Grayslake: More than Mated: Bear Up (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Free Page A

a pink tutu and a damn unicorn horn and he’d have done it. He’d do anything that would help his fated mate. Anything to have her up and about rather than motionless and pale on the table in front of him.
    The ghost of a smile graced the other man’s lips. “I’m not, not that it makes any difference. We’re going to need skin-to-skin contact for this to work.”
    He moved forward, a small, very sharp knife suddenly appearing in his hand as he leaned over Kacie.
    Dean snarled, the sound breaking free at the perceived threat to his mate. “What the fuck are you doing?”
    The warlock didn’t even look up. “Chill, big man. Skin to skin, remember? And the way your hands are shaking I don’t want you anywhere near her with either a knife or claws.”
    He couldn’t argue with that. Instead, he simply nodded as Morgan began to cut Kacie’s top away with delicate movements, making sure to leave the makeshift dressing over her stomach in place. Dean couldn’t even look at it. He knew exactly what damage claws could do to such soft, unprotected flesh. The thought of a bear doing that to her, to his little human, made him sick to his stomach. It fed the rage that tried to escape his control.
    He refused to let it. Now was not the time or the place. First, he needed to make sure Kacie would live. His hands curled into hard fists, claws punching through his own skin and into his palms deeply enough for blood to run freely. But soon… soon he’d let the beast out on whoever had done this to her.
    And they would pay. Dearly.
    “Okay, we’re good. On the table.”
    He didn’t ask questions. Being careful not to jostle her, he climbed onto the table and reached out to pull Kacie into his arms. Even though she was unconscious, his body relaxed a fraction. Her weight against him felt right. She fit perfectly, like the other half of the puzzle that was him, her curves fitting against the harder planes of his body.
    Closing his eyes, he buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath.
    “The first time I hold her,” he admitted to Morgan in a raw voice, “and she doesn’t know a thing about it.”
    “Oh, she knows.” The warlock moved around the table, his hands never ceasing in their movements as he drew symbols in the air. Dean couldn’t see them, but then he didn’t expect to. He never had, not in all their years of service. Apparently those without the sight couldn’t see the magic…and shifter blood just wasn’t magic enough. Practically boring according to the warlock. Dean had never known whether to be amused or insulted by that. He was an Itan, the most powerful bear in his clan and he was…not enough?
    “She does?” he asked in surprise.
    “Her breathing has calmed down and her heart rate has leveled out. Now will you stop fucking yapping so I can finish this spell and save your girlfriend?”
    “Shutting up right now.”
    “Good.” Morgan finished his circuit and came to stand by the side of the table. His expression was serious. “Right. I’m going to draw off some of the power of your bear to force her to heal. Humans really are rather simple to mend if you know what you’re doing…”
    Dean’s lips didn’t even quirk. “Can you quit fucking yapping and save my girlfriend?”
    Morgan gave the tiniest grin, a twinkle in his eyes. “Yes, Itan. Might wanna brace yourself because this is probably going to hurt. A lot.”
    For the next hour Dean lay in silence, using his bigger body to cushion and cradle the silent woman in his arms. Morgan’s spell snapped shut about them, an invisible cage the Itan felt pulling at him, trying to yank his bear’s strength out through his very skin. It felt and sounded like they were in the center of a tornado, being buffeted and abused by the very air around them.
    “Hold it. Control it!” Morgan roared over the chaos. “She can’t take too much power at once… her body will burn out.”
    Dean nodded, sweat breaking out all over his skin as he forced