He’d left Kevin asleep and locked inside his room. How could he be here now? Obviously, he’d witnessed the shifting of the entire pack, and he was badly frightened, maybe fighting Tucker off as he tried to get away. Too stunned to move at first, Richard was aware of Gavin leaping past him. After staring blankly for what felt like an eternity, his body hurled itself toward the scene unfolding by the edge of the woods.

Kevin had broken and run down the path, with Tucker right behind him. Tucker caught up to him after only a few paces, but to his horror, Richard saw Todd, the guard nearest them, wasn’t stopping his headlong rush toward them. Todd had been right at the back of the pack, only yards away from where the men had been standing before they took off running. He plowed into them now, and took them down, his fierce, savage snarls loud and frightening. As incredible as it seemed, Todd was attacking the men, and seemed to be going for the kill.

Kevin somehow rolled out of his grasp and made it to his feet, and before anyone else could reach them, picked up one of the big rocks lining the pathway and hurled it down on the back of Todd’s skull. Richard’s mind registered all of this as he saw the others reach them on the path. Gavin shouldered all of them aside and fell on top of his mate, keening and growling as he forced the shift on himself. Kevin still stood beside Tucker, swaying unsteadily and clearly in shock. Richard took him down himself, trying not to hurt him, but feeling fiercely protective. His wolf needed to crouch over him, needed to make sure no one touched him. Filled with impotent rage at the thought that Todd would dare to hurt either his son or his mate, he savagely hoped Todd was dead, or else he’d kill him himself.

He had seen Tucker lying still on the pathway, blood streaming from him, and his mind shied away from that image. Tucker couldn’t be dead. It became his mantra, and he repeated it over and over as he tried to gain control. Gavin was over him, and the narrow pathway was alive with the snarls and nervous whining of the pack.

The gammas who made up Gavin’s private guard huddled around Todd. Richard saw them rolling him over and checking his pulse. One of them looked up at the others and shook his head grimly, while Marissa gasped and turned her face away. As Richard watched, the body shifted back into its human form, and a few of the other guards were forcing the shift as well, shocked and disbelieving. They all must surely realize that what Todd had done was almost unthinkable. To attack the alpha’s pet, along with a guest of the alpha’s in their home was unconscionable and punishable by death. If Kevin hadn’t already killed him, Gavin would have torn him apart, while the entire pack watched.

All this registered in some part of Richard’s brain, but he was still finding it hard to calm down enough to shift. How on earth had this happened? All of Gavin’s guard had been overzealous, and Richard had warned Gavin about them only a few days before. But why had one of them dared to launch this attack? Had he totally lost his mind?

Todd certainly couldn’t tell anyone now because he was dead, killed by the rock that Kevin crashed down into the back of his head.

He managed to force the shift back on himself and tried to quickly assess any damage Kevin had sustained in the attack. No broken skin, thank God, but he was hunched over his side, and drew in short, sharp breaths. Richard suspected broken ribs at the very least.

Gavin was already running back toward the lodge with Tucker, so Richard forced all of his attention back on Kevin. He murmured soothingly to him. He was still conscious, but his breathing was erratic and he had his eyes closed. He picked him up carefully and took him back to the lodge, wanting to get him somewhere he could examine him more carefully.

When they reached Kevin’s room, he put him on the bed and covered his shivering body with a blanket. Irena, the medicine woman, had come in behind him, along with a few other gammas, who were standing nervously by the door. Yelling at them to call for the doctor, he motioned Irena closer.

“Stay with him, please, Irena, while I go check on my son. I think he’s suffering from shock and broken ribs. I’ll only be a moment.”

Irena nodded and sat beside Kevin, taking his hand in hers.

When he got to Gavin’s room, he was almost afraid to go in. If he lost Tucker now, after finally finding him again, he didn’t know what he’d do. It made him sick to think about it. Easing open the door, he saw Tucker lying on his back in bed, his face unnaturally pale against the sheets. Gavin was pressing his wrist to Tucker’s lips, feeding him with his blood.

“Is he…” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Gavin turned a flushed, worried face toward him. “He’ll be okay, I think. His wound is closing already. Another minute or two…”

Richard nodded. “Thank God.” He crossed over to the bed to stand beside his son, taking and squeezing one of his hands. His knees suddenly felt too weak to hold him and he sank down beside Tucker on the bed.

“Kevin?” Gavin asked.

Richard nodded. “Some bad bruises. I think he has broken ribs, and he’s in shock. I left him with Irena to come check on Tucker.”

Gavin nodded, his face set and tight. “What the fuck happened tonight, Richard?”

Richard shook his head. “I don’t know. Todd attacked them both, even though he had to know who they were. I still can’t believe it…”

Gavin made a low growling sound in his throat, but said nothing further, just smoothed Tucker’s hair with his free hand, urging him to take more of his blood.

Richard put a hand on his arm. “I know how you’re feeling, but don’t make yourself sick. He can only take in so much right now. The doctor will be here soon, and he’ll guide you.” He got back to his feet nervously. “I hate to leave him, but Kevin…”

Gavin nodded. “Go ahead.”

Richard got almost to the door when he heard Gavin speak to him again, his voice full of strong emotion. “Kevin saved him tonight, Richard. If it hadn’t been for him…”

Richard nodded, unable to speak. Kevin could have run away, but he’d stayed to fight a savage creature much bigger than himself with only his bare hands and his courage. Another reason to love Kevin, as if he needed any more. He turned and rushed down the hall toward his mate. When he reached Kevin’s room, he saw that Kevin was awake. Irena was examining his ribs, her fingers skimming lightly over the left side of his body, and Kevin’s struggles to breathe were becoming more obvious. Irena looked up at Richard. “His breathing is getting worse. You need to help him.” She pulled Kevin’s face back toward her. He was awake and he looked up at her and then past her to Richard. His eyes widened in fear, and it felt like a knife to Richard’s heart.

Irena shook his chin slightly to make him focus on her. “Kevin, listen to me. Richard is going to help you now. You must swallow what he will give you. It will help you and take away some of the pain. Do you understand?”

He nodded almost imperceptibly and his eyes flew back up to Richard, who had sat down on the other side of the bed. “Kevin, it’s me, baby. You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

Kevin stared blankly back at him, making no sign he’d heard him. Moving slowly, Richard brought his wrist to his mouth and allowed his fangs to drop. Kevin’s sharp intake of breath caused him to wince and groan with pain, and while his mouth was still open, Richard pressed his wrist to his lips.

There was a brief struggle as he tried to wrench his head away, but Richard held his head steady with his free hand, while Irena held down Kevin’s body. Irena was one of the oldest members of the pack, but she was still a wolf, and her body still powerful.

Kevin tried to resist, but the blood slipping down his throat would have choked him if he hadn’t swallowed. A look of extreme distaste came over his features, followed by an expression of surprise. He began to allow the blood into his mouth, and then to actually make small sucking motions with his lips. In moments, his eyes had rolled back in his head, but when Richard looked at Irena in alarm, she was smiling.

“His mate’s blood is soothing and calming him, taking away his pain. He will continue to drink until you pull him away. Be careful not to lose too much yourself.” She patted his shoulder. “I’ll go up to the alpha now to see if I can help since he’s had a chance to calm himself. He would allow no one near his mate at first. The doctor should be here soon.”

Richard sat beside his beautiful mate just watching him as he took in the wolf’s blood. He understood now why Gavin had been almost unable to pull his arm away. His wolf was soothed by helping his mate this way, and he had to force himself to pull back when he began to get lightheaded. He wiped the blood away from Kevin’s lips with a corner of the sheet and stroked his hair. He was almost frightened by the intensity of his feelings for him. Something wasn’t right. These feelings were too intense, too powerful. He hadn’t felt anything like this since…since his bloodmate years ago.

He pushed the thought away, and bent over Kevin to press his lips against his forehead, keeping watch over him until the doctor arrived.

Dr. Cornsilk stopped in to check Kevin’s vitals and give him an injection for pain. Kevin was fast asleep now, with Richard sitting on the bed beside him.

“He’s so pale,” Richard said anxiously.

“It’s from shock,” Dr. Cornsilk replied. “He should be fine, though he should be kept quiet, and he’ll need some reassurance when he wakes up. He’s been through a bad emotional trauma.

Richard nodded. “Fine. I’ve already given him blood, and it seemed to soothe the pain.”

“Yes, the ribs are already healing. Amazing, considering you haven’t even given him a mating bite yet.” The doctor looked at him with an odd expression. “Usually the wolf’s blood won’t help much until after the mating rituals. The bloodmatch with the two of you must be very strong.”

“What? No,” Richard said, shaking his head. “My bloodmate died over twenty years ago, Doctor. You know that. She was Tucker’s mother.”

Dr. Cornsilk shrugged. “Nevertheless…”