Page 38 of Broken

Chapter 16

Cole, racing out naked to the living room, found it in chaos.

Boomer had in fact brought a mattress, and roped Sanchez into helping him carry it. It was now lying askew on the living room floor, having knocked over the coffee table on its way down.

Boomer was on top of it, legs flailing, wrestling with Ireland’s wolf. He had one hand wrapped around her muzzle to keep it closed, and was apparently trying to keep her pinned down without actually hurting her. Blood dripped from his arm where she’d already bitten him.

Boomer’s mate, Karisma, must have absolutely exploded into her white tiger form, judging by the bits of torn clothing festooning the room. She was stalking the edge of the mattress, snarling, looking for a way to attack Ireland without ripping Boomer to shreds.

Sanchez was shaking his head and rolling his eyes, while deliberately standing between the angry animals and his mate, Madison. Because his default was always to protect her, whether she needed it or not.

Madison herself was holding a brown paper bag in each hand and trying not to laugh.

Cole wasn’t even trying. It was fucking ridiculous.

He gave one of his loudest, shrillest, ‘stop it, everyone’ whistles. They froze.

Cole waded through the mess and dropped to his knees on the mattress, putting his hand on Ireland’s back. “Come on, girl,” he said. “You don’t want to hurt Boomer. He’s such a pussy he’ll probably whine about it all night.”

He peeled the wolf gently off Boomer and put his arms around her, mostly so he could stop her if she went wild again. Boomer sat up and grabbed his bleeding arm dramatically. “She bit me! Your vampire girlfriend bit me, and now I’m gonna be a vampire shifter.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Cole said automatically. “And I’m pretty sure she’s not a vampire.”

“Pretty sure?” Boomer said. “Fuck. When I turn into one, you’re the first person I’m coming after.”

He moved his hand. His shifter healing was already taking care of the bite, which hadn’t been deep to start with.

Cole tightened his hold on Ireland and moved backwards, seeing as she was growling deep down in her throat at the tiger. Who was now licking Boomer’s arm. “Karisma,” he said wearily, “would you please Change back? Ireland thinks you’re going to eat her.”

There was a shimmer and a crack of bones, and the tiger turned into a woman with pink and black striped hair, sitting naked on the mattress. “I wouldn’t do that,” she said. “Wolves taste like crap. Boomer excepted, of course.” She kissed him on the shoulder. “But your vampire wolf better not bite him anymore, or she’ll answer to me.”

Boomer said plaintively, “Will you still love me if I have to sleep in a coffin and can’t cook anything with garlic in it?”

Sanchez rumbled, “You’re an idiot.” To Cole he said, “Where do you want this mattress? I’m not going to stand here all night looking at tiger tits. Or your dick.”

Cole indicated a space over by the window. Sanchez lifted the mattress by one edge, dumping Boomer and Karisma off in a heap, and moved it singlehandedly over to where Cole was pointing. “You can probably get that blood out pretty easy,” he said. Sure enough, Boomer had bled on the mattress. But only a little, so fuck it.

Madison was still trying not to laugh. She gathered up the bags Karisma had dropped and took them, with her own, over to the kitchen island.

“We brought you stuff,” she said. “Clothes, which would probably be a good idea right about now. I’m sure your dick is very nice, but it’s starting to make Sanchez nervous.” She fished a pair of khaki pants out of one of the bags and tossed them to him.

“Stay,” Cole said to Ireland, and let go of her experimentally. She didn’t lunge at anyone, so he stood up and put his pants on.

Madison then went to a drawer in the sideboard and pulled out some sweats, tossing them to Karisma.

“How did you know there were clothes in there?” Boomer asked.

“Breanna and I put extra clothes near the door in all the guest cabins. In case people show up in their animal forms and need something to wear.”

Figured.

Boomer left Karisma getting dressed and went over to the island. “We brought you other stuff too,” he said to Cole. “At great risk to our lives and immortal souls, apparently.”

“It’s only you the vampire wolf doesn’t like,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know why you’re surprised by that.”

Boomer said, “You know you love me. Everyone does.” He started unpacking bags, talking to Cole. “I figured you’d want your own pants. More than one pair, even. And underwear, for the days you decide to wear any.”

“Too much information,” Madison said.