Free Big Game (The V V Inn, Book 3) by C.J. Ellisson

within to search and attack.
    Eric follows me as we trot in a weaving pattern away from the kill site. Ahead, Romeo’s pack barrels through the woods toward us. A few try to approach Pat, scenting his bloodied wound, but a show of teeth from Eric and me keeps them back. I don’t think they’d do him any harm, but I’m not willing to risk his safety further.
    Romeo sees I have the situation under control and takes off in the direction of the gunfire, Elsa and the others on his heels. I’m betting they plan to fan out and catch the shooter in a wide net.
    Eric and I flank our weakened packmate, setting a fair pace to the inn and medical attention. At a mile into our trek, I angle toward one of the outermost cameras, still quite a distance from the inn’s developed area. We pause for a moment and I circle around to sniff Pat’s wound, hoping Asa is monitoring the cameras and can see the torn skin and blood on the black and white image.
    Time moves slowly, but we arrive at the hot tub grotto with no further incident. Pat’s lost a lot of blood, often needing a nudge to keep going when he wanted to lie down and instinctually make the shift to human form. After the first step onto the paved walkway, he collapses and the change slams him.
    Screams rip from his throat as his body convulses and thrashes, trying to reshape. The transformation is more painful if injured and have fought the inner need to change, which will normally heal mild damage. The good news is he’ll soon pass out and won’t feel it anymore. Calling my will, the change flows over me, ‘til I’m human once more, and scooping up the still-transforming Pat.
    He’s blacked out and doesn’t feel the crack and snap of his bones melding forcefully back into place. I’ve coached them to change more frequently because it becomes easier with practice—but practice doesn’t help when he’s unconscious from pain.
    I carry the semi-furry, semi-naked form to the outside shower set up for the Weres. After wrestling Pat’s weight to free a hand, I adjust the water and soon the worst of the past hour is washed away. Eric walks nude to the kitchen door leading to Viv and Rafe’s suite, as the unflappable Dr. Cook opens it, coming out to assist us.
    “What happened?” she calls out, hustling over with clean towels.
    “Pat was shot.” I step from the shower stall and the doctor drapes a towel over Pat’s middle and dries his limbs with another.
    “Let’s get him inside and see the wound,” the older woman says. “Take him to the basement.”
    Eric emerges wearing a pair of sweatpants to take Pat from me. “I’ll carry him in so you can dry off.”
    Dr. Cook tosses me the last towel, and I follow their retreating forms into the building.
    “No, no, you fool. Not their couch.” The doctor calls out to change Eric’s direction. “The basement. He’s not going to die for crying out loud and blood is really hard to get out of furniture fabric.”
    I push aside the angry retort clouding my mind. No need to fight when she’s right. He won’t die from a leg wound. Asa stands in the hallway going down to the basement stairs, carefully avoiding the fading sunlight from the kitchen windows. “Can I help?”
    “Just move,” Eric says. “The doctor wants him downstairs.”
    “I set up the medical table and laid out supplies.”
    “Good boy,” the auburn-haired doctor pats Asa on the arm as she goes by. “That’s a big help to me. I’ll be able to start right away.”
    Eric makes his way down and through the halls, then carefully sets his injured friend on the examining table. The towels come away and it’s clear the wound is deep, but there are entrance and exit wounds, two rounded holes.
    “Holy shit,” Asa barks, trying to hold in a laugh. “I don’t know which is funnier, the fact that Pat got shot in the ass or that he has a fat chick tattooed on a butt cheek.”
    Eric gives him a shove, but the comment is just what we needed to diffuse the