And then she’d come back and haunt the fucking bastard.
Just as her legs were about to give out, a roar sounded behind the bear. Her attacker paused and turned around. There was no light in the alley, and the sun was still somewhere over Quebec, but Marcelle saw every detail as if on a slow-motion movie reel.
Another enormous brown bear, a grizzly, sprang out of the darkness, its teeth bared. The two creatures rose to their hind legs and clamped jaws on each other’s muzzles. Front paws clutching and scratching, they fought in the confined space, their great bodies pummeling the sides of the buildings.
At one point during the struggle, the newcomer had the first bear down on the ground, its claws near the other beast’s neck. The grizzly chanced a look at Marcelle.
There was something familiar in its wild, blue gaze.
“Josh?”
Impossible.
And yet her doe sprang back into action, thrilled at the knowledge its mate was apparently near. The doe took over Marcelle’s body and threw her to the ground, forcing her to shift. Eager to help in any way it could, her gentle spirit animal pranced forward and began clobbering the first bear’s head with its hooves.
For a split second, her grizzly’s gaze softened, but it quickly huffed at her in a clear warning to stay back. Worried she might be in her savior’s way, the doe retreated and allowed Marcelle to assume her human body again.
The bears continued to fight, each one assuming the dominant position here and there. The battle seemed to go on forever, but Marcelle knew it had been seconds since Josh’s bear arrived in the alley. They pulled apart, each one sucking in air, raking claws down each other’s fronts. The first bear growled and turned to Marcelle, its paw raised.
Josh’s bear roared and pounced. It tore into the other’s neck. The first bear’s eyes widened, and it slumped to the ground. Both Marcelle and her ursine guardian watched for a moment to make sure it didn’t move.
Josh shifted and turned to her.
“Oh God.” His beautiful face and chest. He was covered in gashes and blood, and she knew some of the blood was his own. He was hurt and all because of her. Tears filled her eyes.
“You’re not in Europe?”
“Nope.”
“But…why?”
She grinned through her tears. “Because I’d rather be in this alleyway with you.”
He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his embrace. His mouth smashed against hers. She tasted blood but didn’t care. Her mate, Josh, was kissing her, and she’d never been so happy.
A troubling piece of information brought her back to awareness. “Josh, we have to move. There was another man.”
Something whizzed through the air.
“What the fuck?” Josh winced and tried to reach behind his back. He angled it toward her.
A tranquilizer dart lodged in his shoulder.
Before Marcelle could pull it out for him, another dart shot through the darkness, landing in her hip. Josh’s face started to swim before her, and she fell to her knees.
A man walked toward them, holding a tranquilizer gun. As they wobbled in their places, the man shot Josh again and rolled the doctor to the alley floor. “Down you go, big fellow.”
As Marcelle collapsed next to Josh, trying to find his hand so she could clutch it, she heard the man say something about the dead shifter. Something about “his best man” and “what a waste.”
The last thing she heard before she blacked out was Josh whispering her name.
