Havana turned to their healer. “Helena, obviously you’ll stay behind ready to take care of any wounded who are sent your way. Farrell and Isaiah will ride with Vinnie and Camden. Everyone else needs to get moving. We need to arrive at the drop-off point before Vinnie pulls up.”
At that, shifters promptly began to strip. Stashing her clothes in one of the pride’s vehicles, Blair clashed eyes with Finley’s. The female enforcer didn’t give her a false smile or any sarcastic shit. In fact, she merely inclined her head before looking away. Hoping that meant that the woman had pulled said head out of her ass, Blair turned to a now naked Luke.
He gave her chin a soft squeeze, his gaze intent. “Be careful.”
She nodded. “You, too.”
“Always.”
They then both shifted.
Her female butted her mate in a silent order for him to stay alert. He bared a fang, insulted that she would feel he needed the reminder. She only sniffed.
The Alpha male’s cat let out a low-pitched call, and then he and his mate took off. Recognizing the signal, the herd of shifters followed, moving fast and quietly.
The bush dog ran alongside her mate as they bounded across the field. She approved of the long grass. It would help conceal them, much like the darkness of the night.
When the Alphas slowed, the others did the same. The bush dog pricked her ears, picking up the sound of muffled voices. Too muffled. The humans were close, but not out in the open.
Like the other shifters, she lowered to her belly as she crept forward until she was in position. From where she lay, the female could see four vehicles parked on a short strip of road at the other side of the field’s fence.
The female wasn’t put-off by the sight of the fence. It wouldn’t be hard to climb. It was small. Wooden.
She wanted to climb it now.
She didn’t like having to stay still. She wanted to hunt. Maul. Punish. Protect her pride. But she remained still and watchful, like her mate.
Her head cocked at the sound of an engine in the distance. Bright lights soon cut through the darkness. The rumbling slowed as a car came into view and parked near the other vehicles.
She felt her mate tense as his father exited the car. The door of a large van then opened, and a man stepped out.
“Vinnie,” he greeted, a note of pleasure in his tone.
“Hank,” said Vinnie. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Zayne told me you’d scheduled a meet. I thought I’d come by and ensure it went without incident, if you get my meaning.”
A whirring sound came from an SUV as a door slid open, and then … “You came through for me after all, Mr. Devereaux. Good man.” Zayne, the bush dog sensed, recognizing his voice. “It seems Hank was right when he insisted that I could trust your word.” He hopped out of the SUV, along with two large males, both of whom held guns.
The female bared her teeth in a silent snarl.
“You’re not alone,” one human said to Vinnie—the same male who had barged into Elle’s bedroom only days ago.
Vinnie frowned. “Of course I’m not alone. Who’d come alone to a meet like this? Now, I don’t think I’m the only one here who wants this over and done with, so how about we move things along and someone collects Camden from the car? You’ll be fine, he’s out cold. I had to drug him or he’d have fled the moment he saw you guys.”
Zayne barked out some orders. Men piled out of the second SUV. Two remained near the vehicle, tranquilizer guns raised, while the other two cautiously crossed to Vinnie’s car.
Vinnie looked at Zayne. “My payment?”
Zayne tipped his chin toward one of the large males beside him, who took a small case from the vehicle and then carried it over to Vinnie.
“Much obliged,” said Vinnie, taking the case from him.
“Thank you for your services, Mr. Devereaux,” said Zayne. “I truly appreciate your help in this matter. Perhaps we could do business again in the future.”
Vinnie gave a small, noncommittal shrug. “Perhaps.”
“Jesus, this guy weighs a ton,” exclaimed one human as he and another struggled to carry Camden toward an SUV.
The female tensed in readiness, knowing it would soon be time to move. Beside her, her mate fairly quivered with the urge to pounce.
It all happened fast.
Camden’s claws sliced out. His eyes snapped open. His claws stabbed into the chest of the human nearest to him. Before any humans could even think to shoot, the shifters came at them from all sides—some still in their animal forms, some shifting back as they ran.
Vehicles were tipped over. Doors were yanked off. People were dragged out and dumped on the floor. Cries went up, and shots rang out.