His jaw clenches, and his hands clench into fists.
“Dude, this isn’t the nineteenth century. Did you talk to her? Text her? Email her? Tell her what you were doing? When you planned to return?”
I give him a minute to reply. When he remains silent, I already know the answer. I roll my eyes.
“That’s on you, man. If you’re going to be pissed, be pissed with yourself. I thought you were going to tell me that you did everything to let her know how much you loved her, and she abandoned you anyway.”
He opens his mouth to protest when we hear a howl echo in the distance.
Chapter 68
Catching Us Off Guard
JESSICA
Six Years Ago
Ienjoy my time with the twins, Sodie, Skunk, and Emily. I laugh as Emily and Jeremy make fun of each other over something that happened earlier today. I need this because, despite Shadow being held captive, Owen’s mother dying, everything I learned about Mimi, and Marty leaving, I need a moment to just breathe.
An eerie howl echoes in the night, stopping us mid-laughter. The twins’ foreheads wrinkle in confusion. I close my eyes and push out my senses. I weed through the inner thoughts I recognize.
My eyes snap open, and I quickly jump to my feet. I send out a warning through my mind link.They’re here!
We run toward the building. Without warning, the twins abruptly stop in their tracks. I crash into Justin’s back. Skunk grabs my shoulders, steadying me. Why did they stop running?
Low growls of warning penetrate the still air. Stepping to the side, I see a group of men pointing guns at us. Wolves bare their teeth on either side of the men.
We have no weapons to fight with, and I can’t shift.
We don’t need weapons. Remember? We have magic, Chris says through our mind link.
Some of them are heading into the building! Get ready!Elias shouts in our heads.
Sodie pushes me farther behind him. Jeremy does the same to Emily. Justin fills in the space between them, creating more of a barrier between me and the men. Skunk is… no longer next to us. But I still feel a hand on my shoulder. Is he invisible?
As the men and wolves close in on us, we stand our ground.
“Where do you keep your prisoners?” One of the men points a gun at us with a sneer on his face.
“Prisoners? We don’t have any prisoners,” Jeremy answers in a low tone that reminds me of our father.
The man doesn't like that answer. He clicks the safety off. “Let me be more specific, then. We’re looking for one of ours. You may know him as Boris.”
Every fiber of my being freezes. Emily stiffens and pushes Justin to the side. I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Who the hell taught her how to use a mind barrier?
What the hell are you doing? They have guns! Emily, get back!Sodie shouts through our mind link.
“Hello, boys. I think I can help you with that,” she says in a flirty tone. “But first, I need you to pay special attention to me and do everything I say.”
I peek between Justin and Sodie’s arms. A ring of white energy settles on the four men wielding guns. The wolves growl and take a threatening step toward Emily.
“Emily says don’t move a muscle,” They freeze in place. “Drop your guns.” I hear the thud of the guns dropping to the ground.
A tug on my arm pulls me away from the group, but I dig my heels into the dirt. “I can’t leave them,” I hiss at Skunk, who continues to drag me away. I glance over my shoulder to see Jeremy and Justin lunge forward, picking up rocks from the ground and throwing them at the men.
The rocks explode in the men’s faces, and they fall to the ground, parts of their heads missing. Sodie grabs a man by the head and twists his neck at an odd angle. A sickening crack penetrates the air. Another man’s head explodes.
Emily stands before the wolves. A high-pitched yelp emanates around them as they paw at their snouts. A wolf rushes straight for Emily. Without a single thought, I send a bolt of lightning right through the wolf. He drops to the ground with a thud. I inhale a shaky breath.
