The moment the bullet impacted Seth, he growled, pivoted, and shielded Jenny. Several more pierced his shoulders and legs as he scooped her up and barreled through the front door, kicking it shut behind him. He set her down.
“Run,” he growled. Then, without waiting to see if she did, he shifted into a wolf. The pain was excruciating throughout his entire body as he changed, and silver bullets popped out in every direction. His shift in such a small area sent out a shockwave that shattered the mirror near the door as well as the wooden end table. The contents spun through the air and landed on various surfaces. Agony ripped through him, but he bounded back out the door on all fours, even as the men continued firing.
He dodged bullets and reached Clyde Barnby first. Snarling, Seth barreled into him in wolf form and sank his teeth into the man’s neck. Barnby tried to shift, but Seth dug deep into his throat and snapped his jaw shut.
Clyde let out a piercing scream.
In pure animal form, Seth dug in harder and ripped until the man’s head flew off his body.
The other two men discarded their guns and started to shift, rapidly dropping to all fours in wolf form. Both snarled and ducked their heads, preparing to charge.
Movement around the garage caught Seth’s attention, and he saw Greg Treverton walk out, a paper bag in his hand. He stopped cold, taking in the scene. “What the hell?”
His cousin Lewis, shiny beige coat shaking, yipped wildly.
Greg’s face turned tomato red. “Absolutely not,” he roared. In one smooth movement, he leaped into the air and shifted into a wolf, shredding his clothing.
Seth tried to set his stance, unsure if all three would ram him at once.
Rolie Barnby moved first and tackled Seth in a flurry of snapping canines and slashing claws. Falling back on his training, Seth flipped them both over, caught the animal by the hind legs, and threw him over his head before bouncing back up onto all fours to prepare for the next attacker.
Greg leaped over him, and the sound of Greg and Lewis colliding boomed through the morning.
So, Greg was on his side. Good. Seth slid on the wet grass as Rolie attacked again.
Seth was bleeding heavily, and his body was weakened, but when Rolie sank his teeth into Seth’s shoulder, he turned his head and jabbed his canine into Rolie’s left eye. The wolf shifter yelped and tried to back up, his body convulsing. Seth followed him and scraped his teeth all the way down the wolf’s muzzle to sink into his maw, tasting fur and the coppery tang of blood. He dug deep and found purchase, then turned his head suddenly, ripping out the wolf’s jugular.
Blood sprayed in every direction, and Seth spit out the other animal’s flesh. Fire flashed down his back as the silver started weakening his limbs. Only pure stubbornness kept him on his paws and not facedown in the bloody grass.
Rolie flopped three times and then died, the breath whistling out of his lungs for the last time. He died in wolf form and would remain so forever.
Gasping, Seth turned to see both Greg and Lewis pausing and then shifting back into their human forms. Seth did the same and took inventory of his injuries. Blood flowed freely from both his legs and back. Claw marks dug deep into his chest and down his right flank, those cuts bleeding, as well.
The world was going blurry, and he knew he was about to pass out.
Lewis looked at his dead friends and then took a step back. “This isn’t over.” The flesh over the right side of his jaw had been torn away, leaving his teeth visible. When he spoke, blood spurted from beneath his eye.
Greg towered over him and put his hands on his hips. He lacked injuries and didn’t even seem bruised. “What were you doing?” he asked, blood sliding from his mouth. Probably Lewis’s.
Lewis had several wounds on his body, and he looked at his cousin, panic lighting his eyes. He appeared stocky and muscled but much smaller than his overlarge cousin. “We were trying to do the right thing. Mia has to die.”
Greg stiffened and snarled as Jenny walked onto the porch, pale and shaking, looking at the scene.
“How could you?” she yelled at Lewis.
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. Mia was pregnant before they mated. You know my advanced sense of smell. I could tell the truth in one whiff.”
Jenny gasped and put both hands to her mouth.
Greg looked at Seth, still within arm’s reach of Lewis. “Is that true? Mia got pregnant before you mated?”
Seth set his stance and his jaw, even though he was about to pass out. If he had to take Greg out, he’d need to do it fast. Lewis and Jenny would then attack, and he didn’t want to hurt Jenny. If he could. His left leg had already gone numb. Completely. “None of your business.”
Greg studied him for a moment. “All right.” He looked at his cousin. “Is she even here?”
A snot bubble popped from Lewis’s nose. “No, but Seth is. We have to take him out first.”
Greg shook his head and turned his gaze on his wife. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, but Lewis could’ve killed me.” She wiped blood off her chin. “I did get hit.” She looked down at her right arm, where blood had run. “The bullet went right through, but it was silver, and I don’t feel so good.”
Greg grabbed Lewis by the neck and lifted him off the ground. “You shot at my wife?”
“I was trying to kill Seth,” Lewis croaked.
In a shockingly fast movement, Greg tossed Lewis into the air, clamped both forearms around his neck, and flipped him over. The sound of the man’s neck breaking pierced the silent day.
Greg dropped the body, pivoted, and smashed his heel into his cousin’s neck, pressing down until the wolf shifter stopped breathing. Then he pressed more and moved his foot so his toes could slice with suddenly long claws. Jenny screamed for him to stop, but Greg continued until he’d severed the head from the body.
“He tried to kill you, Jen.” Greg looked like a dangerous mountain man, even buck naked. “He also tried to kill our Alpha and was going after Mia. He had to die.” Greg looked over at Seth.
Seth nodded. Then the entire world went dark, and he started to fall—out cold.
Todd skidded to a stop in front of the sprawling mansion and Mia was out of the car before the vehicle’s engine stopped humming. Her heart thundering, she ran across the bloody grass and barreled through the front door. He had to be okay.
“Whoa,” Greg Treverton said, grasping her by the arms. “Take it easy there, Mia.” His beefy hands were gentle, and concern glowed in his eyes. “Seth is okay. Deep breaths. You’re all right.”
Mia paused and sucked in air. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He released her and took a hesitant step back, towering over her. What was he? At least six foot eight? “Just don’t go running into walls or falling down or anything, all right?” He hovered close as if afraid she’d suddenly drop.
She gulped. “Where is he?”
“I’m in here, and you sure as shit had better not have driven here crazily,” Seth drawled.
“Todd drove. It looked like he went to scout the area.” Mia’s heart jerked, and she turned, hustling down the hallway and into the study where Seth sprawled on a leather sofa, shirtless with bleeding holes across his chest. “All the bullets are out, sweetheart,” he said, pain darkening his eyes.
She moved toward him, noting one hole already closing.
Jenny bustled in with towels that she tossed at Seth. There was blood on her upper arm, but she didn’t seem to have any trouble moving. “Hey. He’s fine.” She pulled Mia in sideways for an awkward hug. “Don’t freak out. It was a good fight.”
“There’s a lot of blood on the grass,” Mia whispered, her mind fuzzing.
Seth snaked out an arm and manacled her wrist, pulling her gently to sit next to him. “Greg?”
“On it.” The mammoth male looked relieved to head down the hallway and out the front door.
“Wait a minute,” Mia muttered.
Seth kept his intense gaze on her. It was as if he could see every thought she’d ever had. Every emotion. Every part of her. “No,” Seth said. “No minutes. This was pack business.”
“Was?” Mia’s stomach ached. “Seth, if there are dead bodies, I—”
“There aren’t any,” Seth muttered.
That didn’t matter, did it? Mia wasn’t sure. The pack had its own laws, as did the town, but murder was murder. The room spun around her, and she fought the urge to throw up.
“Deep breaths.” Seth took a clean towel and wiped off his torso. “Everyone knows you’re pregnant, by the way.”
That explained Greg’s odd actions. Mia could almost feel the pain vibrating off Seth, but his expression gave no hint that he was in pain. “Silver bullets?”
He nodded.
“Who was it?” There was no doubt in her mind that whoever had attacked Seth and Jenny was dead. The bodies must’ve been disposed of before she arrived, which was quick. Had Jenny waited to call her until after things had been taken care of? Even now, Greg was washing blood off the front lawn. “Who attacked?” she asked.
Seth shook his head. “Nobody that matters.”
“Seth, we have to at least file a report.” She was an FBI agent, and she’d taken an oath.
“There’s no report to be taken,” Jenny said cheerfully, lifting her head and sniffing the air. “Claire’s chili is finished. You’re in for a treat, Mia.”
How could the woman speak so calmly about dinner after such an obviously brutal fight? “I need to know who’s after us,” Mia said slowly. “At least give me an idea of who to trust.”
“I have,” Seth said, his jaw set hard. “You know who to trust. My inner circle will do anything to keep you safe.”
Irritation clacked down her back, raising the hairs at her nape. “Who died today, Seth?”
“Nobody who will be missed,” Jenny said. “Before you ask, I called Claire right before you, and all she saw was the blood on the grass. Seth and I chose not to make a report because I accidentally fired a weapon and somehow shot us both. It’s our blood out there.” The woman didn’t bat an eye as she lied.
The room swam around Mia, and she clenched her teeth together. “I don’t think there should be different laws for pack members and humans.”
“I agree.” Claire carried in a wooden tray laden with bowls of fragrant chili. “However, I didn’t observe anything but blood on the grass, and based on the reports from Jenny, Greg, and Seth, there’s nothing to investigate.” She kept her voice level, but displeasure glittered in her eyes.
Mia nodded—not at the cover-up but because Claire seemed ticked. Perhaps the woman would make a good deputy, after all—wolf shifter or not.
The outside door opened, and heavy footsteps sounded. Seconds later, Erik and Todd barreled into the room, fierce frowns on their faces.
“I’m fine,” Seth said. “Has the forest been scouted?”
Todd nodded. “Just did—all clear.”
Erik scanned his brother’s rapidly healing chest. “Got your text.”
Todd gulped and looked at Mia. “You look pale. You okay?”
Erik swung his gaze toward her. “Take a deep breath. We have you protected. I promise.”
Finally, temper began to shove away Mia’s nausea. “I’m armed, gentlemen.” She wasn’t an invalid, for goodness’ sake. “Seth? If this was another attack about the baby, it’s just ridiculous. You can’t tell me that anybody in your pack or another in the coalition would actually try to kill you or me over a baby—even if we did conceive while I was still human.”
Seth’s eyes warmed. “You’re a strategic sweet thing, aren’t you?”
What the heck did that mean? She glared.
His lips twitched. “No. The babe is just an excuse to challenge me, sweetheart. If we didn’t have the baby, they would’ve found something else. I’m the new Alpha, and there will be challenges for a little while. However, since you seem to be part of it, we do have to keep you safe.” The man sounded way too accepting of that fact.
“Challenges are stupid,” Mia muttered.
Claire, still in her deputy uniform, handed Mia a warm bowl. “This is the mild one,” she said softly. “The others would probably be too spicy for the baby. Trust me.”
Mia nodded. Claire had several children, and she’d lost one not too long ago. Seeing her smile was nice, although that sadness would probably always lurk in her eyes. Mia was barely pregnant, but she couldn’t imagine losing the baby. “Thank you.” She accepted the spoon. “It was nice of you to make dinner.”
Greg sauntered into the room. “I’ve been trying to get us all together for dinner. If this is what it takes, then so be it.” He grinned.
Seth studied the overlarge man. “I appreciate what you did.”
Greg shrugged and drew Jenny to his side. “I did my job.” Then, he looked around. “I’m starving. I’ll go get the rest of the bowls.” He kissed his mate on the top of her head and then sidled gracefully out the doorway.
Seth pulled Mia closer. “This is what family feels like in a pack, sweetheart. We’re covered. I promise.”