Virgil
It was not a bluff.I knew from the wild, unhinged glint in Gunner’s eyes that he was one hundred percentserious.
He was threatening my mate right in frontofme.
My blood ran cold. Every muscle in my body tensed, poised to spring and tear his throat out. Iwantedto kill him. He was threatening the one I loved and using him as a hostage. He was a disgusting, sad excuse foraman.
But I couldn’t move. Hector was tiny compared to Gunner, who had his ugly fingers wrapped around my mate’s throat. One wrong move and it was over. Not just for Hector, but for both of us. Losing him meant losing my reason forliving.
And yet, I could donothing.
I forced myself to calm down and lay myhacklesflat.
“Let’s talk this through,” Ioffered.
An ugly sneer stretched across Gunner’s lips. “Funny. We’re past talking.” His fake smile fell and he snapped, “Call offyourmen!”
I hesitated. Gunner’s hands tightened around Hector’s neck. I saw my mate’s eyes widen interror.
“Stand down!”I called to mygroup.
Gunner released some of the pressure, looking pleased I had complied soeasily.
“Good,” he muttered. “Now offer yourselves uptome.”
“What?”
Gunner growled, “You think you’re leaving this place? So you can regroup and try this trick again? No, no more. None of you are ever leaving my sight again! Guards,takethem!”
Before the guards could even take a single step, something made Gunner cry out in pain andsurprise.
Everyone looked on in confusion. As the figure behind Gunner moved, I realized what hadhappened.
Colin smacked Gunner in the back of the head with his metalhandcuffs.
“You!” Gunnersnarled.
Instantly, he let go of Hector. My mate tumbled, stunned, to the ground. I rushed to him, grabbed him, and backed off. In the same amount of time, Gunner took Colin by the throat and broke his neck. The alpha who was once my friend fell, lifeless, crumpling to the cold stoneground.
“He saved me,” Hector breathed, his voice shaky. “Colin savedme…Why?”
I wanted to know the answer as much as he did, but now wasn’t the time. Gunner had lost his mind. He needed to be takendown-now.
“Do not leave my side,” I growled quickly to Hector. “I refuse to lose you again. I will protect you and our child to my last breath ifImust.”
His eyes widened with the realization of my words. It was a crude, ill-timed apology, but for now it would have to do. He seemed to accept it, despite my shortcomings. He nodded and quickly hugged me around my neck, kissing me throughmyfur.
I raised my head to addresseveryone.
“This is your leader,” I called. I wasn’t only speaking to our forces, but to every single shifter present. “A vicious man who kills everyone who gets in his way. He’s killed his own men in cold blood for disobeying him. Is this the life you want? One of fear? Of bowing to his every threatandwhim?”
The streets went quiet again. I could tell a few of Gunner’s guards were digesting my words. My calm, collected view clearly had an impact, especially after Gunner’s public displays ofviolence.
Maybe we didn’t have to fight. The hopeful part of me just wanted thistoend.
Gunner shifted into his wolf in the blink of an eye. Without wasting time on words, he snarled and bolted through the crowd, aiming his fangs right for mythroat.
But I was too smartforthat.
