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“How is he?” a voice asked.
Warm fingers gripped Callum’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’ve removed the bullet and stitched him up,” Sophie said. “I started an IV to keep infection out and also an antidote to counteract the poison in his system from the bullets.”
Sophie. He gripped the hand in his harder, or at least he tried to. His fingers didn’t want to move. He inhaled his mate’s sweet scent. She was close – right next to him.
The hand in his flexed as a form loomed over him. He could briefly make out her beautiful blue eyes through his partially opened eyes.
“Callum, can you hear me?” Sophie asked, so close yet her voice sounded miles away.
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. His whole body was numb and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
“Shhh,” she said, her hand going to his head to comb through his hair. “It’s okay. I gave you a sedative until the poison is out of your system. You’re okay. Rest.”
He let his eyes slip shut again, and the darkness lulled him back under.
The next time he opened his eyes he had to close them again to block out the offensive light seeping in through the windows. A weight pressed against his unharmed shoulder. He grunted and the pressure moved. Sophie’s scent filled his nostrils and he opened his eyes again.
“You’re awake,” she said, touching his cheek. “How do you feel?”
He scrunched up his face and tried to move, but the action caused a burning sensation to race over his abdomen.
“Don’t try to move,” Sophie said, putting her hands lightly on his shoulders. “You were shot, remember?”
The events at the complex replayed in his mind. “Yeah. Xander, is he okay?”
“Right here, buddy,” Xander said from somewhere behind him.
“Everyone else make it out okay?” Callum asked as he let his eyes slide shut.
“Everyone is fine. We’ve caught up to the bus and are in Pennsylvania right now,” Sophie said as she went back to stroking his cheek.
“Still a long ways from home,” he said.
“We’ll be there in no time,” Nate said, his voice far away too.
“Are you in pain?” Sophie asked.
“Not too bad,” he said even though it was a lie. He didn’t want her worrying over him too much, he’d be fine.
“I can give you some more sedatives,” she said. Her hand left his face and he heard something rustling.
“No. No more drugs.” He’d had enough of those to last a lifetime after his recent imprisonment at the hunters’ base. “If it’s safe, I’d like to shift.”
“You were shot three times,” Sophie said. Something pricked his arm and he groaned as the cool liquid slid beneath his skin. “Let your body heal a little more first.”
“Feel fine,” he said as the darkness threatened to yank him back under. He knew the sedatives would help him rest which would ultimately speed up his already-accelerated healing, but he didn’t like the idea of going back under again. He wanted to see Sophie.
“Listen to your mate,” Nate said. “She knows what she’s talking about.”
It didn’t seem he had much of a choice. The darkness swallowed him up and he was lost again.
Jostling caused Callum to groan. He opened his eyes, preparing for brightness, but was met only with darkness. He blinked, but it was still pitch black. Squinting, he could make out the small lines of windows and the seats in the front. He was in a car.
“Sophie?” he asked, his voice coming out more of a croak.
“I’m right here.” A warm hand slid into his. “How do you feel?”
The ground moved again and he muttered under his breath as pain shot through his shoulder, down his chest, and into his leg. It felt like he was being ripped in two, but he didn’t want her to worry. He was glad to be lucid again and didn’t want any more drugs if he could help it. “Okay.”
“We just crossed the Tennessee border,” Sophie said. Still holding his hand, she leaned forward and kissed him.
“Anyone following us?” he asked, squinting to see her in the darkness.
“Not that we can tell,” Xander said.
Callum twisted his head to see his friend who sat in the passenger seat.
“We were going to stop in a few minutes,” Xander said. “Let everyone out to stretch their legs. The others in the bus haven’t shifted yet. Some of them are getting antsy.”
“Good. I want to shift too,” Callum said.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sophie said. “Let me check your wounds.” She kissed him again, then pulled back. The blue of her eyes was gone, replaced by a vibrant golden-brown. She leaned forward and trailed her fingers over his shoulder. They worked to remove his bandage, then smoothed it back down before going to check the next one.
“The wounds are healing nicely. You’re lucky we have accelerated healing,” she said
“Does that mean I have my doctor’s blessing to shift?” he asked, reaching up to push loose strands of her hair from her face. It took a great deal of energy to shift, and if he didn’t have the energy to do it, he could injure himself further. Hopefully Sophie allowed him to shift. The pain was killing him.
“Yes, you do,” she said, her eyes shutting. When they reopened they’d returned to normal.
“You seem like you are getting the hang of that,” he said.
“I had a good teacher.”
“This looks like as good a spot as any,” Xander said from the front seat.
“Radio them and tell them to pull over,” Nate said.
“Do you think you can sit up?” Sophie asked Callum.
“Yeah.” He gripped the edges of the stretcher as Sophie crawled across the floor so she was behind him. Pain exploded through his middle as he pulled himself up. Sophie helped, easing him into a sitting position.
He forced even breaths in through his nose, worried that if anyone suspected how much pain he was in they’d reconsider letting him shift. If he didn’t have the strength to shift or passed out due to the pain, he could do more damage than good. Not that that was going to happen. He could do this.
“Are you good?” Sophie asked, pressing herself against his back to keep him from falling over. He was thankful for her help, because he wasn’t entirely sure he could sit on his own at the moment.
“Yeah.”
The SUV bumped as they pulled off to the side of the road. Each pothole sent another spike of pain through him. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. He just needed to shift so all his injuries would heal. Then it would be smooth sailing until they were home.
“Here, let me take this out,” Sophie said. She kept one hand on his back but moved to sit next to him. Using her one hand, she set to work on an IV line that he hadn’t realized was sticking out of his arm.
She peeled the tape off, then slipped the needle out of his skin. Grabbing a cotton ball, she blotted at the blood beading on the surface.
“Do you need help getting out?” Xander asked as the car rocked, coming to a stop.
He could probably use the help. Part of him wanted to say no, but he didn’t want Sophie hurting herself trying to help him. “If you don’t mind.”
The SUV trembled as his friends got out and then opened the hatch. He slid forward, Sophie staying at his back. Xander and Nate both offered their hands, which he accepted. Together they hauled him to his feet.
His head spun and nausea curdled in his belly. He took a step forward anyway, fighting against the white-hot pain as he went to his knees.
“Stay back,” he said.
Sophie gave his good shoulder a soft pat before moving away from him.
He set his hands on the ground, his middle shaking from the exertion. Focusing on his bear, he began his change. His body contorted as the limbs snapped, reshaping into his alternate form. The skin where the bullet holes were knitted closed as his dark brown fur sprouted out. He panted through the pain and the darkness threatening to pull him under until he was fully changed.
The pain ebbed away and he took a step forward, then another, thankful that the agony that had gripped him moments ago had subsided.
“Five minutes,” Nate said. “I don’t want to stay in the open too long.”
Neither did Callum. He’d already survived three gunshot wounds and didn’t want any more. Nor did he want to put Sophie at risk.
He took a step forward, nuzzling his head against her leg. Sophie bent down, giving him a kiss on his small snout before crouching down and embracing him as best she could in this form. They were both okay. Now they just had to make it home.