Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)(27)

Oliver dressed quickly and left his home, making his way toward the den center and hoping he wasn’t too late to meet up with Gibson and Mandy. As soon as he found his way to the path, his body relaxed. Their scents reached him, circling around his body before finally settling into his skin as if they had always been there and would always be.

Gibson and Mandy walked toward him, hand-in-hand. Mandy’s smile brightened when she caught sight of him, and Gibson gave him a little smirk.

These two were his, there was no question. He’d had Mandy, and would have her in his life again, and soon he would have Gibson. And after that…it would be the three. They would find a way to make their world work, make what they needed, them as one, work.

He just prayed he would have enough time to find that path.

Oliver opened his arms as Mandy walked toward him and burrowed close. “I thought I was meeting you there.” He kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent as he did.

Gibson walked to his side and kissed his lips softly. Oliver’s bear reared up, needing more, but he pushed him back. For now.

The wolf smiled at him. “We figured we’d pick you up instead,” Gibson said. “This way, we make sure you actually show up on time.”

Mandy snorted and pulled back so she could push at Gibson. “That’s not true.” She looked up at Oliver and batted her eyelashes coyly. “I wanted to walk together.” She paused. “And maybe make sure you weren’t running late, but that’s because I’m a dork. A dork with a schedule, though.”

Oliver chuckled and kissed her then, needing her taste. She moaned beneath him and he grinned as he pulled away. “As I’m running a bit late, I thank you.” His stomach rumbled. “And apparently, so does my stomach.”

“Let’s get you fed, big boy,” Gibson said with a laugh.

“Big boy is right,” Mandy whispered under her breath and blushed beet-red. “I, uh…didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Oliver grinned wide. “I’m not complaining.” He gripped her hip as they walked, a lightness coming over him, shattering the darkness that had overcome him in the dream. With these two, he could breathe, could think. This was what he’d been missing all this time, and he was damn glad he at least had this time with them.

He cursed inwardly.

He would change his vision.

He would save them all.

No matter what.

A growl sounded behind them, and Gibson turned, shoving Mandy between him and Oliver. The hairs on the back of Oliver’s neck stood on end and he let his bear come forward.

Though it was daylight and he could see through the tops of the trees, he knew this part of the path, knew these trees.

He’d dreamt them before.

Four lions prowled through the wooded area, one male and three females. The male’s black mane billowed in the wind, his body sleek muscle. The three females surrounding him had their heads down low, ready for attack.

“What the hell?” Gibson spat. “Cats?” As he was best friends with a cat, it made sense to Oliver that Gibson was just as confused as he was.

But as Oliver inhaled, he caught the…lack of scent that had been on Gibson after the attack, the same lack of scent that had covered Claire’s body.

Before Oliver could contemplate the ramifications and think about why these cats would do such a thing, the lead female pounced. Gibson rolled out of the way, but not before she clawed the wolf right through his stomach.

Oliver had seen that wound before.

This would not happen exactly like in his dream.

Oliver roared and swiped at another female, the closest shifter to him. “Get help!” he called to Mandy.

“I can’t!” she called back.

He risked a glance over his shoulder as she rolled to the ground to get out of the way of the third female. The male lion stood where he was, watching the women fight, but Oliver didn’t take his eyes off him fully. He knew how lions fought, and this male wouldn’t stand back for long.

He was waiting for an opening.

Oliver pushed at the female lion in front of him, raking his claws down her side. He was bigger, stronger, and would win in a fight when it was shifter against shifter. But he was in human form, and couldn’t strip down to change without bearing a weak side. He also couldn’t focus completely because Mandy was fighting someone much larger and stronger that she was while Gibson was bleeding out next to him, still fighting.

And yet the male lion continued to watch.

Waiting.

Oliver ducked a bite that would have severed an artery on his leg and slammed the female lion to the ground. Gibson was winning against his enemy, but if he didn’t get someone to take care of his wound soon, it would be too late.

Mandy was fighting hard as well, but she wouldn’t last long. She wasn’t a fighter, and though she was trained, her opponent was better.

Oliver turned to help, then hit the ground hard, a fiery pain radiating down his back as the male lion pounced, clawing and biting Oliver’s flesh. He roared and turned, throwing the lion to the ground. He heard a sickening pop as the lion broke bones, but the bastard came back at him.

Mandy screamed as the lion jumped on her, and Oliver turned his attention to her.

Mistake.

The male lion and the female one Oliver had fought at first attacked him as he turned toward Mandy’s scream.