Page 17 of Memphis Heat
“He threatened to take my woman when I was dead.I didn’t care about dying.My only concern was making sure the bastard didn’t get what was mine.Nobody touches my woman.”Another truth.Jarod bared his teeth for emphasis.He had to be sure the Alpha knew he meant business about Belle.They’d be able to use it against him later, but he had a feeling these people would respect him for it.
The Alpha grunted.“Understandable.”He seemed to regard Jarod, weighing his responses thoughtfully.“And what, exactly, are you doing in my territory?”
The trick was to make the lie believable while diverting the Alpha from what he already perceived as a threat.Scratching at his forearm again, without letting his gaze waver from the Alpha’s, he said, “We’re trying to survive.The MPD doesn’t want us back.They’d probably kill us if they found us, and we have no idea how to stay alive.You guys seem to be the only game in town.”
This time, when Jarod scratched at his forearm, the Alpha caught his hand.“You seem to have a problem, little man.Fleas?”
The pack roared at the Alpha’s joke, but the Alpha only looked at Jarod.Jarod glanced down at the forearm he’d been scratching since the ordeal began.“Huh?”
“You keep scratching.I was afraid you had an infestation.”
“Not that I know of.I hadn’t really noticed until you said something.But come to think of it” -- he narrowed his eyes, raising the offending arm to examine it more closely --”it’s been itching since I woke up from my… injury.”
The Alpha snatched his forearm and yanked Jarod to him.Out of the corner of his eye, Jarod saw Belle lunge toward him, but he shook his head, warning her off.With a swipe of one claw, the Alpha sliced open Jarod’s arm and dug into the spot where the FBI tracking pellet was embedded in his skin.He had to suppress a groan of pain, but he managed, never taking his eyes from the Alpha.Showing weakness was not an option.
The Alpha held the tiny pellet between his thumb and forefinger, blood coating the little metal object.With disgust, he dropped it on the ground.Ripping off the lid of the nearest crate, he pulled out a handgun -- looked like a Beretta -- and smashed the pellet with the butt, using the metal frame between the grips like a hammer.“Bring me the woman!”
“No one touches my woman!”Jarod growled, bracing himself for battle.
“You think your Memphis cop pals, they only track you?”
Jarod backed off a little, still snarling.“Belle, you got a tracker under your skin?”
Belle growled, shifting to her human form to answer him.“There’s something.Behind my ear.I’ve tried scratching at it, but I’m not so good with my back paws yet.I fell over.”
Jarod tried not to laugh, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded.Belle was damn good at this.Jarod reached for her ear.“Let me see.”
“Give her to me!”the Alpha barked.This time there was no ignoring the order.
Belle stepped forward, pulling her hair out of the way, baring her throat, unconsciously or not, as she bent her neck for the Alpha’s inspection.
One fast slice removed the tracker.The Alpha shoved Belle back to Jarod, beating the tracker to small metal flakes with a roar of anger.“The whole damned warehouse is compromised!Get the trucks loaded.Pack everything.We go!”There was an immediate flutter of activity as some of them shifted and began the task of loading all the guns and ammo while others ran off to… do other bad guy wolf things.All of them keeping a close eye on Jarod and Belle, no matter what their task.
He turned back to Jarod.“You are lucky I believe you, little man.Otherwise, I would have ripped out your throat.And your woman’s.”
No one had ever called Jarod little before.Not since he was a kid.But compared to the bulk of the Alpha… “Hey.You were the one who brought us here.We just needed a little guidance.”
“A mistake I will not repeat.”Again, he looked Jarod up and down, assessing.“Do you wish to learn from us, cop?”
“Absolutely,” Jarod replied without pause.“My name’s Jarod.And my mate is Belle.”
The Alpha’s second in command, a beta only slightly smaller than the huge, scarred wolf, stepped forward, shifting as he did so.He, too, was naked.“I don’t like this, Alexi.This one is weak.He surrendered without a fight.The pair can only be a liability.”
The Alpha, Alexi, shrugged.“If you don’t like him, challenge him, Viktor.I have accepted him, but as my second, you have the right to deny him.If you can beat him.”Alexi smiled, more a show of teeth than a real smile.“I have a feeling, though, there is more to this little man and his mate than meets the eye.”
With a blindingly fast movement, Viktor launched himself at Jarod.He’d obviously only been waiting for the blessing of his leader.Jarod ducked, shifting as quickly as he could, turning to face Viktor where he’d leapt between him and Belle.Apparently, Viktor’s strategy was to use Belle as a hostage, to make Jarod wary about attacking for fear of harming Belle.It was a fatal mistake.
The moment he turned his back on Belle, she launched herself at Viktor, wrapping her arms around his head in a choke hold and her legs around his waist for added leverage.Jarod advanced, jaws open, teeth bared under snarling lips.At the very last second, Belle let go of Viktor, and Jarod’s jaws snapped closed around the man’s throat.With one swift yank, Jarod ripped open the flesh, spraying blood everywhere.
The pack went wild.Howls and yelps and snarls erupted all over the warehouse, drowning out Viktor’s death gurgles.Afraid he’d overplayed their hand, Jarod put his back to Belle’s, crouching and preparing to fight.
“Silence!”Alexi bellowed, his voice carrying every ounce of authority he had as Alpha of this pack.
Jarod shivered.How the hell were they going to survive this?A surprise attack against Viktor was one thing.But Alexi?Eventually, he’d have to fight Alexi, and he was not looking forward to that.
“They are part of the pack now.Jarod and his woman, Belle.Having defeated Viktor, Jarod is now my second.Belle is his mate.No one will touch either of them.Or you will answer to me.”
Jarod almost fell on his ass with that one.Second?Fuck!
