Nancy.
Fuck you. Just get out here.
His muscles locked, and the ripping and tearing began. Xan tipped his head back and howled. Knees popped backward and he screamed, still capable of human sound, but barely. It ended in a fierce growl. One more push.
Xan’s vision went black, and the beast burst free. Where to, Princess?
Let’s see who’s on call. He threw his head back and howled, reclaiming the animal he’d thought he’d lost, and if not for Liv, Xan knew he’d never have found him.
Somewhere in the distance, a Wolf returned his battle cry. Not Drew, not his Alpha, but the Enforcer who never strayed too far from their leader. Great. Mr. Personality. It would be the one Wolf who’d rather see him dead.
Well, he could also help fight off the pending attack. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Xan reached Gee’s Bar when he smelled it. The soft scent of his coyote mate carried on the wind. Liv? He’d told her to leave the area, but the scent seemed stronger, fresh, after he’d told her to leave. Obviously, she hadn’t listened.
Had she gone to her office? He curled his lip back.
He glanced over his shoulder, ready to go find her. Instead, clothing hit him, forcing him to turn back to the bar. Gee stood on the boardwalk. “Get changed.”
His words had more than one meaning. Xander snatched the jeans in his teeth and followed the bear inside. Looking around the empty bar to ensure he had no human witnesses, he closed his eyes and shifted, calling his human form back much easier than it took become a Wolf. He stepped into the denim and buttoned the fly. “There are demons coming. We have until sundown, no longer. I wanted to warn the Alpha, and I figured this would be the best place to start.”
“He already knows.” Gee jerked his head toward the door to his office. “This way.”
Xan scooped the shirt up and followed. Inside, wall-to-wall, sitting, standing, leaning against the walls, taking up all open space, was the pack. Drew stood in the middle. “Agent Xander Davis. I need to know everything you can tell me about these Ilimu.”
“They want revenge.”
“How can you be certain?”
“I killed the leader’s mate.”
“Self-defense?”
“Yes.” He glanced around the room, searching for Liv. “Where’s Liv? I sent her away, for her safety. But I could swear I smelled her a moment ago.”
“You need to sit down.”
“Why do I get a feeling you’re going to tell me something I won’t like?”
“Our sentry contacted us half an hour before. They’ve got her, at the old gas station. Her scent is a trick to draw you out in the open. She’s not here in town.”
“Then why are we sitting here?” Xan turned toward his Alpha.
“Because we can’t just walk in there and take her.”
“The hell we can’t. She’s my mate, and I’m not waiting around here while they do God knows what to her.”
“We have to work together—as a pack. No lone Wolves here, including you. I need to know everything you know about them so we can figure out how to beat these things.”
“Right. Have fun.” Xan turned and headed for the door. “I’m going to get my girl.”
Gee stepped in front of him, crossing his arms.
“You do what you got to do. I can’t sit here for this powwow. They will kill Liv.”
“Sit down.” Drew kicked a chair across the floor. It hit Xan in the thighs. He curled his hands into fists and whipped around to stare at the Alpha, growling low in his throat.
“You don’t want to go there.”
Xan held his gaze a little longer before sitting and diverting the cold hate to the floor. Getting killed by the Alpha would not help her. “I can’t wait for night. We can’t fight them as Wolves. They’re too strong, unpredictable. Their pack numbers around fifty.”
“Our scout reported she only saw nine today, said some of them shifted into crows and flew toward Los Lobos.”
“That would be Ajani, his general and lieutenants. The most dangerous. They work by
Fuck you. Just get out here.
His muscles locked, and the ripping and tearing began. Xan tipped his head back and howled. Knees popped backward and he screamed, still capable of human sound, but barely. It ended in a fierce growl. One more push.
Xan’s vision went black, and the beast burst free. Where to, Princess?
Let’s see who’s on call. He threw his head back and howled, reclaiming the animal he’d thought he’d lost, and if not for Liv, Xan knew he’d never have found him.
Somewhere in the distance, a Wolf returned his battle cry. Not Drew, not his Alpha, but the Enforcer who never strayed too far from their leader. Great. Mr. Personality. It would be the one Wolf who’d rather see him dead.
Well, he could also help fight off the pending attack. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Xan reached Gee’s Bar when he smelled it. The soft scent of his coyote mate carried on the wind. Liv? He’d told her to leave the area, but the scent seemed stronger, fresh, after he’d told her to leave. Obviously, she hadn’t listened.
Had she gone to her office? He curled his lip back.
He glanced over his shoulder, ready to go find her. Instead, clothing hit him, forcing him to turn back to the bar. Gee stood on the boardwalk. “Get changed.”
His words had more than one meaning. Xander snatched the jeans in his teeth and followed the bear inside. Looking around the empty bar to ensure he had no human witnesses, he closed his eyes and shifted, calling his human form back much easier than it took become a Wolf. He stepped into the denim and buttoned the fly. “There are demons coming. We have until sundown, no longer. I wanted to warn the Alpha, and I figured this would be the best place to start.”
“He already knows.” Gee jerked his head toward the door to his office. “This way.”
Xan scooped the shirt up and followed. Inside, wall-to-wall, sitting, standing, leaning against the walls, taking up all open space, was the pack. Drew stood in the middle. “Agent Xander Davis. I need to know everything you can tell me about these Ilimu.”
“They want revenge.”
“How can you be certain?”
“I killed the leader’s mate.”
“Self-defense?”
“Yes.” He glanced around the room, searching for Liv. “Where’s Liv? I sent her away, for her safety. But I could swear I smelled her a moment ago.”
“You need to sit down.”
“Why do I get a feeling you’re going to tell me something I won’t like?”
“Our sentry contacted us half an hour before. They’ve got her, at the old gas station. Her scent is a trick to draw you out in the open. She’s not here in town.”
“Then why are we sitting here?” Xan turned toward his Alpha.
“Because we can’t just walk in there and take her.”
“The hell we can’t. She’s my mate, and I’m not waiting around here while they do God knows what to her.”
“We have to work together—as a pack. No lone Wolves here, including you. I need to know everything you know about them so we can figure out how to beat these things.”
“Right. Have fun.” Xan turned and headed for the door. “I’m going to get my girl.”
Gee stepped in front of him, crossing his arms.
“You do what you got to do. I can’t sit here for this powwow. They will kill Liv.”
“Sit down.” Drew kicked a chair across the floor. It hit Xan in the thighs. He curled his hands into fists and whipped around to stare at the Alpha, growling low in his throat.
“You don’t want to go there.”
Xan held his gaze a little longer before sitting and diverting the cold hate to the floor. Getting killed by the Alpha would not help her. “I can’t wait for night. We can’t fight them as Wolves. They’re too strong, unpredictable. Their pack numbers around fifty.”
“Our scout reported she only saw nine today, said some of them shifted into crows and flew toward Los Lobos.”
“That would be Ajani, his general and lieutenants. The most dangerous. They work by
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