Page 39 of Wild Reckoning

Chapter Ten

When the lights went out, Killian huffed out an annoyed sigh, shaking his head as he pushed himself upright. “You've got to be kidding me,” he muttered. He’d barely had a moment to enjoy being wrapped around Stewart, and now, thanks to the old house’s dodgy wiring, he had to go play electrician.

Before slipping out of bed, he brushed a gentle kiss on Stewart’s temple. His mate shifted slightly, murmuring unintelligibly in his sleep, but he didn’t wake. Killian smiled. The guy deserved a good rest, especially after everything they’d been through today.

Stepping into the hallway, Killian blinked, his enhanced vision adjusting quickly to the dark. The house was silent, save for the creaks and groans that came from the old wood contracting in the cool night air. He frowned at the unsettling stillness to the place, the kind that made his instincts prickle.

Just as he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a small whimper coming from somewhere below.

Ethan.

Killian’s brows drew together, a flicker of confusion crossing his mind. Ryker was downstairs with Ethan, which meant there shouldn’t have been any reason for the cub to sound upset. He moved silently down the stairs, each step deliberate, his bare feet barely making a sound against the wooden steps.

When he reached the bottom, he scanned the darkness, seeking out any familiar shapes. In the living room, there was a soft, warm glow from the dying embers in the fireplace, but Ryker and Ethan were nowhere in sight.

Just as Killian opened his mouth to call out to his brother, something stopped him. A sound. The faintest hitch of breath, like someone was trying, and failing, to breathe quietly.

The same way Alonso had done in Ethan’s bedroom earlier. If the son of a bitch had returned, and had grabbed the cub this time…

Killian’s entire body went rigid. He could feel someone’s presence, an oppressive weight in the air that set every nerve in his body on edge.

There was also an unfamiliar scent drifting his way. Whoever was in the house was human.

Mind racing, Killian was torn between going back upstairs to guard Stewart or find Ethan. His protective instincts warred with each other, both pulls equally fierce. But the thought of Ethan—the small whimper he’d heard—being in danger made Killian’s bear roar.

The cub needed him.

With the silence of a predator, Killian followed the sound. It led him to the kitchen. The door to the backyard was slightly ajar, letting in a cold draft that sent the curtains fluttering. He eased into the room, his gaze narrowing as he spotted a shadow moving near the far end of the kitchen—a tall, lean figure trying to blend in with the darkness.

Killian pulled his lips back in a silent snarl, his muscles tensing as he prepared to lunge. But then he heard it again. Ethan’s soft whimper was coming from the figure.

The stranger, dressed in dark clothing, had Ethan clutched to his chest, a gloved hand clamped over the toddler’s mouth. Ethan’s eyes were wide, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to twist away from the stranger’s grasp.

Oh yeah. The son of a bitch was going to die.

Then Killian noticed a second guy off to the side, closer to the pantry. He was shorter than the first man and a bit more jittery.

Alonso. This time he’d brought a friend.

Rage, hot and blinding, roared through Killian, his bear surging forward with a ferocity that threatened to tear him apart. He shifted into his bear, his gaze darting between the intruders.

“Holy shit!” Alonso looked like he was about to pass out.

The man holding Ethan turned his head slightly, his lips twisted into a smirk, his eyes glinting with something that looked almost like amusement. “Well, well,” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “A bear. Didn’t see that coming.”

Who in the hell is this asshole?

Killian let out a low, rumbling growl as he took a step forward. He could feel the floorboards creaking beneath his massive weight, his claws clicking softly against the wood.

The man’s grip on Ethan tightened, and then he pulled a gun from his waistband, pressing the barrel against the side of the toddler's head. “Not so fast, big guy,” he said, his voice cold. “You take one more step, and I’ll prove to you just how serious I am.”

“Tetlow, I really don’t think you should’ve done that,” Alonso said, his gaze filled with terror as he stared openly at Killian.

A shot rang out, and Killian’s head whipped to the side just in time to see Alonso crumple to the floor, a bullet hole between his eyes.

Ethan was bawling his eyes out, his tiny hands over his ears. “Bad man!”

Tetlow lowered the smoking gun, his expression unchanged, as if he’d merely swatted a fly. He looked back at Killian, his eyes narrowing. “See, I don’t have time for idiots,” he said, bouncing Ethan gently on his arm. “And I don’t think you do, either. So why don’t we skip the part where you pretend you can scare me and we get to the part where you give me what I came for.”

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