Chapter 12
“Bishop, come in here so I can look at your back.” Ava coaxed.
Bishop stood in the hallway and stared into the tiny bathroom. Jeffries, his face pale, had shown them to the guest bathroom and found them a first-aid kit. Ava was rifling through the kit, pulling out bandages and tape and a pair of scissors.
“You’d think for a house this large, they’d have a bigger bathroom.” He grumbled.
“I really need to look at your back and assess the damage.” Ava said firmly. “I know you don’t believe you need to go to the hospital but I’m fairly certain you do. Please, Bishop. Let me look at it, okay?”
He sighed and stepped into the small room. With his size and Ava’s curves, he could barely avoid touching her and he bit the inside of his cheek when her breasts nearly brushed against his chest.
“Turn around, please.” She instructed.
He turned obediently and she studied his back. “I’m sorry but I think I’m going to have to cut your jacket and shirt off. It’ll be easier and safer than trying to take them off around the table piece.”
He snorted impatiently and she gasped in horror when he reached behind his back and pulled the piece of wood out of his flesh with a hard tug.
“Shit!” She shouted. “Bishop, what are you doing?”
Her hands yanked his jacket from his body, and he grunted in surprise when she whipped him around with surprising strength and hurriedly removed his tie before unbuttoning his shirt.
“You shouldn’t have done that!” She scolded him fiercely as she pulled his shirt off and dropped it to the floor. “You could bleed to death! Turn around!”
Her hands were already tearing open the packages of gauze and he turned again so she could press the gauze against the wound in his back. He could feel blood oozing down his back but his skin was tingling and warmth was surging through the wound. His body was healing itself, like it always did, and he rested his hands against the wall in front of him and gritted his teeth when he felt Ava’s warm breath on his skin.
“You’re definitely going to the hospital now!” She scolded him again. “You’ll have nerve damage, you’re going to need stitches – “
“It’s already healing.” He said briefly.
“I wonder if we should call an ambulance or if it would be faster just to take my car. Although I’m not sure you’re going to fit in my car.” Ava muttered distractedly to herself as she pressed more gauze against the wound. “Maybe we should – what did you just say?”
“I said it’s already healing. You know paranormals have healing abilities, right?”
“Of course I know!” She snapped at him. “But you’re not immortal. I’ve seen plenty of paranormals in the ER and I’ve seen a few of them die. This is a bad wound, Bishop, and – “
“It’s not that bad.” He broke in smoothly. “Honestly. The wood was barely stuck in there. Check for yourself.”
He could hear her muttering under her breath as she eased the gauze away from his back. She made a soft gasp of surprise and he twitched when he felt her soft fingers brushing against the bare skin of his back.
“Oh my God.” She whispered. “That’s amazing. I mean, I’ve seen paranormal’s wounds heal quickly but never like this.”
He shrugged. “Grizzly shifters are better than most at healing.”
She wet a towel and gently wiped the blood from his back before pressing a fresh bandage to his skin and taping it in place. “Well, it’s not completely healed yet so just leave that bandage on there for a while, alright?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He kept his hands on the wall as she threw away the bloody gauze. Her scent was starting to become almost unbearable in the small room and he put one hand over his mouth and nose as she tapped him on the back.
“Turn around so I can check the cut on your face.”
He turned and she shook her head in disbelief. “It’s completely gone.”
She eyed his broad, naked chest, her face flushing a little, and he closed his eyes when the smell of her arousal filled the room.
“Bishop? What’s wrong? Why do you have your hand over your face like that?”
Shit.
He dropped his hand and gave her a nervous smile. “Uh, nothing.”
“It’s obviously something. Does your face hurt? Were you – “
“You smell!” He blurted out.
Her eyes widened and a look of hurt flashed across her face. “Oh, um, I’m sorry. I’ll just go.”
She whipped open the bathroom door and cried out when it smacked Bishop directly in the face. He staggered back, his hand cupping his suddenly-throbbing nose and she shut the door and crowded up against him.
“Oh my God! Bishop, I’m so sorry!” She pulled at his hand. “Let me see your face.”
“It’s fine.” He kept his hand over his face and tried desperately to ignore the feel of her soft curves against him.
“Let me see it!” She yanked on his hand and, with a harsh sigh, he dropped his hand. Blood was trickling out of his nose and she moaned in dismay before wetting some gauze and wiping softly at the blood.
“Oh God. I think I broke your nose.” She whispered.
He reached up and with a hard twist of his fingers, straightened his nose. She winced at the sound and pressed the gauze back to his nose as fresh blood trickled out.
“I am so sorry.” She said frantically. He gave in to temptation and placed his hands on her full hips. She didn’t seem to notice and he held her firmly as she checked his nose again.
“It’s stopped bleeding. Thank God.” She said with relief.
“It’s fine.” He smiled at her before inhaling deeply. “Doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
“Okay, good.” She dropped the gauze into the sink and tried to step back. She made a soft squeak of surprise when Bishop’s hands tightened around her hips and she glanced briefly at them before staring up at him.
“Wh-what are you doing, Bishop?”
“Nothing.”
His grizzly was roaring at him to take the curvy redhead and he was tired of denying it what it wanted most. Being trapped in the small bathroom, her intoxicating scent filling the small room and her soft body pressed against his, had pushed all rational thoughts aside and his grizzly half was firmly in control. Hell, a man only had so much willpower.
“Bishop, I should probably go.” She whispered.
“Not yet.” He muttered before burying his face in her neck and taking a nice, long, sniff. His grizzly growled in approval and he wondered if she could feel his erection.
Make her feel it. Show her how much we want her. His grizzly growled.
That was an excellent idea. His hands still on her hips he pulled her roughly up against him until every part of her soft body was pressed tightly against his.
“Oh!” She said softly and he grinned against her throat before rubbing his cock against her.
“I love your freckles.” He said suddenly. He traced the freckles on her upper chest with one rough finger. “Do you have them all over?”
She licked her lips and he made a hoarse growl of need. “Do you, Ava? Answer me.”
“Y-yes.” She stuttered.
“Good.”
He cupped the back of her neck and tugged her head back. She moaned in excitement when his tongue traced a wet path down to her collarbone.
He raised his head and she blinked at the almost predatory look he was giving her. “Bishop, I – you said I smell. Why are you doing this?”
He surprised her by suddenly licking her mouth with his warm tongue. “You do smell, Ava. You smell delicious.”
“What do I smell like?” She whispered as his big hand left her hip and wandered downward. He squeezed her full ass, kneading and rubbing it as he licked the line of her jaw.
“My favourite things.” He bit at her earlobe, growling his approval when her hips jerked against him.
“What are your favourite things?” She asked breathlessly. Her hands were clutching at his bare arms now, squeezing the biceps compulsively as he gently rocked his pelvis against hers.
“Chocolate.” He murmured before licking her neck. “Sex.”
She inhaled sharply and he cupped the back of her neck and tugged her face upward. “You want me to fuck you, don’t you, Ava?”
“I – I barely know you.” She swallowed thickly as his thumb stroked across her lips.
He pushed it into her mouth and she sucked lightly on it as he growled hoarsely.
“I want to fuck you, Ava. I want to fuck you until every inch of your delicious body is covered in my scent, and that asshole lion shifter knows you belong to me.”
He pulled his thumb from her mouth and rubbed her bottom lip roughly. “Let me fuck you, Ava.”
“Okay.” She whispered.
He gave her another predatory grin and kissed her. His tongue pushed past her parted lips and stroked against hers as he grabbed her ass with both hands and pushed her body into his.
She moaned into his mouth and slid her hands around his thick neck, gripping tightly as he kissed her repeatedly. He unzipped her dress and raked it down her arms to her waist.
He inhaled sharply at the sight of her breasts barely contained in a black, lace bra. “So beautiful.” He muttered.
He bent his head and licked the top of her breasts. She moaned again and threaded her fingers in his hair, clutching his head firmly as he nipped and licked her soft flesh until the skin had reddened to a rosy glow.
He pulled the cups of her bra down, freeing her breasts to his hot gaze, and she made a soft cry of need when he lifted one heavy breast and sucked her nipple into his mouth. He teased it with his tongue before biting it gently and pulling on it with his teeth.
“Bishop!” She gasped as his hand pinched and pulled at her other nipple.
“Mine, Ava. These are mine.” He growled as he cupped her breast and kneaded it firmly. “You taste so good. I can’t wait to have my tongue in your sweet pussy. I’m going to make you ride my face until you’re screaming my name.”
“Oh my God.” She moaned breathlessly as he dipped his head and sucked on her nipple again. His erection was hot and heavy against her and, feeling nervous and a little shy, she squeezed her hand between their bodies and cupped it through his pants.
His breath hissed out between his teeth and he bucked his hips against her as she stroked him firmly. He reached for the hem of her dress and started to tug it upward. There was a sharp knock at the bathroom door and he growled as Ava stiffened in his arms.
“What?” He roared angrily.
“Mr. King? Mrs. Belfry would like to see you. Your associates and her sons are still missing and she wants you to find them.” Jeffries voice, nervous and thin, drifted through the door.
Bishop snarled loudly before stepping away from Ava. “I have to go.”
Ava, her face flushed, tucked her breasts into her bra and yanked her dress up. “Can you zip me up first?”
She turned her back to him and he eyed her smooth, freckle-covered skin with regret before zipping up her dress. Without another word - he was hanging on to his self-control by a thread and his grizzly was growling at him to finish what he started - he grabbed his shirt and jacket from the floor and left.
* * *
Willow sprinted through the trees. She could hear the heavy thudding footsteps of Mal behind her and she blinked in surprise when Kat, her shoes kicked off, ran past her. The jaguar shifter moved with astonishing speed, and Willow had a moment to envy her graceful movements before the lion brothers roared angrily somewhere ahead of them. Her heart pounding, she forced herself to move faster.
She dodged past a large tree and nearly knocked Kat flying when she ran into her back. The jaguar shifter had stopped and was staring in shock at the Belfry brothers. Keegan and Koren were growling and snarling as rocks and branches came flying out of nowhere and rained down on their large bodies.
Keegan snapped at a branch that was flying toward his face and crushed it in his powerful jaws before backing up. Koren yelped in surprise and pain when a rock the size of Willow’s head landed on his back and knocked him to the ground. Keegan roared again, the sound vibrating through the trees, as Mal joined Kat and Willow.
“What the hell is happening?” Kat shouted.
“Ghost!” Willow shouted back. She darted forward and Mal chased after her. He caught her around the waist and lifted her into the air as she kicked at him with her feet.
“Mal, let me go!”
“No! You’re going to get hurt!” He replied grimly.
She gave up struggling and instead began to shout into the thin air. “Hey! Hey, honey! Look at me! Stop, please! Just for a minute!”
The wind died down and the rocks hovering in the air dropped to the ground with a soft thud.
“Mal, stop!” Willow pounded on his arm and he stopped and set her on her feet but kept her tucked against his body.
“My name is Willow. Tell me yours, honey.” Willow coaxed softly.
There was a soft whispering moan and Willow smiled. “Patricia. It’s very nice to meet you, Patricia. Tell me why you’re so angry at the Belfry brothers.”
Keegan and Koren started to slink away and Willow glared at them. “Don’t you two dare sneak away!”
They growled at her and Mal, his eyes glowing and his body swelling, snapped his teeth at them. Kat had joined them and she grabbed his arm.
“Cool it, Mal.”
“Everyone cool it. Let me talk to Patricia.” Willow frowned. “Mal, let go. You’re holding me too tightly.”
He eased up on his grip around her waist but refused to release her as she smiled at a tree to her right. “Go ahead, Patricia. I’m listening.”
The four of them waited as Willow stared at the tree. She frowned and nodded and then shook her head. “Assholes.” She muttered as she glared at the Belfry brothers.
“Okay, Patricia. No, I get it. You have every right to be angry.”
She glared again at Koren and Keegan. “Shift right now, both of you.”
They shifted to their human forms and gave each other an uncomfortable look before staring at the tree Willow had been talking to.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on or why you’re talking to a tree but – “
“Shut up, Koren!” Willow snapped. “Both of you owe Patricia an apology. A sincere apology. What you did to her was awful and selfish and you know it. Say you’re sorry.”
“Say we’re sorry to who?” Keegan gave her a look of astonishment. “There’s no one there, Willow.”
“Patricia died! She was killed in a car accident shortly after you two tag-teamed her, promised her you’d be together forever and then skipped out without saying a word. You broke her heart, and now she can’t leave earth because she’s so upset by what you did to her. The two of you’d better get on your knees and beg for her forgiveness so she can move on. You owe her that much.” Willow said angrily.
“How – how do you know about her?” Keegan whispered.
Koren elbowed him. “Shut up, Keegan.”
He gave Willow a grim look. “We don’t know anyone named Patricia.”
“Bullshit!” Willow snapped. Her head cocked and Mal took a step back, bringing her with him, as a cold wind rushed through them.
She slapped him lightly on the arm. “Don’t, Mal. She won’t hurt us.”
She listened quietly as the Belfry brothers gave each other uneasy looks. After a few minutes, a small grin crossed her face, and she turned back to the brothers.
“You,” she pointed to Koren, “like to be handcuffed to the bed and spanked. And you,” she pointed at Keegan, “like to shift to your lion form after sex and have a woman brush your fur and braid your mane. You especially like it when she ties ribbons in it.”
The Belfry brother’s mouths dropped open in identical looks of shock as Kat clapped her hand over her mouth and swallowed back her loud laughter.
“That’s right.” Willow said tartly. “Patricia just told me all about your bedroom habits.”
She glanced up at Mal. “And that’s the tame stuff. You would not believe how kinky these boys are.”
She turned back to the lion shifters. “Should I go on? Should I mention how turned on you get, Keegan, when a woman lets you wear her – “
“No!” Keegan shouted. “Shit, Willow! Just – okay, we’ll apologize, alright?”
“You have to mean it!” She said fiercely. “Do you understand how badly you hurt Patricia? What you did was awful and you should be ashamed of yourselves. She loved you both.”
Keegan’s shoulders slumped. “We know, Willow. We’re sorry.”
“Don’t say sorry to me, you big dumb cat. Say sorry to Patricia.” Willow said impatiently. “She’s standing next to that tree.”
Keegan licked his lips nervously and turned toward the tree. “Patricia, baby, I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t have just dumped you like that. It was stupid and immature of us, and I – I hope you can forgive us both.”
Koren, his arms folded across his naked chest, snorted loudly.
“Koren.” Willow said warningly.
He shook his head. “Willow, this is ridiculous. I can’t apologize to someone I can’t see and besides – “
He gave a loud bellow of pain when a branch as thick as his wrist wacked him sharply across his bare ass. He dropped to his knees as Willow grinned.
“Patricia says there’s more where that came from if you don’t start apologizing.”
“Of course,” she stared up at Mal, “he’s into that so maybe she shouldn’t threaten him with a spanking.”
Mal, his face twitching and his body shaking, stared at the ground as he struggled to hold his laughter in. Kat wasn’t even bothering to hide her wide grin as Koren’s face turned a bright red.
“Fine!” He snapped. “I’m sorry, Patricia.”
“Like you mean it.” Willow said pointedly.
He sighed again. “I do mean it. Honestly, Patricia, I feel terrible for what we did. We were idiots to lead you on like that, and we should have been honest from the beginning. You were kind and sweet and didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”
“Not bad as far as apologies go.” Willow muttered to Mal.
She leaned forward and listened intently for a moment. “Well, you’re a better person than I am, Patricia, but I’ll relay the message.”
She stared sternly at the Belfry brothers as, behind them, there was a soft rustling and Bishop appeared. His shirt was unbuttoned and his jacket was slung over his arm, and he stood next to Kat and stared curiously at the others.
“Patricia’s forgiving you. I think she should make you both beg a little more but apparently she’s nicer than I am so all is forgiven. She says she won’t bother you again.” Willow raised her eyebrows at them. “You should go back to the party, I’m sure your mother is worried about you.”
They nodded and with a final, uneasy look at the trees, they shifted to their lion forms and loped out of sight. Willow tugged at Mal’s arm. “Let me go, please. Patricia wants to talk to me again.”
Reluctantly he let her go and watched as she walked a few feet away and leaned against a tree. She stared into the air in front of her with an intent look on her face as Kat and Bishop joined him.
“What just happened?” Bishop asked quietly.
“Willow was right.” Mal sighed. “It was a ghost at the warehouse. The Belfry boys apparently hurt this woman’s feelings and when she died, she decided to take her revenge.”
“You’re kidding me right?” Bishop said uncertainly.
“I’m not.” Mal shook his head. “Ask Kat.”
“It’s true.” Kat said immediately. “Actually, be glad that you weren’t here. We learned some really um, personal and disturbing things about the Belfry brother’s sex lives.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.” Bishop said.
“How’s your back?” Kat turned him around and lifted the back of his shirt. “Who bandaged it for you?”
“Uh, Ava. She’s uh, a nurse.” Bishop was turning bright red and Mal gave him a suspicious look.
“What’s going on, Bishop?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s going on. Ava bandaged it and I said thank you and left. That’s it.” Bishop said nervously. “Absolutely nothing else happened.”
Kat laughed. “Really? Then why is there lipstick on your mouth?”
Bishop scrubbed furiously at his mouth as Mal rolled his eyes. “Just ask her out already, Bishop.”
“No. Ava’s a nice girl and she deserves someone who doesn’t just want sex. That’s all I want, it’s all I’ll ever want, and humans don’t understand that. I just need to find a nice grizzly bitch and get laid.” Bishop said a bit desperately.
Kat patted him on the back. “You keep telling yourself that, Bishop.”