Page 72 of Rescued

“Yeah,” I reply, glancing down at the clothes in my hand. “I’ll stash these behind the barn so you can shift back with some privacy when you’re done.”

Mika dips his head in agreement, and I jog around the barn to find a decent spot to put them. A thick patch of brush I’ve been meaning to clear out serves well enough for now. I tuck his clothes in carefully, making a mental note to come back and retrieve them later.

When I return, Mika is waiting, his ears twitching and his nose already working. “Okay,” I say. “Let’s get this done.”

Trailing behind him, I marvel at the grace in his movements. Even in wolf form, Mika is gorgeous—sleek muscles rippling under his black coat, every step exuding confidence and restrained power. My heart stutters as I catch myself thinking of him as sexy, even now.Deviant indeed,I think, shaking my head at myself.

I nearly run into him when he stops suddenly. His ears prick forward, and his head snaps up. He glances back at me briefly before trotting toward the barn entrance. I hesitate, worried about how the dogs might react, but Mika’s presence seems to calm them. Instead of barking or growling, they whimper softly, their confusion at the mix of Mika’s scent and his wolf form evident. Several roll onto their backs in a show of submission, but none seem frightened.

Mika moves with purpose, heading to the exact spot where Todd was found. He spends long minutes there, nose to the ground, his body still except for the occasional twitch of his tail or shift of his weight. Watching him work is mesmerizing, the way he sifts through scents, tracing trails here and there. The intensity radiating from him keeps me riveted.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. “Anything, Mika?” I ask, my voice low but insistent. Patience might be a virtue, but it’s not one of mine.

“I’m not sure yet,”Mika replies, his mental voice tinged with frustration.“There are several scents, and I need to figure out whose is whose.”

I roll my eyes, swallowing a groan of irritation. That’s not exactly helpful. “Uh, Mika? What exactly do you mean by that?”

He lifts his head, glancing back at me, his wolfish expression somehow managing to look both amused and exasperated.“It means I can pick up several distinct scents, but I have to figure out which ones belong to people we know—like Todd, Adam, or the first responders—and which ones don’t.”

“Oh,” I say, feeling slightly less grumpy now that he’s clarified. “Well, let’s hope one of them stands out sooner rather than later.”

“Trust me, babe,”Mika reassures me, turning back to his task.“If there’s anything out of place, I’ll find it.”

Mika freezes, and I immediately stop moving, every sense on high alert.“Someone’s coming, Gabriel,”Mika thinks to me, his voice sharp and focused.

I strain my ears, and after a moment, I catch it—a faint hum of an engine. It’s distant but steadily growing louder. “I hear it,” I whisper. “I’ll slip aroundfront. You head to the shrubs at the side of the house, okay?”

The engine slows, and the sound shifts, like the vehicle is coming to a stop. My pulse kicks up a notch.

Edging my way around the house, I dart toward the copse of trees in the front yard. From there, I peer toward the road, squinting in the darkness. Two things hit me right away. First, there are no headlights, and second, the vehicle has stopped, and the engine has been turned off. Someone is sneaking in, driving with their lights off and pulling off the road before reaching the driveway. That can’t mean anything good.

I glance around for Mika but don’t see him.“Mika?”I think as clearly as I can, hoping he picks it up.

“To your left, in the brush by the road,”Mika responds instantly.“The scent matches one I picked up in the barn. I’ve separated the smells—EMS workers, the sheriff, his deputy—but this one’s familiar in a way I can’t place. That’s who I’m scenting now. Stay hidden, please, Gabriel.”

Yeah, sure. Like I’m going to let Mika handle this guy on his own because he’s a wolf. That hadn’t stopped him from getting hurt before. “For now, caveman, but there’s no way I’m hanging back and risking you getting hurt. Together, remember?”

I think I hear a low growl from the bushes. Mika might be annoyed, but too bad—I’m not budging on this. My breath catches as I hear rustling in the brush near the side of the house. Someone’s moving toward us.

It’s fully dark now, and with the outdoor lights off to help Mika stay hidden, it’s almost impossible to make out any details. A shadowy figure emerges from the brush, their silhouette faint against the night sky. My blood runs cold when the moonlight glints off something metallic in their hand.

“Pipe,”Mika confirms, his tone grim.“I’m guessing this guy isn’t very creative when it comes to murder weapons. I’m right behind him.”

Just as Mika finishes, the man seems to sense something, spinning around with surprising speed. He lets out a high-pitched yelp when he spots Mika, a massive wolf stalking him, growling low and flattening his ears.

“Spawn of Satan! Black demon!” the man screeches, raising the pipe to strike. Mika leaps back, avoiding the blow with fluid grace.

“No!” I shout, stepping out from behind the tree. I can’t just stand there and let this asshole hurt my mate. As I move, the man swings the pipe in a wide arc, spinning completely around. I duck fast, the air from the swing brushing past the back of my head and I stumble.

Before I can recover, Mika lunges, sinking his teeth into the man’s calf. The guy howls in pain, trying to shake Mika off. His grip on the pipe wavers, but he raises it again, this time aiming for Mika.

I don’t think—I just act. Throwing myself forward, I tackle the man to the ground, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him down hard, slamming him into the ground with enough force to rattle my teeth. The pipe clatters away, and I’m on him, straddling his chest and pinning his arms with my knees.

The man thrashes wildly beneath me, yelling incoherently about demons and hellfire. His fists pound against my arms, but I hold on, digging my knees into his back to keep him pinned. Mika circles us, growling low, his hackles raised.

“Fuck! You sick, twisted bastard!” My voice comes out rough, anger fueling me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mika shift back to human form. His body moves like a blur as he lunges forward, grabbing the pipe and tossing it far out of reach. It’s only then that I hear him, barefoot and naked, rushing to my side.

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