Page 44 of Feels Like Home

Chapter Thirteen

Ian skillfully navigated his way around the side of the house, ensuring he was positioned downwind. In his panther form, he easily moved through the foliage without making a single sound.

As he continued to slowly advance, his whiskers twitched, picking up strong traces of Nolan’s scent. His gut had been right. He should have known he hadn’t seen the last of the coyote shifter.

Cautiously avoiding the path so he wouldn’t be seen, he stalked forward while praying the wind didn’t change course. Ian didn’t want Nolan to be aware of his presence until he was close enough to pounce.

This time Ian wouldn’t back down since there was no chance of Jace coming outside to witness his violence.

This time Nolan was either going to talk or get flatlined. The forest was vast enough that his body would never be found.

Just as Ian drew close enough to attack, another scent drifted toward him. He crouched low and sniffed the air.

Nolan wasn’t alone.

“Fuck this up and teaching some guy a lesson will be the least of your worries,” Nolan snarled. “Don’t make me regret trusting you.”

“Don’t get shit twisted.” Owen’s tone was biting. “It was you who found me in the coffee shop looking for directions to Ian’s house. You’re the one who better not fuck this up.”

Ian edged closer until he could see the two. Nolan was leaning against a tree, seemingly at ease, but there was visible tension in his muscles, like he was holding back from attacking the human.

Owen paced in front of Nolan, his fists clenching and unclenching. Ian doubted the guy knew about the preternatural world and how close his dumb ass was to having his throat torn out.

At least that would save Ian the trouble of killing Owen himself.

“Why are we just standing here?” Owen demanded. “Earlier you were talking tough about getting revenge on Ian.” He thumped his chest like a caveman. “I know I can beat Jace’s ass. Are you chickening out on me?”

Nolan smirked as he huffed. “Just my luck I partnered with a hothead.”

“Fuck this.” Owen stormed toward Ian’s hiding spot. He would prefer to take them on one at a time, but if his hand was forced…

With an animalistic snarl, Nolan caught up to Owen and seized his upper arm. The human was a downright idiot for not recognizing the cold glare of death in Nolan’s eyes.

“Goddamn it!” Owen tried to yank his arm free, but the iron grip was unbreakable. “Let me fucking go!”

“Speak above a whisper and I’ll spill your entrails,” Nolan warned before releasing him with a shove.

“We had a plan,” Owen gritted out in a low voice.

“Ringing the doorbell and overpowering Ian is your half-baked plan, and it’ll get you killed.” Nolan turned to stare at the house. “While you want to use a hammer, a scalpel is what we need.”

Owen frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Nolan sighed heavily, a look of save me from this moron on his face. “It means we need to quietly infiltrate the house. It will be a lot easier to overpower them if they’re sleeping.”

“I’m not afraid of Ian,” Owen said.

You should be very afraid, human. I plan to terminate your existence.

“Your death.” With a forced smile, Nolan held out a hand to tell Owen to lead the way. “If you’re capable of stealth, we’ll check the windows and doors to see if we can gain easy access. If not, well then, I guess you’ll get your wish and we’ll use brute force to get inside.”

Ian crouched even lower, waiting for them to pass him. When the two were far enough away, he bolted toward the house, using a wide berth in order not to be seen. With his panther’s speed, Ian made it to the deck in no time. He snatched his phone from under the cushion and unlocked his door, certain they weren’t close enough to catch him.

Unfortunately, Nolan would know that Ian was recently outside by his strong scent on the deck, but there was nothing to be done about that.

As soon as he stepped inside the house, he locked the door. He stuck his middle finger toward his ceiling. “Thanks for bringing those two assholes together,” he said to whomever or whatever had made that happen.

A thumping sound caught his attention. What the hell? The sound was inside the house. He quickly dressed then hurried toward his bedroom, the sound growing louder.

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