"i don't have any clothes," rory said, blushing.

ian stood up. "i'll get you some of mine, rory. they'll be a little big, but you can roll them up. it'll get you to your room for your own clothes, anyway."

rory glanced at casey, hesitating to see if casey objected before he said, "okay, thanks, ian."

in a few minutes, they all left, including ian, who was on his way to a council meeting. marco made sure the door was left open and glanced back, looking nervous as he left.

nicky sat down across from casey and smiled at him. "so you crazy about my boy or what?"

casey smiled back at him. "yeah, pretty much."

"you know he saved my life twice. i may tease him, but there's nothing i wouldn't do for him."

"me either."

"good answer. now let's see if you really mean it."

"what are you talking about?"

"marco wants to make you an offer. now don't say no right away, just because you don't like marco. you two are both too alpha to ever like each other, but maybe you can come to an understanding. for rory's sake."

"about what?" casey's face creased with suspicion.

"about staying on here indefinitely." nicky held his hand up. "now wait before you get all mad and huffy. marco is willing to let the sapphire valley wolf pack join with ours. it would be good for your people and bring them prosperity and safety. with the hunters being such a threat and on the move again, there's safety in numbers. he would build you your own wing, and make your people welcome to our pack. we have our own doctor, our own school. it really would be to your benefit to join us."

"and what about me, nicky? i'm their alpha. a pack can't have two."

"no, but again with the hunters posing such a threat, we do need a battle commander, someone strong and a good leader, whom the other wolves would look up to. it needs to be an alpha. you would take orders directly from the council, not necessarily marco. what do you say?"

casey hesitated, looking down at the table. nicky pressed his advantage when casey didn't say no immediately. "rory would be so happy to stay here with his family. you know, his little brother really needs him now that his mother is getting older." nicky caught his eye and fluttered his lashes. "please, casey."

casey rolled his eyes and smiled. "you really are something, aren't you? i was warned about you, and every warning was right on." he laughed. "all right. i agree. but i want all this in writing, so marco can't back out of it."

nicky jumped up in excitement. "he won't back out! thanks, casey-you won't be sorry! c'mon, let's go find rory and marco and tell them."

casey let nicky lead him downstairs and out to the park area on the side of the building that faced the woods. they walked through the small area, looking for marco and rory. as they drew nearer the end of the garden, about to give up and look elsewhere, they realized a fight of some kind was going on just inside the tree line, evidenced by the violent sounds of struggle. casey started walking faster and then began to run. if rory was involved in this, he had to get to him. he heard the crack of a rifle, and his heart hammered madly. he heard nicky cry out behind him, but he couldn't stop. he raced ahead to where he saw a small body crumpled in the grass, a large silver wolf standing over it protectively, snarling at something moving off through the trees.

casey knew it was rory on the ground, but couldn't stop until he was sure the danger was over. he shifted as he ran. the silver wolf howled, the sound echoing through the compound. casey, ran out into the woods, but all he could see was a human's dead body, blood pooling under him, just inside the trees. no sign of other movement and there was absolutely no sound or smell. confused, he ran back to where nicky knelt in the grass, cradling rory in his arms. he shifted back, dreading what he would see when he got closer. rory lay white and insensible in nicky's arms. marco stood over them in human form, protectively, swaying dangerously, blood running down his arm.

casey fell down beside nicky and took rory away from nicky. "is he...?"

"no," nicky shook his head firmly. "no, he's been hit though. the bullet went in his side. i think it went clear through, but we have to get the doctor." he jumped up and wrapped his arms around marco, whose knees were about to buckle, and eased him to the ground.

wolves had poured out of the compound to run to them. some shifted and ran off into the woods, others crowded around them.

"hunters," marco said raggedly. "we felt someone watching us from the woods, and we turned to run. they started shooting, the bastards, and rory fell. i tried to pick him up and run, but they shot me too. i shifted, and they took off. i got one of them just inside the tree line there, but i couldn't leave rory. there could have been more of them in the woods." he gasped in pain, and nicky pulled him close, soothing him, holding his hand tightly over the blood flowing from the wound in marco's arm.

the doctor knelt first beside marco, but he waved him away. "take care of rory. they're using silver bullets, the bastards."

"what do you mean? like on tv?" nicky looked at marco in horror.

"wolves can heal from a gunshot wound so long as we aren't shot in such a way that a vital organ is destroyed," the doctor replied. "a silver bullet's different. our wounds will take longer to heal. marco and rory were lucky, and the bullets passed through. they still might get an infection though."

nicky looked terrified, and casey clutched rory to his chest as he stood with him to carry him inside. the doctor spoke encouragingly, but he was still frightened and angry. he wanted to kill whoever hurt rory. it was all he could do to keep from shifting and running off howling into the woods to hunt. rory begun to stir, coming around slowly. he looked up at casey.

"what happened? where's marco?"

"you've been shot, baby, but you'll be okay. marco is all right. don't worry about anything, i've got you." casey was vaguely aware marco was being helped along behind him. he still resented marco, but he was grateful to him for protecting his mate. if anything had happened to rory, he couldn't survive. he knew that. rory still wasn't out of the woods yet, and anxiety clawed at casey. carrying him into the clinic, he placed him gently on the table, and stood by him holding his hand. the doctor came in right behind them, followed by marco and nicky, nicky's face drained of all color. nicky looked like casey felt, shocked and scared half to death.

the doctor forced both of them outside. nicky refused outright at first, but when marco pointed one stern finger, too exhausted and weak to even speak. nicky reluctantly left, after covering his face with kisses. casey went too, because he had a feeling nicky would fall apart once he got out in the waiting room and sure enough, he had his hands full with him. it did help keep his mind off how still and white rory had been when he first saw him. he'd been so afraid he was dead, he still trembled with reaction.

finally, the doctor came and motioned them both inside. nicky almost knocked him down getting in to marco. rory was sitting up, and casey felt his knees go weak. he rushed over to him and kissed him gently, as if he might break. "are you all right, baby? god, i was so scared."

"i-i think so. just sore and achy on my side. i think it's trying to heal over already."

"yes," the doctor said behind them. "both their wounds are healing up from the inside. marco's faster, of course, since he's full wolf."

rory blushed at his words and dropped his head. casey put his arm around him. "can i feed him some of my blood? would that help?"

"it's hard to say with the two of you. we've never had this situation before. go ahead-it might do him some good."

casey bit into his wrist and held it up to rory's mouth. rory took it and sucked, gazing up at casey so adoringly casey thought he'd have to climb in bed with him in a minute.

nicky pouted on the other side of the room. "i wish i could give you some of my blood, darling. do you think it would help you if i did?"

marco smiled. "no, baby, but i appreciate the thought. instead of making me stronger, i'm afraid your blood would make me want to stay on the sofa all day, read magazines, and make smart remarks."

nicky's mouth dropped open in outrage, and marco leaned up to cover it with his own, holding the back of his head so he couldn't get away. nicky didn't struggle long and fell across marco's chest, trying to get in bed with him until the doctor put a stop to it.

the doctor pulled at marco's hand on the back of nicky's head until marco looked over at him. "alpha, i don't mean to be disrespectful, but as your physician, i must caution you to not to get over-stimulated. you're not completely healed yet."

"it's not me you have to worry about being over-stimulated-it's nicky. get off the bed, baby, and stop trying to lick me."

casey laughed, while rory sucked more and more gently, the blood putting him to sleep. finally, he fell off onto the pillow and began to softly snore. casey bent down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, realizing more every minute how important he was to him.

"if you're sure you're all right then, i'm going out to hunt with the others." "of course i'm all right, or i would be if you'd stop feeding me your blood and making me so sleepy. i slept for twelve hours yesterday!"

"well," casey said moodily. "you needed it. it's helping you, and you still need to regain your strength. why don't you try to take another little nap while i'm gone? i could give you a little more of my blood."

"absolutely not! i have more of it inside me now than you probably do. i appreciate what you're trying to do, honey, but really, enough is enough. i need to get out of bed."