148
Shadow
“Shadow and Demon will infiltrate the house and find out where they’re keeping Avery,” Wraith ordered in a hushed tone, “while the rest of us surround it and start picking off these coyote fuckers.”
“I’m going in, too,” Shyla hissed quietly, lifting her chin and glaring at Wraith, as if daring him to deny her.
“I know you want to be in there, little one, but Shadow and Demon have a gift. One that helps them communicate if they get in trouble without alerting everyone around.”
“A gift I share with them,” Shyla argued stubbornly. “I’m going.”
Wraith looked at her curiously, before asking in a low voice, “You can talk to both of them? In their minds? I have the same gift but haven’t been able to.”
“I can talk to Griff. I haven’t really tried with Brady.”
Wraith nodded slowly, before relenting. “Fine, you go with them. Might be best to have a woman on the inside to help bring Avery out. After everything she’s been through, she may not trust a male.”
I wanted to argue, wanted my mate somewhere safe, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. It was her sister we were saving, and she wanted to be involved. I didn’t blame her. Not only that, but she was a badass herself. I’d seen her in action and knew she could hold her own.
“Let’s do this,” Demon said, his hands going to the hem of his shirt to remove it.
“I think one of you needs to stay in human form,” Rooster put in, from where he was crouched behind an old piece of farm equipment just a few feet from them.
“I agree. Demon, you fight best in human form, Shadow as his panther. Shadow, shift,” Wraith ordered. “The rest of us will surround the area and pick off these bastards one by one. It looks like most of them are outside, enjoying that nice little bonfire they have going on. Nice place to get rid of the bodies after we’re done.”
“Agreed,” Demon muttered, his eyes meeting mine. “And, when they start realizing what’s happening, it will pull the rest of them from the house.”
“Oh, it will take a while for them to catch on,” Big Bry said, with deadly confidence. The bastard was the only shifter I knew with the ability to camouflage himself. He could literally sneak up on anyone, anywhere, without them having a clue he was there until it was too late.
“Killer, you stick with Bry,” Wraith ordered. “No shifting unless you absolutely have to.”
“Got it.”
I didn’t fully know Bry’s story, but something had happened to him years ago that fucked with his mind. Now, it was best if he fought with his fists and not as his leopard, or things could go wrong fast. Killer was the only one who was able to keep Bry’s animal under control, so he stuck to him like glue in situations where blood would be spilled.
“Shyla, you stay by me or Demon,” I said, quickly removing my cut, then my shirt, and reaching for the button on my jeans as I toed off my boots. When she would have argued, I held up a hand, “I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, sweetheart, but my cat is going to feel pulled in two different directions if you aren’t with him. He’s going to want to get to you, when he should be hunting for your sister.”
Shyla grinned, her hand resting on the butt of her Glock. “Did you forget what my gift is, Shadow? I find things. I can find anything. And, right now, I’m telling you that not only is my sister in the house, but the minute I step through the door, I will know where she is.”
I wasn’t sure how her gift worked, but if what she was saying was true, then this mission to save her sister may have just gotten a little bit easier.
“Even though you’ve never met her?” Demon asked.
“I’ve never met anyone that I’ve needed to find before,” Shyla said with a shrug. “I just get this feeling inside of me, like a beacon leading the way. Right now, it’s lighting up that farmhouse like it’s on fire.”
I gave her a hard kiss, before yanking my jeans down and throwing them in the pile of clothes I’d already removed. One of the prospects would grab them to take back to the car that was parked close by. With one last look at my woman, I crouched down and shifted, resisting the urge to let out a loud, challenging roar afterwards. The coyotes had stolen my mate’s sister, and my panther was ready to tear them all apart.
“Make this fast,” Wraith growled, as he began to remove his own clothing. “In and out. Go!”
I took off, Demon and Shyla right behind me, aware that my brothers were either on the move in human form or shifting if they preferred to fight as their cat. Blocking out the others, I concentrated on the old, dilapidated farmhouse in front of me. It was a large, two-story house that looked as if it were falling apart. There was a barn and a large chicken coop nearby, but I knew my brothers would be scoping them out. I was to focus on the house.
You ready? I sent the question to both Shyla and Demon at the same time, wondering how it would work with the three of us trying to talk to each other. Hell, I was still struggling to get used to the fact that I even could talk to someone besides my brother this way.
Ready. Demon replied, stopping behind me as he waited for my direction. Better prepare your mate for what she might find in there, Shad.
His mate is already prepared, Demon. Let’s get moving. I felt Brady’s amusement through our link, and knew Shyla felt it too, when she
