Page 124 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

“Grab him,” one of the men said as several men pulled out large crosses and held them up as they moved closer while two men pulled out silver daggers and moved towards Shane. Logan shifted, moving to block them from getting to his son when a small cry drew his attention to find the man holding Emma by the back of her neck, placing the blade against her skin.

“Let go, Dad,” Shane whispered, placing a trembling hand over his and, after a slight hesitation, Logan released the hold he had on his son and was forced to watch as they grabbed Shane and dragged him over to join the twins.

“Move,” came the cold command as the crosses came closer, leaving him with no choice but to allow them to force him over to the pool. A moment later, he was forced to his knees across from Tomas and Jill. He mouthed, “I love you,” to Jill before he shifted his attention to the children.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Logan said, taking in the men positioned around the room, noting that most of them were human, heavily armed, and extremely organized. They’d managed to take over the house quickly, letting him know that he’d been betrayed.

The question, of course, was by who.

After taking in the weapons aimed at his children, Logan took in the priests surrounding the pool and found himself wondering if this was a human unit run by the Sentinels, but he knew that they would never send humans after him. He took in the bibles held against their chests and the rosaries wrapped tightly around their fists before his gaze dropped to the pool. He sent a questioning look to Tomas, who nodded once before he shifted his attention to the human taking a closer look at Shane.

“He’s transitioning,” the man murmured absently as he flashed a penlight in Shane’s eyes, causing his son to wince before standing up and-

“Lock him in the box,” came the cold command that had Logan’s stomach dropping as several men carried in a metal box barely big enough for one of the twins and placed it behind Shane.

“Keep your fucking hands off my son,” Logan bit out coldly, knowing what would happen to Shane if he transitioned for the first time in that box.

His bones would break, from his spine to his legs and his arms, forcing his body to heal faster and make his blood more potent. If they kept him in the box for the next six months, it would make his blood irresistible to the right shifter looking to make all of his Alpha dreams come true.

“You don’t want him in a box?” came the question that had Logan turning his head to find Gray taking his time walking around the pool.

He should be surprised that the mutt had been the one to betray him, but…

“You can’t be this fucking stupid,” Logan said, watching the shifter that knew better than to try to fuck him over chuckle.

“That depends on how this turns out,” Gray said, absently gesturing between Jill and Shane. “Your mate or the mutt?”

“Both,” Logan said firmly.

Nodding absently, Gray paused behind Jill with a pointed look at her hands. Without a word, the man guarding her removed her handcuffs and grabbed hold of her arm. Gray watched him as a second man grabbed her other arm and-

“Save them,” Jill said as they forced her to bend over as they extended her right arm in front of her and held her hand inches above the pool water. Logan moved to get up only to have several hands grab hold of him. He grabbed the hand on his left armand squeezed, instantly breaking it before he reached for the one grabbing hold of his right arm only to go still when he heard Emma scream.

His gaze shot to his little girl to find a human holding her over the water. “How long do you think she can hold her breath?” Gray asked as the human holding Emma by her neck squeezed, tearing another sob from her.

“Leave her alone!” Caleb shouted as he tried to go to her only to have the man holding him lift him over the water and tear a scream from him.

“Stop!” Shane screamed as he struggled to stay on his knees.

Logan opened his mouth only to get cut off by a roar of pain. His gaze shot to Jill only to find the men guarding Tomas shoving his hand in the pool. Within seconds, his hand was turning black before slowly turning gray and fell away, forcing the demon to bite back another roar of pain.

“Should we see how your mate handles holy water?” Gray suggested.

“Leave my mother alone!” Shane shouted, struggling to break free.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Logan bit out coldly as he watched in terror as her hand was brought closer to the pool.

“Then, I suggest you tell the mutt to get in the box,” Gray said with a pointed look at Shane.

“I’ll go in the box! I’ll go in the fucking box!” Shane said, gasping in pain as he allowed the men guarding him to shove him in the small metal box. His eyes flashed silver as they locked with Logan’s while he did his best to let his son know that he would get him out of there.

“Put them down,” Jill said, only to add, “Please,” when the men didn’t move.

After a slight hesitation, Gray nodded as a second box was brought in and placed next to Shane’s. Without a word, theyplaced Caleb in the box. He watched Shane reach through the bar with a trembling hand to take Caleb’s small hand in his only to have the men pick up Caleb’s cage and placed it closer to the pool.

“I want Mommy and Daddy,” Caleb mumbled quietly as he grabbed hold of Emma’s hand through the bars as a lock was placed on his box.

“Tell Pierce that we’re ready,” Gray said as one of the shifters grabbed hold of Caleb’s box and shoved it closer to the edge.

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