“You better hope this deer spray works,” ayounger male sneered.
Gunnar wanted to laugh and shift anyway justto tell them that it did not work, but he kept his animal form andtook a step.
Off in the distance, he saw movement, andfrom the soft growl coming from his brother, Gunnar knew he’d seenthem, too. Six human males carried shotguns and were dressed headto toe in camo. They didn’t do much to cover their faces, so theirskin stuck out like a sore thumb.
He knew he couldn’t call for backup, butfrom the looks of it, they weren’t going to need it. Those hunterswere not as skilled as they’d all believed. It would be better tojust capture them and hand them over to Garrett instead of killingthem.
“Look for their bitches,” another onewhispered. “We can save them before these bastards knock ‘em upwith their spawn.”
Okay, Gunnar had decided to kill them.
Once they spoke of the mates, he knew theywould need to be put down like a feral shifter. The guns theycarried gave them a little advantage, but that was it.
“Harvey?” another one whispered. “What dothey look like in their human form?”
“Does it matter?” Harvey replied. That wasthe male the sheriff had been looking for from the chat rooms. Hewas the one responsible for shooting at Gunnar’s mate. “We are ontheir land, and if they are out in these woods, or come outside ofthose homes, we kill them.”
When he turned to look at his brother’sbeast, it lowered its head to the ground for a second toacknowledge Gunnar’s right to end his life. Shifter law had beenaround since the beginning, and every male knew to let the rightfulmate take the life of a threat.
The males waited for the humans to comenear. Their footsteps sounded as they reached the main trail. Atthat point, the bears could see them as they approached. There hadnever been this easy of a kill.
Thunder rumbled off in the distance a fewseconds after a flash of lighting lit up the sky. Fortunately, thehunters didn’t see the bears waiting patiently beside the trail.They’d all turned to look behind them at the flash. Gunnar was sureGaia had something to do with that.
They were about fifty yards away and comingcloser at a snail’s pace. Gunnar’s bear wanted to rush them, but heheld back. With the guns, he had to proceed with caution.
He glanced at Drake’s bear. It was rockingforward and back as if Drake was holding back his beast, too.Ransom was as still as the night, but that didn’t mean the male wasunprepared.
A branch cracked as the youngest male cameup beside a male who looked like his father. The kid searchedthrough the darkness, only relying on his human vision…which wasn’tanything extraordinary.
“Their cabins are not far,” Harvey whisperedto the others.
Another louder boom of thunder rumbled thearea as the males came to a halt only feet from the bears. Theystill hadn’t been seen, but that was quickly going to change.Gunnar had it out for the leader of the group, and he was poised totake him down.
Drake broke the silence as one of themraised their gun to look through a scope. The gasp from themiddle-aged male sent them into action. There was no time to callout a warning before Drake stood on his hind legs and swiped theshotgun from the male’s grasp.
A shot rang out, but Gunnar heard the bulletthud into a tree somewhere to his right. His bear rushed the malewho’d shot his mate, taking him to the ground.
“No, please!” Harvey begged for his life,but there would be no mercy here. They’d tried to kill them, andwhen his mate was shot, shifter law had been activated.
The sheriff wasn’t there to stop him as hisbeast pressed the male into the ground with his large paw, rakinghis abdomen with his sharp claws.
This is for my mate, you son of a bitch!
Harvey’s life spilled out onto the ground ashis brother and Ransom were going after the others. Another shotwent off, and Anna Claire’s cousin roared at the impact. He was hitright behind his left shoulder. The wound could be fatal, but therewas no time to get the male to shift.
Gunnar launched himself at the middle-agedman, taking him to the ground as well. Drake howled as a bullet hithim from the younger human, but it didn’t stop him. Two more humanmales took off at a dead run toward the back of their property.Gunnar’s bear insisted he follow, but he had to take care of theone underneath him. With swift movements, he bit into the male’sthroat and ended his miserable life.
He had to leave Ransom in the woods whileDrake took care of the other two humans. There were six in all, andthat should’ve been an easy takedown, but with the guns involved,the odds were in the humans’ favor. He needed to find the other twowho had gotten away, but he also needed to get Ransom medicalhelp.
Anna Claire jumped from her seat as sheheard the sound of gunshots off in the distance. Ada and Tessa werealready scooping up their cubs as Rex burst through the doors.
“Everyone in their quarters, now!” Lucaordered as Rex grabbed for weapons. Their eyes shifted to accountfor the now darkened sky. It was only after eight, and she wonderedwhy the hunters were so careless as to be on their land soearly.
“Rex!” Ada cried out as she bundled Thaneagainst her chest.
“Ada, go now! I mean it!” he ordered,throwing the blinds and bar across the front door.
Anna Claire hurried to her room and barredthe door, reaching for her cell phone. Her first call was to thesheriff, and she cursed when he didn’t answer right away. One moreattempt to call and he answered right away.
“Sheriff Lynch,” he bellowed into thephone.
“Garrett, it’s Anna Claire,” she cried.“Someone is on our land, and I hear gunshots. Send help,please!”
She wasn’t above begging, and the tears werecoming faster as she fretted over the status of her mate. Was heshot? Did they catch the humans yet? Was everyone going to be safe,or were they sitting ducks
