They were too young for the harshest kind of lessons the pack doled out to those who betrayed them, but Adri wasn’t going to point that out to them. The more afraid they were, the less likely they were to put themselves in danger by leaving. Pulling them into a hug, Adri held them close until they finally relaxed.
“We’re family here. We don’t run from trouble. We face it. Together. Jay and I have got your backs. Viviana too. We won’t let anything happen to you, but you have to work with us.”
“Sorry, Adri,” they both whispered.
“Now go see if Jay needs a hand,” Adri said, pushing them toward the common room.
“We can come with you if you need backup,” Garret offered.
Adri tipped his chin in acknowledgement, but waved them off. “I’ve got it.”
Not willing to take the time to find shoes and weapons, he ditched his pants to shift again as soon as he reached the exit. He needed the advantage of his animal’s enhanced senses and fangs. At least it was late enough that there shouldn’t be many people out, especially in this part of the city where so many supernaturals lived.
The cold, dark night was the perfect cover for his pitch-black fur. It was no trouble at all to slip back up onto the roof to make his way through the shadows above the buildings of the city towards his doctor. Satisfaction filled him as he leaped across alleyways and roads, his powerful muscles propelling him through the air to land silent and deadly on the other side. Why didn’t he run like this more often?
Because we’re not allowed to be seen in the city, he reminded his jaguar.
A silent snarl curled his lips as he finally reached the building across from the clinic and watched a group of five young men whispering and posturing as they gestured toward it. They smelled of jackal and desperation, and they were nervous because the lights were still on. His doctor was busy working instead of sleeping. Again.
Wishing he’d thought to take the time to grab his phone so he could warn Rafe, Adri stayed where he was, waiting to see which way their fear would fall. He wasn’t without empathy for them if their people were missing, but if they so much as scratched his doctor, he would rend them into pieces.
“We’re wasting time. We go in, we question him, we leave. Marco’s busy elsewhere. As long as he doesn’t call anyone, we’ll be fine,” one of the men snapped.
Pulling a balaclava down over his head, he drew a gun from the back of his pants, leaving Adri with no doubt what kind of questioning he was planning on. His jaguar lost it the second he saw the flash of the barrel. As the five men stalked across the road, he poised on the roof above, muscles bunching as he launched himself to pounce onto their leader.
He retained just enough control to wait until his claws slammed into the man’s back before unleashing a thunderous roar that no one would mistake for anything but the wild jaguar he was. The men he’d ambushed immediately shifted into their jackal forms, clothes tearing and fangs bared as their barks filled the night. They were much smaller than him, but there were five of the fuckers. Unfortunately for them, he didn’t play fair.
Dipping his head to the still stunned leader of their little group groaning beneath him, he unhinged his jaw and stretched his fangs wide around the guy’s arrogant little skull, sparking a screech of fear as the man realised just how much trouble he was in. Damn jackals and their high-pitched noises. Give him a sexy, growly, silver-haired wolf any day. A flick of his long tail had the man’s gun skittering across the road, away from his twitching fingers.
“Adri, I know you want to show off that very impressive bite of yours, but that’s enough. Let the boy go.”
Adri bit down a little harder, breaking through the skin of the attacker’s scalp to touch his fangs to the bone beneath, sparking another even higher-pitched scream. The other four jackals werecircling, wary, but not willing to risk him following through on his threat to crush the guy’s skull.
“You did so good warning me, keeping me safe. Look at me, kitten. I’m fine. These pups can’t hurt me,” Rafe said, voice soft as he stepped closer.
Adri snarled and released the guy, snapping his teeth right in front of his face in warning as the young man scrambled back to his feet.
Movement flashed to his right—one of the jackals attempting a lunge.
“Stop!” Rafe snapped, pure alpha dominance rolling over all of them.
Adri snarled, tail lashing as he ignored Rafe’s command to focus on the threat. The four jackals and their leader, who was still in human form, all dropped to their bellies, too young to resist. Pacing right up to his doctor, Adri butted his head into Rafe’s stomach, shoving him further away from the young men who’d been trying to hurt him.
“Oh, kitten. You’re so beautiful like this,” Rafe whispered, reaching down to run his hand down Adri’s neck and grip his scruff.
Adri’s chest rumbled in a purr, and he leaned into Rafe’s leg, twisting to lick a stripe up the doc’s wrist with his rough tongue. Rafe chuckled before turning back to the jackal leader who’d managed to sit up and was clutching his head.
“Explain yourselves,” Rafe ordered, that sexy alpha command still clear in his voice.
“The last two of our crew to visit you were never seen again. We want them back,” the guy said.
“Why didn’t you come to me and ask for help?” Rafe asked.
The guy looked uncomfortable. “We know you had something to do with it, and we’re not the only ones coming for you. It’s not a coincidence that they both went missing here.”
Adri turned his glowing green eyes on the man, lowering his head and growling low as he let his fangs flash in the streetlights. How dare they suggest Rafe would do such a thing? His doc worked tirelessly to look after them and everyone else who couldn’t afford proper care.
“I’m sure it’s not a coincidence they were taken from here, but that doesn’t mean I took them. I had nothing to do with their disappearance, as you would know if you thought past your fear for one second. I’ve known most of you since you were pups. I swear to you, the pack will look into this. Now get your asses out of here before my mate takes a bite out of them.”
