Crew, Dahlia,Eventine called inruhi.Move in for a situation. Conri’s heading toward a civilian female at the west end of the building. I’m after him. Crew, I need you with me. Dahlia, stay close but don’t let him see you.
10-4,Crew said.
Got it,Dahlia said.
Conri shuffled into a run. Eventine sprinted after Conri, calling his name.
“Conri, Conri, stop!”
He lumbered along, picking up speed.
“Conri, it’s Eventine, do you hear me?” she shouted at him, closing the gap.
He’d almost reached the woman. In her panic, she hadn’t gotten the door to the fitness center open.
“Sage?” he said, his voice thick.
Eventine reached out and grabbed Conri by the arm. He was three times her size and she didn’t slow him—he just jerked her along with him, his eyes on the petrified woman trapped in the doorway alcove. Eventine pushed around him and got between him and the human. Conri growled and knockedEventine to the side, advancing on the woman. Eventine bounced off the wall, and grabbed Conri in a tactical hold, applying pressure to the nerves in his neck.
“Conri, hello, are you in there?” Eventine grunted when he didn’t seem to notice the tactical hold. He shoved at her again, but she jumped on his back and shoved her thumb under his collarbone until he bellowed and swung around.
Eventine dropped off his back and waved her hands until he locked eyes with her. “Conri, chill, chill, what’s going on, man?” she said, backing out of the alcove, leading him away from the woman he’d cornered.
Conri lowered his head and rushed Eventine. He snatched her around the middle, and tried to body slam her to the ground, but she grabbed his arm and leg-locked onto his torso. He fell on her instead, muttering and swearing and driving her breath from her lungs. He pinned her down, growling in her ear, pawing at her back, ripping at her shirt.
“Sage,” he growled. “Bite Sage.”
Too late, Eventine realized what he was trying to do. She twisted away but his teeth locked around the meaty part of her shoulder and she cried out, arching her back away from him, elbowing him in the solar plexus and headbutting him with all the strength she had. His teeth scraped her mate mark and she twisted and headbutted again, crying out for her mate both inruhiand out loud.
“Harlan!”Harlan!
Coming,he responded immediately.
Conri’s weight lifted off her and she rolled defensively into the corner right onto her feet. Crew was there, with one elbow around Conri’s throat, and the other arm hooked around Conri’s leg. He’d yanked Conri off her and now he twisted and flung Conri into the wall where he bounced onto the floor.
Harlan arrived at a run. He grabbed Conri by the throat, hauling him to his feet, then slamming him into a wall and held him there.
“What the hell’s going on here?” he shouted, his fingers digging into Conri’s neck. Harlan swung around till he could see Eventine. She reached a hand over her shoulder, and it came back bloody.
Harlan saw the blood and his face tightened with murderous anger. He dragged Conri down the corridor by his throat. Conri shuffled his feet, his face beet-red, his hands on Harlan’s fingers, trying to peel them off.
With a mighty growl and heave, Harlan slammed Conri straight at the door to Apartment 112. It splintered and Conri disappeared inside the apartment. Harlan marched after him, his fists clenched, his face murderous.
Eventine went after them, shouting to her mate inruhi. Don’t kill him!
She reached the doorway and peered inside the apartment. Harlan had Conri by the throat and was slamming him around the room, swearing. Conri was in bad shape, his face swelling, blood spraying from his scalp.
Harlan slammed him into the wall.“Motherfucker.”A large Conri-shaped dent appeared.
Into the TV. It crashed to the floor.“Dead fucking bear.”
Wall. “Fucking kill you.”
Table. “Touch my mate.”
Conri’s eyes shut and his body spasmed in unconsciousness, unable to shift because of the humans nearby.
Babe, babe, he’s passed out,Eventine called to her mate, her hands up.
