Page 26 of Untamed Instincts

Harris’s eyes widened, but he didn’t interrupt. He just waited, his attention unwavering, which only made Noah feel worse. He couldn’t dump all of this on the guy, but he couldn’t lie either.

“I can’t explain all of it,” Noah said, his voice low, “but some bad people came after me. Really bad people.”

“Are you serious?” Harris leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper as if the porch might have ears. “Like criminals? Noah, you have to call the cops!”

“Yeah… no. The cops can’t help me with this,” Noah muttered, rubbing his temples. He hadn’t realized how true that was until he said it out loud. The police wouldn’t stand a chance against someone like Toro. “It’s...bigger than that.”

Harris frowned. “Bigger how? Dude, you’re starting to scare me.”

Noah let out a dry laugh. “Join the club.”

As he glanced at Harris, who was still watching him with that worried expression, something in Noah shifted. He wasn’t the type to crumble—not completely. He’d been through tough stuff before. Not this level of crazy, but enough to know when it was time to stop spiraling and get his head on straight.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell Harris… Noah wasn’t exactly sure what, the tranquil street was ripped apart by the deafening rumble of motorcycles. Five massive Harleys roared into view, their engines growling like feral beasts.

Three pulled into the driveway, and two parked at the curb. Harris’s jaw dropped as disappointment filled Noah.

It was Killian and Ryker, along with three men he didn’t know.

Quinton wasn’t with them.

They cut the engines, the silence afterward feeling almost oppressive as they swung off their bikes in unison. Killian approached the porch, Ryker leaning against his bike, ankles and arms crossed.

The three men Noah didn’t know just stood there, scanning their surroundings like deadly bodyguards.

“Uh...who the hell are they?” Harris asked, voice low with an edge of wariness. “Are they the criminals you were talking about?”

Noah kept his tone casual, ignoring the tightness in his chest from Quinton’s absence. “No, despite their appearance, they’re actually the good guys… I think.”

“I thought we were cool, rabbit.” Killian leaned against the porch railing. At his height and wearing that leather, along with a scowl, Killian intimidated the shit out of him.

“I barely know you,” Noah replied, hating the fact his voice squeaked.

“And yet, you’re trying to get me skinned.” The bear shifter’s scowl deepened. “If my dad finds out you crawled out of a window and took off, he’ll string me up by my balls.”

“You want me to call the cops?” Harris whispered, nudging Noah. “Got my finger on the button. Just say the word.”

Killian’s gaze flicked to Harris before returning to Noah. It wasn’t a friendly look. If his best friend didn’t seal his lips, he might be the one strung up.

And what did Killian mean “if” Quinton found out? When Noah had left, his mate had been with his sons.

Just thinking about his mate made Noah’s emotions shoot all over the place. Even though Quinton had acted indifferent in the hallway, Noah missed him—more than he wanted to admit. Had missed his mate since slipping out of his window.

It was irrational, sudden, and way too intense for something that had barely started. But it was there, pulling at him like a tether he couldn’t break.

Walking down the steps, Noah glared up at Killian. “Why would he even care? He hasn’t called me since I left. If he—”

“He collapsed,” Killian interrupted, his expression grave and his voice low.

“What?” Noah shook his head, trying to make sense of what Killian was saying. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he struggled to understand.

“I’m guessing you saw the weapon used.” Killian’s brow arched, a subtle warning to be careful with their conversation in the presence of Harris.

“Yes,” Noah confirmed, the image of sharp, deadly claws flashing in his mind.

“He lost too much blood.” Killian glanced at Harris again, as if willing the guy to go inside the house so he could talk freely.

Noah’s stomach twisted with dread as he processed the weight of those words. He had left Quinton behind, assuming everything was fine because his mate had acted like he hadn’t been injured in the first place.

---