“I’m ready,” Marcus announced, turning toward Dante.
The other male locked eyes with Murphy, his face drawn with determination. “I won’t let you down,” Dante promised before lowering his head in submission.
The words hung between them for a moment, their weight heavy in the air.
Without a word, Murphy turned to the woods and shifted.
His bear charged to the surface, adrenaline rushing through his system. The familiar snap of bones filled the air. His body contorted and re-formed, thick fur sliding over his skin. Within seconds, the shift from human to bear was complete.
Murphy’s paws slammed into the ground. He took off at a flat-out run, cutting through bushes and trees in his haste to get to Nessa. He heard his companions close behind him, their own shifts finished as they gave chase. Frenzied energy passed between them, their bears excited for a chance to take down those threatening their clan; their family.
There wasn’t a sting of betrayal that lingered among them, only a primitive desperation to work together.
Murphy picked up speed, inhaling deeply as he cut across the forest. Each drag of air into his lungs, he searched for Nessa’s scent, hoping to find her.
An explosion of gunshots cracked through the air dozens of feet in front of him, and Murphy’s heart dropped into his stomach, fear drying his throat.
Need to get to her, his bear whined, claws digging into the dirt as the beast pushed them onward. Harder. Faster.
It felt like several minutes had passed when he picked up muffled voices coming through the thick mass of trees dead ahead. With a burst of speed, Murphy broke through the tree line. Hope surged within him as he caught sight of the red barn and six black rental cars with out-of-state tags on the license plates.
His nose twitched, catching the acrid scent of gunpowder and coppery blood as he drew near. Three males in black suits lay face down in the dirt near the barn’s ajar front entrance, pools of blood stretching out from under them to coat the ground.
Someone’s already taken out a few of them, Murphy projected to each male.Angelo is my guess.Who else could it be?
Hopefully, these were the gunshots he’d heard. Pushing past the fear and panic threatening to undo him, he neared the front of the barn, slowing his steps to remain undetected for a few moments longer. Just enough time to assess the situation before he attacked. The last thing he wanted was to put Nessa at further risk.
“What did you think you’d accomplish with this little stunt? Fucking morons, the both of you,” someone spat angrily from within the barn.
That’s their leader,Jasper informed him, silently moving to stand beside him.
Tony. Murphy bit back a low growl, claws curling into the dirt. Soon they’d be ripping into that male’s flesh, pulling him apartpiece by piece. There’d be nothing left of him by the time they were through.
Colter stealthily made his way to the other side of the barn door, careful to not trip on the dead men beside it. He grasped the door’s handle, waiting for Murphy’s signal.
“I think, just for killing my men, I’ll have you watch me torture and fuck your sister for a few hours,” Tony said. The hairs on Murphy’s skin rose, rage unlike anything he’d ever known before spiraling through him. “Then you’ll take me to my money, Angie.”
Fuck assessing the situation! He’dneverlet that monster touch her again.
Nessa whimpered, the small, terrified sound piercing Murphy’s heart like a goddamn arrow.
Now!Murphy commanded.
Colter had barely pulled the door fully open when Murphy launched through it, throwing back his head and roaring as his bears piled into the room behind him.
In his peripheral vision, he noted several males with weapons drawn standing along the perimeter of the building, but that wasn’t what held his attention.
It was his mate; his beautiful, sweet mate, dangling off the ground in the center of the barn by a chain that hung from a ceiling beam. Her arms were pulled up over her head, rope binding her wrists and ankles.
A red mark stood out prominently on her cheek. Blood smeared her lips, and her eyes were full of terror. Her head snapped up as the first human male let out a shriek of surprise.
Even though Nessa had only seen his bear once before, when she’d been close to death, she found him instantly among his clan. A shudder went through her, her body sagging against her restraints as immense emotion swept through her.
“Murphy!” she screamed, the relief in her voice unmistakable.
I’m coming, Nes,he vowed silently.
Protect her, Jasper, Murphy demanded.
