“Come out, come out.”
Kat didn’t recognize the voice. It was male, high-pitched, and taunting.
“Not fucking likely,” Rance whispered.
Kat would scold him for his language later, maybe. Keeping his body low, he slunk around the base of the large pine he’d admired earlier. The enormous tree sheltered them from sight. Another bullet grazed the raspberry bushes to their right. Kat would commend Rance later for not screaming when the bullet passed so closely.
If Kat were in human form, he wasn’t confident he’d be as calm.
“Now, don’t be like that. It’s only a job. Don’t take it personally. I promise to make it quick.”
Kat didn’t dare attack. He might be fast, but he couldn’t outrun a bullet, and if he were shot, he couldn’t help his young friend. Fear for Rance had him wrapping himself around the dryad as he tried to figure out what to do next.
Was this what it was like to be a parent? To be more concerned with another person than yourself? Xavier was the only other person that Kat would ever worry so much about.
“Here, dryad, dryad, dryad,” their stalker called out.
Kat’s teeth ached to dig them into the shooter. Rance crouched down beside him.
The teen put his palms to the earth, but Kat nudged his hands away. He didn’t want to bring attention to their location or have Rance too focused on his magic to move when needed.
Another gunshot ricocheted on a tree a few feet away. Kat blocked Rance with his body. What were they going to do? If the shooter got close enough to claw, he could take care of him.
“I’d put down that gun if I were you.” A new person had entered the forest.
How had Kat not heard him?
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m the brother-in-law.”
A high-pitched scream was cut off abruptly. “Come out, kitty cat. I doubt he was the only one, and my brother would never forgive me if his mate were killed.”
Kat peeked around the tree to spot a slim man with sharp features. He sniffed, but his senses weren’t good enough to scent intentions.
“Who are you?” Rance foolishly stepped around Kat.
Kat batted at his leg before transforming back into a human. “Why would you come out?”
“He got rid of the shooter,” Rance pointed out.
“That doesn’t make him the good guy,” Kat hissed.
“Enemy of my enemy and all that,” the stranger said, waving a hand.
“Are you Jared?”
The stranger beamed. “Did Xavier mention me?”
“He mentioned that you were the Chimera.”
Rance squeaked. “He’s the Chimera? Even dryads know about him.”
Jared preened. “It’s nice to have a reputation.”
“It’s not a very nice reputation,” Rance argued.
His statement only received a cheeky grin and a shrug. “Are you two ready to come home with me? I’ve had someone watching your house, and he’s already spotted two groups of strangers trying to get past your defenses.”
