Captive by Gale Stanley

soon can she get here?”
    The door flew open and slammed against the wall.
    Janis couldn’t help screaming at him, “She’s here now, mother fucker!”
    Roy jumped up with a lethal grace that didn’t reveal an ounce of fatigue. His eyes darkened, and his lips curled back. He snarled viciously at Malcolm. “Who the fuck are you?”
    Malcolm’s laugh was truly frightening. “Someone you can’t subdue so easily. Where’s the woman and the children?”
    Roy tore at his shirt. “Whoever you are, you won’t live long enough to find out.”
    Malcolm, dressed in sweat pants only, had stripped bare before Roy had his clothes off. He crouched and leaped, shifting in midair and knocking Roy off his feet. Roy shifted. His buttons popped, and when his muzzle lengthened, he tore at his slacks with long yellow fangs.
    Malcolm wrapped his limbs around Roy and snapped at him. Roy sang his fangs into Malcolm’s leg and held on for dear life.
    Janis’s heart beat a staccato rhythm. She backed away in shock and fear. She knew Malcolm had no intention of killing Roy , only subduing him. But Roy was out for blood. Where the hell were her brothers?
    Almost as if he’d read her mind, Jude ran through the door, Jonas behind him.
    “Shit.” Jude took aim with the tranquilizer gun. If he hit Malcolm, they were finished.
    Malcolm wrenched the black wolf around until Jude had a clear shot at its back. He howled in pain as Roy ’s fangs tore at his limb.
    Jude took a shot, and at last, the black wolf loosened its hold and lay still on the floor. Malcolm lay next to Roy , panting and licking at his wounded leg. In a few minutes, he sat back on his heels, a naked man looking at a wounded arm that had already stopped bleeding.

* * * *

    Janis and Jude sat in her living room. The black wolf, tightly secured with chains, slept off the drugs in Janis bedroom.
    Malcolm was fairly certain that the wolf would stay a wolf rather than talk. Roy knew they wouldn’t kill him. He was their only link to Sable and the twins. It had been a calculated risk. They had no choice but to take it. That was the bad news.
    On the other hand, they now had Roy ’s car and his keys in their possession. Malcolm and Jonas had already left to search Roy ’s office. With Roy ’s BMW parked in the garage, any activity noticed by security would hopefully be attributed to Roy .
    Janis stretched out on the couch and watched Jude pace. She knew he didn’t like being left behind.
    “Malcolm only took Jonas because he’s a doctor and might catch something important.”
    “I know. I just want to be doing something.”
    “You already have. If it wasn’t for your shot, Roy might have gotten away, and they wouldn’t have his keys.”
    “I’m going to take a look at our prisoner. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll change back.”
    Janis sighed. She wanted to be doing something too. She wouldn’t say it to Jude, but she felt every minute that passed since his family went missing put them further away from finding them. She stretched out on the couch and tried to think of any details she might have forgotten. Her eyes got heavy, and she closed them for just a few minutes.
    Janis woke to growls and scratching noises coming from the bedroom. The first light of dawn showed through the blinds, and she smelled fresh coffee. Jude came out of the kitchen and handed her a mug.
    “Here, take mine. I’ll pour another cup.”
    “I can’t believe I fell asleep.” Janis took the coffee gratefully. “Any word?”
    Jude shook his head. “No, but our houseguest is awake.”
    “I heard him.” She took a sip. “I know they’ll—”
    The door opened, and she looked up, heart pounding. The men looked grim. That didn’t bode well.
    Jonas shut the door and locked it. Malcolm tilted his head toward the bedroom.
    “Yeah, it’s awake,” Jude muttered. “Did you find anything?”
    “Enough,” Malcolm stated. “Thanks to Jonas.” He nodded at her brother. “We have good