He put his face in her neck and breathed her in. “Beautiful, I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Hold on and fight. When you wake up you’ll be stronger and faster. You’ll be a wolf, and if you’re mad about that, you can’t do anything unless you survive. So if you want to kick my ass you have to live to do it. You hear me? Don’t you let go. Stay with me, Michelle.”

Cade snarled and bit. Michelle cried out and arched, trying to get away, even though she barely held on to her life.

Josh knew tears ran down his face, but he held on to her hand and kept talking to her. Urging her to fight and embrace the wolf racing through her veins. The wolf that would save her life.

She awoke from dreams of the forest. Of running. Of pain, quicksilver, burning through her like fire.

She remembered dying. Of the way she’d lost more of her anchor to her body as her essence and magick bled from her. And Josh’s voice. His hands on her and his voice urging her to fight. Telling her he loved her.

She heard her heartbeat. Smelled blood and pain and…Josh. Other Weres too. Other types of magick.

Teeth. She gasped, choking on her spit at the memory of teeth, and began to cough, expecting there to be pain.

Hands on her and a voice. A female voice and then Josh. That gave her strength to open her eyes. “Why is a woman here?”

The words, as they left her body, had a life of their own. She couldn’t quite grasp the thoughts but everything was different.

Josh’s face swam into focus. “There you are, beautiful.” His smile wavered at the edges. He was pale, but he smelled good. He smelled hers. Had she been able to smell him like this before?

“Who’s the dish?”

The female in the room laughed and stepped into Michelle’s vision. Inside her, an irrational anger stirred that such a pretty woman stood so near Josh. She pushed it back and nearly puked when a growl came from her lips.

Michelle knew she blushed as heat blasted her neck and cheeks.

“I’m wildly flattered. I don’t think I’ve been thought of as a dish in years. Maybe never. I’m Grace Warden. I’m Supreme Alpha here in North America. I’m also a doctor. Is it all right if I check you over? Take your vitals and the like?”

“Yes, sure. What happened?”

“Can I keep her hand while you do?” Josh asked, his voice rusty.

She squeezed the hand in hers. “Better not let go.” She croaked this out and realized how thirsty she was. When she got the energy to speak again, she’d ask for water.

“Never.” He brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Knuckles covered in dried blood.

Grace efficiently moved, measuring, doing her doctor thing as Michelle struggled to stay awake.

“You’re doing better than the last time I checked you.” Grace smiled down, brushing the hair from Michelle’s forehead. “I’m going to tell you that you were shot sixteen times. Your kidneys were both destroyed, three shots to your lungs, your intestines had multiple holes. You lost so much blood I’m quite frankly shocked you were still alive when they got you here to me. The only explanation is that you’re a badass bitch, as my sister-in-law Nina would say.”

Grace held a glass of water with a straw to Josh, who brought it to Michelle’s lips, and she drank greedily.

“Take it easy or you’re going to throw it back up.”

She might have been exhausted and weak and woozy, but her brain wasn’t broken. And she knew with all that damage, it had to be two months later, which wasn’t true as Josh wore the same clothes and was still covered in blood. Her blood. It was hours later, not weeks or days.

“Want to tell me why I’m still breathing after all that damage?”

Grace stood back, and Josh got closer, brushing his lips over hers, over her eyelids, rubbing his face against her cheek and things that had knotted up inside seemed to ease. She responded to him with a rumbled sigh, and she knew right then, before he said anything.

“You were going to die.” This man of hers who kept his control even when things got very bad, who protected her and soothed her, lost it then as tears ran down his cheeks. “I couldn’t lose you.”

“I’m like you now.”

He nodded and then shrugged. “Yes. No. Not quite. You’re better. I mean, aside from being shot sixteen times. Cade is the one who bit you. I’m strong, but if I’d bit you, you’d have been out a few days. It’s only been seven hours. You’re a strong wolf. A live one. I know you’re angry we didn’t ask you first. I apologize—”

“Hush! Did you really think I’d be mad that you saved my life? Am I that high strung and difficult then?”

He paused, his look of anguish softening to humor and affection. “Yeah? Well you’re beautiful and really good with a gun so I guess you can afford to be difficult. Occasionally. It’s just that I never brought it up to you much less asked, and your life is…well, utterly changed.”

“I’m alive. To be with you. To find Allie’s killers. I’m. Alive. Thank you.” And really considering the last ten days or so, being alive as a wolf fell into the plus category.

Grace smiled and thumped Josh on the head with a folder. “See? I told you.” She smiled down at Michelle. “They were all so worried, and I said you seemed a practical sort and would prefer a life with Josh and vengeance for what these monsters did to your friend to death over a silly thing like being so near death you couldn’t be consulted about being turned.”

“I’d laugh but I might vomit if I do.”

“By all means, you’re free not to do that. Josh has been waiting to move you until you woke up, but he’s going to take you to one of our guest rooms so you can sleep. You’re going to need it to let your wolf get acclimated. You’ve done a lot in the last week. Mated, anchored, turned. Your wolf needs as much rest and time with the human as the human needs the same.”

Michelle had a million questions, but she was so tired she couldn’t think. But she did need to tell them about what she’d seen at that house back in Portland.

“Have to tell you what I saw. We rushed here for a reason.”

Grace looked to Josh, who sighed heavily. “I told you,” he said.

“What?”

“Stubborn.” But he smiled when he said it.

“I’ll make you a deal.” Grace nodded at Josh, who bent and picked Michelle up. “Let him get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better after that. Then Cade and I will come up once you’re settled in bed and you can tell him then. And, I hope you don’t mind, but one of the de La Vegas wants to hear what’s going on too.”

Josh growled, and Grace winked at Michelle before she addressed Josh. “This one is Renee, she’s Jack’s mate and a witch. I think she’s going to bring her sister Kendra, who is the female Alpha of the jaguar jamboree. She’s also a witch who took on a cat so she’s eager to meet you. You’ll like her, and we can avoid all this silly boy stuff you guys do anytime another male gets near your mate.”

“What about me? I wanted to scratch your eyes out earlier when you stood near Josh.”

Josh made a grumbly sound that vibrated through her, and she stiffened when she realized the wolf inside her moved. Like, actually moved.

He carried her up some stairs as Grace followed. “It’s all right. You get used to the wolf inside. She’ll help you. But she’ll rise when I’m near. My wolf always does when you’re around.” Josh kept his voice calm and quiet, and she couldn’t help but snuggle into him.

“I think we might be able to have Josh sitting with you when they come in. You’ll be possessive, that’s how it works, but it should be fine.” Grace opened a door to a lovely guest bedroom. “There’s a bathroom through there. Akio brought your bag so you have clothes to change into. Get cleaned up. I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.”

She was already mainly naked as he sat her gently down while he turned the shower on before helping her out of the gown thing she’d been wearing.