by Lia Davis
“This ends tonight.” She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Those of you who are strong enough, we welcome you to join our fight.” She began to unlock the cages one by one and tossed the padlocks into a pile on the floor as she went. The doors swung open, shifters filed out, and they lined up beside her team as they waited for her to finish freeing the captives. A strangely shaped key hung on the same ring. She glanced at the collar on the polar bear, slipped the key in, and popped the locking mechanism. When she let go, the collar fell to the ground with a heavy metallic thud. It echoed throughout the room, eliciting growls, yips, and howls from the still-collared shifters. She offered the polar bear a weak smile before moving to the next shifter. With a steady hand, she inserted the key, freeing another unfortunate captive. She continued through the room from shifter to shifter until all of them were released from the barbaric devices.
“Those who are unable to fight, you are free to leave. There is a team outside too and they will assist you.” She shifted back and stalked from the holding room. Not a single shifter hesitated. They all followed Jess and her team out of the room, their intent clear.
Gunfire rang through the warehouse, followed by screams of pain from a wolf. Adrenaline surged through her body, increasing her aggression. A snarl burst from her lips as she broke away from the pack and crept behind some crates to keep out of sight. The lion, now focused on revenge, followed closely behind. With a nod at each other, they continued on.
The gunman stood mere feet in front of them. She crouched into pounce position and the male sidled up beside her. He obstructed her view and shook his head, prepared to attack. Realization of his intent made her retreat all the more bearable. The lion wanted this kill to avenge his mate’s murder. He crept to within a foot of the man. The guard watched everything unfolding in front of him, but failed to pay attention to the threat approaching from behind. Idiot. The lion tackled the man with such force his face smashed into the concrete, crushing his nose flush with his face. The guard’s screams echoed throughout the building. The lion dragged the guard’s limp body behind the crates just as more bullets flew by. Jess did not need to stick around to know the job would be done.
She watched as the polar bear grabbed one of his captors with his massive paws and threw him to the ground. The man’s gun flew from his hand and landed next to another human. Without a moment’s hesitation, the man picked up the gun and aimed it at the bear, a deadly gleam in the man’s eyes, a sneer slashed across his face. She raced out from between two crates and launched herself onto the man’s back. He screamed as she sank her fangs into the back of his neck and slashed with her claws. The coppery taste of blood flooded her mouth and charged her attack. He flailed and twisted in his effort to gain freedom. With all his might, he tried to get a shot at her, but she used her weight to throw him to the ground. She quickly stood and picked the man up, gave him a hard shake that snapped his neck. His limp body fell to the ground with a thump. She looked up to survey her surroundings, only to see Caleb watching her. He motioned for her to follow him. Without a second thought, she obeyed. She’d follow her man anywhere.
Caleb watched as Jess attacked and killed the man. His chest puffed with pride as his woman dispensed of the man as if he were nothing but a pest. She didn’t waste any time. The beauty, strength, and capability of his mate couldn’t be matched. Jess was pure perfection.
She eased up beside him, then gave him a full-bodied rub before she placed her head beneath his. As much as he would have loved to stay like this all night, they needed to finish what they’d started. He’d found where they kept Emma but had waited for Jess to rescue her. She’d want to be part of taking them down for good. He tossed his head in the direction of the office when a male lion sidled up beside them. Caleb put himself between his mate and the lion, being sure to let the male know she’d been claimed. When the lion bowed his head in submission Caleb understood he just wanted to help. He quickly examined the lion’s appearance—his mane ragged and sparse and his body smattered with blood. From what he could make out, the blood didn’t belong to the lion. He met his gaze and saw determination in the lion’s eyes. With a nod, they all stalked to the back.
The office was on the second floor and was guarded heavily by armed gunmen. He needed a distraction. Someone to lure the men away. A harsh snarl drifted up the stairs, drawing everyone’s attention. The wolverine they’d brought ascended the steps quickly. Blood covered his face and Caleb would be willing to bet the little guy was having a blast. With a chuff, he got the wolverine’s attention and jutted his chin toward the gunmen.
It didn’t take much convincing to entice the beast into the fight. The men didn’t stand a chance against the little psycho. Caleb almost regretted sending the wolverine in. Almost. The wolverine raced up the stairs and mauled the gunmen’s legs. The first gunman screamed and started shooting wildly as the wolverine attacked. He took out one of his buddies with his erratic shooting. Bullets rained all around them.
They took cover behind a crate and watched the carnage unfold. The wolverine made short work of the guard’s legs. The man’s flesh was ripped and shredded to the bone in a minute’s time. As the remaining guards tried to scatter, they too fell prey to the vicious attack. Screams echoed through the air. When the men collapsed to the ground, it gave the wolverine full access to the rest of their bodies. Their guns fell from their grasp as the attack raged on. The men fought with every ounce of strength they had, swinging their arms wildly to try and make contact with their attacker. Finally, they just curled into balls as though they were resigned to their fates. The wolverine didn’t show signs of slowing and Caleb couldn’t be happier.
When the last of the men had stopped breathing, he gave the signal for his team to move forward. He climbed the stairs with caution as the others followed close behind. His ears remained trained on his surroundings while he inched closer to the office. Just as he reached the door to the room where Emma was being held, the slamming of another door snapped him into action. He didn’t want to lose them through a back exit. With all of his strength, he rammed his body into the door and broke through into the office. The fresh scent of jackal proved the Lanes had just been here. He also caught Emma’s scent. Unfortunately, they must have taken her with them. He threw his head back and roared in anger at losing their target. Maybe they planned to use her as a hostage.
He pushed his way through the back door and followed their scent down the stairs. Jess and her father were hot on his heels. He didn’t have to worry about the Lanes making it outside. They wouldn’t get far once they set foot outside of the buildings door.
Caleb caught the acrid scent of fury before he saw the jackal creep out from behind some boxes. Susan Lane launched her savage assault before he could dodge her. She sank her teeth into his shoulder and latched on. His shoulder burned as her fangs tore through his flesh and connected with bone. He snarled as he tried to shake her off, but she didn’t budge. Jess’s roar rang through the air, followed by the jackal’s sudden release. She threw Susan from his back and put herself between them.
When Lane regained her feet, she began to circle around, trying to get behind Jess. Jess hissed in warning, keeping the bitch in her sight. The jackal rushed forward and snapped her teeth at Jess’s flank, not making contact. The tactic was used to distract the victim, but his mate didn’t fall for the pathetic tactic; instead, she slapped Susan square in the face with her massive paw. Susan sprawled across the floor like a rag doll.
Jess stalked over to where Susan lay whimpering and seized her with her jaws. The snap of bones met Caleb’s ears with a resounding crack. With the last shake, he knew she’d broken the jackal’s neck; her death was instantaneously. She tossed her to the side and rushed back to him with her head held high in satisfaction. Pride washed over him like a crashing wave. The sour scent of aggression drew his attention from his admiration to the side door that led to the parking lot. Jess and Paul followed close behind him as he pushed open the hea
vy steel door. The trail led him to the dimly lit side parking lot where a crowd of agitated shifters had surrounded the remaining Lanes. Jordan Lane held a gun to Emma’s head and Samuel aimed his at anyone who moved. It proved to be their only saving grace; not a single person tried to call their bluff, probably on the off chance they were serious. The warning growls and yips from their shifters rent the air. They held their ground; none of them wanted to endanger Emma more than necessary.
Caleb’s attention was brought to the slight tremor in the boy’s hand as his gaze drifted throughout the growing crowd. The boy’s brows were furrowed with worry; he was out of his realm. He couldn’t take the chance of Jordan’s caginess getting the better of him. Not with the gun so close to Emma’s head. Bruises covered her face and arms. Dried blood caked her hair. Goosebumps cascaded over his arms as power surged across his body, and he could tell Jess was assessing her sister’s injuries, her savage need for vengeance evident.
“If any of you come any closer he’ll kill her.” Samuel bellowed. The Lanes backed away, pulling Emma with them, tried to gain as much distance between themselves and the shifters as possible.
Out of the corner of Caleb’s eye, he could see Paul Baker easing into the shadows alongside Samuel. Jess moved until she stood in front of Samuel. She bared her teeth at him and snarled, dared him to take another step. Caleb brought his attention back to Jordan. The boy’s trigger hand still quaked. The pinched look on his face didn’t match the aggression his father threatened them with. Jordan averted his gaze whenever he glanced at his father. The amount of power Samuel held over his son seemed astronomical; with a well-placed command, the boy would snap. Caleb needed to gain Jordan’s trust, but he would have to tread lightly. Caleb allowed the change to take over and shifted within seconds. He stood to his full height and stretched, but never took his attention from Jordan and Emma.
“Jordan.” He held his hands up to show him he meant no harm. “I know you don’t want to do this.”
“Don’t listen to him, Jordy,” his father called out.
Jordan’s hand began to quiver and sweat slipped down his face, dropping from his chin.
“Listen, we don’t want to hurt you,” he said in a soft tone, taking another tentative step forward. Emma whimpered as Jordan’s hold tightened around her. “This can all be fixed, Jordan.”
“How?” His voice quivered. “I’ve betrayed our kind. Some of the shifters I found were killed. Murdered because of me. How are you going to fix that?” The reality of the situation seemed to take its toll on Jordan. Dark circles ringed his eyes, his pale skin was almost translucent, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Caleb took another step forward. “You could start by letting Emma go.”
“I swear to God if you let her go I will kill you myself, boy!”
Caleb caught movement from the corner of his eye. Paul positioned himself behind Samuel and Jess held the front.
“Let me help you Jordan. I can’t help until you let her go. Do you understand? She’s innocent.”
A flicker of hope flashed in the boy’s eyes. The firm grip he had on Emma’s shoulders eased and he started to lower his gun. Just as Caleb reached for the weapon, he heard Samuel let out a bellow.
“You worthless piece of shit!” The man lifted his own gun and pointed it at Emma. Before Caleb could move to shove Emma and Jordan out of the way, a shot rang out in the night. Emma’s body flew into his arms and Jordan shielded her with his own. The bullet slammed into his back and an agonizing yelp filled the air. Emma grabbed him and eased him to the ground.
The metallic clank of Samuel’s gun as it hit the concrete ricocheted off the warehouse’s outer walls, followed by rapid footfalls retreating to the field. Even with the odds stacked against him and two shifters poised to attack, he still attempted to make a run for safety. Points for trying.
Paul not only moved aside for him to escape but he let him get a head start. He raced after him, his growl low and savage.
Jess turned to Caleb and tilted her head in question.
“Make him pay, baby.” She chuffed and charged in the direction her father had gone. Caleb didn’t have to worry about the lowlife getting away because his cry of pain echoed off the warehouse. Jess and her father would make short work of Samuel. His attention turned back to Jordan.
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” he uttered as pain wracked his body. “I never wanted to hurt you.” Her fingers brushed against his flushed cheek.
The compassion she showed amazed Caleb. Anyone else would have retreated and saved herself, but not Emma. She’d been kidnapped at the hands of the boy she liked and still showed him kindness in his time of need.
Tears ran down the sides of Jordan’s face as Emma pressed a kiss to his forehead.
Caleb rested his head on Jordan’s chest and listened. With every breath he took, the wheezing and gurgling became more persistent. The bullet had punctured his lung and he had begun to suffocate to death. He would never make the trip to a hospital in time. Caleb knelt on the other side of Jordan and grasped his hand. “You did good, kid.” He offered Jordan a smile.
“Do you think this makes up for all the wrongs I’ve done?” He asked, his voice gravelly and low.
“Definitely.” And Caleb meant it.
Jordan sighed in relief and closed his eyes. He squeezed Caleb’s hand hard as he gasped for air. Jordan’s chest rose and fell faster but he failed to draw a full breath. The intermittent rhythm of his heartbeat signaled the end was near.
Emma clutched his hand and rested her forehead on his chest. A sigh of relief escaped the boy’s chapped lips as his heart took one last beat. Without a sound, she cried, her tears falling onto Jordan’s now still body.
Jess and Paul, back in human form, emerged from the darkness covered in blood and dirt. He stood back as they rushed to Emma’s side. Jess knelt beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Tears streamed down their faces and streaked through the dirt.
Caleb stayed back, allowing them to comfort each other in peace. He approached the group of shifters who were now in their battered and bruised human forms. One by one they began to focus on him and waited for him to address them.
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank you properly, but without you we never would have accomplished this.” The shifters who’d been held captive hovered at the edge of the group, huddled together, eyeing everyone with leery glances. “To all the people who were freed today, if you need assistance, just ask. If you’d like to leave, we won’t stop you. But please let us help you before you go.” He sensed Jess’s approach before she came into his line of sight. Paul tucked Emma under his arm. “Remember, Elaine has breakfast ready at the diner and I know she’d be pretty pissed if we didn’t show up for it.”
Everyone nodded in acceptance and started to trudge back to their vehicles. Some shifters assisted the wounded, while others congratulated each other on a good fight. He turned to find Jess waiting for him.
“Ready?” She extended her hand and he grasped it. He couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else.
Chapter 15
Jess couldn’t get over how busy the diner was. She’d never seen so many people in the small space at the same time. Each booth was filled to capacity and people mulled around the aisles. Her mother and Harper passed out pancakes and bacon to everyone. She grabbed her apron from the back, snagged two coffee pots on the way out. No doubt they could use her help.
She meandered her way through the crowded diner, filling empty coffee cups as she passed each booth and making small talk as she went. Jess caught up with some of the local shifters, made sure they were all okay, and thanked them personally for their helping hands. She also offered to help anyone she could in order to try and repay them for their assistance. The shifter community had come together when one of their own needed them the most, and it created a stronger bond throughout the town.
Finally she came to the booth where some of the captured shifters who’d been re
leased sat. They were battered and bruised. Dark circles encompassed their weary eyes, and their heads hung low in exhaustion. When they registered her presence, they perked up, smiles spreading across their tired faces and their eyes brightening with welcome.
“How are you guys?”
The polar bear shifter answered for the group. “We’re doing a lot better now, thanks to you and your friends.”
The rest of the booth nodded in agreement.
“You guys are more than welcome to stay as long as you want. We will help you as much as we can.” Hoping they would accept the help, she turned to leave. The lion shifter shimmied from the booth before he hurried after her, touching her shoulder gently.
“I was wondering if I could talk to you.”
The pain in his voice made her heart skip a beat. She remembered how he mourned his mate and she couldn’t help but feel for him. Jess would never be able to forget their farewell. He had stayed behind to make sure his mate’s body was retrieved and taken care of. She couldn’t imagine the grief he must be feeling. “Definitely,” She offered a kind smile and gestured for him to follow her toward the back of the diner to the staff area. “There’s a break room here in the back if that’s okay.”
She maneuvered through the crowded diner, nodded at everyone as she passed. The kitchen doors swung open and Kels appeared with an armful of plates filled with pancakes, bacon, and eggs ready to deliver to the hungry patrons. She winked at Jess and offered the lion a kind smile before she sped past. Maple and grease scented the air. They made their way to the back and entered the small plain room meant for staff. She pushed open the door and allowed the lion to enter, then followed after him.
