Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

feet touched ground, I bucked. Jax came off; I heard his startled cry as landed. Ray kept his seat, but barely.
    Leon appeared alongside of me, silent and swift. Ray let out a string of curses and let me have my head. I galloped as fast as I could, but Leon was just as fast. He swiped at my ankles. I kicked out, but couldn't hit him.
    "Hyah! Get out of here!" Ray yelled, flipping the ends of the reins at the cat.
    To my surprise, Leon got out of there. But Dixie arrived a second later to take his place. Saliva flew from her jaws as she leaped and hit my shoulder. I stumbled, but kept running.
    "What the hell?" Ray said.
    I heard Jax yell far behind me, then a scream that definitely wasn't human. Leon. Leon had gone after Jax.
    I managed to kick Dixie, hard. She yelped and rolled to one side. Then I turned and doubled back, finding a new gear I didn't know I had.
    I saw a flash of white ahead— Dominic, tangling with Leon while Jax struggled to his feet.
    I headed right for them.
    "Dominic!" I yelled. "Out of the way!"
    He disengaged himself just in time. I slammed into Leon, who let out a shriek. I staggered as the lynx's body rolled under my hooves. Then there was a snap, and I fell forward, throwing Ray from my back as I hit on the ground.
    Then I wasn't aware of anything but a horrible pain, starting in my leg and running all through me.
    Jax was yelling my name. "James! James, shit." He collapsed on his knees beside me. He didn't look hurt.
    The pain was so fucking bad. I knew I was making it worse by thrashing, trying to get to my feet, but I couldn't help it.
    "James, listen to me," Jax said, placing his hands on my neck and holding me down. "Your leg— I think it's broken. You've got to change now, while you still can. Let yourself get any weaker and you'll be stuck as a horse with a broken leg. You don't want that."
    "I can't," I tried to tell him.
    I really couldn't. Just the thought of changing took too much energy.
    "James, please. "
    I'd never heard him so desperate. "I'll be all right," I wanted to say. "Just leave me alone."
    I wanted to descend into the blackness around my field of vision, wanted to lose myself in it.
    But Jax said please again, and I gathered every scrap of strength I had left and changed.
    Pain tore through my body. I couldn't tell if I was changing or dying. I opened my mouth and a half-scream, half-whinny came out.
    My front legs became human arms— one bent at an awkward angle.
    I felt Jax's hand on my head as the blackness took me.
    ****
    I woke in a hospital room. My arm was in plaster; I felt dizzy and tired. Jax was beside my bed.
    "You're back," he said.
    I stared at my arm. Stared at him.
    "James?" he said.
    "Hi," My voice sounded rough, strange.
    "Hurt?" he asked.
    I shook my head. There was a dull ache in my arm, but that was it.
    "Remember what happened?"
    More than I cared to. "Where's Ray?" I asked. "Did he…?"
    "He saw you change. And I've been working on explaining to him what it means."
    "What'd he say?"
    Jax shrugged. "He kind of freaked out. Like, I told him to get help, and he did, but he was just… in a daze. And when we got here, he had to go to the bathroom and splash some water on his face. He's doing better now. He's processing."
    "You okay?" I asked.
    "Sure."
    "You don't look so good."
    "Got a lynx scratch on my thigh. Not deep; mostly tore the jeans. But what's really killing me is waiting for Ray to decide if he still wants me."
    "You think…?"
    "He loved me when I was a horse. There was even something between us when I was human but he didn't know I was a shifter. Now— I don't know."
    "It's like you said. He's processing. He'll come around."
    "Is it even a good idea?" he asked.
    I raised my uninjured arm and flicked him. "Don't tell me you've bought into Dixie's crap."
    "Never. I just have no idea what I'm doing."
    "No plan?"
    He grinned. "Nope."
    "That's a surprise."
    He nodded. Then he ducked his head. "God, James. Do you have any idea…. You saved me. You know?"
    I nodded at my broken arm. "Well, I was a bit clumsy about it."
    "I don't mean tonight. I mean over and over again. Since the first time I met you."
    I took his hand. "I love you, little brother. Don't you ever forget it. If you need to ride off into the sunset with Ray, you have my blessing."
    He groaned. "Don't mention riding." He paused. "You were knocked out awhile. They're monitoring you for a concussion, but you should be able to go home in a few hours."
    "Home, huh?"
    He