Theyshouted and flew back when Archer suddenly shifted.
His wolf chomped into one man’s thigh and jerked back, making him wail. My heart raced, the air skating through my lungs with such speed that it made me dizzy. I searched the parking lot and spotted a woman emerging from her car.
“Help us!” I shouted.
When she caught sight of us and stopped, the wolf at my feet took off in a flash and chased after her.
Seizing the moment, I slid off the car and tackled one of the brutes. He stumbled backward, and I fell on top of him. Fueled with adrenaline, I beat his face with relentless blows, and he shielded himself with his arms. But that only lasted briefly before he shoved me off.
Archer’s wolf exploded into action and landed on top of him. He latched onto the man’s wrist and snarled.
The biker kicked Archer so hard that it knocked him onto his side. Before Archer could flip over, the man grabbed his hind legs and dragged him backward. “We’re gonna teach you a fucking lesson, you worthless piece of shit!”
My blood ran cold. When I struggled to my feet, one of his buddies wrapped his arms around me like a boa constrictor.
I watched in horror while they beat Archer’s wolf mercilessly—every yelp and growl making me bite, claw, and kick the man holding me. “You cowards!” I shrieked. “You’re all cowards!”
Tak bounded onto the scene, and when the wolf charged at him, he thundered, “Submit!”
The animal cowered at the alpha’s energy slicing through the air like razors seeking a target. Then he scampered away.
Bear entered the scene, and the two giants hoisted the attackers off Archer’s wounded animal. A fight ensued as the men tried to take on giants twice their size. Tak and Bear beat them senseless.
Tak stalked toward me with dark menace in his eyes. The guy holding me immediately let go and bolted.
“Who started this?”
With my heart beating like a snare drum, I pointed a shaky finger at the bearded man in the leather vest, who was lying unconscious by a tire.
Tak fished out the man’s wallet and then tapped the leather billfold against his large palm. “When I find out who their Packmaster is, we’ll have words.” He slapped the man to wake him. “You better hope you have a Packmaster. If you’re a rogue, you’ve just sullied your reputation. Calvin doesn’t like horseplay on his property.” Tak flicked a glance at me. “No offense.”
Archer’s wolf shifted to human form and gave me a remorseful look before shifting back to heal. With his tail low, he sprinted out of sight.
“Archer, wait!”
Tak lightly took my arm. “Let him go. His wolf needs to cool down.”
“But we didn’t do anything. Why wouldn’t they leave him alone?”
“Montana saw the altercation in the bar.” Tak took me aside and quieted his voice. “A one-armed man put an able-bodied one in his place, and the second man feels like he can’t let that go. This isn’t the first time, but it’s the first time it’s happened in front of someone he cares about. Archer’s a tripod, so he’ll always have to fight twice as hard or not fight at all.”
“Why must anyone fight? Why can’t men stop the violence?”
Tak hung his head, feeling the weight of my meaning. “Immortals fight for three things: power, ego, or love. We know little else, and I can’t change the world. All I can do is make sure these men never set foot in this bar again.”
I collected Archer’s clothes and patted his pockets for the key. “May I drive home? Ineed to find him.”
Tak nodded. “We have enough vehicles. Take the truck. I think we’ll be here for a while longer.”
Chapter 25
On the slow drive back to the house, I saw no sign of Archer on the country roads. Disheartened, I arrived at the property and opened the garage door using the clicker. Assuming Archer wasn’t still in wolf form, the only other place he might be was in his bedroom, and my intention was to sneak in and check if he was okay. He must have been shaken up after fighting off three men, especially because the fight kept escalating.
When I got out of the truck, a strange metallic sound stilled me.
He’s in the gym. That’s got to be him.
Making a silent entrance, I spotted Archer on the weight bench with his prosthesis on. He was pushing what looked like a tremendous amount of weight. Repetitively. Without pause. As I drew closer, the anger on his face was palpable.
