Page 88 of Heat Hesitation

Jackson throws the first punch, but Sully easily deflects, locking an arm around his neck and shoving him to the ground, kicking out his knee. Jackson collapses, and I'm grateful it doesn't drag out. With one brutal blow, Sully knocks Jackson unconscious.

Before Jackson's head even hits the ground, I'm back in Sully's arms. Faint and distant shouting pull us apart, but not completely.

"What are you going to do with him?" I ask, nudging Jackson's prone shoulder with my bare foot.

Asher bursts through the clearing a second later. He's even more disheveled than Sully, his knuckles bloody and raw. "Ophelia!" He screams, slamming into me, whipping me up into his arms. I squeal but hug him back, as though it had been days, months, since I'd seen him last, not hours.

Without letting go, he inspects every inch of me, growling and snapping at every cut he finds. "It's from running, they didn't hurt me. I mean, they drugged me and kidnapped me, but they didn't… it wasn't worse than that."

"So all of your injuries are self-sustained," Sully deadpans. It's such a dry delivery; I burst out laughing, shoving his shoulder.

"Yes! Okay? I'm a clumsy runner, too. Whatever, you try running barefoot through the woods with a feral alpha chasing after you."

Sully's levity disappears in the wind with the reminder. After some arguing, Asher happily sweeps me up while Sully throws Jackson over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and we head back down the mountain.

I'm surprised at how far I ran when it takes us almost twenty minutes to return. Sully carries Jackson, who isn't a small guy, as if he weighs nothing. My mate's energy is wired and intense as they catch me up on what happened when I disappeared.

When we get to the bottom of the hill, we barely crest the clearing of the woods before Enzo is there, ripping me out of Asher's arms. "Be gentle!" Sully snaps, but his grip doesn't lessen.

He doesn't speak, but I can feel him through the bond. His hold on me is shaking and punishing. Vibrating with his love and fear, down the thick strength of our bond, he doesn't need words to show me how he feels. I hug him back and try to soothe him, telling him I'm okay, I'm alive.

He only relents when I make him because I have one more mate to comfort. I finally take in the scene around me when I climb out of Enzo's arms.

Enzo's covered in blood. Sullys dropped Jackson in what appears to be a pile of half-groaning, half-deadly silent Olcenes.

Standing with feet planted wide beside them, Theo has his hands on his hips and a wild look in his eyes. His blue eyes seem darkened, and his typical lazy smile is nowhere to be seen. I step forward—Enzo clutching my arm but not holding me back—and approach Theo cautiously.

"Are you okay?"

His unblinking stare follows me as I walk, until I'm standing in front of him, his eyes never leaving mine. Only when Enzo releases his grip, and I bring my hands up to Theo's face, does he snap out of his trance.

"He was feral," Theo's voice is grainy.

"Lenny?"

He nods toward the pile. "All of them."

"Are they…" I look over but can't determine for myself. I'm almost afraid to ask. "Are they alive?"

"They'll live. They'll wish they didn't."

Theo's terrifying gaze zeros in on the pile again, so I leap forward and wrap my arms around him. He's stiff, but after a few breaths, he relaxes around me, breathing me in.

The flashing of police cars arrives while we hug, and Sully takes charge. Everyone insists I go to the hospital, against my wishes, and the cops inform me they'll take my statement there.

Before we make it to the SUV, a familiar red truck bounces up the dirt road at a pace best reserved for a racetrack and then skids to a stop.

"Ophelia!" Red's tearing out of the truck before it even parks, and I jump into his arms. Iggy looks around, his stoic expression hinting he'd like to have joined the violent foray, as he cracks his knuckles and goes to speak with Theo.

"What in the hell happened, Phe?" He asks, hands roaming over my face, neck and shoulders, confirming I'm in one piece.

"Red… they have this shrine built for Alma. They wanted me to be her."

A groan from the pile draws our attention and I stiffen in Red's arms when Jackson warily sits up. Red growls, but then Iggy is there, clutching him by the collar, throwing his fist into his face. The cops pull Iggy off, but not before he kicks Jackson, knocking him unconscious again.

Red's voice is tight when he asks, "Is it over now? With them?"

"Yeah. I think so." I tell Red not to go inside, but he doesn't listen.

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