Shoved him across the threshold.” Ryker pointed to a pile of ash.
Drew nodded. “Seems they burn pretty easy. Gave us an idea. But first we have to get control of the gas station again.”
“The others are all out there with Liv.” Xan lunged to his feet, seized the chair, and swung around to smash it against the wall.
Gee caught it and ripped it from his grasp. “This chair didn’t do anything to you. Sit.” He slammed it down and glared. “Now. I’ll be your babysitter until we have the traps set. You know the value of planning. Calm your mind, Xander Davis. The last thing you want is to get your mate killed. You were trained to keep a level head; it’s about time you use what you were taught.”
“There were five on the list I called to this meeting. Four didn’t show.” Drew glanced at Ryker and Marcus. “Go find them and bring them back. If they can’t step over the line, escort them across like you did the other one.”
Xan surveyed the room, taking a mental snapshot. Who were the missing four?
Chapter Eight
“Hey, assholes. Do you remember me?” Xan stood in the open garage bay. A hyena lifted its head from the office floor, while two of Ajani’s officers played cards at a table. They looked up at him and tossed their hands down.
“It’s dat agent. Heye, he, he, he.”
“No, shit. Of course it dat agent. We got him woman.”
“So, this is how we’re going to do this. You are going to give me my mate and then you are going to die.”
“And if she isn’t here anymore?”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Not much of a compromise. How ’bout we hamstring you and den you watch while we eat your mate? He, he, he.” The female’s eyes flashed blue. Oh, he’d pissed her off. Good. The Ilimu got froggy when pissed, jumped before looking, and he counted on it. “Den we take you apart.”
“No deal. I like my idea much better.”
Both demons at the table shifted and lunged for him. Xan twisted and dove, his body burned as though he’d leaped through a ring of fire, and shreds of his clothing flew in every direction, a victim of his rapid shift. When he landed outside, paws struck pavement. He tore across the lot and streaked up a hill and toward the forest as a white alpine. Impossible to miss in the shadows.
You want me, come and get me.
“Don’t kill them yet.”
Xan set the gas can down. “We can’t wait for dark.”
“You’re going to have to. They relocated her.”
“What?” Xan roared and whipped around to glare at his Alpha. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“I can’t. We’re looking for her and have picked up a scent trail.”
“I need to go.” Xan turned, and Drew clamped down on his shoulder.
“Stay here.” He yanked free from the Alpha and took three steps toward the woods. She could be out there dying. Suffering who knew what unspeakable acts. God, what had he gotten her into?
“I said to keep your ass here.”
“My mate is out there!” Xan paced back and forth in front of the pit. Shit. All this for nothing. Now what? Xan shoved a hand into his hair and stared at his Alpha, until Drew turned and made eye contact.
“We’ll find her.” His Alpha tossed him a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Xan caught them and stepped into the denim, buttoning them up. “Alive?” He slung the T-shirt over his shoulder and glanced at the monsters in the pit, fighting the urge to take them out. “Are you certain she’s alive?”
“Yes. There wasn’t enough blood in the office where they’d held her. Liv’s a fighter—a survivor.”
“Blood? Her blood!” He roared and tossed the shirt down. His flesh began to burn and itch.
“If you shift, I will put you down.” Drew pointed. “You better back your Wolf down. The last thing I need is for you to tear off after her and get your ass snared too and both of you killed. Calm down.”
He panted, resting his hands on his knees. Breathe in three counts. Hold three counts. Exhale three…. Shit . He
Drew nodded. “Seems they burn pretty easy. Gave us an idea. But first we have to get control of the gas station again.”
“The others are all out there with Liv.” Xan lunged to his feet, seized the chair, and swung around to smash it against the wall.
Gee caught it and ripped it from his grasp. “This chair didn’t do anything to you. Sit.” He slammed it down and glared. “Now. I’ll be your babysitter until we have the traps set. You know the value of planning. Calm your mind, Xander Davis. The last thing you want is to get your mate killed. You were trained to keep a level head; it’s about time you use what you were taught.”
“There were five on the list I called to this meeting. Four didn’t show.” Drew glanced at Ryker and Marcus. “Go find them and bring them back. If they can’t step over the line, escort them across like you did the other one.”
Xan surveyed the room, taking a mental snapshot. Who were the missing four?
Chapter Eight
“Hey, assholes. Do you remember me?” Xan stood in the open garage bay. A hyena lifted its head from the office floor, while two of Ajani’s officers played cards at a table. They looked up at him and tossed their hands down.
“It’s dat agent. Heye, he, he, he.”
“No, shit. Of course it dat agent. We got him woman.”
“So, this is how we’re going to do this. You are going to give me my mate and then you are going to die.”
“And if she isn’t here anymore?”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Not much of a compromise. How ’bout we hamstring you and den you watch while we eat your mate? He, he, he.” The female’s eyes flashed blue. Oh, he’d pissed her off. Good. The Ilimu got froggy when pissed, jumped before looking, and he counted on it. “Den we take you apart.”
“No deal. I like my idea much better.”
Both demons at the table shifted and lunged for him. Xan twisted and dove, his body burned as though he’d leaped through a ring of fire, and shreds of his clothing flew in every direction, a victim of his rapid shift. When he landed outside, paws struck pavement. He tore across the lot and streaked up a hill and toward the forest as a white alpine. Impossible to miss in the shadows.
You want me, come and get me.
“Don’t kill them yet.”
Xan set the gas can down. “We can’t wait for dark.”
“You’re going to have to. They relocated her.”
“What?” Xan roared and whipped around to glare at his Alpha. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“I can’t. We’re looking for her and have picked up a scent trail.”
“I need to go.” Xan turned, and Drew clamped down on his shoulder.
“Stay here.” He yanked free from the Alpha and took three steps toward the woods. She could be out there dying. Suffering who knew what unspeakable acts. God, what had he gotten her into?
“I said to keep your ass here.”
“My mate is out there!” Xan paced back and forth in front of the pit. Shit. All this for nothing. Now what? Xan shoved a hand into his hair and stared at his Alpha, until Drew turned and made eye contact.
“We’ll find her.” His Alpha tossed him a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Xan caught them and stepped into the denim, buttoning them up. “Alive?” He slung the T-shirt over his shoulder and glanced at the monsters in the pit, fighting the urge to take them out. “Are you certain she’s alive?”
“Yes. There wasn’t enough blood in the office where they’d held her. Liv’s a fighter—a survivor.”
“Blood? Her blood!” He roared and tossed the shirt down. His flesh began to burn and itch.
“If you shift, I will put you down.” Drew pointed. “You better back your Wolf down. The last thing I need is for you to tear off after her and get your ass snared too and both of you killed. Calm down.”
He panted, resting his hands on his knees. Breathe in three counts. Hold three counts. Exhale three…. Shit . He
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