Protected by the Bear Read online

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Vanessa Devereaux

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-411-1

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Brieanna Robertson

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For all the loyal readers of the Kalispell Shifters series. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this latest installment.

  PROTECTED BY THE BEAR

  Kalispell Shifters, 9

  Vanessa Devereaux

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  Chloe would be the first person to admit she had zero knowledge about planes, but she knew enough to sense something wasn’t right with this one. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones kicking in yet again. There had to be something about impending motherhood that gave a woman a sixth sense about danger.

  She patted her belly as the plane hit an air pocket and dropped lower yet again. The pilot hadn’t warned them this time and her stomach was still up where the plane had been flying just moments ago. She gave a dry heave and quickly took a sip of the ginger ale the stewardess had brought her an hour ago when they’d first hit some turbulence.

  Chloe had chosen to sit in the back row of the plane. Not just because she’d heard it was the safest spot if it crashed, but back here not so many people would see her, maybe not even recognize her if any questions were asked sometime later. However, it meant she could see the other passengers to gauge how they were reacting to the suddenly rough ride. Were they just a little scared like she was?

  The only other person she could see was man sitting in an aisle seat. He’d grabbed the armrest and his knuckles were pure white. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one that sensed something wasn’t normal about the flight. Chloe glanced outside the window. There was a lot of cloud cover, but through the more wispy gaps, she could just about see ground somewhere down there. They had to be flying over Montana by now. The plane dropped lower again, but this time, the pilot’s voice sounded throughout the cabin.

  “Good evening, folks. We’ve hit some more bad weather. There’s an early season snowstorm hitting Western Montana, hence our very bumpy ride, which I fear will get even worse the closer we get to our destination. For your own safety and comfort, please remain in your seats and fasten your seatbelts for the remainder of our flight. Our estimated arrival time at Kalispell Airport is about thirty minutes depending on weather and other air traffic that might be delayed due to low visibility.”

  Chloe dug around in the sides of the seat trying to find the seatbelt straps, but hated that she had to put it around her belly. She’d been feeling sort of funny all day and had put it down to nerves. However, for the last hour or so, the baby had kicked and moved, bringing on a pain in her back and right side. She wondered if the baby sensed what was going on and even felt the plane moving up and down.

  The plane literally shook as it passed through the clouds. Chloe glanced out, seeing the wings wobble and wisps of clouds shoot by the window like they were suddenly going too fast. The plane turned slightly and ventured lower. A stewardess approached her.

  “Almost forgot about you at the back here. You doing okay?” she asked Chloe.

  Chloe didn’t want to tell her she felt sick and her belly felt like it had a stitch. She might recommend they have a wheelchair or a doctor standing by at the gate, and the least attention she drew to herself, the better.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re going to have to put the tray table up, but do you want to keep the soda?”

  “Sure, if I could. My stomach’s still a bit unsettled.”

  “That’s perfectly okay,” she said, securing the tray with the clip on the seat in front. “You’ll probably feel better once we’ve landed.”

  Chloe guessed she would. She took another sip of the soda as the plane ventured lower. Now she could see the ground covered in thick snow, and soon, white flecks were flying by the window.

  The plane began to rock. The soda slopped onto her jeans. She put the cup down on the seat next to her. She held onto the armrests, positive she was going to vomit. The wing was rattling so much that it looked like it was going to fall off. That something-isn’t-right instinct kicked in once again. She’d never been in a plane during a snowstorm, but she knew a plane shouldn’t shake this much.

  The pilot’s voice filled the cabin again.

  “The snow’s a lot worse than we thought, but we’re going to take our chances at a landing and, sorry folks, but it’s probably not going to be a smooth one. Cabin crew, prepare for landing.”

  Chloe felt the plane drop some more and then it shook and shuddered with its surroundings suddenly turning pure white. She dug her nails into the armrest, hoping that she and the baby would make it out of here alive.

  There was a thud and Chloe pitched forward. They were down on the ground, but were bouncing around way too much for this to be normal. She heard the usual thrust of the brakes being applied, but they didn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, they were picking up speed like the pilot had decided to take off again. The lights in the cabin flicked and then everything went dark. All Chloe could hear were people screaming as they plane slipped and spun. This was bad. She’d picked the wrong plane to take her to the place where she’d give birth.

  There was a thud and a bang, and soon the plane felt like it was spinning nonstop. She looked out of the window. There were lights—shit, car lights—and trees, too. One of the wings hit three cars as it skidded down what was obviously a road and not a runway.

  Another bang and a pop and the wing hit trees and more cars before it sheared off, spinning them around. It seemed to slide and then bang—the back part of the plane where she was sitting broke away, spinning her around and around. The next thing she knew, the overhead compartment was breaking away. It struck her and all she remembered was a searing pain in her shoulder before she blacked out.

  ****

  “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  Ash pried open his left eye to see his cousin Bear standing over him. It took him a few minutes to figure out where he was. The hospital. He was on night duty, which meant Bear wasn’t supposed to be here. Was it already morning and had he overslept?

  “What are you doing here?” asked Ash.

  “There’s been a really bad accident near the airport. Plane crash and lots of vehicles involved, too. They’re asking for all medical personnel to go to the scene and help out. Charlotte’s already headed there and I thought I’d come and get you.”

  “Sure, but who’s going to look after the hospital while I’m gone?”

  “The nurses can handle things.”

  Ash sat up and rubbed his eyes before standing.

  “I’m going to head to the truck so come and join me as soon as you’re ready. You’re going to need a coat because it’s snowing like crazy,” said Bear.

  He’d been away from Montana for five years and had forgotten how quickly the weather could change. It had been a clear, sunny day when he’d entered the hospital that afternoon. The best thing was living in a valley surrounded by mountains meant that the weather could just as easily shift back from heavy snow to brilliant sunshine in a matter of hours.

  He turned on the tap in the sink and leaned over,
splashing his face with cold water. That had always helped wake him when he’d been a resident in the ER and had worked the night shift.

  Ash grabbed his coat and headed out the door. Snow immediately pelted his nose, eyes, and lips. He glanced down at his feet. He had his running shoes on, but as yet hadn’t bought any new winter footwear. It had been on his list of things to do, but work and looking for a place to rent had kept him busy.

  Bear sounded the horn of his truck and rolled down the window. “I have a hat, scarf, gloves, and a pair of my boots for you in the truck.”

  Ash ran toward him, almost slipping on the sidewalk. He got in beside Bear and saw the boots sitting by the seat. He took off his shoes and slipped them on, thinking how lucky he was that he and his cousin were about the same height and had near enough the same sized feet.

  Bear moved up the dial on the heater, filling the truck with warm air.

  “Wow, I can’t believe how quickly this snow’s fallen,” said Ash as Bear pulled out onto the main road.

  “Yeah, came in all of a sudden and caught even hardened locals unaware. Hannah sent some hot chocolate for you.”

  Ash picked up the mug in front of him, wrapped his fingers around it, and sipped. “Did they say how many people are injured?”

  “No, but I’m guessing since a plane and cars are both involved, the numbers are going to be high, and I expect some fatalities, too.”

  “Will the other hospitals be able to cope? I mean, I doubt we can bring anyone back to our place.”

  “No we can’t do that, but we can help out, and hopefully people will assume we’re just doctors who heard the call and work in regular doctor’s offices.”

  Ash took another sip and then put his hand over the heat vent. “Hannah and Sam tucked up okay?”

  “Yeah, Hannah went to pick him up early from Liam’s place when she heard the storm was moving in.”

  Bear turned onto the road leading to the airport and Ash quickly saw the carnage set out in front of them. It looked a tangled mess and wasn’t helped by the glare of flashing blue lights from all the emergency vehicles.

  Bear slowed down as a police officer approached the truck. He lowered the window.

  “Road’s closed sir,”

  “I know, but we’re both doctors and we heard you’re looking for medical personnel to help out,” said Bear.

  “Okay, park over on the shoulder there. They’ve set up a tent for medical folk, so someone in there should be able to tell you what they need.”

  Ash spun the scarf around his neck twice to secure it and then pulled on the gloves. Bear raised the hood on his coat and they both got out. The wind whipped snow into Ash’s face. It was getting dark, too, which meant things would be probably get tougher.

  “Over here,” said Bear, pointing to the tent.

  Ash was glad to be inside, although people were running back and forth and it looked plain crazy.

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Bear McWilliams and this is Dr. Ash McWilliams.”

  “Brothers?” asked the woman.

  “Cousins, actually, and we’re here to help in any way we can.”

  “Bear, Ash.”

  Ash turned around to see a younger woman approaching them.

  “Yes,” said Bear.

  “Charlotte said you’d be along soon. I used to work at the hospital with her before she left to go to the free clinic. I assigned her to plane passengers, so you might as well help out there, too.”

  “How many people on board?” asked Bear.

  “There were fifty-five including the crew. So far, we have ten that have serious injuries and have been taken to the hospital. Four dead, and a few still on board that we haven’t moved yet until we assess their injuries some more.”

  “Show us where to go,” said Ash.

  “Walk down the road about two hundred yards, and the plane’s over there on the left. We have flares around the area.”

  Bear pulled up his hood again and Ash slid the knitted cap farther down on his head. He clapped his hands together, hoping to keep warm as they began walking. Ambulances with their flashing lights were passing them, and to the side, paramedics loaded up people onto gurneys.

  “Pity we can’t shift and use our bear fur to keep warm,” said Bear.

  “I don’t think anyone would notice if we did,” said Ash.

  Bear gave him one of those looks.

  “Only joking,” said Ash.

  “Looks like that’s the plane’s over there,” said Bear.

  They made their way through the snow and saw Charlotte putting a man’s arm in a sling.

  “That feel okay?” she asked him.

  The man nodded.

  “Okay, the ambulance will take you to the hospital so you can get it X-rayed. Try to keep it as still as you can.”

  “Thanks, doctor.”

  “Hi, you two,” she said after the man headed toward the waiting ambulance.

  “How are things?” asked Bear.

  “Not so good. Some people have walked away with just scratches or a broken arm while others haven’t been so lucky. I guess it depended on what part of the plane they were sitting in. Looks like it broke up when it hit the ground. Pilot missed the runway and landed on the road.”

  “Have we checked if everyone in our group is okay?” asked Bear.

  “That’s what Aiden was doing when I left. He was making calls and, so far, it seems like everyone was at home because of the storm,” said Charlotte.

  Ash and Bear followed her over to the main wreckage. A wing lay over near a tree and the nose of the plane sat on top of two cars. The middle section looked like it had shattered while the tail looked undamaged. Ash had heard that usually stayed in one piece when a plane crashed.

  “How about I go check on the people in the back section?” said Ash.

  “I’ll continue checking the passengers they’ve already pulled out. We’ve been triaging them the best we could,” said Charlotte.

  “Guess that leaves the middle for me,” said Bear. He handed Ash one of the backpacks he’d brought along that contained medical supplies.

  Ash slung it over his shoulder and made his way around the wreckage. The plane’s logo hadn’t even been scratched and it was almost like someone had cut the back section away. He ventured inside, hearing broken plastic crunch under his feet. It was dark, so he got out his flashlight. Didn’t look like anyone had been sitting in the back of the plane. He’d remember to definitely choose a back row seat next time he traveled by air. Looked empty with no causalities, so he turned off the light and was about to make his way out to go help Bear when he heard something.

  “Help me, I’m trapped.”

  It was faint, but he knew it was a woman’s voice. He turned on the flashlight again, but didn’t hear another word. However, with his bear’s sense of hearing, he knew what direction he’d heard the voice. Ash climbed over one of the seats that was now on its side.

  “Help, can anyone hear me?”

  The woman’s voice came again and to his left. He climbed over another seat and shone the flashlight toward the back wall. The beam illuminated the prettiest face he’d ever seen.

  “I’m trapped and no one could hear me,” she said before she burst into tears.

  “Just hang on and I’ll have you out in no time,” said Ash.

  Ash climbed over another seat and shone the light directly onto her. Her shoulder was wedged under an overhead bin. He knelt beside her.

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Ash McWilliams. What’s your name?”

  “Um, Chloe. Chloe Davis.”

  He shone the flashlight over the rest of her body just to make sure nothing else had fallen on her. She was pregnant and, judging by the size of her bump, she was in her third trimester. How they’d let her travel on the airline this late into her pregnancy he didn’t know.

  “Hi Chloe, how far along are you?”

  “Thirty-one, almost thirty-two weeks.”

  “Does the baby feel okay in there, moving arou
nd a lot or anything like that?”

  “I’m getting some cramps, but I’ve had those during the whole flight. Right now, it’s my shoulder that hurts so bad.”

  Ash rested the flashlight on the seat and then pushed the bin up. Shit, the thing was heavier than he’d anticipated. One plus—he was part bear, so he didn’t need to go get anyone to help. He lifted it up and moved it away. He saw her shoulder sat at a strange angle. He guessed it was dislocated, broken even.

  “Okay, Chloe, I’m going to take a look at your shoulder and I’m going to be as careful as I can, so hold tight.”

  Ash tried his best not to hurt, her but it was going to be tough to make a proper diagnosis without touching her. He put his fingers on her collarbone, hearing her draw in her breath.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  When he touched her shoulder, she screamed and burst into tears. Just as he’d thought—when the bin had fallen on her, it had put her shoulder out of place.

  “I can fix your shoulder here. It will hurt like hell, but it’s real quick. I’m here with Bear…that’s Dr. McWilliams, my cousin. He’s an obstetrician, so I’d like him to take a look at you. Together, we can get that shoulder back to normal. I’ll just go get him.”

  “No, please don’t leave me.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Such a small, delicate one, but it had a viselike grip on him. Chloe was trembling, and he guessed it wasn’t just from the cold.

  “It’s okay, I’ll be right back,” he assured her.

  “What if you can’t find me again?”

  He wanted to tell her he was part bear and, therefore, his scent would lead him back without any problem, but he couldn’t.

  “I promise you I’ll find you. You have my word on it.”

  She nodded and slowly let go of his hand.

  “Just try and rest, and I know you probably can’t, but think about something happy. Think about your baby and how great it will be when you hold it for the first time.” Ash got up, climbed over the seats, and made his way into the next section where he saw both Bear and Charlotte tending to a woman’s head wound.