And the car was still moving, driving ever closer.
How had they shot so accurately?
Fuck.
Crush blew out a breath, looking grim. He moved to cover Killian more completely with his own body. “They can track you somehow. With a high degree of accuracy, and through two shielding spells. Did anyone plant a tracker on you?”
“Not during the kidnapping this year. But... I lost time during the first kidnapping.” Killian’s chest squeezed. “My captors said I would suffer the consequences if I tried to escape on a job. They never told me how. But there were times when they were in the cell with me, and I was unconscious.”
Crush ground his teeth so hard, Killian shuddered. “Fucking slimeballs! That must be how they’re getting through the wards. A spelled tracker. Spelled bullets. But that’s no ordinary spell work, or it wouldn’t breach Uriel’s spells.”
Killian felt horribly unclean. “The tracker is somewhere on my body, isn’t it?”
If he spent too much time thinking about this, he was going to fall into a panic attack.
“Hey, hey.” Crush cupped Killian’s cheek with one hand. “Focus on me. No time for panic right now. I’ll take that tracker out of you the first chance we get.”
He dragged his thumb over Killian’s lower lip, his calluses scraping against Killian’s skin. It was grounding. Killian drew a shuddering gasp, blinking himself back to the present.
Crush continued to rub his lip. Then he pushed the tip of his thumb into Killian’s mouth, letting the sharp edges of Killian’s teeth catch against his skin. When Killian flicked his tongue against it, he tasted forest dirt, and Crush’s sweat and musk.
“Alpha,” Killian blurted around Crush’s thumb.
Crush rumbled, the sound vibrating into Killian’s chest. He leaned in, closer and closer until his eyes blurred.
Surely they weren’t going to kiss right now? Killian froze.
At the last moment, Crush turned his face, brushing his lips against Killian’s ear.
Oh,Killian thought in disappointment.
“Mine,” Crush whispered.
Killian’s heartleaped.
“Now, how do you suggest we take down an armored car with two guns, a wolf, and a rabbit?” Crush asked.
Neither of them had special destructive powers. But they were trained, and they had a little something extra.
Killian reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a handful of spells. “This will eat through their spells like they ate through ours.”
Crush’s grin was all sharp teeth, his fangs long and inhuman. He pulled out his gun and activated Uriel’s spell against its barrel, then did the same with Killian’s gun. “Ready to roll, sweetheart?”
Killian straightened his shoulders and shoved aside his fears. He wanted to prove to Crush that he wasn’t scared, that he could defend the cabin just as well. “I’m ready.”
“Good.” Crush’s eyes flashed gold.
The armored car was still on the road heading toward the cabin, but someone had gotten out of the car and was heading their way.
“I’ll take them,” Crush murmured. “You don’t have to kill anyone, bunny.”
“I’ll watch your back.”
Crush flashed a quick smile. “Stay behind me.”
He bit down lightly on his gun barrel, shoved off his pants, and shifted into a majestic gray wolf.
As a wolf, Crush was big. Strong. He had bright gold eyes and a swishing fluffy tail that Killian would think about later, when they had time to get cozy. Right now, Crush prowled through the undergrowth with enviable speed and stealth. Killian followed, keeping himself close to the ground.
