his upper body. Shit, had a bull trampled his chest then sat on him for good measure? He glanced around, and it dawned on him he was in Kate’s bedroom, in her bed. “How did I get here?”

Throwing the blanket over Stephen’s naked lap, Jace plopped down on the edge of the bed beside him. “My sister brought you.”

Stephen’s mouth dropped open. “Kate?”

“Yeah, the last time I checked she’s the only one I have.”

He ignored the smart-assed comment. “Is she alright? Was she hurt?”

If he hadn’t passed out, he more than likely would’ve expired from heart failure when he’d seen her frightened face in the bushes. And he hadn’t been able to do a damn thing to help her.

He grabbed Jace’s arm. “Tell me. Is she okay?”

“Jesus, chill out, Stephen. She’s fine.” Jace spoke in a soothing tone. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that.”

Stephen’s shoulders slumped in relief. “What happened to that *? Did the pack get him?”

“Something like that. Kate laid him out with one of his darts. Then she carried you through the woods.” Jace snorted. “Well, more like dragged. Gee came by to check on you at Kate’s insistence. But he said you’re fine. Just needed to sleep off the drugs.”

No wonder his upper body hurt like hell. He lifted his arm, stretched then winced at the twinge of pain. “What about the other two from last night?”

“Kate called me once she made it back here with you. She was pretty shaken up, but she let me know the situation. I called up some of the pack, and we went hunting. We found them trying to flee without their unconscious buddy. Apparently, they didn’t mind leaving him to fend for himself. Damien and Wes gathered up the three and took them to Drew.” Jace slid him a knowing glance. “They won’t be a problem any longer.”

Pride swelled in Stephen’s chest. There was no doubt in his mind Kate had saved him. Despite her inability to shift and their earlier argument, she’d risked her own life for his. Hell, if that didn’t say I love you, he didn’t know what did.

“You said Kate’s downstairs?”

“Yeah, cleaning everything in sight. You know how she gets when she’s agitated.”

“I have to see her.” He jumped to his feet and managed a step toward the door before Jace caught his arm.

“Can I give you a bit of advice first?”

He glanced at his friend in question.

“Take a shower.” Jace waved a hand in front of his face. “You definitely smell like you’ve been dragged through the woods.”





Chapter Eight





Kate wiped the counter for the thousandth time. Though the joints in her arms burned and her body was ready to call it a day, she continued to scrub down every surface in her kitchen.

A portion of her anxiety had evaporated once she’d managed to pull Stephen into her house and bolt the door. Even after Jace assured her all three of the hunters had been dealt with and Gee swore Stephen was unharmed, Kate remained on edge. Restless mess was a more apt description.

The only way to stop her hands from shaking was to clean something. And still, she kept seeing that * standing over Stephen with his rifle aimed at his head. What if she had failed to protect him? What if the other hunters had found them before she’d gotten them both to safety? Too many what ifs ran through her mind.

Then there was the matter of what was left unsaid between them. She hadn’t forgotten why he’d been in the woods in the first place. However, her self-pity was miles away from what it had been three hours earlier. In fact, she was pretty sure it was apprehension turning her stomach in knots.