brothers so much as touched her…”
Ethan nodded, moving into the room. He walked to the edge of the bed, finally sinking onto it. “Reckoned it had to be something pretty serious for her to challenge them like she did.” He chuckled. “Don’t think I’ve seen anyone draw that fast, other than maybe us. She beat Frank and the man had already started movin’. She’s impressive.”
“She’s dying is what she is.” He pushed to his feet, pacing the room.
Ethan sighed. “The fever is part of the healing process. She’ll have to fight her way through it.”
“Or it’s the sign the damn wound’s infected beyond help.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “We can’t lose her. I can’t lose her.”
“I don’t want to lose her, either, but short of packing her up and ridin’ to Ralston, I don’t see that we have many options here.”
Jude stopped, looking from McKenna over to Ethan. “We both agree that she’s not like other folk. That she’s healin’ faster than she should be, not that it’s enough.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed. “There’s something special about her, but she can’t be a shifter. If she were, she’d have changed long ago, if for no other reason than to aid in the healin’ process. Wouldn’t make sense for her animal to let her die.” He gazed over at her. “Not sure what it is.”
“Maybe she’s got it in her blood but isn’t able to make the actual shift? Would explain her increased reflexes.”
“Just being good explains that. And I’ve never heard of anyone having it in their blood without being able to shift.”
Jude huffed. “Well, it’s not as if we know everything there is to know about our kind.”
“True, it’s just…”
His voice trailed off as McKenna bolted upright, sending the blanket billowing across the bed. Her fevered gaze landed on them, the fear in her eyes impossible to miss. She blinked several times then scrambled for the edge of the bed, half collapsing before swinging her legs off the mattress. Jude lunged at her, Ethan moving to her other side as they gently held her still. She fought against their hold, yelling at them to let go.
“McKenna. It’s us. Just relax.” Jude tried to cup her face, but she twisted away from him. “Darlin’, please. You’ll make your side bleed again if you don’t settle down.”
She screamed at them, still tugging against their hold. “I’ll never give myself to you. You’ll have to kill me. Do you hear me, you bastards!”
Jude looked at Ethan, noting the pain in the other man’s eyes, before focusing back on her. “We’re only trying to stop you from hurting yourself. McKenna!”
Her frantic breath filled the room as she stopped fighting, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Confusion marred her brow as she finally gazed up at them, eyes glassy. “Where are they?”
Ethan trailed one hand along her cheek, tucking her damp hair behind her ear. “Where’s who?”
“Those men.”
“There’s just us, sweetheart.”
“Not you!” She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks before she blinked the others away. “Them. Bret. Frank. Their men. Where are they?”
Jude eased down beside her. “We left them behind in Tombstone.”
“Tombstone?” She shook her head. “Bisbee. It was Bisbee…” Her voice wavered into a series of sobs.
Pain and anger burned hot in Jude’s gut as he fought the pull of his wolf. The damn animal tempted him with images of the men dead beneath him, their blood warm on his tongue. “Easy, darlin’.”
“They killed her. They killed everyone.” She palmed her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut again. “I can still hear her screaming. God, what they did…” Her body shuddered as she took a few shaky breaths.
Ethan cupped her jaw, waiting for her to look at him. “They’re gone. You’re safe. Promise. Jude and I—”
“Ethan?”
His smile seemed genuine. “That’s right, sweetheart. It’s Ethan and Jude.”
Her gaze
Ethan nodded, moving into the room. He walked to the edge of the bed, finally sinking onto it. “Reckoned it had to be something pretty serious for her to challenge them like she did.” He chuckled. “Don’t think I’ve seen anyone draw that fast, other than maybe us. She beat Frank and the man had already started movin’. She’s impressive.”
“She’s dying is what she is.” He pushed to his feet, pacing the room.
Ethan sighed. “The fever is part of the healing process. She’ll have to fight her way through it.”
“Or it’s the sign the damn wound’s infected beyond help.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “We can’t lose her. I can’t lose her.”
“I don’t want to lose her, either, but short of packing her up and ridin’ to Ralston, I don’t see that we have many options here.”
Jude stopped, looking from McKenna over to Ethan. “We both agree that she’s not like other folk. That she’s healin’ faster than she should be, not that it’s enough.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed. “There’s something special about her, but she can’t be a shifter. If she were, she’d have changed long ago, if for no other reason than to aid in the healin’ process. Wouldn’t make sense for her animal to let her die.” He gazed over at her. “Not sure what it is.”
“Maybe she’s got it in her blood but isn’t able to make the actual shift? Would explain her increased reflexes.”
“Just being good explains that. And I’ve never heard of anyone having it in their blood without being able to shift.”
Jude huffed. “Well, it’s not as if we know everything there is to know about our kind.”
“True, it’s just…”
His voice trailed off as McKenna bolted upright, sending the blanket billowing across the bed. Her fevered gaze landed on them, the fear in her eyes impossible to miss. She blinked several times then scrambled for the edge of the bed, half collapsing before swinging her legs off the mattress. Jude lunged at her, Ethan moving to her other side as they gently held her still. She fought against their hold, yelling at them to let go.
“McKenna. It’s us. Just relax.” Jude tried to cup her face, but she twisted away from him. “Darlin’, please. You’ll make your side bleed again if you don’t settle down.”
She screamed at them, still tugging against their hold. “I’ll never give myself to you. You’ll have to kill me. Do you hear me, you bastards!”
Jude looked at Ethan, noting the pain in the other man’s eyes, before focusing back on her. “We’re only trying to stop you from hurting yourself. McKenna!”
Her frantic breath filled the room as she stopped fighting, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Confusion marred her brow as she finally gazed up at them, eyes glassy. “Where are they?”
Ethan trailed one hand along her cheek, tucking her damp hair behind her ear. “Where’s who?”
“Those men.”
“There’s just us, sweetheart.”
“Not you!” She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks before she blinked the others away. “Them. Bret. Frank. Their men. Where are they?”
Jude eased down beside her. “We left them behind in Tombstone.”
“Tombstone?” She shook her head. “Bisbee. It was Bisbee…” Her voice wavered into a series of sobs.
Pain and anger burned hot in Jude’s gut as he fought the pull of his wolf. The damn animal tempted him with images of the men dead beneath him, their blood warm on his tongue. “Easy, darlin’.”
“They killed her. They killed everyone.” She palmed her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut again. “I can still hear her screaming. God, what they did…” Her body shuddered as she took a few shaky breaths.
Ethan cupped her jaw, waiting for her to look at him. “They’re gone. You’re safe. Promise. Jude and I—”
“Ethan?”
His smile seemed genuine. “That’s right, sweetheart. It’s Ethan and Jude.”
Her gaze
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