Hunting Season: Werewolf Bodyguard Romance (Guarded by the Shifter Book 1) by Kate Rudolph (new reading TXT) 📗

The change took her patient and he was suddenly a huge wolf. Andre tried to grab for him and Willa must have fallen back, but nothing stopped the wolf from launching himself straight at her and digging his teeth into her shoulder.

Stasia screamed.

Chapter Eighteen

Owen was caught between the need to protect Stasia and the need to rip Bryan Vega's throat out for daring to come near his mate. His wolf roared to the surface and demanded he shift, but he fought the change. He'd be no help to anyone on paws.

He got between Em and Bryan and pushed the woman back before rearing forward and grabbing Vega by the scruff of his neck and pulling him off of Stasia. Stasia showed more presence of mind than expected and kicked out with one foot until the wolf stumbled back.

Andre took over then, leaping at Vega and tackling him to the floor.

It all happened in a handful of seconds.

"What's going on in here?" Gibson burst into the room, Rowe and Jackson right behind him, and took in the scene: Stasia clutching her shoulder, Em backed in a corner, and Andre holding a shifted Vega to the ground while Willa stood frozen at the foot of the exam table.

"Stasia!" Em got a good look at her sister and charged forward, not paying any attention to the werewolf on the ground or the army major in the doorway.

Owen's wolf bristled at the thought of anyone getting close to his mate, but he could reason with the beast. Em was her sister; she wouldn't do anything to harm their mate. She could be trusted. Still, he let out a little growl and took a step closer.

He didn't want anyone else near Stasia.

"I'm fine," Stasia was saying. "This needs to be cleaned. Probably stitched too. And I think there's a wound on my arm." She didn't sound like a woman who had just discovered werewolves existed, but he had a feeling she was relying on her training. She had to take care of her problems before she could even think about breaking down.

Owen wanted to turn around and care for Stasia, but he had to protect her from any threats, and right now everything was a potential threat. He distantly knew that the others in the room were people he should be able to trust, but Vega had bit Stasia. Anyone could do her more harm.

"What's going on here?" Gibson repeated, and from his tone he wasn't going to ask a third time.

Vega made a sad sound, and Andre let him up once it was clear the wolf wasn't about to fly off into a rage.

Owen growled. Vega needed to pay for what he'd done, but Willa put herself between him and Vega, stopping the fight from happening before it could start. Owen might have been grateful for that at another time, but now he just wanted to attack Willa too.

"Dr. Nichols extracted something from Vega's shoulder," said Willa, finally answering Gibson's question when no one else would. "He immediately started to shift and he attacked her. I don't think he knew what was going on."

"Take Vega out of here. Watch him. You too, Jackson," Gibson demanded. His face was dark with anger and Owen knew the blow up wouldn't be good.

Willa, Jackson, and Vega left, which still left the rest of the pack. It should have been a happy family, but his mate was bleeding and she needed help.

Gibson looked over his shoulder to Stasia. "We're—"

She cut him off. "Tell me about werewolves later. One of you has to have some medic training. I need stitches. Unless you're willing to take me to a hospital?" He didn't look back at her, but he could imagine the challenge in his mate's eyes and pride suffused him. Not many people could stand up to Gibson, but Stasia did it without a thought.

"Rowe." Gibson didn't need to say more. Rowe had the most medic training out of all of them and definitely knew how to clean a wound and give stitches.

Owen stopped him.

"Move aside," Leland Rowe said quietly.

"No." He was fighting his wolf with all he had to keep from lashing out. He needed to keep Stasia safe and his wolf was certain that letting anyone near her would be a mistake. And given how the past hour had gone, he couldn't disagree.

"Owen! He needs to look." Stasia sounded out of breath, and that was finally enough for him to move. She was pale—even paler than usual—and sweat beaded on her forehead. Em was holding gauze to her wound, but it was already starting to bleed through.

And still his wolf wouldn't move. They needed to protect their mate.

"Gordon," said Gibson. And Owen didn't know why, but a second later Andre barreled into him and charged until they were both out of the room. Gibson slammed the door and Owen heard him throw the lock.

He howled and fought against Andre's grip.

"I need to be in there. She needs me." His teeth were longer than they should have been and his vision was off in the way it sometimes got when he shifted to his other form. He was losing control of his human form as his wolf demanded to take over.

Owen wanted to surrender to it; he wanted to take the power his wolf could give him and prevent anyone from touching Stasia ever again.

"Calm down before I cuff you," Andre threatened.

Not much could hold an enraged werewolf, but Gibson had found some old fashioned manacles that could do the trick. Owen had wondered why he thought he needed them, but the threat was enough to make him think that maybe Gibson had a point. And he knew Andre would tie him up without hesitation.

"I'm calm," Owen promised, even though his heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

"You're not." Andre glared at him, but he did loosen his grip. "Come