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unaware of how lost he’d been in the feel and smell of the woman he held.
    “I’m the doctor here in Pine Falls. Can you tell me how you’re feeling?”
    “Perfect,” Shane said. He growled and went to stand but was pushed down by Brayden. He had just said that aloud. He needed to get out of here before this got any worse.
    “Jesus, Shane,” Josh said. He growled again and shot a glare over his shoulder at his twin. The woman in his arms pressed her hands against his stomach, her cool touch igniting flames inside him. He could almost feel the ice around his heart melting with her touch.
    “Why don’t we focus on the health of your mate,” Aiden said. “You and Josh can sort your problems out later.”
    He looked up at the vampire as Aiden moved to stand in front of him. He expected the vampire to mock him about how easily the mating bond was burning through his resolve to never mate. He was wrong. Aiden’s eyes held only sympathy. He really did understand how hard this was for him and Josh.
    Brayden sat next to him and reached out a hand to brush the long dark hair away from the woman’s face. “Hello, I’m Brayden Walsh. My brother Shane is holding you and the surly one peering at you over the sofa is our brother Josh. We’re your mates.”
    “I know,” she said, burying her cold face deeper into his chest. “I thought before that I was dreaming of you. I’m not. I’m really free—free from the monsters?”
    Shane couldn’t stop the loud growl from rumbling out of him. Mate or not, the vampires had tortured and abused this woman, His woman. His wolf was breaking through. His claws erupted, and his canines descended. He’d never tried to control his wolf before and felt unsure of how to do it.
    “Tell it to wait,” Aiden said. “Tell it the time for vengeance is coming but that it needs to care for its mate first.”
    Shane saw the shower of lights behind him, felt the crackle in the air that told him Josh had failed, or hadn’t even attempted, to fight the shift. Shane told his wolf to wait. They’d rip the vampires apart soon, just not now.
    Josh howled and walked around the sofa to sniff at their mate. His wolf softly licked at a bruise on her exposed cheek. She turned at the contact, and Shane saw his mate’s face for the first time. She was gorgeous. Even covered in bruises and bite marks she was a gorgeous woman, with fine-boned features and big copper-colored eyes.
    “You’re an arctic wolf,” she said softly. “You’re so pretty. Can I touch you?”
    Josh halted in his move to back away and lowered his head to stare directly into her eyes, a snarl rolled from his muzzle. “Men can be pretty. I’ve never seen an animal so white before. I guess the ones in the wild don’t shower regularly or use shampoo.”
    Charlie stifled a laugh, but Aiden and Brayden didn’t bother. They laughed loudly.
    “Gods, she’s adorable. She and Kaitlyn are going to be fast friends. My mate babbles, too,” Aiden said.
    She reached out a thin, bruised arm that had too many bite marks on it to count, and stroked the side of Josh’s neck. He growled but didn’t back away. Shane knew he wouldn’t have either. The pull to touch her was like a magnet being close to another. He was holding her in his arms, and it still felt as though he wasn’t close enough to her.
    She turned her face up to him, and he gasped at the bruises around her big eyes. There were definitely some broken bones under all the swelling. A growl escaped him, his whole body vibrating with his contained rage. Soon, he thought, soothing his wolf, soon we’ll tear off their heads.
    “What’s your name, little wolf?” Brayden said, the laughter still in his voice.
    Shane glanced at Brayden and saw that his gaze was roaming over her face and exposed arm as his just had. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were hooded, despite his happy tone of voice. Brayden was trying equally hard to calm his wolf’s rage.
    “Abbie, Abbie