Without Reservations

shut his door quietly, looked around and inhaled deeply. The shiver that trickled through him wasn’t due to the nip in the autumn air. The porch light cast shadows across the yard and the quiet made it that much more ominous. He smelled a wolf somewhere near the house. There was also a lingering scent of at least one other wolf, maybe more. It was hard to tell because the scent of blood overpowered everything else. Keaton shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and shuddered again.
    Just as Keaton realized the strongest wolf scent belonged to Jake, the man himself called out to them, “Keaton. Chay. Back here. Hurry!”
    They rushed to the back fence. Keaton hesitated a brief second, wondering if somehow Jake was who’d been trying to kill him all along, then brushed the ridiculous idea aside.
    Chay pushed open the six-foot tall wood privacy gate first. “What’s going on?”
    It was dark, but Keaton had no problem seeing Jake. He was on the back patio, naked, covered in blood, with Remi cradled in his arms.
    “Come on! There’s no time. We have to get him inside. He’s dying.”
    Chay’s steps stuttered when he spotted Remi.
    Remi’s clothes and leather jacket were torn to shreds, he was bleeding badly. He was also unconscious and very pale. He’d obviously been attacked by a werewolf. Keaton took a deep breath, scenting the air, www.samhainpublishing.com 179
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    as Chay fumbled with the back door keys. He groaned. The smell of blood made it difficult to smell anything else. He wasn’t even positive if there was more than one wolf.
    Chay shoved the door open for his friend and tried to take him from Jake. “What?”
    Keaton sniffed again. “I think I smell Aubrey.” Was his brother trying to kill him?
    Jake jerked Remi out of Chay’s reach and growled, surprising both Chay and Keaton. What the fuck?
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    Without Reservations

Chapter Eighteen
    Keaton grabbed Chay’s arm and pulled him back out of the way. He held up a hand in an I’m-no-threat gesture to Jake.
    Jake looked up at him and for the first time Keaton realized Jake’s eyes and teeth had changed to their canine equivalent.
    Chay gasped.
    Jake stood, supporting Remi’s weight easily. “Hurry up,” Jake growled as he carried Remi’s limp body past them.
    Chay took off down the hall, turning on lights as he went.
    Jake’s lupine eyes seemed haunted as he laid his burden on the couch. “Who is he?”
    “Chay’s friend. His name is Remi.”
    Jake nodded, brushing a strand of dark hair off Remi’s face.
    Chay came running back into the room with his medical bag. “Jake, you’re gonna have to let me in here.”
    Jake hesitated for a second then stepped aside.
    “Jake, call Doc Baker. Bit, get over here and help me.” Chay leaned down over Remi, using his stethoscope on him. “Find something to prop his feet up, Bit.”
    Keaton gathered all the pillows he could find and stuffed them under Remi’s feet. Pita barked his fool little head off from the laundry room where they’d left him.
    Chay shook his head. He looked up at Keaton, tears in his eyes.
    Keaton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn’t like Remi, but he didn’t want the man to die either. The pain etched on Chay’s face www.samhainpublishing.com 181
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    at his friend’s fate brought tears to Keaton’s eyes as well. “Can we change him?” He was willing to do whatever was necessary to erase the hurt his brother had caused.
    “It’s the only way he’s going to make it. He’s barely hanging on. I want to, but we aren’t supposed to change someone against their will.”
    “Fuck that!” Jake pushed Chay out of the way, knocking him on his ass. He bit into his own arm, ripping the skin open. Blood poured out. It must have hurt like hell, but Jake never even winced. He bent over Remi, dripping blood into his open wounds.
    Keaton and Chay blinked at each other. Keaton jumped up. “You heard the man.” He reached around Jake’s bare thigh and worked his fingers into the largest laceration on Remi’s chest. He pulled the cut apart, allowing Jake to get more blood in. The smell of Chay’s blood tickled his nose, making his eyes shift.
    Chay’s bleeding arm came around the other side of Jake, hovering over another wound on Remi’s chest.
    Keaton hurried to spread that gash too. He wasn’t sure if it would work or not. Werewolf blood would turn a non-wolf male into one, but Remi was pretty far