Grizzly Survival Read online

  But Dale was willing to take the chance. He was willing to give up his own life to save this man. He loved him that much. He only had seconds to decide.

  “Dale, don’t.” George’s voice was firm.

  Dale jerked his face around to look George in the eye. “He’s my whole world. It’s my fault he’s in this state in the first place. He’s dying in my arms, George.” His voice rose. “Dying. I can’t let this happen again. I will not.” Any doubt he had fled.

  He knew the chance of saving Gavin was slim at best. The life force was literally leaking from Gavin’s pores. The scent of death filled the air.

  Dale offered George one last sentence. “Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing in my shoes.” And then he turned back around, leaned over the best man to ever walk into his life, and sank his teeth into his shoulder.

  He didn’t let his binding serum down to blend with Gavin’s blood. That would be taking things too far. Already he was defying nature and the laws of his people on multiple fronts. It was against the law to change a person into a grizzly. It was exponentially made worse by the fact that Gavin was unable to consent. Dale would not make matters worse by binding the man to him for life.

  Besides, as soon as he finished this last act as a free man, he would probably never see Gavin again. It would be pure torture for Gavin to wake up not only a shifter but bound to a lover he could not have.

  The only concession Dale would make was holding back that final act. It nearly undid him to bite his lover and not let the serum run into his bloodstream. But he did it. He bit him again and again, moving his mouth over Gavin’s lifeless body to spark the change in as many locations as he could. It wasn’t necessary. One bite was enough. But he couldn’t stop himself. If it helped, he would keep biting his precious skin until he gasped for air.

  As it was, nothing happened. Gavin still had a weak pulse when Dale checked, but otherwise no sign of life. If he was brain dead, there was no chance he would survive. If he’d lost too much blood… If his heart didn’t hold out… If his neck was broken… If his body wasn’t strong enough to make his first shift… So many variables. There was so little hope.

  A hand landed on Dale’s back, bringing him to the present. He was leaning over Gavin’s chest, the taste of his lover’s blood in his mouth. Tears streaked his face. When had he cried so hard to produce them?

  A voice. George’s. It was his hand on Dale’s back. He spoke in a calm voice, no longer angry or accusatory. “That’s enough, Dale. You did the best you could. Let the doctors find a vein. If he has any chance at all, he needs a blood transfusion.”

  Dale lifted his face, hating the way Gavin’s lifeless body lay mangled on the gurney. His legs were twisted in awkward directions that defied logic. Both his arms had compound fractures, bones sticking out in three places. He suspected the only thing that had kept Gavin alive long enough for Dale to see him was the fact that his neck was broken. If he had been able to feel the pain of all those injuries, he would have surely died from the shock.

  Dale let George pull him back a few inches. “Let’s let the doctors work on him. You don’t want to watch this.”

  No truer words had ever been spoken. Dale lifted his face to find others in the room. A doctor. Two nurses.

  “Come on. Just to the hallway. If his condition gets worse, they’ll let us know.”

  Dale almost laughed. Worse?

  They stepped into the hallway. A young girl jumped up from a chair, her face pale. Tears streaked her skin. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  George helped Dale lower himself onto another chair. There were several in the hall. Why?

  It dawned on him who the girl was. “You’re Carla.”

  She nodded, wiping her tears.

  An older couple Dale hadn’t noticed stepped out of the shadows to flank Carla, each taking a shoulder. Their expressions were pained. They too had been crying. Not for minutes but for days. Their eyes were bloodshot and heavy from lack of sleep. Carla’s parents.

  The woman spoke in a hoarse voice. “We can’t thank you enough for what you did to find our daughter, and we’re so sorry for what happened to your partner. There are no words.”

  Dale could only nod and lower his gaze. He couldn’t handle these people’s pain on top of his own. It had taken him about an hour to hack into Carla’s cell phone and use it to locate her and her friend.

  He had just informed George of their location when his phone rang. He didn’t even pick it up off the table at first because he was still giving instructions to the council member who was relaying them telepathically to other shifters to find out who was closest to the scene.

  Dale didn’t pick up his phone until the third time it rang and then only out of annoyance. When he saw the call was from Gavin, his heart stopped. Gavin would not spam him like that. Dale knew Gavin had left angry, but he also knew there was no way he would dial over and over it if weren’t important.

  When he connected the call, Dale almost couldn’t hear the woman through her sobs. And he certainly couldn’t decipher her words. It took several attempts to internalize what he’d already known. Gavin was in trouble.

  It was sheer luck that a helicopter had already been dispatched to the area, and doubly insane that one of the people they were trying to rescue was on the phone with Dale. The best he could discern was that Carla and Joy had been drugged and held hostage in a remote cabin.

  After three days, their captors had accidentally failed to give Carla enough of the sedative, making it possible for Carla to shift into her bear form and escape the cabin in search of help. She was not fully lucid and unable to reach out to anyone yet, and in her confusion, she wandered onto the road where Gavin happened to arrive at the exact same second.

  The shock of seeing him careen off the road gave Carla the adrenaline boost to snap out of it, shift back to human form, and scramble down the embankment toward the man at the bottom.

  Dale’s heart stopped beating when he took that call. It was still pumping erratically. If Gavin died… He didn’t give a single fuck what the Arcadians did to him. He just wanted Gavin to live to see another day. There were no other options.

  Carla and her parents must have stepped away because when a hand landed on Dale’s back again, and he lifted his gaze, he found no one in the hallway except him and George. He licked his lips. “Please let me stay here until I know if he will survive.”

  George nodded. “Eleanor is on her way.”

  Dale swallowed. Of course she is. The leader of all forty council members was a formidable woman. Dale had only met her once, but the memory stuck with him.

  He knew her to be a fair woman, but she was strict when it came to Arcadian law.

  His only hope was that they didn’t take him away until he was certain Gavin would live. He needed to know. He would give himself up to whatever fate was in store for him and breathe easily as soon as he knew.

  Long minutes ticked by. A door at the end of the hallway opened, and Dale lifted his gaze to see his parents rushing forward. On their heels were Wyatt and Paige. Paige looked frantic, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Wyatt held her hand so tight it was white.

  Dale turned his attention to his parents. Rolland and Gretta Gerben. They didn’t deserve the loss of their son, but he hoped they would take some solace in knowing his efforts were not in vain. He’d committed his crime knowing full well what the repercussions were and accepted full responsibility.

  Gretta pulled his head to her shoulder, sobbing against his neck. “My son…”

  He wrapped his arms around her to comfort her when he himself needed more comfort than anyone in the hallway. She was his mother though. And she was in pain. Had anyone told them yet what Dale had done? Or were they all just shell-shocked to find out Gavin was dying?

  He could hear Paige’s sob behind his mother. His father had a hand on his shoulder. Dale drew strength from his father’s touch.

  The door at Dale’s back opene
d, and he jerked his attention behind him.

  A doctor leaned out. “You can come back in.”

  “Is he…” Dale couldn’t speak the words. They were stuck. Lodged in his throat.

  “He’s stable. For now.”

  Dale released his mother and nearly ran into the room.

  Gavin looked only marginally better. His clothes were gone. He lay under a thin sheet, naked. But his limbs were in the right place now. Dale thanked the universe for sparing his partner the excruciation of straightening his broken limbs and popping his bones back into place. If he hadn’t been paralyzed, he would have suffered unimaginable pain.

  Some of the excessive blood had been cleaned off his face, but much of it still lingered. Maybe the doctors and nurses didn’t want to jostle him any more than necessary in case he had any level of awareness. Or perhaps they knew their actions were in vain. Dale wouldn’t ask.

  He didn’t want to cause Gavin any more suffering either, so he touched the only spot that remained uninjured—his cheek. His eyes were more swollen now, black circles making it look like he’d been punched multiple times. Good sign of healing? Or bad sign of impending death?

  The doctor stood on the opposite side of the bed. “I’m Doctor Towers. Would you prefer we spoke in private?”

  Dale shook his head, suddenly aware of his family and friends at his back. And George. What did it matter? They would all find out eventually.

  The doctor’s expression was grave. He was also larger than most shifters, over seven feet tall and built. His grizzly would be a sight to behold. He cleared his throat. “It’s too early to predict what might happen. He lost a lot of blood. We’re giving him a second bag now. But I can’t know how much damage he sustained before we were able to get an IV in him.”

  Dale kept his eyes on Gavin, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing. Every breath was a relief to watch.

  The doctor continued. “I lined up his bones. If he survives the next few hours, we’ll take X-rays and align them further. I’m going to take him to radiology right now though to get a better look at his neck. It would help if we knew what sort of injury we were dealing with.”

  Dale swallowed around the lump in his throat. What if Gavin survived only to live as a paralyzed shifter? Alone in a world where Dale was thousands of miles away in prison. So few shifters were paralyzed. Usually, they either survived a massive trauma intact, or they did not. Any fatal injury that didn’t permit a grizzly to shift was usually the end.

  Gavin could not shift. It would be days before he would be able to transition under normal circumstances. But these were anything but normal circumstances.

  “There’s no precedent for this sort of situation. I can’t predict the possible outcomes. I’ve made a few calls to colleagues around the world, but I doubt anyone will be able to provide much help.”

  Fresh tears fell. Please, God. I don’t want him to suffer. If you can spare him, let him walk again.

  A hand on Dale’s back shook him from his thoughts again. What had Doctor Towers been saying? His mother spoke next to him. “They need to take him to radiology, honey. Let him go. They’ll be right back.”

  Dale reluctantly released his lover and watched as they wheeled his still unconscious body out of the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next twenty-four hours were excruciating. Information came in bits and pieces. A stroke of luck one minute. Bad news the next.

  Dale hadn’t slept. His parents had encouraged him to lie down, but he had refused. Everyone else had gone to the closest hotel in shifts to sleep.

  For a blessed few minutes, he was alone, staring down at his life-partner. His would-be mate. Tubes and wires were everywhere.

  The doctor slipped in silently. “You should at least sit. You’ve been on your feet for a full day.”

  Dale nodded but made no move to do anything of the sort. He wanted to be able to see Gavin’s face, watch for signs of life. He wanted to be there if and when he woke up.

  “The CT scan looked good. It confirmed what I suspected. Several vertebrae were broken, but the spinal cord is intact. That’s the best we could have hoped for. We’ll do an MRI next. His left lung collapsed. It’s improving. Another good sign he’s fighting.”

  “Can you…” Dale nearly choked over his words. “Can you fix his vertebrae?”

  “With surgery, perhaps. But he isn’t stable enough. He would not survive trauma.”

  “What will happen when his body reaches the stage where he needs to shift?”

  “We don’t know. I haven’t found anyone who’s seen this sort of case.”

  Dale nodded. If they had no information, it was possible they would make the wrong choices and risk Gavin’s life.

  There were humans who had been changed either against their will by a rogue shifter or intentionally. That data was more readily available. In fact, Isaiah’s mate, Heather, was one of them. It took her about two days before the shift happened, and it would appear it had been out of her control. If Gavin’s frail body attempted to shift in one more day, what would happen?

  Dale was particularly glad neither the doctor nor anyone on staff had openly judged him for his decision. They also hadn’t stopped him from biting his lover. Wouldn’t anyone else have done the same thing?

  As the doctor stepped out, George stepped in. He set a hand on Dale’s arm. “Eleanor’s here.” His voice was soft. Sorrowful?

  Dale nodded and followed him out of the room and down the hall until they came to a closed door. George opened it and let Dale in ahead of him, closing them off from eavesdroppers. Eleanor was facing the window but turned around when they entered. Her face was grim.

  Dale stuck the tips of his fingers into the pockets of his jeans and took a deep breath. “I know I’ve broken the law, and you should know I would do it again given the chance. I understand that you have to take me into custody, but I’m asking you to please permit me to stay here until I’m sure my partner is going to live or die. I’d like to be able to pay my respects or at least look him in the eye one last time.”

  Eleanor sighed. “You have indeed put us in a difficult position.”

  Dale nodded.

  “No matter what my personal opinion is on this subject, to allow this to go unpunished would set a precedent that could snowball in so many directions I can’t even wrap my head around it.” She lifted one hand to rub her temple. The woman was quite a force. Five foot ten. Midseventies. Her gray and white hair was pulled into a neat bun. Her steely gray eyes bore into him. He’d always known her to be swift and fair. But she was no pushover.

  George cleared his throat, making Dale twist his neck to look at the man who was almost as formidable in his own right. Tall. Graying. Midsixties. When Eleanor wasn’t in the room, he was often the alpha. Dale was curious to witness the dynamic between this leader of his people in the same room with the impressive, powerful council member who ranked below her in the hierarchy of the council. “I instructed Dale to change his partner.”

  “What?” Eleanor’s voice hit a higher pitch. She stepped forward.

  Dale could feel her advance, but his gaze was locked on George who most assuredly didn’t give him permission to bite his lover. In fact, the man had emphatically argued against the decision, and Dale had blatantly disobeyed his direct order. There was no doubt Dale had been frantic and out of his mind at the time, but not so much that he’d misinterpreted the confrontation with the Arcadian Council member.

  George nodded, his gaze only trailing to Dale for a split second before he resumed looking at Eleanor. “I believe we need to reevaluate our laws with regard to this subject.”

  “Do you now?” Her voice was filled with sardonic mirth.

  “Yes.” George stood firm.

  Dale watched the man in awe as he lied to his superior. In a curious twist, Dale was fairly certain Eleanor had the power to know the truth which would mean this entire display of force was all for show. He couldn’t qu
ite wrap his mind around it, and his brain was still reeling from the idea that George had just lied in an attempt to save Dale’s ass.

  “I’ve had the opportunity over the last few days to get to know both Dale and Gavin. Dale’s a good man. We all know this. In the past, he has worked tirelessly for the good of our species. Though it is true he has spent the last several years mourning the loss of his life partner—he has more than paid his debt to society.

  “His current partner is also impressive in his own right for a human. His heart lies with the shifter community. I’ve watched him time and again put others first, including shifters. Before his accident yesterday, I spoke with him at length about his desire to become a shifter.

  “I insisted it wasn’t possible, of course. But we have Gavin Wright to thank for kicking Dale in the rear and shaking him up enough to get Dale to do what we all know he was born to do. Use his extraordinary gift to save lives and keep our species safe from outside interference. Gavin even gave up his own claim on his partner in order to ensure those two girls would have the best chance at rescue.”

  “How is that?” Eleanor asked.

  Dale was stunned. When did George have such a lengthy conversation with Gavin? He could only surmise it had been when George followed Gavin out the front door while Dale began to search Carla’s computer.

  George crossed his arm, a bold, defiant stance. “The man who is now hanging onto his life by a thread forced Dale’s hand. He not only threatened to leave if Dale wouldn’t do what was right, but he followed through. The most selfless decision I’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing. His last heroic act of love was to exchange his own happiness to save those girls.”

  Eleanor didn’t say a word.

  George continued. “If he hadn’t given Dale the shakeup he needed to get his rear in gear and come back to work, Gavin never would have been on that road at that moment. His life was sacrificed for the good of many.”

  Dale stood so still, stunned beyond words. It didn’t escape his notice that George had just insinuated he had agreed to return to work. He would not waste this gift. If Eleanor could see her way to letting him off the hook, the least he could do would be to resume his job. No matter what happened to Gavin, he would still find the strength to report for work as soon as possible. If Gavin died, it would no longer matter what Dale did for a living. Gavin’s life would never again be on the line. Dale wouldn’t lie awake nights worrying about his partner.