Page 5 of Bee's Enraged Beast

“The second woman seemed to pass out. The man beside her scooped her up in his arms. The first woman turned to check, then she went down. I don’t think she passed out, though. The guy with her. Benji. She called him Benji. He picked her up then tossed her into the back of their SUV, the trunk area. He leaned in, and it looks like he struck her a few times.” The guy paused as he stared at me, and only then was I cognizant of the growls emanating from my throat. “When he ducked back out, he was holding the side of his head, fingers cupped over his ear. It looked like blood stained his shirt there.” He tapped his fingers along his collar bone to show where. “He and the others got in the vehicle and drove out of the lot. They headed east.”

“What’s east of here?” I demanded.

“Industrial section of town. Lots of factories and storage containers. The farther you go, the more rundown it gets. Lots of abandoned buildings out that way. Your sister talked me into waiting for you, but after what I saw, I need to head in and put a call into the cops—”

I interrupted that thought by jerking him to me, so our noses were practically touching. “No cops. Understood?”

He still showed no fear. It made me question if he knew more than he let on. I didn’t sense he was a part of what had happened, but something told me, he might know a few things about wolves and how to deal with one who was close to snapping.

He held his hands out wide, palms up. “No cops. Now, what can I do to help?”

I thought for a minute. The only way to get rid of him would be by giving him a task. One that didn’t involve calling humans into wolf business.

“I need you to make a call for me. Cici, do you have the number for Bastion James?” I knew she did. She’d have written it down before chasing after me. Someone needed to nail her feet to one place, so she’d stop looking for trouble.

She gave a quick jerk of her head as he answered, “I have James’ number.”

Interesting. Definitely human and there was no mating scent on him. Yet, he had a number to reach out to the alpha of the local wolf pack. Seemed Mom and I weren’t the only ones who had a liking for humans. It also meant I could trust Cici with him.

“Go with him and call. You’ll know what to say. I’m trusting you, Cici.”

She knew I spoke of more than the phone call. I trusted her not to let the human at her side know more than he should. She could play it however she wanted.

Then I focused on him again, letting the growl fill my voice. “If my sister’s harmed in any way—”

“I’ve got him, Han. What else do you need?” Cici interrupted, stepping between us, forcing me to take a step back.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me until I was satisfied with the distance between us and the man.

“He can’t be involved in this.”

“Walt?” She glanced back at the man. “He’s cool. Plus, he obviously knows the alpha here. He’ll keep his lips sealed. Now, what do you need from me once I’ve made the call?”

“I need you to stay here and stay safe,” I bit out, though I knew I couldn’t trust her to protect her own ass.

“There are four of them.” She held up her hand when I would have interrupted. “I know you can handle those four just fine, what about the women? What if they need help? What if one of the males tries to get to them first and uses the females against you? You need backup, and I know what calling James is meant to do. But they won’t get there in time, and I’m already in place. Let me help you. I’m smart and strong and more than capable of helping you. I swear, Han. I won’t do anything stupid.”

It killed me that she believed she could help me take on four wolves. No matter how strong and fierce she was, she was still only human. If she had a gun, maybe. But I knew firsthand she hated firearms and refused to carry one. She’d be a liability. God help me, I did think of her as a little sister. Emphasis on the little. I couldn’t risk her getting caught in the crossfire.

“I need you here to help the James Pack find us. Show them where I caught her scent. Give them this.” I reached back, gripping my T-shirt and jerking it over my head. “My scent will be stronger than hers. They’ll be able to follow it.”

Cici nodded. I knew she envisioned riding along with the cavalry to find me. I didn’t think the James Pack would ever allow it. I’d find her as soon as I was able and make sure she returned safely home.

“Done,” Cici agreed. “I won’t let you down.”

“Be safe,” I warned. “Don’t—” I broke off. There were too many things to put after that word when it came to her. “I’ll come find you as soon as I can. We’ll head home.”

She nodded. “I won’t let you down, Han. You’ll see.”

I watched her head back toward the bar with my shirt in hand. If Walt thought that was strange, he didn’t say anything about it to her. As soon as I was alone, I moved back to the truck, making sure all the windows were down. I wanted my scent to be strong on the air. I tasted the blood remnants on my fingers and felt the taste explode across my senses. I swear I felt a tug from her soul to mine. Light blue eyes filled my mind. Eyes bright with pain. She was hurt. Bleeding.

But she was something else, as well. Mine. My mate.

Until now, I might have tried to save a few of the four for the pack of the woman who’d approached me. That was no longer on the table. They’d signed their death warrants when they’d taken my mate. For every drop of blood they spilled, I’d spill more. For every injury, every harm, they gave her, I’d exact more from them. All four would be dead before the night was over. It wouldn’t be quick. I refused to make it easy.

And that was before I heard something that rocked me to my core. I swear I heard my mate’s voice in my head. And she called to me.

Chapter Three

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