Page 54 of Rescued

Mika laughs, his eyes sparkling. “Anyway, it would never come to a physical fight. First off, it’s against pack rules to assault a non-shifter. Second, you’d shred their egos in the blink of an eye with that sharp tongue of yours—and probably pinch the dogshit out of them, too, for good measure.”

I glare at him, seriously considering pinching him right now. He makes me sound like a damn shrew. But deep down, I know if anyone dared to mess with Mika, I’d do a hell of a lot more than pinch. They could say whatever they wanted about me, but no one gets to fuck with my man. The thought alone has my blood heating. God, I’m already pissed just imagining it. At this rate, I might as well start swinging at the first shifter who looks at us sideways.

Mika’s grin spreads wider, and I know he’s watching me work through every single thought, feeling my anger and protectiveness through our bond. “All for you,” I think, the words unspoken but loud in my mind. Juvenile as it might be, I suddenly want to tear into someone just to impress him.Great. I’m regressing into a teenage boy.I growl softly at myself.

“God, babe, I love you! You’re so cute when you go all protective and snarly!” Mika’s amused voice in my head has me jabbing an elbow toward his ribs on instinct. He’s ready for it, though, dodging the blow with ease before pulling me against his side.

“I’ll be quicker next time,” I mutter, earning another laugh from him, deep and warm.

“Is this even a road?” I ask, raising a brow.

“It’s a creek bed,” Mika replies casually, keeping one hand steady on the wheel. “Almost always dry unless there’s flash flooding. It’s a back way into packlands, less obvious than coming around the other side of the park.” He grins at me, a little mischievously. “Pretty much a no-no to bring non-pack members in through here, but since you’re my mate, they’ll just have to deal with it.”

The truck jolts and bounces over rocks and dips as we follow the uneven trail. It feels like we’ve been at it forever, though when I glance at the dashboard clock, it’s only been twenty minutes. I roll my eyes, already over the ride. That’s when I notice Mika stiffen beside me. His jaw locks tight, and his eyes keep darting toward the driver’s side window, scanning the tree line.

“Mika?” I ask, my voice sharpening. “What is it? Your buddies here already?”

He grunts, nodding. “Figured there’d be someone—probably a few someones—guarding the creek bed. I’m just trying to figure out who the three of them are.”

Three of them. I sit up straighter, trying not to look like I’m craning my neck as I glance past Mika toward the trees. I catch the faintest hint of movement—just a blur—but it’s enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The whole thing feels…off. Like we’re being hunted. It’s enough to give me the creeps, and when something spooks me, it only makes me angry.

“Why don’t you stop the truck? Let’s get out and meet the assholes stalking us.”

Mika

Igive a quick look over at Gabe and see the fire in his eyes. He’s ready to leap out of the truck and raise hell, but I’ve got this. “Nah, this works,” I look at him, cutting off whatever rebellious thought he’s about to fire at me.“At least one of them will run back to Zane and let him know we’re coming. I can assure you they know it’s me. And you know what? I’m actually looking forward to this confrontation now.”

Gabe’s brow furrows, but I press on, the words coming out like a challenge. “The pack decided I was an abomination. Unnatural. If that’s the case, then how did I end up with a mate?” I meet his gaze with a grin that’s all teeth. “This should fuck with their heads but good.”

Before Gabe can fire off a reply, a large gray wolf steps out into the middle of the creek bed, muscles rippling under its coat.Oh, so it’s Zane himself, stepping into this little reunion. Gabe’s fingers grip the door handle, his body tense with the need to act. I know what he’s thinking. The guy’s always ready to jump in, protect me, fight for me. It makes my heart swell, even though I have to keep him in check for now.

“That’s Zane,”I place a calming hand on his shoulder.“Give me just a minute with him. Then, if you want, you can join me. Please, Gabe.”

I can see the reluctance in his eyes, but he nods once, jaw set. He doesn’t like it, but he’ll let me take the lead. Unless Zane—or any of these shifter pricks—tries something stupid. Then I know all bets are off.

I climb out of the truck, the crunch of my boots on the dry creek bed loud in the silence. I walk to the front of the vehicle, leaning casually against the hood like I don’t have a care in the world. Maybe I should be worried. Hell, maybe I am, but I won’t let Zane—or anyone else—see that. Not when Gabe is watching, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble.

Three smaller wolves flank Zane, their forms bristling with tension. I glance back at the truck and catch Gabe cracking the door open slightly, his expression pure fury as he glares at the pack. My lips twitch into a small smile.God, I love that man.

“May as well shift, Zane,” I call out, my voice loud and steady. “You too, Fernando, Azrael, Jared. There are no secrets between Gabriel and me.” I nod toward the cab, where Gabe sits, all fire and defiance. My grin widens, sharper now. “Though, if you’re feeling shy, you might want to jog back to the tree line and grab one of your secret stashes of clothes first. Wouldn’t want you worrying that this queer might jump your bones.”

I let the words hang there, enjoying the way Zane’s hackles rise slightly. The other wolves give fleeting looks at each other, then at Zane, waiting for his signal. It’s hilarious, really. Like I’d ever be desperate enough to even consider any of them. I keep my eyes locked on Zane,refusing to look away, refusing to drop my gaze in deference. I’m not part of this pack anymore. I don’t owe them that respect.

Zane gives a curt nod to the other three, and they trot off toward the tree line, probably to shift and grab some clothes.

I glance back at Gabe, my mate still perched in the truck like a coiled spring, ready to launch himself at the first sign of trouble. The sight of him, poised and fierce, sends a warm wave of pride through me.

I let a genuine smile break through the tension and call out to him, holding out my hand.“Join me?”

Gabe is at my side in seconds, his hand reaching for mine, our fingers intertwining in a firm grip.“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he fumes, his voice low and sharp. “It was hell sitting there, waiting for one of those assholes to do…whatever.”

I nod, not daring to argue, even though I’d only wanted to keep him safe. I’m not sure he realizes it yet, but he just spoke to me through the link. I think back to what I told him yesterday—Stronger together.My voice softens in his mind.“I’m sorry, babe. I was only thinking of protecting you.”

“Same goes,”he mutters, turning his head to glare at the four men walking toward us. Zane suddenly stiffens, his head snapping up as his nostrils flare.

His whole body locks up, eyes going wide for just a fraction of a second before he schools his expression into something harder, unreadable.

But it’s too late. I saw it.

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