Page 27 of CADE & ANNA

Goddess, please protect her...he chanted over and over.

She was a jumble of confusion combined with fear for her baby. How had Tim gotten here? He wasn’t supposed to be able to enter the state. Etienne had cursed him so his manly bits and pieces would fall off if he ever tried. This shouldn’t be possible.

Julia couldn’t believe the sight before her as she barreled through the door. Anna stood trembling, held tightly by a man she’d never seen before, with a gun to her head. The hesitation lasted less than a second before Julia raised her arms to pelt Tim with anything at hand. Turning toward what was left of her house, she began to summon the energy. She never saw Tim point the gun at her back.

“JULIA!” Anna cried. The sight of Thomas’s mate crumpled in a heap was more than she could take. The world around her swam as she fought to remain conscious. It took all her will to gather her wits. She needed a clear head.

The other four women stared in shock. Julia lay unconscious at a hideous man’s feet while Anna was held in front of him like a human shield.

She felt Tim jam the barrel of his gun into her temple. He must be completely mad to show up here with a gun and threaten her. That made him much more dangerous.

“Get back!” Tim demanded.

A howl rose deep in the forest, long and mournful and moving toward them. Cade was coming, and from the sound of it, he was coming fast.

Thank Goddess.

“Move it, bitch,” Tim snarled, pushing her towards his boat.

Anna was momentarily taken aback when Thomas crashed from the forest. If she’d been thinking clearly, she would have known he would come for his mate. A few steps behind Thomas stood Cade’s very large, very angry wolf.

She had never seen Thomas this furious. Cade looked equally intimidating. Growling menacingly, he paced around Tim, preparing to attack.

Cade stared at Tim’s gun hand. If he could safely attack, that hand was coming off. But for now, he was forced to analyze the situation and formulate a way to get Anna away from Tim without her getting shot. Thomas was providing a good distraction; Tim was paying less attention to his wolf as he kept a close eye on Thomas. The arrival of the rest of the hunting party didn’t hurt either.

Anna watched as her son, in wolf form, faced off with his father. She had to do something. She considered the consequences of head–butting Tim with a gun to her head. Would the gun go off, leaving Cade without his mate to follow her into death? She couldn’t have that, nor could she lose the baby she carried, and she certainly wouldn’t lose her son. She could see that Cade was trying to catch Tim off guard, and the women were too afraid to move or shift for fear he would shoot her.

Tears of frustration welled in her eyes. She wasn’t one to allow another person to make her this helpless, but she also couldn’t put her baby in jeopardy. The wolf in her wanted to tear the idiot to shreds, regardless of the consequences. But her human side knew that wasn’t an option. It wasn’t worth the risk. No, she would have to watch for an opening before she could make her move.

Tim removed the pressure of the gun barrel from her temple and pointed it at Thomas before she could formulate a plan.

Cade froze. Tim had turned the gun on Thomas, and it looked like his stepson was going to sacrifice himself.

“No!” she cried, as a silenced gunshot popped next to her ear. She watched as Thomas staggered, and the sight of blood soaking his shoulder was more than she could take. As if on autopilot, her fury and instincts took over. She slammed her head back into his face. A loud crunch resounded behind her head, telling her she had hit her mark. Tim screamed in pain, releasing her to grasp his bloody, crushed nose with both hands.

Immediately, she felt hands pulling her away from Tim. Everything happened so fast, the next thing she knew she was wrapped in Cade’s arms.

Krystal had snatched the gun Tim had held the instant he dropped it. She was relieved beyond measure to see Thomas in human form and that the bullet had only grazed him.

Anna heard Tim yell, “What the hell are you?”

“Your worst nightmare,” Thomas replied in an ominously quiet tone. “You should’ve stayed in Vegas. Coming here was your first mistake. Touching my mate and my mother was your last.”

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