Page 40 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

Jake opened his mouth to say no, but Cane said, “An order of pretzels, please.”

When he noticed Jake looking at him, he huffed and took a drink of his beer. “Don’t judge. I’m addicted to that damn cheese.”

Elara laughed from the sink where she was washing glasses. “That cheese is the reason I mated with Bell in the first place.”

Cane nodded like he absolutely believed that. “It’s so good.”

“So what you’re saying is”—Jake leaned over and threw an arm around Cane’s shoulders—“you’re one of those guys whose stomach is a direct line to his heart.”

“Aren’t all guys like that?” Elara smirked.

“We totally are.” Cane took another pull from his beer. “Anybody that says otherwise is a lying bastard.” He turned his head and pressed a quick kiss to Jake’s lips. “Good thing we live above an excellent kitchen.”

“And have plenty of take-out menus.” Jake lifted his glass, and they clinked them together.

“Wait,” Elara said, drying her hands on a towel. “Are you saying neither one of you can cook?”

“I know Jake can’t,” Dom threw in, pouring another draft beer.

“Hey, now, I can make some things.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “Canned soup, eggs, grilled cheese, and several types of pasta.”

The girls looked at Cane expectantly.

“Oh, I’m a frozen pizza expert.”

They all laughed until Dom went completely still, her dark eyes trained on the front door.

Jake looked back but didn’t see anything. “What is it, Dom?”

Her brow furrowed as her head turned from the front door toward the kitchen along the back of the building. “Too many people. Moving like a unit.”

A prickle of unease went through Jake. “What?” He barely got the word out before Dom yelled, “Get down!”

The front window shattered in a rain of glass. The thunk of metal canisters hit the floor of the bar, and thick, white smoke filled the area. Screams rang out from all corners of the building. People were shouting in fear or pain. Jake couldn’t tell.

He turned to Cane, already pushing him up and out of his seat. “Get behind the bar!” As soon as Cane scrambled up onto the bar top, Jake slammed his hand against the runes carved into the front edge of the bar and spoke the word that would activate the spell. A barrier of blue energy shot out from the bar’s edge from floor to ceiling. It created a shield using the bar as its anchor.

“Jake!” Cane yelled, crouched on the bar’s top. “Get back here!”

He didn’t listen. Slamming his hands together, he activated his own shield. Men poured into the bar in combat dress and with guns braced on their shoulders. Patrons scrambled to get behind the bar and protection of the shield wall. What the fuck was this?

He started speaking the words for a spell when a roar came from behind him. Oh good, they hadn’t gotten Bell. Bellicent soared over the bar, fully shifted into her gargoyle form, huge dark wings outstretched and talons aimed toward their foes. Dom was right behind her, the dark brown fur of her wolf the same shade as her skin in human form. She leapt over the bar and tackled the closest commando to the ground.

Bell landed in front of him with a snarl. Two of the commandos opened fire. Bell laughed. She was over three hundred years old. Bullets couldn’t get through her hide. She lunged, taking out the two that had opened fire.

Jake turned to the left, aiming the spell he was gathering that way. Behind him, he could hear at least two others chanting. Meaning they’d have backup soon. Just as he unleashed the wave of force, like a hurricane wind, knocking back the three men advancing from that side of the bar, someone nudged against his back. Turning, he found Cane there, back to his and locked in combat with a commando that had slipped between Dom and Bell.

Cane had a hand on the man’s gun, keeping it aimed at the ceiling. The other he used to grab the edge of the combat vest he wore and dragged him forward into a hard knee to the solar plexus. The man grunted, but didn’t go down. The next hit Cane landed was right to the man’s face, laying him out flat on his back. Cane pulled the magazine from the gun and pulled the bolt back, ejecting the bullet from the pipe. He tossed the gun away and stuck the mag in his back pants pocket.

Near the door, someone yelled, “Fall back!” The commandos that were still standing took off at a run.

Bell turned to Jake, blonde hair falling out of the neat bun she normally wore back in the kitchen. “Do we pursue?”

“No. Let’s get these guys tied up and call this in. Do we have a roll of duct tape somewhere?”

“We won’t need it,” Cane said, squatting down beside the man he’d knocked unconscious. He pulled a bundle of zip-tie handcuffs from a pouch on the man’s belt. “Be sure to check them. This one’s got two knives and a backup pistol on him.”

Bell nodded at Cane with a look of approval on her face. Jake knew that look. It was an acknowledgment of a fellow warrior. They dragged the unconscious and injured commandos to the bar and used their own zip-ties to bind their hands behind their backs.

---