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“It is so great to finally meet you,” Malcolm called out, holding his hands in the air.
Gabriel noted a sidearm as he did, hidden rather lamely under his armpit. Something told him that Malcolm was the impulsive type. He could take advantage of that.
“You have met many shifters, I assume?” Gabriel said, stopping and crossing his arms. “Or have you just met the ones you've killed?”
He began to cackle, then choked on his own spit. The man was ill. That was where the rotten smell was coming from. It earned no sympathy from Gabriel.
“Where are the relics?” Ava bellowed, taking a big step forward.
Levi tensed in preparation, but Malcolm stopped her, continuing the pattern of chortling and strangling himself on his spittle.
“Now, let’s see what they have to say. I have heard that this Gabriel fellow is a man of his word.”
Gabriel huffed. The piece ofLantern’s Eye in his pocket sighed with a pattering pulse.
“Where is Lucas? You show me my man, and I will show you the relics.”
Malcolm cocked an eyebrow while Ava took a step back. He moved toward the alpha, his tiny stature even more pronounced, standing up to the mountain that was Gabriel.
“Now, what need is there for all your friends to be here?” Malcolm said. “This was supposed to be a simple exchange. Relics for your man. Easy.”
Gabriel snorted. Malcolm's eyes went wide.
“You don’t really think I'm going to hand you the pieces we found?” he said, his voice elevating to a thunderous rumble. “Do you think we are as stupid as your kind?”
It became clear rather quickly that Malcolm was feigning confusion. It was just as Gabriel had predicted. Six or seven humans came from the trees, hanging by the branches, all with rifles pointed at the skulls of each shifter.
They all stood incredibly still. They knew it was going to happen. Malcolm was pathetic and power-hungry. There was no way he was going to leave without the relics.
“I’m afraid we don't understand each other,” he said, stepping dangerously close to Gabriel. “You have always been very dumb creatures, your kind. I'm sorry you will never get to see your lovely slut of a mate again. She's very pretty, though. I can't blame you …”
Malcolm’s tongue flicked out the side of his mouth one final time. Gabriel pumped his hand back and launched his fist forward. It was like being hit in the face with a cinder block.
His face caved in like paper mache. Fragments of bone jutted out, caked in muscle and ligaments. Gabriel found it ironic a few seconds before an arrow stung his left shoulder.
He flew back while the pain spread like wildfire through his shoulder blade. His men had shifted already, some going for the men on the ground while some pounced into the trees. Gabriel was thankful he had brought his own backup. Tigers leapt through the canopy above while gunfire hailed through the forest, echoing through the dome of the initially pristine quiet.
His men fought hard, slaughtering many of the humans rather easily. It was Ava that he was most worried about. He jumped over Malcolm’s shriveled-up body, withering with the bugs, those permanently puzzled eyes staring at him in their dim, dead haze.
“You will not have your man!” Ava called out. She retreated in the direction she had come from.
Levi was the only enforcer who had not shifted. He couldn’t … he held vital pieces of the relic in his back pocket. So before Gabriel chased after Ava, he pulled the silk bag from his pocket and tossed it to his pride member. Levi caught it and stared at his alpha.
“Go!” Gabriel yelled, tearing his shirt from his body. “As we spoke of!”
Levi was as full of heart as they came. He had a mate and children of his own and just as much to fight for. He nodded to Gabriel, then sprinted in the opposite direction.
Gabriel knew the relics would be safe with him. As long as Ava didn't catch him first.
He split his clothing from his body, his vivid fur bursting forth. He galloped after Ava, who was quick and lithe but not quick enough.
She hopped down a hill and over a brook. Gabriel did the same, gaining on her easily. He pulled back slightly, wanting to seem believable but also needing to know where Lucas was hidden. The arrow was still sticking out of his shoulder, bobbing up and down aggressively with his movements.
When he was close, she unsheathed the machete tucked into the leather binding at her thigh. She swiped at him, narrowly missing his open mouth. She was too good, and it was agitating. He didn’t want to wait anymore. He could hear the bullets faintly in the distance, the war cries of her failed humans, a sad siren song.
He bit at her feet, and she stumbled. He saw the surprise in her eyes as she rolled, crunching through the leaves and landing in a pile of dead vines. It was damp from the last rainfall, and her face planted right into the squishy mud.
The bite was a mere nip, cutting across the bone just above the heel. She had fallen in front of a small cavern, and it seemed to have a gate that looked rusted but recently used.
