Gavan went limp. Spike went on thumping the man’s head against the asphalt, claws digging into his neck. Spike’s Collar was arcing, had been continually, biting hot fire down his spine, and he’d never felt it.

“You took my son. You took my son!”

Strong hands jerked him back. Spike fought, wild and crazed. He’d kill them all. They’d dared touch his cub, his son, his mate.

Her fragrance cut through his rage like rain on a dry earth. She flowed around him, her warm body, her touch, her voice that wrapped his senses and didn’t let go.

“Eron, it’s all right. Jordan’s fine. I’ve got him.”

Myka had Jordan. She’d found him, wrapped him in her arms, protected him. The mate of his heart had rescued his cub.

Myka’s small, soft hand guided Spike’s to the downy fur of Jordan’s belly. The connection, the three of them together, cleared Spike’s vision. He blinked, finding himself lying on the pavement, one hand on his cub’s sleeping body, Myka kneeling beside him.

“Mate,” he whispered. “Don’t leave me.”

“I’m here,” Myka said. She leaned to him, bathing him in her warmth, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m here.”

Pain like Spike had never felt before flooded his body, fire incandescent in his blood and along every nerve. But he kept one hand on his cub, twined his fingers through Myka’s, and knew he’d never felt better in his life.

*** *** ***

“Spike’s home for battered warriors,” Myka said, opening the door for Liam and Kim, Kim carrying Katriona. “Welcome.”

They lounged about Spike’s living room—Connor, Ellison, Ella, and Jordan. Spike was stretched out on the kitchen table while Dylan picked tiny pieces of shot out of Spike’s chest and legs. Myka’s cry that they should take him to a hospital was met with quiet stares. Arriving at a hospital with a gunshot wound meant alerting the police, Dylan said, and Spike didn’t need that.

“Shifters heal fast,” Spike had croaked as he’d staggered into the house, supported by Myka and Ellison. Dylan had at least given him a shot of local anesthetic before he started.

“Where’s Andrea?” Ellison asked as Liam, his face bruised and bloody, limped inside. Myka did not want to ask Liam what had happened to Nate. “Andrea and her healing juju? And Sean? What the hell happened to him?”

Liam’s face split into a grin. “Andrea’s a little busy. Sean’s with her.” The sparkle in his eyes was one of joy, and Kim smiled as hard as Liam did.

Connor leapt from the sofa. He looked worse than any of them—his face battered, one eye swollen shut, and he cradled his arm carefully across his chest—but he sprang to his feet with the vigor of youth. “Andrea’s having her cub!” he shouted.

“Holy shit,” Ellison said. “No wonder Sean vanished. The only thing that could make him take his eyes off Gavan would be a call like that.”

“He and Andrea are at the clinic with Ronan and his entourage,” Liam said. “Glory too. Waiting for the family to join them. Sorry, Spike.”

Spike lifted a hand and gave Liam a weak thumb’s-up gesture. “A cub coming in is way more important than me. I’ve only been shot.”

Dylan picked out another piece with tweezers and dropped it with a tink into a glass bowl. “I’ll catch up. He took most of the blast. If we save the pieces, we can fill up another couple cartridges.”

“No thanks,” Liam said. “Spike, boy-o, when you’re feeling better, come on down and say hello to the next Morrissey.”

“Go away,” Spike said, his voice too weak. “You’re hard to take when you’re chipper.” He held up his hand. “Tell Andrea the Goddess go with her and her cub. She’s strong, Liam, and a healer. She’ll be fine.”

“Thanks, Spike.” Liam looked somber a moment. “The Goddess go with you too. You’re in good hands.”

“Ouch!” Spike jumped as Dylan dug deep. “Right. Sure.”

Ellison leveraged himself up, he too sporting plenty of bruises plus claw and bite marks. He leaned down and hugged Ella, who looked exhausted, then came to Myka and did the same.

“He’ll be fine,” Ellison said quietly to Myka as he held her. “He has you. The mate bond is an amazing thing.”

“Ellison,” Spike said, his voice holding the edge of a growl. “Get away from my mate, or I come off this table.”

Ellison laughed, gave Myka a final squeeze, and let her go. “You’re so screwed,” he said to Spike. “No more mateless nights, no more bachelor days. See ya, Spike. I’m going to go guard a lady having a cub.”

Myka stepped back so Ellison could go by, following the exuberant Connor, who paused long enough to give Myka a breath-stealing hug. “Guarding her?” Myka asked Kim.

Kim bounced Katriona, who was trying to eat her own fist. “It’s a Shifter thing. Friends and family gather while the mother has the cub. I guess in the old days, Shifters had to guard the females against predators while they gave birth.”

Made sense. Or would if Myka weren’t so worried about Spike.

Connor had assured Myka as they’d driven back to town that Andrea, Sean’s mate, had healing powers that would close up Spike so fast it would be like he’d never been opened. But now all seemed to think Spike would be fine without her.