A Mate's Wish(16)

“What the hell, Bethany?” she roared.

“I’m coming with you. I can help.” There was something off. The rotten feeling in Beth’s gut hadn’t let up since the gunshot. She couldn’t help feeling like this was important. Like it could impact her in some way. It was a sixth sense sort of thing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention.

“No.”

“Who’s hurt? You know, don’t you? Who’s in cabin 12?”

“We don’t have time for this.”

“Then let me come with you.”

Christina slammed her hand into the handlebars of the four-wheeler. Beth had never seen her look so angry. In fact, normally she was zen to the Nth degree.

“Damn it. They’re going to kill me for this. Get on. Hurry.”

Beth climbed on the back of the ATV and held on to the rack as Christina gassed it and took off into the trees. It was only a matter of minutes—maybe seconds—before they were pulling up to a tiny log cabin tucked away off the road.

Christina cut the engine, hopped down, and pulled her pack off. “Listen, this is going to be crazy and I don’t have time to prepare you. So, put your big girl panties on and hold your shit together. Understand?”

The hell?

Beth nodded.

“Let’s go.”

As they approached the small house, Beth could hear the low rumble of a miserable growl.

“Who’s cabin is this?” Beth asked just before Christina opened the door.

The doctor paused, looking uncomfortable. “Renner’s” Then she disappeared through the opening leaving Beth gasping for air.

Inside, the scene wasn’t anything like Beth had anticipated. Magic, Eagan, and the man she didn’t recognize, held down a large animal with black fur. Layna knelt at the animal’s head petting and trying to calm it. The pained sounds coming from what looked to be a big mountain cat, tore at Beth’s heart. The poor thing had obviously been shot by the poachers.

She let out a huge breath of relief, knowing Renner wasn’t hurt.

The animal cried out at the same time Layna spotted Beth. “Oh, no.”

“Shit,” Magic said. “Get her out of here.”

Beth frowned. “No, I can help. I know a little about animals—”

“Leave,” Magic bellowed as the cat hissed and growled.

Eagan let go of the cat and stood. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

The cat made a sound that could only be described as a warning. The tone sent a shiver down Beth’s spine and brought her eyes back to the animal. With one huge paw, he slapped at Magic sending him sprawling backward.

“Fuck! Stop it, Ren.”

Ren? Beth went cold. Did he call the animal Ren?

The three men jumped on the cat wrestling it but clearly still trying to take it easy on the hurt animal.

Christina yelled but Beth couldn’t understand. She could barely hear anything over the awful sounds coming from the melee. There was a yelp immediately followed by a whistle that cracked the air, catching everyone’s attention.

“Bethany, come here,” Layna barked, still kneeling near the animal’s snarling head.

“No, Layna.” Magic went to move but the animal bucked again.

“Shut up, Magic. Bethany, now. Come here.”

Beth slid to the floor next to her friend, and the panther went utterly still.

“Right here,” Layna instructed. “Put your hands on his head like this.”

Beth did as she was told. Sad, pain-filled eyes stared into hers, but there was no aggression. Just such deep sadness, she could almost feel it in her own heart. She rubbed her palm across the short fur on his head. It was soft, but bristly and thick. He didn’t take his eyes from her, but a loud, rolling purr filled the room.

“Okay,” Layna said, carefully. “Get in there, doc.”

Christina went to work on the cat while Beth kept up the petting. Tears filled her eyes as memories from childhood assaulted her. It reminded her of nights with Renner. The sadness in the cat’s eyes now was like looking into a mirror to the past. She’d pet his head just like this.

“The bullet went in under his arm. I can’t get to it like this. He has to change.”

“He can’t,” Layna argued. “Too much pain.”

Christina threw her hands in the air. “I can’t fucking get to the wound, and he’s losing a lot of blood.” She got close to the cat’s face, obstructing Beth’s view of his eyes. “Ren. Listen to me. You have to change. Right now. You’re bleeding out and there’s nothing I can do about it. I need you human.”

Beth frowned. Human? And she’d called him Ren too.

The animal hissed and Beth let her hand travel behind his ears, rubbing soothing circles that brought the purring back.