He turned the bow in the direction that they had seen Hal go and pushed the accelerator, and sped off.
All she could do now was fight and help stop the man who had nearly ripped her mate away. Her claws came out at the thought, and Pilar let the adrenaline pound through her body as a smile crept across her face.
Yes, she could handle that.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
MAVERICK
The wind blew back Maverick’s hair, the cold edge to it cut at his cheeks. Instead of hurting him and making him wish for a jacket … like it would have when he was human … it exhilarated him.
He glanced at Pilar, watching her as she held on to the edge of the boat and searched the riverbank as they flew past. He couldn’t wait to take her again. He’d never been so horny in his entire life.
The roar of the boat’s engine, the wind screaming at him, the thrill of the chase, these things set his blood on fire. The scent of his fated mate mixed with that instinctual reaction gave him energy that was inexplicable, even for him.
Medically, he only had a vague notion of what was happening inside his own body. Obviously, his testosterone output was through the roof. Other than that, he had no idea how shifter cells worked, how they transformed, or how he had suddenly become a lion.
Maverick knew that testosterone could blur common sense. That was part of why it existed, to intoxicate the male so he would keep putting himself in danger to hunt and make sexual overtures in an attempt to compete with other males for mates. He knew he should be careful.
But I don’t feel like I’m out of control. I feel more in control than I ever have before.
The sharpness of his eyes still astounded him. He could pick out a feather on a bird flying high above or the pattern of a leaf on a bush near the riverbank. Strength flooded his veins, and power ran under his skin.
I’m unstoppable.
Careful.
“There!” Pilar cried. “Around that bend!”
Maverick eased the little boat around a clump of trees and into a small cove. Hal’s boat was shoved up against the sand, a messy trail of tracks leading into the nearby woods. Maverick let the boat run aground, then leapt out, reveling in the feeling of his strong body jumping through the air and landing on the sand.
He bounced up, ready to run. Pilar stopped him, grabbing his shoulder.
“Wait, Maverick. We should be careful.”
“I am being careful,” he growled.
“What if he has weapons?”
“I’ll work around it.”
“But …”
“Pilar,” he muttered. “I’m going to get him. You’re backing me up. Got it?”
He saw a strange look flash through her eyes, then she smiled and kissed him quickly. “Okay. Lead the way.”
He grunted, shifting into his lion shape. Maverick roared, just for the joy of it, celebrating his own strength and power. Side by side, he and his mate raced into the trees.
Hal was incredibly easy to track. Even though he’d taken off alone, Maverick quickly picked up the scent of other shifters … a rhino, hyena, and wolf.
Hal’s friends from the Jersey Triad. They must have caught up with him.
Maverick wanted to roar in anger but held it in, focusing on moving as quickly as he could without making any noise. It would probably be impossible to sneak up on the others, but he didn’t have to give them any warning either.
Just ahead, he caught their scent, so close that they had to be nearby. He shared a glance with Pilar, and they split, moving around the clearing. Maverick could hear the guys arguing.
Part of him wanted to stay hidden and see what they were arguing about, but the part of him that wanted to tear them to shreds was too powerful. Without even waiting to see if Pilar was in position, he leapt into the group of thugs and started swiping with his claws.