Page 62 of The Renegade Mate

Before they could get the door open, I flew straight at the two on the right, my eyes narrowing to a single point of focus. One of them swung at me, a wild arc that I easily dodged. The other came at me from the side. I moved fast, kicked off the car, sailed over him, and rammed my knee into his back on the way down. I landed on them, dragging them both to the ground, and slammed the first man’s head into the asphalt. He went limp under me, and I twisted, missing the kick that the second man had aimed at my head. I leaped and drove my elbow into the other one’s throat. He choked, clutching his neck.

The air was filled with the sounds of shouts and snarls. On the opposite side of the car, Derek and Mason had taken care of the other attackers.

I turned as Shya jumped out of the car. I could hear Michael shouting at her to get back inside. I guess Tucker wasn’t the only one in her family who was stubborn and reckless; neither of them wanted to stay on the sidelines. Mason saw her, too, and he veered off, heading straight toward her.

I scanned the road, looking for Tristan. There, at the edge of the woods. He was watching, waiting, calculating. His eyes locked onto mine, a brief moment of understanding passing over him that he had lost. Then he was gone, melting into the shadows of the forest.

I surged forward, propelled by a need to catch him, to end this. The forest was a blur, trees and shadows melding into one as I ran. My legs were aching, my breath ragged, but I pressed on, my focus narrowed on the figure sprinting ahead of me.

My wolf was tugging at me, trying to get my attention. Something was off. A rustle to my right, a faint scent in the air.

Fuck! It was Tucker! That kid could not stay out of trouble.

I pushed even harder, my eyes widening as I watched, helpless, as Tucker sprang from the bushes, his tiny body aiming straight for Tristan. Time seemed to freeze as he crashed into Tristan, sending them both flying in a tangle of limbs and snarls.

Chapter thirty-eight

Ryan

Isprinted forward, every muscle tensed, a growl building in my throat. My eyes were fixed on Tristan, whose hand was now clasped around Tucker’s neck, his fingers digging into flesh. Tucker’s face was twisted in pain, his body writhing, his legs kicking as he struggled to break free.

“Come any closer, and I’ll snap his neck.”

I stopped, my breath caught in my throat, my body aching to move but frozen by Tristan’s threat. Would he do it? I didn’t know enough about him to judge, and that meant I had to play on the side of caution.

“Let me go!” Tucker yelled as he fought to get free from Tristan’s grip.

“Tucker,” I called. “Tucker, look at me.”

The boy stilled and brought his eyes to mine. There was frustration there, frustration and anger. He wasn’t scared. Good.

“It’s going to be alright, Tucker.”

“Of course it is, Ryan,” Tucker replied, ignoring Tristan now and still staring straight at me. “I’m going to kick Tristan’s ass. I just need a minute to get out of—”

“Oh, my fucking Goddess, Tucker. Aren’t you delightful?” Tristan laughed. “You have your sister’s sass. Unfortunately, it ain’t gonna help you here.”

The wind shifted, and I caught the scent of Shya’s fear, sharp and acrid. She burst through the trees, her eyes wide, her body trembling. She was on the verge of Shifting, her control fraying at the edges.

“You fucker! Let my brother go!”

“Uh-uh. You know I don’t like you using that language, Shya. Tone it down.”

Shya growled, and for a moment, I thought she was going to Shift. Her body hunched over, and her eyes flashed. Then she took a deep breath and straightened.

“That’s a good girl,” Tristan said.

“Fuck you!”

Tristan grinned at her. “That was the idea, yes. But you had to keep turning me down, didn’t you. Never mind. We’ll get there soon enough.”

“Let go of Tucker,” Shya insisted.

“I don’t think so. He’s the only thing stopping Ryan from attacking me. How about this? Shya, you come with me, and when we’re far enough away, I’ll let the boy go.”

Tucker’s face turned a shade redder, his eyes bulging, as he tried to twist around and kick Tristan. “Don’t even think about it, Shya!” Tucker yelled.

Tristan shook the boy like a badly behaved puppy, then tightened his grip. I could see the flash of pain on Tucker’s face.

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