In the Sniper’s Crosshairs

by Charlie Richards

  Alpha Declan nodded. “I agree.” He turned his attention to Castrose. “They’re secluded, and there’s only one cabin rented right now. We can make certain the couple is away.”

  Dixon nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Kade.” He rose from the table.

  “Demitri is a waiter at the diner where several of the men were spotted,” Alpha Declan commented as he followed Dixon’s movements with his gaze. “I’ll call him and ask him to tell them that the brothers have been in having lunch a few times.”

  Nodding, Dixon replied, “I’ll let Kade know.”

  “I’m going to tell Demitri that under no circumstances should he go with them, but remind Kade of the same.” Declan growled under his breath. “I can just imagine those assholes trying to sweet talk pretty little Demitri into showing them instead of just giving them directions.”

  “Gods, can you imagine how pissed Kiernan would be,” Lark stated softly, shaking his head. He squeezed Declan’s hand as he shook his head. “He’d seriously lose his shit if anything happened.”

  Declan smiled at his lover as he told him, “Kiernan may be human, but that’s as it should be between mates.” After pecking a kiss to Lark’s lips, he rose to his feet. “Be back in a minute.”

  Once both men were involved in their phone calls, Eion noticed Castrose rising. Lark did, too. Eion followed, as did Clayton.

  “Can I check your head, Castrose?” Lark asked, pointing.

  Castrose nodded. Reaching out, he grabbed Eion’s hand while asking, “Are my clothes done?”

  “I brought you some that would fit,” Clayton claimed. “They’re in the SUV. I’ll get them.”

  The man hurried from the cabin, disappearing before Eion could tell him that he’d pulled Castrose’s clothes out of the drier after he’d woken to his brother’s knocking.

  “Uh, if you prefer your clothes from the hike, they’re sitting on top of the dryer,” Eion told him, bumping his shoulder against his lover’s. “I’ll grab them while Lark takes a look at your head.”

  Castrose nodded.

  When Eion began to pull away, to his surprise, Castrose tightened his grip. He reached out with his other hand and held his bicep. Stepping close, he pressed a swift hard kiss to his lips. When he lifted his head, Castrose offered him a grim smile.

  “Do you have my rifle?” Castrose asked softly. “Or does your alpha?”

  Eion glanced toward his laundry room before refocusing on Castrose. “It’s in the laundry room, too. Tucked away. Why?”

  “I’d like to inspect it after I get dressed,” Castrose told him. “Make certain nothing was damaged when I dropped it.” He shook his head. “Still can’t believe I fainted. Fuck.”

  Lark snickered softly. “Don’t feel too bad.” He patted Castrose’s upper arm in reassurance. “I flipped out and had to be locked in a room for a couple of days until I settled down.”

  “Really?” Castrose frowned as he glanced in Alpha Declan’s direction where he was still murmuring into his phone. “I’m surprised the alpha allowed that, seeing as he’s your mate.”

  “I hadn’t met him, yet,” Lark told him as he urged Castrose to sit back in a dining room chair. “Declan was away on pack business, and Beta Shane was in charge. I was at a barbeque and saw one of the kids shift. Freaked the fuck out,” he continued to explain as he inspected Castrose’s head. “Anyway, this looks good. You know, if you finish your bond with Eion, you’ll start healing faster.”

  Even when Eion had stepped into the laundry room, he had been able to hear their conversation. Handing the clothes to Castrose, he told him, “I didn’t want you to feel coerced. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

  Castrose grunted, then pointed at his neck. “I’ve already accepted your bite. That was me accepting our bond.” Then his pale brows shot up. “Ah. You have to fuck me. Right.” Glancing around the room, Castrose stated, “After everyone leaves, we’ll get that finished then.”

  Eion’s blood fired in his veins at the very idea of fucking his mate. His mouth watered as he eyed his mark on Castrose’s neck. Reaching out, Eion gently traced his fingertip around it as a shiver of anticipation thrummed through him.

  Growling softly, Castrose leaned away from him. “Why does that make my dick hard?”

  Lark chuckled. “Your mating mark becomes an erogenous zone.” He winked as he moved toward Declan, giving them the illusion of privacy. “Enjoy.”

  Or not.

  Then Clayton barreled back into the cabin, holding a duffel bag. “Here ya go.” He skidded to a stop near the table, frowning at the clothes on Castrose’s lap. “Oh. You already have some.”

  Eion took a step back and smiled at the man. “Those were what Castrose was wearing in the woods. He might like something else,” he told the smaller human.

  Castrose rose to his feet, keeping the clothes tucked to his chest. With his other hand, he reached out and took the bag from his brother. “Thanks, Clayton. I’ll have to go shopping eventually, after we deal with Hodge, but this will hold me over.” After shifting the bag to the arm holding his clothes, Castrose slung his arm around his brother and gave him a one-armed hug. “Where are you staying these days?”

  “I’ve been staying at Dixon’s while waiting for you to come here,” Clayton told him. “I figured once you arrived, we could get a house.”

  “Oh, right.” Castrose focused on Eion. “You told me that. Think we can add an extension to this place?”

  Eion opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a glance between them, he realized that, while Castrose was his mate, he and his brother were a package deal. Nodding, Eion patted Clayton’s shoulder.

  “Of course.” Eion glanced around, thinking of his home’s layout and where it would be best to put an addition. “If we—”

  “You may want to think about a separate building,” Dixon cut in, announcing his return. He grinned as he settled his hand on Clayton’s neck. “Maybe a two-story structure? The bottom a big-ass workshop for you, then the top your own home?” When Clayton turned and peered at Dixon, his surprise was all over his face and in his scent. The beta used his hold to rock him back and forth playfully. “I remember you telling me about how you missed tinkering at my house.” Then Dixon smirked as he met Eion’s gaze and stated, “Unless you don’t mind having some of your handheld appliances dissected across the table.”

  Clayton’s cheeks took on a pinkish hue as he nibbled his lip. Castrose chuckled as he set the clothes and bag on the table, then crossed his arms over his chest. Meeting Eion’s gaze, he shrugged before nodding.

  “A separate home it is,” Eion stated with a grin. Then he recalled his mate’s words. “Wait a minute. What makes you think you’re going to help deal with Hodge?”

  Trepidation filled Eion as Castrose peered at him with surprise. “Because I am.”

  “No.” Eion hadn’t even bonded with his mate, yet. No way did he want him anywhere near danger.

  Castrose sighed as he wrapped Eion in his arms. “Eion, we brought them here. They’re my problem.”

  “They’re a pack problem,” Dixon countered. His grin turned feral. “But we wouldn’t say no to the assistance of a sniper.”

  Eion groaned, realizing he had no say in the matter. “Then I’m coming with you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Castrose rubbed his fingertips over the stock of his rifle absently as he peered through the scope. His nerves fired through his veins in a way he’d never before experienced. He knew it had everything to do with the man lying on the rooftop next to him.

  As soon as Eion had stated he would be joining Castrose on his mission to remove the threat to him and his brother, he’d tried to talk him out of it. He hadn’t wanted his lover anywhere near a fight. Unfortunately, the alpha had sided with Eion.

  “You are his mate,” the alpha had stated, his expression serious. “And yer bond is not complete. There’s no way he will allow y
e out of his sight right now.”

  So here I am, searching for any sign of movement in the trees and hoping nothing happens to my lover.

  God, that’s never happened before.

  “You need to calm down, Cass,” Eion whispered, rubbing his back lightly. “Everything will be fine. We’re good at this.”

  “I didn’t want you involved,” Castrose reminded him as he slowly panned over the trees. “You could get hurt.”

  Eion snorted. “I’m a shifter, Cass. I’m a lot tougher than I look.”

  Glancing toward Eion for an instant, Castrose took in his amused expression. He returned his focus to his job as he muttered, “If we’d finished our bond, would you have agreed to stay out of this?”

  “Not a snowball’s chance in hell.”

  As soon as Alpha Declan had gotten off the phone, he had rounded everyone up to head to the cabins. Evidently, a pair of strangers had been at the diner when he’d called Demitri, so it was a simple thing for him to give the information to the men. That meant they had to get to the cabins as swiftly as possible.

  The only ones who hadn’t joined them had been Lark and Clayton. Declan had taken them home. While Clayton had complained, claiming he wanted to help, Lark had assured him that staying out of the shifters’ way was the best form of help he could offer right then.

  Clayton hadn’t been happy, but he’d conceded.

  Castrose blew out a harsh breath. “That’s what I figured.” He’d been mentally replaying their conversations for the last half hour and something Eion had said repeatedly had stuck in his mind. “Can’t keep me safe and healthy if you’re not by my side in a fight, right?”

  Eion grunted. “I’d prefer you don’t get into fights at all, but you’re my mate, so making you happy means I’m not going to ask you to change.” Then he grimaced. “Much.”

  Chuckling low in his throat, Castrose felt his tension ease somewhat. “Well, you have to change a little, too, so I guess that makes us even.”

  As Eion laughed softly, Castrose spotted movement between the tree trunks. He narrowed his eyes as he panned left and right, counting. Clenching his jaw, he growled under his breath.

  Then Castrose lifted his right hand and flicked the switch on the communication bud in his ear. “I have movement. Six targets. I could take two before the others hide.”

  “Not necessary,” Beta Dixon replied through the line. “Just cover us as we round up these yahoos.”

  “Then what are you going to do with them?” Castrose asked curiously.

  “Oh, their lives are forfeit, sure,” Dixon told him. “But we’d rather not give them time to pull their weapons.”

  “Okay.”

  Castrose fell silent, watching as darkly dressed figures slipped up behind the half dozen people. In short order, the six men had been rounded up. They were stripped of their weapons and frog-marched to the clearing where they were forced to kneel before their hands and feet were trussed.

  Then Beta Dixon walked down the line, yanking off their ski masks. Alpha Declan stood nearby, scowling at the group. Once all the men were revealed, Declan growled.

  “Where’s Hodge?” Declan demanded.

  None of the men responded.

  “Right here.”

  The accented voice sounded from behind Castrose and to his left. Peering over his shoulder, he spotted Hodge standing in a tree, a gun in his hand. That was when Castrose noticed the red dot on Eion’s chest... directly over his heart.

  Gritting his teeth, Castrose began easing to the side, intending to cover his wolf shifter lover.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Hodge said with a shake of his head. “You move another inch, and I will blow away your spotter.”

  Castrose froze, although he couldn’t stop the tensing of his muscles. Glaring, he remained ready to jump at the slightest twitch of Hodge’s hand.

  “Good. Now release my men, and tell me where your brother is,” Hodge demanded, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “He’s gonna do a little work for us.”

  “No, he isn’t,” Alpha Declan stated calmly. “And if ye pull that trigger, ye’re a dead man.”

  Hodge barked a laugh, the cold sound echoing through the afternoon air. “You’re in no position to make demands.” He snapped the fingers of his free hand, and another three figures swung from one tree to another, stopping to flank Hodge and point weapons at several of them. “Now, where is Clayton?”

  Castrose growled low in his throat. “My brother will never work for you,” he declared, aching to cover his lover. “And I would never give him to you so you could force him.”

  “I’m giving you the chance to choose, Castrose,” Hodge stated on a snarl, his eyes narrowing. “But I’m losing my patience. Your spotter? Or your brother?”

  “You don’t have to make that choice, Cass,” Eion whispered, then he lunged.

  As Eion sailed off the roof, Castrose froze for several heartbeats. The sound of Hodge firing his gun yanked him back to reality. Hodge wasn’t the only one shooting. His three men were, too, and Declan and his people had scattered.

  Castrose rolled, taking his rifle with him. Hoping Eion was taking cover in the cabin, he brought his weapon to bear. He lifted and aimed in one smooth motion. After letting out a slow, steadying breath, he squeezed the trigger.

  Hodge ducked behind the tree, and Castrose’s bullet splintered the wood, sending shards flying.

  To Castrose’s satisfaction, he heard a shout of pain, telling him at least the wood chips had hit the asshole. Shifting his aim, he fired again. With a scream, one of Hodge’s men fell from the tree.

  The disturbance caused by a bullet zinging through the air near his left shoulder told Castrose he needed to get moving. Planting his hiking boots on the wood shingles of the roof, he leaped to his feet. In two steps, he reached the chimney and ducked behind it.

  Castrose rested his rifle against the stone and pulled out a handgun given to him by Beta Dixon. Peeking around the chimney, he saw a number of dark forms streaking across the forest floor. He noticed they had the attention of those still in the trees, seeing as the branches shifted. He spotted the flash of the gunmen’s arms, and the crack of gunfire continued to fill the air.

  Narrowing his eyes, Castrose took aim. He popped off a shot at the man on the left. The spray of blood across pine needles, as well as the shout of pain, drew a grin to Castrose’s lips.

  Hodge and his men ceased firing and tucked themselves away from his angle once more.

  Castrose continued to fire, slow and steady, as he hollered, “Eion? You okay, handsome?”

  Instead of a human response, Castrose heard a barking howl. The dark forms suddenly made sense. Alpha Declan and his people must have shifted to their wolf forms.

  While Castrose could only guess at their reasoning—maybe it’s a beast thing—he needed to give them time to do whatever they were planning.

  “Give it up, Hodge,” Castrose bellowed as he pulled a fresh clip from his back pocket. He popped the expended one and slammed the new one into place. “You’re not getting out of here without answering our questions.”

  “I ain’t answerin’ shit,” Hodge yelled back while his own men began firing at the dark forms again. “And neither are my men.”

  Castrose spotted movement to his right and watched as one by one, Hodge’s men began to topple. The bound men had no chance, and the three that were trying to untie each other were down before Castrose realized what was happening. Taking aim again, he shot at the tree Hodge was hiding in, stopping his attempt to murder the three remaining hostages who were trying to slither, roll, or hump away while still bound.

  “No loyalty amongst terrorists, Hodge?” Castrose called, shaking his head.

  “As if assassins have room to talk,” Hodge spouted.

  Before Castrose could come up with a response—hell, there wasn’t much he could say about that, since in his line of work it was common knowledge that once you were i
n there was only one way out—death—a massive dark brown wolf bounded out from between bushes.

  Castrose watched with interest, wondering what the land-bound shifter could do to men in trees. He kept up firing though, keeping Hodge and his men pinned down. To Castrose’s surprise, the big animal leaped at a young sapling.

  The tree bent under his weight, then snapped back. The wolf used the momentum to launch himself into the air. His big furred frame slammed into the shooter to Hodge’s left, taking the uninjured man to the ground. Several more wolves—one pale blond, one dark brown, and one black one—followed suit, launching themselves at Hodge and his injured gunman.

  Hodge’s henchman went down under a flurry of teeth, claws, and fur. Hodge jumped to another branch, narrowly dodging the big blond wolf. He extended his arm, taking aim, but Castrose was faster.

  Castrose’s bullet pegged Hodge in the upper arm. The man cried out in pain, dropping the gun. Holding his arm tight to his body, Hodge jumped to another tree, using his other arm to clutch at the branches.

  Shaking his head, Castrose had to admit, at least to himself, the man was a nimble bastard. He rolled to his right hip, lifted his fleet, and pushed with his free hand. Sliding down the pitched roof, he judged the distance. Castrose reached the edge and fell, hitting the ground in a crouch.

  Springing back to his feet, Castrose left the downed henchmen to the wolves guarding them. He sprinted into the forest. Castrose had no intention of allowing Hodge to escape, knowing the asshole would just continue to come after him and his brother.

  Castrose ducked under tree branches, leaped over rocks, and shoved between shrubs. Spotting a flash of movement ahead as well as the sound of more gunshots—damn, he must have had a back-up weapon—he closed in on the fleeing terrorist. Dodging around trees, Castrose screeched to a halt before he stumbled into a small clearing and gave himself away.

  Getting a bead on Hodge, Castrose fired.

  Hodge shouted in pain as his left leg buckled, and he went down. With his right arm already injured and tucked to his body, he reached to break his fall with his left. The move caused him to drop his gun, and the weapon bounced off a boulder and off to the left.