Page 57 of Stripe for the Picking
Arvox's rifle skittered across the warehouse floor, metal scraping against stone. The Prime Minister's face contorted with rage as his own shift began—bones snapping and wolf features emerging with vicious speed. His ice-blue eyes blazed with murderous intent as gray fur sprouted across his expanding frame.
The two predators faced each other across the debris-strewn floor, energy crackling between them like lightning. Arvox's wolf form was impressive—nearly as large as Rylan's tiger, with powerful haunches and razor-sharp fangs. But Rylan felt no fear, only the white-hot thrill of the hunt.
This ends now.
They circled each other with deadly grace, claws clicking against concrete, muscles coiled for explosive violence. Shattered glass crunched beneath their paws as they maneuvered for advantage, the destroyed chair and scattered debris creating a treacherous battlefield.
Arvox lunged first, his wolf form moving with desperate fury. Rylan dodged with fluid grace, his tiger instincts reading the attack before it fully developed. He countered with a massive paw swipe that caught Arvox across the ribs, sending the wolf tumbling into a pile of rusted metal.
Too slow. Too predictable.
The wolf recovered quickly, snarling as blood matted his gray fur. He feinted left, then struck right, his fangs seeking Rylan's throat. But Rylan's enhanced reflexes and years of tactical training gave him the edge—he twisted away from the killing bite and raked his claws across Arvox's shoulder.
Through their completed bond, he felt Wren's fierce courage bolstering his strength. Her unwavering faith in him burned like a flame, fueling his determination to end this threat permanently. She wasn't cowering behind that pillar—she waswatching with the steady gaze of a warrior, ready to act if needed.
My brave, fierce mate. She deserves a man who can protect her.
Arvox's desperation made him sloppy. He charged with abandon, wolf instincts overriding strategy. Rylan met the attack head-on, his tiger form rising on hind legs to catch the wolf's momentum and redirect it. They crashed together in a blur of fangs and claws, rolling across the warehouse floor in a deadly embrace.
But Rylan's superior size and calculated precision began to tell. Every strike landed with devastating accuracy while Arvox's wild swipes found only air. The wolf's breathing grew labored, his movements sluggish.
In the final exchange, Arvox made one last desperate lunge for Rylan's throat. Rylan sidestepped with feline grace and struck with all the power in his massive frame. His claws found the sweet spot between skull and spine, and Arvox's wolf form went limp instantly.
The warehouse fell silent except for Rylan's heavy breathing. He shifted back to his human form, his body steaming in the frigid mountain air as adrenaline slowly ebbed from his system.
"Wren?" His voice cracked with emotion as he rushed toward the concrete pillar. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm okay." Her voice was steady despite everything she'd endured. "Just get these zip ties off me so I can properly thank my hero."
TWENTY-FIVE
WREN
Wren felt the plastic zip ties bite into her wrists one final time before Rylan's careful fingers freed her hands. The relief was immediate and overwhelming—not just the physical freedom, but the knowledge that her mate had found her, had saved her, and had killed for her.
"There," Rylan said softly as the restraints fell away. "You're free now."
The moment her hands were liberated, she threw her arms around his naked torso and relished the solid warmth of his chest against her cheek and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, proving that this nightmare was finally over.
"Thank you," she whispered, then pulled back to capture his lips in a fierce kiss that tasted of gratitude and desperate love. When they broke apart, she pressed her forehead to his. "For a moment there, I thought I might actually die. That today might be my last day."
His blue eyes blazed with protective fury. "Never. I will always find you and always protect you."
"I know." The truth of it settled deep in her bones. "I had faith you would come, but when that rifle was pressed against my temple..." She shuddered, remembering Arvox's cold eyesand cruel smile. "I kept thinking about our future, about the proposal, about the family we talked about. I wasn't ready to lose all of that."
"You'll never lose me." He cupped her delicate face in his hands. "Arvox's reign of terror is over. He can never hurt you or Nova Aurora again."
Wren glanced at the wolf shifter's lifeless form, feeling no sympathy whatsoever. "Good. He got exactly what he deserved."
Rylan dressed quickly in the borrowed tactical gear while Wren brushed debris from her clothes. After he finished putting on his boots, he reached for her hand, and they left the abandoned warehouse behind.
Outside in the frosty mountain air, he helped her into Arvox's black SUV and then climbed into the driver's seat. Thankfully, the SUV started on the first try, and they drove through the Ice Mountains in comfortable silence, her hand resting on his thigh as the familiar landscape of Nexus came into view.
When they finally arrived at Defense Nexus, it looked like a war zone. Shattered glass glittered on the pavement, scorch marks decorated the walls, and the acrid smell of smoke hung heavy in the air. Bodies of Arvox's operatives were scattered throughout the main entrance, but thankfully no familiar faces among the casualties.
General Kael stood near the entrance station with the Council leader, both men's expressions grim as they surveyed the destruction. They looked up as Wren and Rylan approached, relief flooding Kael's weathered features.
"Thank the twin suns you're both safe." The Council leader's voice carried genuine concern. "What happened?"
