Crooked Teeth tsked, wagging a finger. “Not quite. The boss said to make it memorable.”
Then they moved. It was chaos.
Rafael roared, half-shifted now, his claws fully formed. He lunged first, slamming into the nearest guy and tearing through him like he was made of paper.
Blood sprayed across the alley wall. The shifter howled, collapsed. But the others didn’t falter.
Two flanked Rafael from either side, slamming into him with the force of wrecking balls. One caught him in the ribs, the other punched low.
Rafael staggered but didn’t fall. His bear took over and it was pure fury, wild and brutal.
He fought like something out of a nightmare. There was no hesitation, no mercy. He caught one by the collar and slammed him into a dumpster so hard it dented.
Another came at him with a tire iron and got his arm broken at the elbow with a single swing of Rafael’s clawed hand. But there were too many of them.
While Rafael handled two, the others regrouped. A baton came out. It was made of metal, humming with electricity, and they circled like jackals around a wounded lion.
I tried to move, to help, to do something, but a hand grabbed my collar from behind and slammed me into the brick wall hard enough to rattle my teeth.
The breath rushed out of me in a painful gasp.
“Stay down, sweetheart,” the coyote said, leaning in close. His breath stank of meat and cigarettes. “This ain’t about you. Well actually. It is.”
That’s when the truth hit. This was because of me.
Avery had sent them. Of course he had. New muscle. He’d escalate probably after Callum, Beau and the others gave him a warning. And now, now they’d come not to collect, but to punish.
I watched in horror as one of the shifters lunged forward, baton crackling with sparks, and jammed it into Rafael’s side.
The scream he let out…I’ll never forget it.
Rafael dropped to one knee, blood bubbling at his lips. He still tried to rise. Still tried to protect me.
“No!” I screamed, trying to wrench free, but I was slammed back against the wall again.
“You don’t get it, do you?” the coyote sneered. “We’re not here to kill him. Just break him enough that you listen.”
I surged forward anyway, fists flying. Stupid. Reckless. I caught the coyote in the chin, heard the crack of teeth. And then his fist hit me, low in the gut. Hard.
The alley spun. I dropped like a stone.
“Easy now,” he said, crouching over me. His fingers gripped my shirt. “We’re just here to make sure the mesSean is clear.”
Behind him, I saw Rafael struggling to get up again. He was bleeding badly now. One eye swollen shut. Chest heaving. But he still looked at me. He still tried.
“The said he was given two days to leave. We give you seven days,” the coyote whispered. “One week. Payment. In full. Or next time? We bring knives. Start carving off little souvenirs.”
Then they were gone. Fading into the shadows like ghosts. No sign they’d ever been there, except the blood. So much blood.
I crawled to Rafael, hands shaking. “Raf? Rafael. Hey, stay with me. Stay with me, please.”
His eyes opened, unfocused. “James…?”
“I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay,” I whispered.
He coughed, blood staining his lips. “Are you… hurt?”
I choked on a sob. “No. No, I’m fine. But you shouldn’t have…why did you?”
