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GagechecksonLillyin the mirror, making sure she's okay. She's dazed and confused, her pupils blown. But when her eyes meet his, she manages to utter one word. "Maverick?"
Right away, he realizes that she must have been drugged to the point of delirium, and she's confused about who rescued her. He lies to keep her calm as he continues to race toward the safe house. "Yes. We're getting you to a doctor right now."
Jax meets Gage’s eyes in the rearview mirror and mouths, “Thank you.”
He makes it to the cabin in record time. Finn, Taryn, and Kaitlyn pull in just ahead them. When they arrive, JD opens the door for Matt as he carries Lilly inside and lays her down on the bed in the corner of the room. He quickly follows.
Doc brushes the men aside and assesses her injuries, his fingers pressing and prodding her flesh as he mutters to himself. The elderly man turns to his bag. His glasses slip down his nose, and he pushes them up before rifling through his supplies.
He looks up at Matt with his lips set in a grim line. “Help me get her out of this t-shirt. I can clean her wounds and set her bones, but I will need her to shift to heal properly.”
“I don’t understand,” Gage says with a frown, his gaze bouncing between the two. “She should be healing faster than this.”
Finn’s voice from behind him explains, “The original Homani don’t heal as fast as we do. They need to shift to accelerate the process. She couldn’t shift, so her body is relying only on the nanobots in her system.”
Gage stands back as Matt and Doc remove Lilly’s clothes. Nudity is a common site for all shifters, so there is no need to turn away for privacy. With the clothes out of the way, they can see the extent to which her body is riddled with dark purple bruises. She rouses with a deep moan when the doctor resets her fingers.
“Lilly, listen to me. I need you to shift,” he says sternly.
She nods, then closes her eyes. When she opens them, she lets out a guttural scream, her bones knitting together as her sleek black panther bursts forth and lays panting on the bed. Doc finishes cleaning her wounds and then steps back. “We need to get her back to Smith’s Farm quickly.”
Gage stills as her panther's scent reaches him. His bear pushes forward, every fiber of his being screaming out to move closer to her.
Hismate.
He quietly backs up, fighting to keep his face neutral as he turns and walks out of the cabin. He’s floored that he would finally find his mate after all these years. Gage’s breath is stuck in his chest, and he grabs the railing on the stairs outside, his limbs tingling as tightness spreads throughout his body. He’d given up hope. He had taken the opportunity of shifting with other clones outside of his community in the past, but to no avail, making him believe he would never experience that sweet fragrance that would solely belong to his mate.
Gage always thought it would be another clone, but anoriginal Homanihad never been in the realm of possibility. If only he had known they had survived, his people would have contacted them long ago.
His Lilly.
Pure rage surges through him at the brutality inflicted uponhis mate. He clenches and unclenches his fists, wishing they were wrapped around Vance’s throat. His bear flashes him images of them hunting that most despicable prey. Gage inhales a measured breath gathering control.Not yet, friend.
The group in the cabin emerge one by one, carrying equipment and supplies they had brought, and begin packing the vehicles.
“Uh, excuse me.” The human, Abigail, approaches him. Her daughter, Renee, stands close behind her, with downcast eyes as she worries the hem of her ratty dress. “Gage, is it?”
“Yes?”
“I wanted to thank you and your friends for rescuing us,” she says, glancing at her daughter, “but we’d like to stay here. She needs time to heal, away from people.” Tears cling to her lashes, but she clears her throat and looks him in the eye. “I still have some people loyal to me in town. If you leave me a radio, I can track Vance’s movements for you. It’s the least I can do. I want that asswipe to pay for what he’s done.”
Gage looks over at Jax and Matt, who have wrapped their friend’s body in a clean blanket, and are gently placing her in the back of the van.
“What do you think?” he addresses Matt.
The leader of Smith’s Farm straightens and approaches. “Yeah, we can do that.”
Gage glances over at the twins. “Leave the supplies here for them.”
Matt turns to Jax. “Write down the radio codes for her.”
Jax nods and helps the twins carry the duffle bags back into the cabin.
Reaching out, Abigail grips both men’s hands. “Thank you,” she breathes, her voice catching.
Gage turns away to see Finn carrying Lilly’s panther to the SUV parked near the van. The mountain of a man lays her in the backseat, and Gage stiffens as a surge of jealousy rages through him. He should be the only one caring for his mate. He drops the woman's hand in dismissal, then pushes past Finn, sliding into the back with her.
Finn cocks his head to the side. His narrowed eyes go wide, and he takes a slight step back. “She’s yours?” he whispers.
