“But not good enough for me,” Will Lawless interrupted with a snarl.
They jumped to their feet and shifted into theirguer, but Jesse saw they were clearly outnumbered. “How many did you need to bring with you to feel safe, you piece of shit?” He counted a dozen outcasts. Probably all that remained of the once-threatening Lawless clan.
“Enough to take back my female and get rid of you once and for all.”
Before Jesse could take on Will and his buddies, an additional threat developed. Masked humans appeared on either side of them in the woods carrying weapons. At least two dozen of them.
“Will Lawless, just who we were looking for,” a masked man with a deep voice announced.
To one side, Jesse and his mates had the river, to the other a stretch of large rocks. Yet somehow the humans had advanced on them, and they didn’t carry a scent or make enough warning noise to alert the Lawlesses of their presence. Jesse had a bad feeling he’d just verified the existence of that rumored human group, the Watchers. They hated Voiders, and they seemed particularly interested in Will.
And then all hell broke loose.
Chapter Fifteen
“What the fuck is this?” Will shrieked and fisted his clawed hands. He’d finally rounded up the men he needed to take back his prize. And what a prize it was. Three horny Ravagers, one fertile female, and they’d been so consumed with their own orgasms they hadn’t sensed him approach. Then again, after the threats their prime had made about trespassers, it took a certain kind of crazy to violate clan orders.
Will didn’t claim to be that sane at the best of times, but this band of humans surrounding them had to be out of their fucking minds.
He turned from the Savages, unwillingly impressed by how quickly the males had shifted to protect their supposed mate, and how fast Kate had assumed her fighting form, a ferocious female willing to battle.
“You’ve killed one too many of us,” one human decreed and gripped his automatic weapon tight.
Will glared at it. The thing could kill him if he took too many rounds. But he’d rip that gun away before the feeble human could do too much damage. He just had to watch out for the other weapons pointed in his direction.
“You don’t belong here,” Jesse Savage growled at the human. “This is Savage clan territory. You’re going to start a war you really don’t want, trust me.”
The one who’d spoken nodded. “This is regrettable, but Will Lawless belongs to me.”
“Bullshit.” Logan cursed. “The fucker tried to sell my ass to the Salinas for a murder I didn’t commit. He’s trying to take my mate. Our mate,” he corrected, nodding at Jesse. “Ravager business doesn’t concern you.”
“Get out of here.” Even Kate threw in her two cents.
Will was surprised by the warmth that filled him. No matter that he and the Savages had never gotten along. For all their differences, Ravagers stood together against a common threat. It bothered him that he’d forgotten that important fact.
His brethren growled, their hackles raised, and banded closer. The Savages took a step closer to joining them.
“We’re here for Will Lawless and any remaining members of the Lawless clan. The rest of you need to back away,” the human said softly. “This is between us and the monsters killing innocent women. My sister.” He motioned to another man. “His mother. Her cousin. His best friend.” He pointed out the individuals as he mentioned their losses.
Will couldn’t believe the humans actually thought they could win this little skirmish. “You want a real fight? Drop your masks and your guns and engage.” He held up his clawed fingers, the promise of a lingering death for those who thought to challenge him.
“He killed your sister?” Jesse asked.
The human nodded. “And my brother and his wife as well. Took a bunch of us out at a family picnic. Hell of a thing to come home to after a long day’s work and find half your friends and family wiped out because a Ravager wanted a meal.”
“And a fuck, don’t forget that,” Will added with a sneer. His men laughed and made several obscene gestures.
But the leader didn’t laugh. His entire body tensed, and he raised his weapon.
The Savages parted from Will and his men, seeming to align with the humans instead of their own kind.
Will scowled, annoyed as much with their defection as he was with his own disappointment—that he’d wanted them to join him. “Figures we couldn’t count on Savages. Jesse, why don’t you and your weak little boyfriend stay back while the real Ravagers fight your battle. No wonder your prime rejected you and your female refused to claim you. You aren’t worth the sweat it would take to defeat you.”
Jesse and Logan showed their teeth but otherwise didn’t respond. Kate held their arms, more in a show of support than to restrain them, and Will didn’t like that one bit. The bitch looked way too attached for his peace of mind.
“Who said I didn’t claim them? I wanted strength, not some coward who only strikes at those less vulnerable. Where’s the challenge in that?” Kate turned her attention to the human who’d spoken. “Take them. But you’d better never show up on Savage soil again. My prime isn’t going to like knowing humans have invaded our territory.”
At least Kate wasn’t backing down in the face of danger.
