Bane's Regret, Stone Mountain Shifters

Chapter 6 - The Sighting

Bane

Alpha Commander's Force

Stone Mountain City

Sitting at my desk at headquarters, I am a little tired. My dream date last night was a nightmare. The female was beautiful and sexy, but between my surly wolf and my wandering mind, I haven't been able to keep my mind on the women I try to date. It has been this way ever since I left my mate six years prior. She is constantly on my mind.

I think back to that day I left her. I truly was a coward, but I also didn't want to give up my playboy lifestyle. I enjoyed being with women, lots of women, but my wolf had become ill-natured so the fun was over. No one satisfied us to our soul. About a month after I abandoned Skye and moved to Stone Mountain City, I traveled back to Lonely Pines to beg her forgiveness. When I saw the empty Robert's house, I met with Alpha Jon. He told me that the Roberts wanted privacy and wouldn't tell me where they had moved. I even hired a private investigator but he told me that Skye's uncle was some big rich billionaire and he had thrown lots of money at removing all leads to the family. Anyone who asked was quickly paid off.

After a year of searching, I thought that maybe I should just go ahead and reject Skye. I had hoped that the release would help me and my wolf get over her. It didn't, it just got worse. As soon as I spoke the words, I felt the bond snap in an outward trajectory and then it felt like whiplash as it came right back at me. The pain doubled and I fell to my knees. I couldn't move for several minutes; not until I was able to catch my breath. I still have an ache in my chest that nothing relieves.

Finishing up some paperwork, Hanson comes strutting in the office like he won the lottery or something. He has this goofy grin plastered on his face. "Brooks," He says. "I owe you big time!'

"You look like the mouse that ate the cheese. What makes you so happy this morning?"

"Thank you for being a cocky alphahole and flaking on off that assignment yesterday." He said with an honest to goddess, dreamy look on his face.

"What are you talking about? Do you have a fever? Are you drunk?"

"Yes." He crows. "Love drunk. I've had fever dreams all night." He laughs. "The doctor at the hospital that needed our assistance is a goddess. Long caramel brown hair and gray eyes. With a gorgeous figure and a beautiful personality."  

"Wow, Hanson. You got it bad."

"Yeah. She's my mate and I probably would have never met her if it hadn't been for your turning the assignment over to me." He claims. "Some alphahole she had for a mate prior cheated on her and she got really bad sick. She nearly died from Cheating Mate Syndrome. I didn't even know that was a thing. Did you?"

I paled, thinking of Skye and what she had gone through. I felt sick. I didn't even hang around to help her recover. "Yeah. I have heard of it."

"Doc is a big advocate for victims of it. She needed help protecting one of her patients whose mate cheated, even after nearly dying. She has a big heart." He sobers. "Anyway, her first mate did a number on her. He nearly killed her, abandoned her with a kid. So she is a little distrustful of men. We are taking it slow and starting out as friends. But man, I believe she is worth it."

"I'm really happy for you, Hanson." I pat him on the back, but I really am envious. If I hadn't been so stupid, I would have my mate right now and probably a house full of pups. Instead, all I have is emptiness. An empty apartment, an empty bed, an empty life. I shake myself. We need to get out on patrol. This city waits for no one. "You ready to go?"

He nods and we take off. We are patrolling the West perimeter of the territory. This is a rough area. Some of the seedier inhabitants live here and there are rumors of rogues living amongst the city dwellers illegally. Hanson and I are both members of the motorcycle patrol. It makes getting around more efficient. Ahead, there is a crowd gathered that looks like trouble brewing. Some of the wolves are already half changed and have their claws out. I call in for backup.

"What do you think we should do?" I ask Hanson. "Do we wait for backup or try to settle the crowd?" Before we can utter another word, chaos breaks out. We have special silver chains we use for emergencies such as this. We grab our chains from our bags and approach the rioting crowd with caution. Projecting my wolf, I growl out. "Cease and desist by order of Alpha Commander." The group of wolves still and turn toward Hanson and I. "You need to break this up and head to your homes."

"Who is going to make us?" Growls a half shifted wolf, who looks nearly rabid. "You should probably mind your own business and scuttle on back to the nice part of the city."

I glance at Hanson. As if on cue, he and I both jump to lasso the instigator. Hanson gets his chain around him and he begins to thrash and howl in pain. Another wolf starts to rush us and I get my chain around him. These long, thin chains totally incapacitate a wolf because they are lightweight and made of silver.  We can carry several at a time. The problem is getting them deployed fast enough to subdue multiple criminals. We have two down currently. Hanson snags another culprit, while I deploy my second chain. Four down, but we don't have time to do another round as I am tackled from behind. I feel claws sink deep into my back and tear downward. The pain is excruciating to the point it is immobilizing. I fall to the ground as I feel myself getting weaker from the rapid blood loss. We wolves are tough, but we can bleed out just as a human can. Hanson is still holding his own as he fights and ropes offenders. I hear sirens charging toward us in the distance as my mind slips from consciousness.

When I come to, I am face down on a gurney being rushed into an ER. They must have given me some kind of shot for pain because I am not feeling any. My head is turned to the side as they wheel me behind a curtain and partially close it. I feel them working on me, cutting off my clothes and hooking up an IV in preparation for stitching me up.

I can see out into the med bay where various nurses and doctors are moving around and I can't believe my eyes. Just outside the curtain stands an older Skye. My goddess but she has become even lovelier. Her caramel brown hair just below her waist.  She doesn't appear to be working here as she is dressed in street clothes.  She is smiling up at a muscle bound male in scrubs. With my wolf hearing, I can just barely make out what she says to him. "I'll see you later, Ryder." She leans up and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Is this her boyfriend?

I try to yell at her, but I am so weak nothing comes out but a gurgle. I struggle to get off the gurney. I need to get to her. I need to talk to her. I need to see her.  I need to touch her.  My wolf and I are desperate. In my weakened state, my wolf, Fury, comes to the front and I begin to shift.

"He's shifting!" Someone yells. "Sedate him STAT!" I feel a pin prick my neck and the fight leaves me as I fade into oblivion.

Dr. Skye

Stone Mountain City Hospital ER

I was in the parking lot when I got the call of an emergency in the ER. I am one of the top surgeons and a local enforcer had been slashed up pretty badly. Having been paged for the surgery, I headed to the ER to see what I could do, despite having already changed into my street clothes.  When I got there, Ryder informed me that Dr. Mason, lead surgeon, had accepted the case and I was free to go home. Relieved, I leaned in to kiss Ryder on the cheek and left.