How does he know we're here?
The hunter brings his gun to chest level and points it around him. “I know someone's watching me,” he says. “I'm not a child, I've been in the game for decades. If you think you can take me on, step out and let's handle this.”
Graham tries to move, but I lift a hand, stopping him.
I can see the agitation on his face. Graham wants to get this over with, but there's more going on here. I can feel it.
The smell of gunpowder suddenly intensifies, but I know it's because there are more hunters around, not because this one is close.
We suddenly hear the three different sets of footsteps joining the first hunter. I can see them clearly from my hiding spot.
It's a trap. They knew we were coming.
Our ambush has turned into us being outnumbered. Still, I'm not sure they know exactly where we are; they just know that we're present.
They walk, aiming their guns in all four directions. Their movementsare closer to Graham than the rest of us, and this is where I see an opening.
I signal to him and he barrels out of his hiding spot to attack. The size of the man surprises our attackers, but before they get a chance to react, Nate and I join the fight.
It's clear they weren't expecting more than one shifter. I knock one to the ground, crushing his skull immediately, while Graham makes short work of his opponent.
Nate goes for the throat of the third one but gets shot in the arm by the fourth, sending him to the ground. This incites Graham, who lands a heavy paw across the throat of one of the last two hunters still standing.
All that remains is the first attacker who is still holding his gun. Smoke curls from the barrel, fresh from his shot at Nate.
He points the gun at us, aiming between me and Graham, unsure of which to defend against.
Because of Graham’s size, he assesses him as the greater threat, and he points at him, but I'm far stronger and faster.
I close the gap between us in the blink of an eye and use my alpha power to push my claws into the hunter’s chest. His clothes are no match for my raw strength, and I rip through the fabric, tearing into him.
Blood runs down the mouth of the hunter as his gun drops to the ground. He looks down at my arm on his chest before life leaves his eyes.
I toss the body to the ground and return to my human form.
Graham does the same thing, and we both rush to check on Nate, who hasn't transformed yet. He reaches into his arm to remove the bullet, growling before slowly turning back into his human form.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he groans. “Sadly, it's not the first time I've been injured by silver.”
“Let's hope it's the last,” Graham says.
Our journey back into the city is mainly filled with good news, as the majority of our coordinated attacks were a success. However, there are a few hunters who've been able to escape, but now they have the fear of God in them.
It's clear that we're not going to have to worry about hunters again for a very long time.
“We did it,” Nate says in the seat beside me.
I maintain my hands on the wheel as I chuckle. “We've been far too passive. Those hunters are no match for us when we stand together.”
“I can't wait to go back to living a normal life without worrying about my mate’s safety,” Graham says, leaning into the backseat.
“It's why we do what we do,” I tell them. “To protect our mates.” No one would've guessed that I'd ever be part of a conversation like this, but here I am. I'm no longer an outlier when the topic of mates arises.
I drop Nate and Graham off at their houses before driving over to my place in the city. I park the car and quickly head inside, seeing Leena waiting just behind the door. She jumps on me before pausing to check for injuries.
“I'm alright,” I chuckle as she rains kisses on my face.
