“How’s Ransom?” he whispered, knowing heshouldn’t be talking so much, but his mate’s cousin had been in badshape when the angel had whisked him away to Harold’s placeearlier.
“He’s still in with the healer,” Boothreplied quickly, changing the subject as he narrowed his eyes atthe two other panthers. “Tell us what’s going on here.”
“We have two humans who fled to the woods,”he replied, turning to look over his shoulder. Off in the distance,he could see what was the beginning of a small campfire. It lookedlike the humans were settling in for the night instead of trying tofind their way out.
He would worry about his mate’s cousin afterthey took out those two males. He couldn’t get distracted while onthe hunt, which was one of the first rules his father had taughthim after his first shift at the young age of five.
“We will do as you advise,” Booth replied.“This is your right, and we will not stand in your way.”
“But we sure will stand in theirs,” Lucky,the younger panther, chuckled.
Gunnar nodded and accepted their help. Thepanthers returned to their shifted forms and lay quietly in wait.Drake waited in his bear form, never shifting or coming from hisspot to check on the panthers. It was a huge step for his oldestbrother to not be involved with the panthers. It gave Gunnar hopethey could come to be friends.
His bear shook its head as he progressedforward, but Gunnar’s human mind ached. Something wasn’t right, andhe could feel it. Pausing, he watched as the younger male typedaway on a cell phone, dropping it into his pocket as the older malesettled down on the hard ground.
“Get some sleep,” he advised, closing hiseyes. “It’s already ten thirty, and we need to be up at dusk so wecan get out of these damn woods.”
“Just updating the others,” the younger onesaid, yawning as he found his resting spot.
Gunnar held his beast back from attacking,preferring to wait until they were asleep. He figured ten minuteswould suffice. They needed to get rid of those two so they couldreturn home to help the others for when the day broke. June firstwas upon them, and it was time to protect their clan.
As the humans relaxed, Gunnar’s bear lookedback at the panthers who were lying in wait. They hadn’t moved nordid they rise as he acknowledged them. They were going to let theMorgan brothers handle them.
Gunnar’s bear moved slowly as he stalked hisprey from one side. He watched Drake out of the corner of his eyeas they descended on the makeshift camp. The small fire they’dbuilt was fading out, turning into glowing red coals instead of awarming flame.
The path to the males was easy to navigatein their larger forms, and Gunnar smirked inside his bear’s mind.It was time for the predator to take out the enemy. When Drakejoined him, their bears leaned over the sleeping hunters. There wasno warning for them as the two grizzlies brought forth thepunishment the human males so greatly deserved.
Gaia’s heart ached for Gunnar’s mate. Lucahad arrived shortly after the phone call from the panther’s healer.He and Anna Claire clung to each other over the horrible news.She’d lost a cousin and he’d lost his brother. Their small bloodfamily had just taken another hit.
Tessa made everyone a meal as they waitedfor Gunnar and Drake to arrive. There was no way to get the messageto them while they were out hunting. It was nearing midnight, andshe hoped they were okay.
Rex was pacing by the front door, and hiseyes were so golden, they glowed with the presence of his bear.He’d sent Ada and Thane to their quarters for safety once the clockstruck midnight. He’d asked the other females to do the same, andTessa had said she would do so after everyone was fed and caredfor, meaning Anna Claire was calm enough to be left on her own.
Gaia closed her eyes and worked on thestorms to ravage the areas she knew there were hunters coming forthe grizzlies. She wasn’t like the sheriff who’d been sent here tocare specifically for the panthers. Gaia was here on a favor to theonly friend she’d ever had.
There was only so much she could do.Manipulating the elements was a piece of cake for her, and shewished she had the magic to wipe them out with the fire andlightening from her hands, but she didn’t. Unless she was in frontof a threat, she couldn’t risk it.
“Here they come,” Rex announced, bringingeveryone to their feet.
Anna Claire’s cries intensified as Gunnarcame in the door. He gasped and immediately rushed to his mate’sside. “What happened?”
“Ransom…” she paused to take a breath as hecradled her against his chest. “He…he didn’t make it.”
“Fuck,” Gunnar snarled, scooping her up intohis arms and carrying her down the hallway to their quarters.
Luca covered his face with his hands andtook a deep breath before standing up to meet Drake, who’d come tostand in front of him. “I want revenge.”
“And you will have it,” Drake vowed. “Moreare coming.”
“Are you sure?” Gaia gasped, standing fromher seat on the couch.
“Positive,” he replied, launching into thestory of the two remaining hunters. He’d found the human’s phoneand had pulled up the message he’d sent over the private messageapp on the phone. “There are five more coming to the areatoday.”
“When?” Rex asked.
“By dark,” Drake replied and glanced atGaia. “We cannot have destruction here.”
“If I only knew where they were comingfrom…” she began, but froze when a flash of white light momentarilyblinded her. “What is the sheriff doing here?”
Rex unbarred the door and immediately openedit, reaching a hand out for Garrett. The two men shook as theygreeted each other.
“I’ve had a vision,” he replied and wavedeveryone into the kitchen as Rex locked things up.
“We know,” Drake said, tossing the sheriff aphone. “We found this on the human’s phone.”
Garrett’s eyes were still as white as snowas he marched into the room. Gaia felt his energy, and she wastaken aback for a second. When he looked up and caught her standingthere, his
