The squawk of the radio as the sheriff called for EMTs faded as I ran to Mason’s side. Tears flowed freely as I kneeled next to him on the dirt. Declan crouched beside me and examined the wound while Austin swung a bag off his back.
“We need to get the bullet out so he can heal properly.” Declan nodded to Austin, who dug in the bag until he found a scalpel and tweezers.
“Will he be okay?” My voice wobbled, and I wiped my face with hands bloody from when I pressed them on the bear’s wound.
“It’s nasty, but if we work fast, he might pull through.” Declan worked as he spoke, digging into Mason’s flesh with the scalpel before reaching for the tweezers.
Mason moaned when his brother yanked out the bullet. When Declan moved his hand away from the wound, Austin immediately took his place and pressed a pad of gauze against the hole in Mason’s shoulder. Red soaked through it quickly, and Declan handed him more.
I held Mason’s good hand and murmured words to him. I didn’t even know what I was saying, but I kept going. Encouraged him to fight to live. To come back to me.
Declan wrapped an arm around me and hugged me to his side. “Mason’s a fighter, Brooke. And nothing makes a shifterfight harder than his mate. Keep talking. Let him hear your voice.”
I lifted Mason’s hand and pressed his icy palm against my cheek. “You can do it, Mason. You have to live. I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t. Please.”
His fingers quivered against my skin. Just slightly, but enough to signal he was still with me. If he survived this, I would never let him walk away again.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips before whispering. “I’m here, Mason. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right by your side.”
TEN
Mason
The first thing I saw when I cracked open my eyes was my bedroom ceiling. The second thing that registered was a warm weight draped over my uninjured side. I glanced down to see the top of Brooke’s head as she rested on my chest. My good arm had wrapped around her while I was out and held her tight to me.
Antiseptic almost blocked her scent entirely, but it still called to me, bringing me back to life. My shoulder was stiff and ached, and when I shifted it slightly to test it, sharp pain shot through it. I hissed, and the sound caused Brooke to stir.
“Mason?” Her voice was hopeful, and she sat up, twisting to face me. Her hands were gentle as they brushed across my skin, as if making sure I was real. “You’re awake. I was so worried.”
Words croaked from my raw throat. “You’re safe.”
“I am. You saved me.” She pressed a soft kiss against my lips. It felt oddly familiar, like she’d done it before, though I was sure I would remember if she had. “How does your shoulder feel? Should I get Emily? She said she could give you something for the pain.”
“It hurts, but I can handle it.” The ache had dulled to a steady throb, but with Brooke touching me, I barely noticed it. “Vince?”
“The sheriff arrested him. They had to treat his wounds first, but he’ll survive to stand trial.” She gave me a satisfied smile. “I recorded his confession. He tried to destroy my phone, but the techs recovered the audio. The military was very interested to hear he had sabotaged that last mission, hoping you would die. They’ve already…”
A rushing sound filled my head.
Vince had set me up?
I interrupted. “He killed Aaron.”
“He did.” Brooke’s smile faded, a grim look replacing it. “Aaron wasn’t his target, but it was still his fault. Not yours. The military has requested his transfer to court-martial him for sabotage and attempted murder.””
“But I didn’t save him.” The old guilt rose, battling with the new information for supremacy.
Brooke shook her head. “Don’t say that. Aaron would never have left you behind. It wasn’t in his nature. He never could have lived with himself if he had. And as for you getting him to medical help faster? You destroyed your leg to get him there. I don’t know anyone else who would or could do that. Most people would have given up and used the injury as an excuse.”
We settled into silence as I considered what she’d said. The guilt faded but didn’t disappear. Maybe it never would. The question was whether I could live with it.
Brooke lay back down and curled into me. We didn’t speak. Just held each other. I could have pushed her away. Reminded her she was better off without me. But I just held her tighter, promising myself I’d never let her go again. And in her arms, I found the beginning of absolution.
Brooke
The weeks after Mason woke up crawled by. I had extended my stay indefinitely, waiting for Mason to bring up the mate bond, but he never did. I tried to be patient. His recovery from the shoulder wound was long for a shifter, as the damage had been extensive. Emily and Declan assured me he’d make a full recovery with proper aftercare, though he’d always have a scar.
I was finally off crutches. I’d ended up with a bad sprain, thanks to all the running I did on the initial injury. Katie had taken to visiting me daily, gently probing to make sure I wasn’t feeling any psychological aftereffects of my ordeal. My talks with her helped me sort out the thoughts that skittered through my head. It would have been easy to let Vince define the story, but I learned to reframe the experience through my own lens.
