Protective Instinct by Katie Reus

Rafael. Ryan knew Rafael and Rosa had hated leaving Nikan but they’d needed to track Teresa.
    “She fought back hard, Ryan. We’re going to find her.” Rosa’s quiet voice trembled but he heard the steely determination in her words.
    Hell yeah they were. He had to get to Teresa. Had to save his bondmate. He couldn’t handle the alternative.
    In his peripheral he saw Natalia sprinting out of their Alpha’s house, Connor and Liam not far behind. He’d sent Lucas to the house to get Connor but he wasn’t waiting for anyone. Not now.
    “I’m getting the gate,” Natalia shouted.
    He didn’t respond or acknowledge anyone as his legs ate up the distance. Within seconds Connor and Liam flanked him, running just as quietly, just as fast.
    When they reached the parking structure, Connor spoke. “I’m driving.”
    Ryan was barely holding his wolf in check so he didn’t bother arguing. He jumped into the passenger side of the chosen SUV and looked at the tablet again. The dot was still moving, heading toward the ski lodge. “It hasn’t turned off yet,” he said to Rafael. “What’s your visual?”
    “Just went around a bend, but there are two cars in front of us so we’ve got some distance. Guy’s not driving erratically.”
    Good. Ryan still couldn’t link with Teresa telepathically but she was alive. He could feel their bondmate connection clearly. That was the only thing letting him keep his sanity. He’d just found the courage to bond with the woman he loved, he couldn’t lose her now. Fate couldn’t be that cruel.
    The SUV slowed to a roll, not stopping as they pulled through the gate. Natalia jumped in the backseat with Liam, and Connor was already hitting the accelerator before she’d closed the door.
    “They’re slowing down.” Ryan’s heart rate kicked up as he zoomed in on the map, using different programs to gauge the landscape and location. “When they turn off, keep going.”
    “You sure?” Rafael asked.
    “Yeah. The road is a dead end. They’re either going to head to what looks like…” He zoomed in even farther and pulled up one of his favorite programs for a real world view. “It’s a huge cabin, owned by the ski resort. They’re either going there or they think they have a tail and are testing you. Pull off to the right at the next turnoff. If they’re worried you’re tracking them, they’ll loop back out and you can pick them up again. If this is their final destination there’re no other roads for them to lose you on. Not even service roads.”
    “Okay.”
    “Nikan’s okay,” Liam murmured from the backseat. “That human is dead though.”
    Good , Ryan thought. He’d heard Liam talking on the phone but had tuned the conversation out until now. He turned in the seat, pinning Liam with his gaze. “Did Parker give you a name?”
    Technically the Sheriff shouldn’t have given Liam any information, but Ryan was betting the man wouldn’t be following the rules at the moment. Liam nodded and rattled off an unfamiliar name and even the address listed on the human’s driver’s license.
    Ryan’s palms were actually damp as he input the information into multiple databases. Right now he was only concerned with finding Teresa but they needed to know who this human was, who he had alliances with. He could be part of the APL or he could be working with vamps if this whole shitstorm was indeed related to vampires.
    “The dot’s stopped moving,” Ryan rasped out, barely hanging on to his control as his animal surged to the surface. His wolf was rabid, clawing at him, telling him to shift and destroy anything and anyone that got in his way.
    “We’re seven minutes out.” Connor’s voice was quiet, soothing as he placed his free hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “It won’t take us long to get up the mountain. They didn’t go far.” He was just stating the obvious, what Ryan could see for himself on the screen, but still, his words had a semi-calming effect.
    His claws had