WILLIAM

She said yes.

I was grinning the entire drive back to her apartment. Her chatting with Catherine was entertaining to listen to as they squealed on like preteens at some boy band concert. She was delighted and it made me content to know it was because of me. I was glad she would have such a good friend waiting for her back at home. Hopefully she would not miss Seattle too much.

I was still thinking about moving preparations that we'd have to do for her when I parked the car and got out.

As I stood tall, the vet's scent pummeled into my nose.

Twisting to him, we locked eyes just as a bullet slammed into my shoulder.

A swear word snapped between my lips as I staggered backward into the car door.

"William!" Kara shrieked. She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

"Stop!" I commanded her through gritted teeth. "Stay in the car!"

Her body promptly obeyed, and she sat back, hands tightening the seatbelt with no thought of her own.

I was done trying to be tolerant. That piece of ass was going to die.

I stood back tall, moving through the searing pain and meant to go kill him when another bullet clipped my bicep and then another dug in my side.

A string of swearwords passed through my lips as I fell against the car door sliding to the ground. My hold on Kara was lost as I battled the pain.

Kara had raced out of the car, and when she stooped to me, I noticed her eyes were fully gold and her mind serene. The healer was in control. Her hands came across my chest and almost immediately the pain dulled. I wasn't sure if it was the healer or the matebond, maybe both, but I focused in on her touch and not the three sites of indescribable pounding agony.

Her hands heated even against the raised temperature of my skin and I felt the bullets at my shoulder and bicep dislodging, like tweezers were being dug in and pulling the metal away. It stung and my jaw clenched, a dotting of cool sweat opening up on my forehead. But a wave of euphoria then rolled over me like a morphine drip.

A moan of appreciation left my lips and my head swayed back at the car door, eyes closing in release. My hands moved to hold around her waist, bringing my relief closer.

One of the bullets popped out of me and tinkered to the ground. I opened my eyes to see it when I instead saw the vet sneaking up, almost on Kara's back.

"Watch out!" I cried out, a lifted hand immediately shifting wolf.

She spun around to see him holding another syringe, probably filled with the same horse tranquilizer. He'd better hope it's just tranquilizer.

Her speed was unbelievable, and I watched her movements as she leapt to her feet and already had the syringe tossed from his grip. She reeled back and sent a heavy blow to his abdomen with her palm. She put so much power behind the hit that he went flying backwards thirty feet and slammed at the cement wall crashing down between cars.

When her hands were off me, the pain restored, and my wolf begged to be freed. The shift was pressing up my arm, lengthening the bone and fine hairs starting to stand on end. The agony like someone was pounding me with a lava coated sledgehammer.

She watched his flight and when he laid motionless, spun back around to me. Quickly her hands replaced on my chest and I could breathe again.

Moments ticked by as the heat spread around my body like beckoning tendrils from mist. I closed my eyes in relief and the hairs started to recede down my arm, but my fingers stayed shifted. White hot heat burned at my shoulder as the second bullet pressed out and tissues regrew.

It was so much different than how my own wolf healing would cure. There was a magic in her that no one would be able to ever reproduce.

And as her eyes met mine, the golden orbs boring into my soul, I felt an even stronger protectiveness creep through my veins. It was stronger than the matebond. It was as if I had to make sure the world was able to keep this precious flower. Like she was the last of her kind and all life would become extinct if she was to ever leave.

I needed her.

The pack needed their healer.

I would protect her.

It was my calling in life.

That's why she came back now. Her father could no longer keep the healer safe. It was now up to me.

My strength grew as the chest and shoulder wounds scabbed over with fresh skin. With the new skin, I bore new resolve. She was mine.

The third bullet started to work its way out of my side when the vet stood in my line of sight.

"Kara," I spoke urgently.

The vet's words were low and deadly, the revolver pointed at us. "If I can't have her, no one can."

And this time the bullet went into her.

Her mouth opened wide in a silent cry and the blue swirled her eyes before she shut them and collapsed into my arms.

My back burned and breathing labored as her wound connected to me from the bond.

The bullet had broken through ribs and punctured clear into her lung.

I bent over her, a humanoid wolf paw testing her back. She was alive. She was breathing as best she could, and she was already trying to heal even though unconscious.

That was all I needed to know before I turned back to the vet.

This had gone on too far. He had lied to, cheated on, and even tried to kidnap and murder my mate. This would end now.

In not even a second, I had her gently placed down to the pavement, and allowed my wolf free.

The wolf cried a howl of relief and revenge inside my head.

My clothes burst around me as my body boiled with sizzling anger. The wolf landed on four paws and already leapt at the vet.

He gave a shout of surprise and let another bullet free which missed wildly before I was on top of him, crashing him down to the ground with slices of my claws.

He triggered the gun a few more times as my nails raked down his chest, but the weapon just clicked. His ammunition was out and there would be no reload. His pitiful cries would not bring him mercy.

I arched down in a speedy smooth movement and crunched on his shoulder with my teeth, sinking deep through tissues and veins, but not slicing the offending limb clear off. My wolf head yanked back, his body lifting from the ground and I shook him like a doberman and their ragdoll. I then rocketed him, letting him fly, soaring in an arc to the back of the parking garage, slamming against the far wall. He groaned out at the hit and went unconscious as he slid to the floor, a long red streak showing his decent.

I crouched to attack again, ready to deliver the final death blow, when a gentle 'stop' halted my movements.

My head whipped around to see Kara sitting up against the car's wheel.

In the three steps to her, I did a full shift back to human and knelt beside her. "Are you okay Love?"

She nodded weakly, head unsteady, and eyes half closed. "Take me to him." Her arms lifted, making her breathing wheezy.

I bristled at the request. "No."

"William," she chastised.

I growled to myself knowing what she intended to do, but I would always grant her every wish. I leaned under her and lifted her into my arms. Stepping over to the vet, I set her down next to him.

When I stepped away, I could see that the bullet was trying to uncover itself from her back, but blood still drained from the wound in a steady stream. With the mimicking burn at my back, I knew it pained her greatly, but she was trying to work through it. I really wanted to mention that she should be healing herself before that sack of bottom dweller, but I knew she would never listen.

She coughed and spit blood to the pavement. Then her hands went on the mess of a man, slivers of bloody flesh rolling between her fingers and soon the crumpled heap began to form back into the vet.

I couldn't say I was happy he wasn't dead. But I was glad Kara didn't have to have it on her conscious that her mate had killed him.

Her feeble voice was in my head, almost a whisper. The syringe. Use it on...him. Thick part of the thigh. A moment past, then she continued. Put him in his car. ... Vodka. Under backseat. Pour some on him. He'll... think he ... was drunk.

The vet moaned a sound that indicated he was coming around, the scratches down his chest showing inflamed skin stitching back together.

I ran back to where the syringe was dropped, grabbed it and some spare pants from my bag and when I came upon her she fell backwards, finally giving out.

My other hand caught her and guided her down to the ground and then I unceremoniously stabbed the needle into the sucker's leg. I emptied the entire vial, and then picked up the fool by the back of his shirt and dragged him to his car. Tossing him and the syringe in front, I checked for the vodka and it was where she had described. How often had the dolt had some there that Kara knew he kept some in his car? I twisted the cap and splashed a good amount over him. Just enough that a cop would definitely be able to tell he smelled of alcohol, then set the bottle next to him.

I went back to Kara and pulled her up gently into my arms. My eyes then searched out the surrounding area. Good, no humans. But there were active security cameras. Going back to my shredded clothes, I found my cell on the ground and started typing in Blake's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Yello, what's up Will?"

"Sorry to disturb you again Blake, but I have a situation I need Tech help with immediately. Are you somewhere you could assist?"

"Oh. Sure man. We're still just at the resort, we haven't left for the day yet. What's the problem?"

"We had an altercation with the vet. I need the camera video converted in Kara and Catherine's parking garage about the last ten minutes."

I could hear him turning his laptop on and Catherine worrying in the background. "I can do that easy. I'm already connected to those video channels even."

"I had thought that might be the case. That's why I didn't want to ask your team instead."

"Okay.... Annnnd.... Got it." A few moments later I heard the gunshots from the receiver as he was playing through the video. "Oh shit."

"Very oh shit," I agreed and then placed Caroline in the passenger's seat, going around to the driver's side. I reached for my clothing bag and then slid in.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I knew he was a scumbag, but I never thought he'd be capable of shooting Kara. Is she okay?"

Caroline then started up a shriek in the background. While I couldn't smile at the situation, I could hear the humor in the way she was trying to wrestle the phone away from him.

She finally succeeded. "William! What the eff!? Is Caroline okay?! Where is she! I demand to speak to her right now!"

I looked over to her and positioned the bag between her and the seat, trying not to get blood all over her car seat. "She's hurt Catherine, but she is healing. I'll take her upstairs to rest just as soon as Blake gives us passage." The blood on my chest was already crusting from my body temp but the still open wound at my stinging side was dripping down over my pants, so I tried to position myself away from the upholstery as well.

"I'm going to kick Rick's ass! I'm going to chop him up and bury the pieces! I'm going to..." and she kept spitting things when I focused in on Blake talking conversationally in the background.

"Okay Will, I've got the code pulled up now. Just give me a second to find the time stamp."

"... and then I will bury him again!"

"There you are. Let's see. Let's cut to there. ...Aaaand done. Okay, it's deleted. Give me another sec to loop the vid."

"... then even his grandchildren will feel that pain!"

"I've got it Will. You can get her out now."

I sighed a relieved breath. "Thanks Blake. I know you didn't want to have to work on your honeymoon."

"No problem. I get emergencies happen. Tell Caroline sorrys from us."

"Will do. Thanks."

"Do you want me to send this to DOSS?"

Department of Supernatural Security. A moment of pause took me, as I considered if the vet should be prosecuted. He could be locked up for many years and we could have peace knowing that he would never get the jump on us again. But as I considered the US Government seeing her healing all of us, and then them wanting the favor reciprocated, the immediate answer came from my lips. "No. I don't want DOSS knowing about Kara's powers if we can help it. We'll be out of Seattle ASAP anyway. If he talks, they'll grab him on their own. Right now he's covered in alcohol. No one will believe him."

"That makes sense. You can take her to rest now. I'll delete the file."

"Thanks Blake."

"She needs chocolate!" Catherine shouted. I almost had to move the phone from my ear.

I got out and walked purposefully to her door and brought her comatose form into my arms.

"The good stuff. Dark chocolate caramels. If you call Qween's on Eighth, they deliver!" Catherine continued. "The number's on the fridge!"

The thought finally lifted my cheek in a slight smile as I carried her to the elevator. "I will do that Catherine. Thank you for the tip."

She finally sighed a worried sound, her voice finally breaking. "Will she be okay?"

I looked down to the beauty in my arms and mentally touched at our bond. "She'll be fine Catherine. Her wound is already healed over, she just needs to regain her energy."

I looked down to the blood on my shirt from my still open painful side wound. My wolf healing could handle that one. I wouldn't tire Kara any further when she woke.

"Take care of her Beta William," she pleaded.

"I will. I promise." I pressed on the up arrow of the elevator.

"I know you will. Thanks for protecting my friend." I heard the tears form on her choked voice. "Bye Beta William. Let me know when she wakes up."

"I will do that. Goodbye Catherine. Goodbye Blake."

Blake's voice was concerned. "Goodbye Will."

I stepped into the elevator, a sleeping angel in my arms, and turned to glare at the car with the drunkard scum in the front seat as the doors closed. If he ever tried to touch Kara again, he will wish DOSS got to him first.