"Five seconds," Rowdy warned. "Give him back to me in five seconds or I'm going to maul you to death."

Seth laughed. "Better men have threatened me."

And then Seth pulled the trigger.

There are moments in life when a man wishes he could take things back, change how he dealt with a situation, or the outcome of his decision. This was one of those times. Pushing Seth and giving the man an ultimatum had forced the man's hand and he'd reacted.

Time seemed to stop. The whipping wind grew silent. The blowing leaves dropped into stillness. The night grew as quiet as death. Rowdy shuddered, his spine spasmed. He reached out but knew it was a futile attempt. Cameron was too far away from him.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye and yet in slow motion. Seth pulled the trigger. Cameron jerked back at the last second. Seth's hand swung down. Cameron's shoulder jumped up. Blood began to pour from Cameron's shoulder. The scent of blood filled the air.

Rowdy shifted, leapt, and landed on Seth. He used his immense claws to tear at the human before he shifted back and dropped next to his bleeding mate on the ground.

Cameron was ice cold.

"Get him into the truck," T-Rex shouted. Rowdy left Seth where he lay. The son of a bitch wasn't dead and Rowdy didn't have time to finish what he'd started. He had to get Cameron warm and see to the bullet wound in his shoulder.

Rowdy scooped Cameron up and raced toward the truck, T-Rex hot on his heels.

"Warm his inner core. If the blood rushes back to his heart too quickly, he could have a heart attack," T-Rex instructed.

Rowdy climbed into the backseat of the truck and grabbed the blankets he'd thought to bring. He wrapped himself around Cameron and then tossed the blankets over both of them. Rowdy held his mate tight, running one hand over Cameron's back while using the other to apply pressure to Cameron's wound with a piece of cloth.

The heat was blasting in the truck. It felt good on Rowdy's bare skin. He'd been exposed to the cold only briefly and he was freezing. He couldn't imagine how Cameron felt right now.

"I'm calling a friend," T-Rex said. "I recently found out that he's a shifter, but he's also a damn good doctor. We'll need his help."

"How long will it take him to get to us?" Rowdy's hands were shaking, his head fucked, and his heart was squeezing in his chest. What if Cameron died? What if he had been pregnant when he was thrown from the second floor? All sorts of scenarios played out in his mind as T-Rex tore from area they were in and headed back to the house.

"A day at the most," T-Rex answered. "He can jump on the first aircraft leaving Houston. Gallagher will make it happen."

Rowdy hoped so. "Does he know anything about male pregnancy?"

T-Rex's eyes widened. "Cameron is pregnant?"

Rowdy shook his head. "I don't know. But if he is, can Gallagher help him?"

"If he's a shifter and a medic, I'm pretty sure he can," T-Rex answered. "Just get Cameron warm and we'll tend to his wound when we get to the house."

Rowdy pressed his lips to Cameron's cold temple as he felt the lump tighten in his throat. He wasn't going to lose his mate. Whether Cameron was pregnant or not, Rowdy wasn't letting the man go. He was keeping Cameron. The guilt from his past collided with the deep, soul-stirring need to have Cameron in his life. Rowdy was done beating himself up. He was finished living in yesterday. Cameron was his future and he was going to give the man nothing but happiness.

He refused to think about the possibility that Cameron might not survive. That wasn't an option. Not in Rowdy's book. It was time he stepped up to the plate and became the mate Cameron deserved.

"Hang on, baby," he whispered. "Hang on for me, for us."

T-Rex brought the truck to a skidding halt before he jumped out and opened he back door, helping Rowdy with Cameron. The other truck returned and Stripper and Shott joined them.

As soon as they entered the house, T-Rex pointed to the couch. "Get him warm and get those wet boxers off of him. Fortunately, he wasn't exposed for hours, so body heat is best. I'll make him something to drink that'll warm him from the inside out."

Rowdy did as T-Rex instructed. T-Rex hurried to the kitchen and came back with a cup in his hand. "Tepid is better than hot," he said. "See if you can get him to cough."

Rowdy didn't understand why, but he tapped Cameron's cheek. His mate started shivering, badly.

"That's a good sign," T-Rex said. "You want him shivering. But I still need him to cough. That'll let me know that he can swallow."

Rowdy held onto Cameron tighter.

"Be gentle," T-Rex advised. "Be gentle with him. Hold him loosely. Don't massage him, just hold Cameron-share your heat."

When Rowdy finally got Cameron to cough, T-Rex handed the mug over. Rowdy encouraged his mate to take tiny sips, watching him carefully as Shott applied pressure to Cameron's shoulder.

"We'll tend to his wound as soon as he's stable," Shott said as he gave Cameron a smile. "The bullet went clean through. The important thing is to stop any more blood loss. You'll need plenty of fluids to replace what you've lost."

Rowdy gave Shott and then T-Rex a nod of appreciation as Cameron continued to shiver in his arms.

"Why can't we use heating pads?" Rowdy asked.

"Trying to warm someone up with hot water, massages, heating pads, or lamps can cause the blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate too quickly. That can lead to a drop in blood pressure, reducing blood flow to the vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs and kidneys, potentially resulting in a heart attack or death," Shott answered as he kept the pressure on Cameron's shoulder. "Just do what you're doing."

Rowdy was afraid to do anything else. He didn't want to do the wrong thing and kill his mate. But Cameron clung to him, his body shaking as he sipped the warm tea. T-Rex added another blanket to them and then answered his ringing phone.

"We'll get you stitched soon," Shott said to Cameron. "But I can't give you anything for the pain since we don't know if you're pregnant yet." His tone was soothing, friendly, and Rowdy appreciated what the two men were doing for him and his mate.

"That was Gallagher," T-Rex said. "He was nearby when I called him. He'll be here in less than an hour."

Rowdy closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Cameron's hair. His mate seemed as if he would be all right, but it was the unseen that worried Rowdy. If Cameron were truly pregnant, had he lost their child? Rowdy pushed the thought aside. He refused to let any negative thoughts in.

"TThank you," Cameron said. "FFor coming f-for me."

"Always," Rowdy whispered into his hair. "I'll always come for you."

Chapter Ten.

On top of all the shit that had happened, Cameron had caught a cold. He was pissed. A box of tissues lay next to the bed, along with fluids and some medicated rub for his chest. His shoulder was killing him as well. Shott had sewn it up, but Cameron would kill for some pain meds.

A soft knock sounded on the door. Cameron yelled for the person to enter, but his voice was raspy. It hurt.

The door opened and a slim man walked in. He guessed that this was Gallagher, but the guy was not what Cameron had imagined. He was expecting some big, militant man to walk through the door. Gallagher wasn't either of those things. His hair was the color of the sun, his eyes as dark as summer leaves.

"How are you feeling?" Gallagher asked as he walked into the room.

"I've felt better," Cameron said, despising the fact that he sounded so nasally.

"Let's see if we can't help a little with that." Gallagher had a black box with him and Cameron had no idea what the man was doing. Gallagher sat on the side of the bed, opened the box, and began to check Cameron from head to toe. "Sorry my hands are so cold," the man said. "But I wrestled a polar bear before coming to see you."

Despite how he felt, Cameron chuckled. He liked this guy. Gallagher's smile was nice and the man was sweet eye candy, even though he was poking and prodding Cameron. It was awkward and embarrassing to have such a handsome man checking every inch of his body.

Finally the doctor removed the gauze that Shott had laid over the wound in his shoulder. The man nodded. "Gregory did a great job stitching you up."

"Gregory?"

"Shott," the doctor added. "Sorry, I tend to forget we all go by our last names or even nicknames."

"What's your first name?" Cameron asked.

"Gallagher." The doctor smile. "Gallagher Winslow at your service."

The name did not fit the man. Gallagher drew some blood and then mixed it in a vial with something yellow. He shook the vial, waited, and then nodded when the liquid turned an odd shade of purple. "You're pregnant."

"Just like that?" Cameron asked. "How do you know?"

"In layman's terms, if the liquid would have stayed yellow, no baby. Your hCG reacted to the yellow stuff."

"My what?"

"It's a pretty long word but it's also called the pregnancy hormone. If you didn't have the hCG, no purple."

That seemed easy enough. Cameron lay there staring at the vial the doctor was holding in his hand. The liquid was definitely purple. He was pregnant. Cameron knew it could happen, but confirming the truth made all sorts of emotions surface. Fear and excitement were at the top of the list, though.

"Someone is waiting outside the bedroom door," Gallagher said as he smeared something white over Cameron's wound and redressed it. "He's been pacing since I arrived."

Cameron had asked Rowdy to give him some alone time. Cameron needed to digest what had happened to him and what his father had tried to do to him. In all honesty, he hadn't wanted to break down in front of his cowboy. Cameron had earned the right to cry, but he wanted to do that in private.

Rowdy had given Cameron the space he'd asked for, but now all he wanted was his mate. "He can come in," Cameron said.

As if Rowdy could hear their conversation, he opened the door and stepped in. He stood there, seeming uncertain as he stared at Cameron. Then his eyes settled on the vial in Gallagher's hand.

"Your mate's pregnant," Gallagher said. "And dehydrated. Keep him filled with plenty of fluids, keep the wound cleaned and the bandage fresh. No fooling around until he's fully healed."

Rowdy nodded, but his eyes were still glued to the vial. He seemed transfixed, unmoving. Cameron began to worry that Rowdy would turn on his heel and walk out of the room. Why wasn't he moving?

"Rowdy?" Cameron said.

Gallagher got up and excused himself. He closed the door gently behind him, leaving Rowdy and Cameron alone. As if waking from a dream, Rowdy blinked and then moved closer to the bed.

They both gazed at one another before a wide smile spread across Rowdy's face. His eyes darted down to Cameron stomach before he took a seat on the side of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound," Cameron answered before he wiped his nose with the tissue he had in his hand. "I caught a cold, was shot, had hypothermia, and I'm nauseous. Not bad for a single day's work."

Rowdy's smile widened. "I see you haven't lost your wicked sense of humor."

"Nope, I just lost my aspiration to end world hunger." He tossed the tissue in the wastebasket by the bed before grabbing another. Cameron sneezed, wiped his nose, and then smiled up at Rowdy. "I bet I look like a beauty queen right now."

His nose was sore, his eyes were running, and Cameron sneezed three times in a row before coughing.

Rowdy pressed his lips to Cameron's forehead. "You look like the most beautiful man in the world."

"Aw shucks," Cameron teased before he sneezed again. "Quite the charmer."

Cameron's eyes watered, but not because of his cold. Rowdy had leaned down, moving the sheet aside, before placing a kiss on Cameron's flat abdomen. He glanced up at Cameron with those dark-grey eyes and Cameron felt his breath hitch.

"I would be the biggest fool if I ever let you go. I'm sorry, Cameron. I never meant to hurt you or put you through any pain."

Reaching out, Cameron cupped Rowdy's cheek. "Let's just focus on our future. We could both use a break from our past."

Sliding his arm under Cameron's shoulder, his mate pulled him close and hugged Cameron gently. "Whatever you want."

Cameron chuckled. "Right now I want some food. I'm starving."

In that moment, Cameron prayed that the worst was behind them. He hoped that they could start building a life and a family together. Rowdy was willing to let go and move on and that's all that Cameron could ask. He knew how a past could haunt somebody. He was living proof. His father had escaped and was now out there somewhere, but Cameron knew in his heart that Rowdy would do whatever it took to protect him and their unborn child.

"Anything particular you want to eat?" Rowdy asked. "I'm thinking maybe some soup, some crackers."

Cameron snorted. "I'm craving a salad with some M&Ms. Maybe chop up some pickles and toss in a few gummy bears while you're at it."

Rowdy crinkled his nose.

Cameron snapped his fingers and then pointed at his mate. "And a root beer float."

"I can see this is going to be a long three months," Rowdy said. He stood and bowed. "But your wish is my command. I just hope Stripper doesn't skin me alive when I steal his bag of M&Ms."

Cameron winked at Rowdy. "Think of it as a covert mission. I have faith in you."

And he did. For the first time in their relationship, Cameron had all the faith in the world in Rowdy.

The bar was loud and riotous. The men were hammering back their drinks and women were coming out of the woodwork in spades. They were barely dressed, wearing clothes that left little to the imagination. The place was a cheap dive that welcomed the Blue Angels with open arms.

Seth Langley sat at a table, chewing on a toothpick as he watched the men party. His eyes kept straying to the club president, Papa Bear. The guy had settled things with Sheriff Sparrow in a way that made Seth's teeth grind. They weren't supposed to settle things. The Blue Angels were supposed to lay waste to that town. But Papa Bear and Nelson had never gotten along, not after the president found out that Nelson took part in a child porn ring. The president had been gunning for Nelson. It seemed Nelson's death was forgivable in the president's eyes. The man had been more than willing to come to a settlement with Sparrow.

Seth wanted his revenge for the sheriff killing Nelson. But he'd been denied even that. He also wanted to finish what he started with his son. Cameron was a soft pussy that needed to be dealt with.

Come nightfall, when the men passed out from all their partying, Seth was going to take a ride back to Bear County and teach Cameron a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. He didn't care if his son's lover could shift into a bear. He'd seen that happen before. Seth had all the confidence in the world that he could shoot the fucker before he went after Cameron.

His eyes strayed to the president. Papa Bear was not only well protected, he was one big, mean son of a bitch. Seth would have to be very careful around the guy. The president already looked at Seth as if Seth were plotting the man's death.

And he was. Seth was sick and tired of being the treasurer. He had been a member for over two decades. Papa Bear was the second president to take over the club and Seth had sat patiently by, biding his time.