And if these humans aren’t in the know, they’ll probably have no idea what that brief flash even meant and the growl can be easily explained away.
Her reaction isn’t what I expected though. Instead of backing off, her eyes narrow and a thoughtful look comes over her face. A cold smile twists at her lips, curling her mouth upward. “I see,” she says. She leans to the side, trying to look past me to the interior of the house. “So, our little runaway found some friends. How many of you are there?”
I give her a blank stare, my jaw clenching.
“Probably not many then,” she says, nodding as if agreeing with herself.
“Enough to get rid of you two,” I say, my growl amping up into a more audible threat.
She scoffs. “Don’t be so sure of yourself, puppy. We know how to deal with mongrels like you.”
One of the man’s hands shoots forward, a syringe wrapped in his fist and aimed for my neck. The effort is almost laughable as I easily intercept him, grabbing his hand and squeezing until the man cries out and I hear something crack.
I let more of my wolf shine through, my teeth elongating in my mouth as my nails sharpen into claws. My words are slightly garbled due to the teeth, but the venom in my tone is unmistakable. “You might know how to handle a smaller wolf who’s been locked up and starved, but I can guarantee neither of you can stand against an alpha at full strength.”
The twitch of the woman’s eyelid is the only thing that gives away her unease.
“Now, get the fuck out of here before I decide you’re on the menu for breakfast.” Shifters don’t actually eat humans, but it makes for a good threat.
Her response to that is a cold laugh. “You shouldn’t antagonize what you don’t understand.” She bares her teeth in a feral grin. “Don’t get too comfortable. We’ll be back for our property.” She snickers. “And maybe a few new subjects if I have anything to say about it.”
She spins around, motioning for the man to follow, and calmly walks toward the driveway without another word. I don’t like the fact that she just gave up like that, and I can’t help but feel like I should have handled this whole thing differently.
My wolf thinks the proper response would have been to simply rip her throat out, but that would definitely bring the triumvirate down on us. They sort of frown on killing humans unless absolutely necessary. I’d argue that killing these two was necessary, but if they’re as connected as I think, their deaths would bring all kinds of hell down on us.
I stare after the two of them, watching as they get into a blue sedan and head down the driveway. I’m unable to fully relax until their vehicle is no longer visible. A sense of apprehension sits heavy in my stomach. I don’t know for sure who they are or who they work for, butanyhumans experimenting on shifters are bad news.
I sigh, shutting the door and turning to find Doc and Macy flanking Ollie in the living room just past the edge of the foyer.
“I’m sorry.” My mate bites at his lower lip, his brows pulled together with concern. “By the end… they didn’t seem to care much about what happened to me, so I had no idea they’d make an effort to find me. I didn’t mean to bring all this trouble down on you guys.”
I open my mouth to reassure him, but Doc, of all people, beats me to it.
“It’s not your fault,” he says. “Though this did just get even more complicated. With undeniable confirmation that there are at least two humans—and most likely more—fully aware of the existence of shifters, I don’t think we can avoid making a report to the triumvirate. Trying to go about it by just calling the two praetorians you know isn’t going to cut it.”
I frown. I don’t want to agree with him, but he’s right. The triumvirate’s main purpose is to protect the secret of our existence. They might also operate as a kind of federal level police force, but at the most basic, they keep humans from finding out about shifters and prevent our exposure.
Doc glances at Ollie, then back to me. “But that doesn’t mean it might not be a bad idea for Ollie at least to be somewhere else when the triumvirate arrives. They’ll want to talk to him regardless, but the odds are they might be busy here for a while. In fact, I can almost assure it.”
Macy nods. “And by the time someone actually gets around to taking Ollie’s statement…”
“We will have worked out the whole pack ties issue by completing the mating bond or finding and contacting Ollie’s birth pack,” I say slowly. “Or maybe even both.”
“Exactly,” says Doc.
I cross the foyer and pull Ollie into my arms. “What do you think?”
He wraps his arms around my waist and rubs his cheek against my shoulder. “I’m happy with whatever you think is best, as long as I get to stay with you.”
“Well, I’ve been meaning to go up and visit Keir and the twins at some point,” I say, tucking my mate closer to my side as I turn the idea over in my head. “It seems like now is as good a time as any.”
“Great,” says Macy. “How soon do you want to leave?”
I barely manage not to wince. My second isn’t going to like the rest of my idea. “I think you should stay here with Doc.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Her expression darkens, her mouth curving downward.
I shake my head. “Julien’s pack is an ally and there’s absolutely no danger in me going up there without you.” I hold up a hand to stop whatever protest she’s about to make. “And I’d be more comfortable if there was someone I trusted here to talk to the triumvirate and report back to me.”
