by Fel Fern
“I love you.” The words slipped out before he could take them back. For a second, he feared he’d uttered the truth far too early, but Grover only kissed the mate mark on his neck.
“Me, too, little cat. Now and always.”
* * * *
Hearing Eric’s light snoring, Grover gently untangled himself from his mate. After exchanging those tender three little words, Eric remained awake long enough for Grover to persuade them to get a shower and tend to the bite mark.
After losing his sight, Grover decided he didn’t want to become dependent on others, didn’t need to lean on others all the time, so he took lessons in basic first-aid for those with disabilities. He could still recall how Eric seemed surprised he knew what he was doing.
Grover bent down and gave Eric a kiss on the cheek—well, he misjudged the distance and ended up kissing Eric’s forehead. No matter. He froze, feeling Eric stir, but his little cat didn’t wake. As quietly as he could, he got out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans before opening the door to his visitor.
“How is he?” Abram asked.
Grover shut the door behind him, careful not to make any noise.
Eric would be safe inside. His jaguar would let him know if any harm came to his little cat.
“Asleep.”
“Good.”
Grover could smell coffee and donuts. Abram nudged the box in front of his hand. Seconds later, he pawed inside, grabbed one, and sniffed. Chocolate. Good. He bit into the sugary treat as Abram told him about what he’d found out.
“Sanctuary is an abandoned warehouse on Dockyard Road Jackal converted into his base of operations,” Abram said.
“Dockyard Road? That neighborhood that was evacuated by residents a few years ago after a vampire outbreak?” He’d heard only rumors, but that part of town had been abandoned, even though the vampires had left more than twenty years ago.
“Most of the homeless take up residence there, but it’s clear Jackal considers the neighborhood his territory.”
“Tell me what we’re up against.”
“Jackal has maybe twenty to thirty thieves under him. I can only give an estimate because a group of people always go out in shifts. My lion sensed six other dominant shifters there, the enforcers Eric mentioned and half a dozen crow shifters. I assume the bastard uses them as spies.”
“He has something sweet going for him, huh?”
“I heard Jackal give a little speech to the others, spinning some tale about his missing family members and how he’ll do everything in his power to retrieve Eric and Evan. He’s charismatic as well as cunning, but I smelled fear, Grove. The people there put up with him because they think he’s their only choice.”
He snarled at the choice of word Jackal used. Family. Grover preferred monsters who didn’t hide what they were any day as opposed to skilled manipulators who’d sooner stab their own people in the back.
“I plan on keeping Eric. I’ve already mated him.”
“Well, I knew that was going to happen.”
“Jackal’s a threat to my mate,” Grover said simply.
“The bastard’s a threat to the town, and that’s unforgivable.”
“We’re in agreement then?”
“Yeah. Dusty volunteered to look after Eric and Evan while Mike, you, and me go after Jackal and his enforcers. And I’ve persuaded Kane to take Bowen out of town for a trip.”
Grover raised his brows. He knew Abram’s mate wasn’t the easiest man to convince. “How’d you manage that?”
“Easy. I told him we were going fishing and both Bowen and Kane hate sitting around while we fish.”
“Good, but we’ll only deal with Jackal and his enforcers.”
“The other thieves and the crow shifters?”
“They’ll need to figure out themselves what to do next. If Eric can break free, they could do the same.”
“Not everyone has steel under their skin, but you’re right. Get some sleep. I’ll continue keeping watch.”
Grover smiled. Even now, Abram still took the role of leader seriously. Well, more big brother now, but he appreciated it. He couldn’t have helped out Eric or Evan without their help after all. His temper would have probably gotten the better of him, except ever since meeting Eric, his jaguar no longer felt out of control.
He realized the same thing had happened to Abram and Mike. Both Bowen and Kane had pulled his brothers back to their human self when they’d been on the verge of turning into feral shifters. Out of the four of them, Dusty was the only one left unmated, but he knew it wouldn’t be long now before Dusty found his soulmate to fill the missing holes in his soul.
“I can’t wait for all this to be over,” he said.
Abram clapped his shoulder. “You’ll reach the finish line soon enough, Grove. After all, you have all the time in the world with your mate.”
Chapter Eleven
“Are you sure you guys don’t need a guide?” Eric insisted the next day.
Evan, he, and the rest of Grover’s pals were at Dusty’s apartment. Evan looked better than he had in days, the shadows under his eyes gone and his brother was smiling again.
According to Mike, they’d ordered pizza, took Brownie out for a walk, and Evan had tired himself out and went out like a light the moment they’d gotten back to Mike’s place. Now Evan was busy dividing his attention between Pancake and Brownie. Both dogs vied for his attention.
“I already scouted ahead last night,” Abram explained. “Don’t worry. This won’t take long.”
Something else was bothering him. “What about the others?”
“It’s up to them. The cops have been after Jackal’s group for ages, but without Jackal, the group would probably fragment,” Grover said.
There was cold practicality in his mate’s voice. None of them were friends in Sanctuary because they spent most of their time trying to fend for themselves, but Grover promised him that they only had one target in mind—Jackal and the enforcers who would protect Jackal.
“Okay.” He crept up to his mate and gave Grover a quick kiss for luck. “Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry, Grove’s a tough bastard,” Mike said.
The three shifters left, leaving Evan and him under Dusty’s watchful eye. Dusty, he didn’t know that well. The leopard shifter seemed easygoing enough and liked to joke around, but he also sensed Dusty was hiding his pain. Dusty seemed younger than the others, older than him by only a few years, and yet he had the ancient eyes of someone older.
None of his business really, and besides, Grover trusted the leopard.
“Are you pissed you had to babysit us?” he asked the leopard shifter who took the armchair next to Evan. He spoke slowly, so Dusty could catch the words.
Eric’s sign language was rusty. They had a neighbor back at Sanctuary who was partially deaf, but the guy hadn’t stayed long. Before Thad left though, he’d taught Eric how to sign some. Grover told him Dusty could read lips though.
“Who? Me? Nah. I might compromise the operation.”
“How so?”
“I’m getting Browne and Pancake some water,” Evan said.
“There are bowls under the kitchen counter,” Dusty told Evan. Of the former shifter special ops members, it seemed Evan seemed most comfortable around Dusty. He guessed it was because Dusty was the closest to them in terms of age.
Dusty considered him then sighed. “A few months ago, I nearly lost control of my animal. Because of that, Abram nearly lost to his lion, too, but Kane managed to convince him to return to human form.”
There was obvious guilt in the other man’s voice.
“Well, thank you anyway. You set aside your plans for us.”
“I don’t really have any plans, so it’s fine.” Dusty paused, as if considering his next words. “I live on military pension, but during my free time, I volunteer at the shelter in town. I usually get along with kids and teenagers.”
That explained why Dusty didn’t mind looking after
them. “Will Grover and the others be all right?”
“Yeah. We’ve dealt with scum like Jackal before. Just sit tight and wait. Waiting sucks, I know, but in no time at all, he’ll be back.”
“I hope you’re right.”
* * * *
Abram stopped his vehicle a couple of streets away from Sanctuary. They all agreed to this operation. It would be quiet and quick, without causing any ruckus. Grove had already given an anonymous tip to the police about where Jackal’s hideout was. By the time the police arrived to helped sort out the mess, they would have completed their objective.
Mike had already told his contact in the force that most of Jackal’s people were victims, but others might have committed crimes more severe than robbery. They’d leave the work to the experts. Grover only had one target in mind.
“Let’s do this,” Abram said.
They got out of the car. Grover undressed and tucked his clothes and belongings into a ball before putting them inside Abram’s car. Abram and Mike decided to remain in human form, but they packed ammunition.
Grover preferred being in his second form, and besides, he was a lot more stable now. He shifted. Fur covered his skin. Bones rearranged themselves, as did organs. Finally, he hit the ground on all four paws.
The three of them blended with their surroundings, remembering old training to blend in and be invisible. He saw Sanctuary after turning the last street corner. Dockyard Road was comprised of old residences and an abandoned industrial district.
A lot of the warehouses were stripped down like carcasses or were missing roofs or windows, save one. Sanctuary had a fresh coat of paint and two enforcers guarded the front. Despite their casual clothes, he could smell their guns. Beyond them, his jaguar heard movement inside.
“We’ll take the back door Eric mentioned,” Abram said.
They slipped past the two enforcers at the front without notice. Abram went first and silenced the enforcer on guard duty by cutting off the man’s airflow. In a couple of minutes, the man would recover. Grover was tempted to set his teeth on the enforcer’s throat. Dominant shifters were meant to protect the weaker members in their group or pack, not exploit them.
It made him angry that Jackal had managed to run this clever little operation for so long without facing repercussions. Mike gripped a handful of his fur and he nearly snapped the tiger shifter’s arm off. It was plastic anyway, but he held himself back.
“Less bloodshed, the better,” Mike reminded him in a quiet but firm voice.
They all agreed they’d only act if they were attacked first. Besides, if he attacked this enforcer, the smell of blood might attract the attention of others. He snarled in agreement.
“Stairs to the second floor this way,” Abram said. They stuck to the walls. He heard a shout, cut short, and a body sinking to the floor. Footsteps followed, drawn by the sounds the man Abram dispatched had let out. The time for stealth was over.
“Intruders!” someone yelled.
He heard the click of a gun somewhere and lurched toward that sound. Grover pounced and the enforcer holding the gun yelped in surprised. Grover felt as the man shifted, then swipe one clawed paw toward his throat. He lashed out, instantly clamping his teeth over the man’s throat.
Releasing the man, he heard a gunshot, underestimated his dodge, and felt the bullet graze his side. No matter. Grover kept moving forward, knowing Mike and Abram backed him up. He followed his nose, could somehow differentiate a particular oily scent from the others.
“Jackal, we’re under attack. You need to leave,” a voice said.
Could he be so lucky? He followed that oily smell. A bullet caught him unawares in his lower back. It hurt like a bitch, but he didn’t sense any kind of poison. Not silver then. They were prepared for intruders, but not shifters.
“I’ll take care of him.” Mike’s voice.
His nose hit wood. A door. He angled his shoulder against the wood and used his strength to break the door down. The sound of guns being raised and men cursing made him duck his head. A hail of bullets swept past where his head would have been. Snarling, he listened for heartbeats. Three of them, two which beat erratically. The calm person must be Jackal, plus, he had that toxic scent.
“What the hell? The jaguar’s blind. Nolan, end him,” said a silky voice.
Nolan. Oh, he knew that name. His little cat had shuddered a little when talking about this Nolan. Another challenging snarl, the sound of clothing ripping, but he didn’t let the enemy get the better of him. Nolan was mere distraction from his real goal. He lunged toward Jackal’s voice, hearing a curse.
He collided with the man who controlled this little empire, nostrils flaring. Jackal smelled wrong. Skin turned to silky fur and the man underneath him shrank to an animal much smaller than his jaguar. Jackal, his jaguar told him, but before he could put the bastard out of his misery, Grover felt teeth clamping down on his back. Nolan, probably. He twisted, tried to throw the other shifter off but in the process, the slippery trickster slipped away from him, light paws bounding toward the door.
Enraged, he howled and clawed at Nolan in anger. Another shifter joined in the fight. One jaguar against a wolf and a puma. Didn’t matter. His jaguar was pissed. No matter how much they injured him, Grover would return the favor. The puma—Nolan—clawed at his face, but he dodged so Nolan clawed his cheek instead. The wolf came for him from behind.
Fuck this. Grover didn’t have time. Jackal, the slippery asshole, might be as far from the compound as possible by now. Men like Jackal liked lording over his minions, but once his little kingdom fell, Jackal would be the first to run. Grover had been assigned to end men like that before. Cowards.
The click of a gun made him drop to the ground and the blast sent the wolf flying. Abram’s scent filled the room. Thankful to his friend, he reversed Nolan and his positions, tackling the puma to the ground, and without hesitation, he ripped out Nolan’s throat. Blood filled his muzzle. Finally, the puma underneath him was still.
“Grove, did you get Jackal?” Abram asked. “All the enforcers are dead and Mike’s dealing with the residents, talking to them. The cops will be arriving soon.”
To reply to Abram, he needed to be in human form, but Grover had no time for that. He bared his teeth and nudged Abram out of the way to get to the door. The lion shifter let out a curse behind him but hopefully Abram understood his concern.
Jackals were no bigger than domestic dogs, a medium-sized predator bigger animals misjudged, and yet one jackal shifter had managed to organize this entire thieving operation all on his own and recruit larger predatory shifters as enforcers. No, Eric’s former boss wasn’t to be underestimated.
“Grove, let’s take the car,” Abram called behind him and he slowed.
Grover hadn’t realized he’d been running, that he was now near the street where Abram parked his car.
Animal instincts pushed at Grover to continue heading toward the direction of his mate, protect Eric at all cost because Jackal wasn’t dumb. The bastard would blame his massive failure on someone, anyone. He was sure Jackal would come to the conclusion that in some way, Eric was involved though. He followed Abram to the truck.
Abram took out his phone. “I’m texting Mike to update him, and Dusty, as well, in case Jackal goes hunting for Eric and Evan.”
Grover approved. Once that task was done, Abram opened the car door for him and he jumped onto the passenger seat, too tense to change to human form. Thank God one of them had their head screwed in place. Abram started the engine and the truck began to rumble out of the neighborhood.
A bad feeling began to form at the pit of his stomach. Dusty was on watch duty, he told himself, and besides, Jackal had no idea where the brothers were. The jaguar inside of him warred with the man. Since Eric had entered his life, Grover had started to gain more control over his cat, but today, that control was unraveling. If he gave in to his animal, he might injure Abram—or worse, kill his former commander.
�
��Grove, stay in control because your jaguar’s this close to calling my lion out. Having a dominance fight right now won’t help anyone,” Abram said, voice tight and strung with worry.
If Grover didn’t get to his mate soon, his temper, his animal would take over. Once that happened, his jaguar would wreck anything in its line of sight, the hell with the rest of the world.
Chapter Twelve
Jackal watched all the hard work he’d put in for years burn down in a single day. He silently seethed on the street across the warehouse, across from his precious Sanctuary. Fury kindled inside of him, but he let cold ruthless logic prevail. Fuck. Who was that blind jaguar that fought like a monster summoned from the depths of hell?
A crow shifter landed on the lamppost beside him and cawed softly. Jackal knew he shouldn’t linger. There was plenty of time to plan, to find out who the hell these bastards were who had the balls to betray him. Jackal bolted from the scene. He didn’t consider retreat a cowardly act, not when it meant recouping and hitting twice as hard at his enemies later on.
The crow shifter followed him. There were more of them scattered throughout town, although he had a feeling after seeing Sanctuary crumble, the others had fled. The smarter ones knew he could still pay them though. Jackal had plenty of off-shore accounts, and with money he could buy resources to find out who was going to scream for him.
Police sirens sounded in the distance. Damn that blind jaguar shifter and his friends.
No way in hell could he salvage Sanctuary. Didn’t matter. Once Jackal got to the bottom of this and he repaid his invisible adversary in full, he’d set up a new shop in a new city. The lost and stupid were easy to lure and once they were inside his trap, they’d realize too late they could never get back out.
Jackal ran toward the town center. He seldom ventured to this area, preferring to conduct business opportunities on his own turf, his territory. Gone now, all of it, and he had someone to thank. Who the fuck could have the balls to betray him?
