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“Kyle?” Clawson rubbed his thumb over his jaw. “You’re right. He’s proven himself useful before. Let’s find him.”
I caught sight of Tori entering the B&B, her hair shimmering like molten gold in the fading sunlight. I relaxed, and then I realized I’d been strung tight ever since Longtail had greeted Tori and checked her out like she was a juicy steak ready to be devoured. She’d be fine chatting with Diana.
Clawson and I headed to the training grounds, where Kyle was working with a group of shifters. Even from a distance, I saw the sweat glistening on their faces, evidence of the rigorous session. We watched the shifters demonstrating their skills with an undeniable sense of fierceness. Under Kyle’s guidance, they had improved a lot—their movements were fluid, and their attacks executed with precision.
“They’ve come so far,” I said.
“Thanks to Kyle,” Clawson said, scanning the crowd before landing on Tori’s brother. He was moving through the group, correcting stances and demonstrating techniques with practiced ease. However, something was off about him today. Tension radiated from him.
As ifsensing our scrutiny, Kyle locked eyes with us. His gaze held a challenge as he stalked toward us. “You two here to get your asses kicked?” he asked, a hint of annoyance coloring his tone. “Or do you just enjoy watching from the sidelines?”
“Actually,” Clawson said, undeterred by Kyle’s prickly demeanor, “we could use your help.”
“Is that so?” Kyle crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised.
“Security’s stretched thin.” My words were slow and deliberate. “We need someone with your skills and knowledge to back us up. Can we count on you?”
“Fine,” Kyle said, though I saw a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. “If you want me to pitch in, you better make sure I’m not wasting my time.”
“Of course,” Clawson said. “Our priority is keeping this town safe, and we know you share that goal.”
I was grateful that Kyle was willing to step up. Would our combined efforts be enough to protect those who called Blackwood Creek home?
“My men are stretched thin, trying to cover both law enforcement duties and additional security measures,” Clawson said. “Until the hunters show up, we need all the help we can get.”
”I get it,” Kyle said, the hard edge in his voice softening ever so slightly. “I’ll do what I can. Just make sure you let me know if anything changes.”
“Thank you, Kyle,” I said sincerely. “Your help means more than you know.”
“We’re really going to need the help when we start evacuating the town,” Clawson added with a weary sigh.
“Evacuating the town?” Kyle’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “That’s news to me.”
I sighed. Right, we hadn’t filled him in on the plan yet. “The humans shouldn’t be caught in the crossfire,” I said. “It’s important for their safety and ours. We’re going to tell the humans there was a train accident and that nuclear waste material was spilled. We’ll transport those who can’t go to family to other towns where there is no risk to them from any kind of crossfire with the hunters.”
Kyle considered this for a moment, his eyes flicking back to the shifters still engaged in their training exercises. “My father used to care more about making sure humans were never witness to the hunters killing paranormal people,” he said begrudgingly. “He’s gotten a lot more lax about it over the last couple of years.” A bitter edge crept into his voice as he continued. “One of my duties was to help cover up their various hunts. We had to make sure human reporters and media outlets didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary going on. It wasn’t easy.” He shook his head, frustration evident in the set of his jaw. “Getting the humans out of town is a good move, but we should do that sooner rather than later.”
Clawson nodded solemnly. “The sooner we can ensure their safety, the better.”
“Besides,” Kyle said, his gaze darkening, “the hunters strike quickly and without warning. They aren’t going to give us advance notice. We won’t have a lot of time to evacuate once they come for us.”
My gut clenched with unease. He was right—the hunters wouldn’t give us the luxury of time. We couldn’t afford to falter.
“You’re right,” I said, meeting his steely gaze. “We’ll start working on evacuation plans immediately. In the meantime, I really appreciate your help with the security measures around town.”
“Fine,” Kyle said, but his expression was still clouded with frustration. “If you need my help, I’m here. Just make sure you keep me in the loop.”
“I should have come to you with the evacuation idea earlier. I’ll make sure you know everything going forward.” I extended my hand to him. He hesitated for a moment before shaking it firmly.
With Kyle off to help Clawson, I headed back to the B&B to check on Tori. The lights in the window were so inviting. As soonas I walked through the doorway, the comforting scent of freshly baked bread and Diana’s ever-present pot of coffee enveloped my senses.
“Ridge,” Diana greeted from behind the reception desk, her smile warm and welcoming. “Your lovely fiancée is in the kitchen, lending me a hand.”
“Thanks, Diana,” I said, walking through to the kitchen.
I found Tori standing at a small wooden table, carefully folding linen napkins into neat squares. Her hands moved gracefully, each fold precise and measured. She looked up as I entered, love radiating from her eyes when she saw me.
“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She went back to folding the napkins in front of her. “How did everything go?”
