Page 37 of Outnumbered

“We saw the fight on the news, so we came to help, but Leona ended up just before we made it,” he answered. He winked at her. “Nicely done.”

She beamed. “Thanks.”

“Take them for questioning,” Dan ordered the werewolves with him. “I have a feeling they’re part of that nasty organization we’ve been trying to take down. Let’s see if we can get any information out of them.”

“Let me know what you find,” Caleb said.

Dan nodded.

“What happened?” Ambrose asked, his hand to his head as he started to stand.

“Sorry about that,” Leona apologized. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone so the easiest way to end the battle was to make you all fall asleep. The grogginess will go away quickly now that you’re awake.”

“Who started the fight with you?” Caleb asked Ambrose.

Ambrose pointed at one of the guys on the ground beside them. “He attacked me as I was walking home from work through here and his cronies chased me. I’m glad I was able to get ahold of you. Thank you for coming.”

“You need any healing?” I asked.

He shook his head. “The minor injuries I have will be healed shortly.”

With the people getting put in proper restraints and all our people awake and safe, I made my way out of the crowd, stepping over people until I was in an open spot.

Sitting down cross-legged, I watched everyone and waited. It felt good to have saved Ambrose and to capture two dozen of the people who were hybrid haters.

“Ember!” Caleb shouted.

I frowned. Why was he yelling at me? I was just sitting and waiting.

He and everyone shifted and turned towards me, their eyes wide.

Realization that there must be someone behind me finally hit and I turned around.

A large fist flew at my face.

On instinct, I shifted into my rabbit form, shrinking down so his punch missed me, and hopped to the side.

“What the—” The man shouted as he stumbled forward, thrown off balance.

Behind him were two more men and they dove for me, trying to grab me.

Not today! I was not getting kidnapped. Nope! Nope!

Hopping and dodging them as fast as I could, I made my way towards the others. Unfortunately, with my distraction, I had released eight of the enemies that had been held to the ground by my vines, so they were fighting again, too.

One of the men grabbed me by the scruff and snarled, “Got her!”

Shifting into my warrior form, I kicked him in the stomach as hard as I could, sending him flying backwards into both of his friends.

“Ha!” I shouted, but my victory was short-lived as a woman hit me with a bolt of lightning.

Screaming, I dropped to my knees, my entire body twitching.

Branson backhanded the woman, sending her flying into a tree with a sickening crunch. He ran over and stood between me and the men who’d been attacking me. “Can you stand?” he asked, his voice deeper and rumbly in his warrior form.

“I think so,” I breathed as the pain lessened and the twitching decreased. Slowly, I got to my feet and wobbled a bit.

Caleb set a hand on my back as he walked by. “Good job, Ember.” He continued past us, facing the three men who were snarling and growling at us. “Why are you trying to take her? What do you want with Ember?”

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