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* * *
Micah crept through the foliage to a low window, careful not to disturb so much as one leaf or twig. His Pack was equally stealthy. They listened, hard. For any sound, any movement at all.
The plan was to get a bead on the monster. Wait until he was in a different room from the women and then strike.
But when Micah heard Jacee’s bloodcurdling scream, that plan went to hell.
Without a second thought, he backed up, got a running start at the window, and let his feet fly, digging into the turf. He hit full force, shattering the glass into a million shards, not even feeling the pain on his muzzle.
What he saw took the rage in his heart, blackened it, and boiled it over, like tar.
Parker was holding a pair of pliers, twisting a vulnerable piece of flesh at the curve of Jacee’s exposed breast. Torturing her, as so many of the women had been tortured under Bowman’s rule back then.
No. No more. This ends here, and now!
Parker’s face twisted in anger at the interruption, and he shifted into his monstrous form just as Micah launched himself across the cabin. Jacee scrambled out of harm’s way, and the battle was on.
The two of them collided, opposing forces with years of pent-up hatred consuming them. The huge, awful bird was a strong enemy. A deadly fighter. He countered Micah’s moves, blocked his attempts to go for the neck. They crashed around the small space, tearing up furniture, cracking the walls, breaking windows.
Micah rolled, getting in a good rip on the creature’s leg with his teeth, enjoying its screech of pain. Talons sank into his back, and he cried out and rolled again, dislodging them. The tide turned when his Pack joined the battle, distracting the monster.
They tore and bit at the creature. Came at him from every angle, and soon he was strictly on the defensive, unable to get in any more good blows. For all the creature’s strength and hate, he was missing two vital things—
Love and Pack.
Without those things, an enemy was doomed. Parker seemed to realize this and, too late, tried to double his efforts. It was in vain.
When the creature fended off a strike from Aric, Micah finally got his opening. He leapt onto the bird, taking it to the floor. Clamping his jaws around its neck, he ripped out the monster’s throat.
And he kept tearing, ripping at the body after its eyes went cold and dead to make sure. Really fucking sure it could never hurt him or his mate again ever. At last he became aware of a soft whine and a warm body nudging him.
My mate, come back to me. He’s dead, and he can’t hurt us anymore.
Whirling, his wolf found his beloved coyote standing there, gazing at him with love and understanding. She yipped at him in joy, and he realized it was over. They could start their lives together, follow their dreams, with no threats hanging over them. Only good things in their future.
For his mate, even more good things than she realized.
Yes, let’s go home.
They stayed in their shifted form, curled up together in the back of one of the SUVs all the way back to the compound. Everyone left them alone.
In fact, they didn’t surface for a solid two days, most of that time spent making love.
Micah’s cravings for myst were almost completely gone, and when the urge came, it was a mere echo now, thanks to the love and support of his mate. His life was good.
And that was just about as close to paradise as he’d ever been.
* * *
Defeat a bad guy, throw a party.
Jacee was beginning to sense that was a theme with the Pack, and that was fine by her. The mood outside was festive as some of the guys and girls played football. Sariel and Kalen argued, as usual, over who’d get to hold baby Kai, the doting uncle or the daddy, and of course Sariel won.
Kira had finally introduced Jacee to a little creature called Chup-Chup, who looked like an adorable gremlin but was prone to biting when scared of strangers, so Jacee made sure to hold out her hand so he could sniff her thoroughly, letting him decide she was a friend before scratching his ears. After that, and Jacee sneaking him a piece of hot dog, they were golden.
Some of Calla’s family attended, and Jacee had to admit to her mate that she was fascinated by the vampires. Especially the extremely sexy Prince Tarron Romanoff, who was single, but not for lack of several females vying for his attention.
Micah snorted, eyeing the vampire. “What’s he got that I don’t have?”
