“I’ll have it lubed up in a second,” Hijinks said, and disappeared.
Ottis scooped Marcie off the ground, turning to Doc. “Is it a gun?”
Doc winced. “You’ll see.”
He strode around the mansion to the driveway, gazing across the front yard. Ottis followed him. There were more heartbeats now, more voices. Doc couldn’t possibly deal with that many enemies... could he?
“Are you waiting for your friends to arrive?” Ottis asked.
“That’s Plan A,” Doc said.
“Help request sent,” Hijinks announced from somewhere in the mansion. “The Full-Size Pounder is coming online.”
“Full-Size Pounder?” Ottis almost didn’t want to know.
“Instead of the Quarter Pounder, yeah,” Doc said. “We don’t half-ass these things.”
“Go deep or go home,” Hijinks agreed.
Ottis’ brain broke a little. Why were they making jokes about this when Sevrian wasright outside?“What’s, uh. What’s Plan B?”
Doc opened his mouth.
The front hedge exploded in a ball of flames.
Several men ran through the hole in the hedge, dressed in fireproof coats and holding weapons.
Doc snarled. “Get in the mansion. We’re on Plan B.”
“Unlike the other Plan B, you can’t buy this over the counter,” Hijinks said.
Ottis wasn’t listening. He dashed for the mansion’s side door; no way was he running up the front steps and making himself a target.
Outside, Doc growled, “Stay in the mansion, sweetheart. I want you and the pups safe.”
The command went straight to Ottis’ instincts. “O-okay.”
As he hurried up the stairs to the second floor, he caught a low, mechanical whirring—in the windowless wing where Doc’s hoard was, but the sound was closer to the front of the mansion.
Ottis scrambled to an upstairs window that overlooked the lawn, his heart in his throat.
Doc was already stalking toward the invaders, holding a huge sword that he’d pulled out of somewhere.
“Doc,” Ottis yelped.
“Shh! Don’t yell unless you’re in trouble,” Hijinks said. “Don’t distract him.”
Ottis clamped his mouth shut and cradled Marcie against his chest, his stomach dropping whenmoreinvaders poured through the hole in Doc’s hedge.
There had to be twenty of them now, facing down Doc whoonly had a sword.
Oh gods, oh gods,Ottis chanted inwardly. He wanted to help. But Doc was right—Ottis was safer in the mansion, protecting his pups. What use was his fighting experience, anyway? He’d only ever practiced with his brothers.
Sevrian was standing behind his army of hired thugs, sending Doc a mocking smile. “Just you? Just one alpha? You can’t possibly think you’re enough for Ottis.”
“I’m sure Ottis doesn’t appreciate being attacked and kidnapped,” Doc said flatly. “You didn’t even offer him a contract.”
Sevrian twisted his face in disgust. “Acontract?”
