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ENDER

“I’m going with you.” The finality in Wren’s tone was as admirable as her glare. But as she crossed her arms, the only thing she managed to do was thrust her breasts upward, which made half of us let out a variety of groans.

“Seriously?” she clipped.

Puck’s lips twitched. “Doesn’t matter if we’re in the middle of a war. You show us a hint of what you’re hiding under that tank, and we’ll always be appreciative.”

Wren rolled her eyes. “Men.”

But the fact that she was wearing a tank to begin with had some foreign sensation shifting through my chest. When we first met her, she had covered her scars, not wanting the world to see them. But as time passed, she’d begun to care less and less what others saw or thought.

I fucking loved that.

What I didn’t love was the idea of her going with us to… question the fox shifter. The last thing she needed was to see that bloodshed.

“I’m going with you,” she said again as if reading my thoughts.

“Wren,” Kingston began.

“I can handle it,” she gritted out.

“Of course, you can,” he said quickly, truth ringing in his tone.

She blinked a few times. “Okay. Then?—”

“It’s us who can’t handle it,” King explained. “Especially those who’ve bonded with you recently. You know that puts them on edge. Once the fox is awake, their wolves won’t be able to handle having you near the shifter who tried to harm you.”

Bonded.

Just hearing King say the word made jealousy surge to the surface and had my wolf snapping at me. He hated that we hadn’t claimed Wren. And rightfully blamed me for it.

That stew of reactions only stoked my annoyance and anger—emotions I’d be sure to take out on our fox shifter friend.

Wren stared at Kingston for a long moment, then her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Fine. I’ll stay here.”

Locke moved into her space and wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll stay with you.”

Wren burrowed into his side. “You don’t have to.”

“You know I’m not one for the whole violence thing,” he said, guiding her toward the house.

My lip curled, and the urge to rip his arm from around Wren was strong.

“Watch your wolf,” Brix said, his voice low.

My gaze snapped to him. “What? You’re going to lecture me now that you have a fucking girlfriend?”

Brix didn’t show any signs of reaction, which only annoyed me more. “You’ve been shoving his instincts down,” he went on. “That’s never a good cocktail.”

“Mind your own damn business.” I stalked to the back of the SUV and slammed the hatch. “Are we going to do this, or are we going to stand around all night with our thumbs up our asses?”

“He’s in a delightful mood,” Puck muttered, climbing into the driver’s seat.

I ripped open the door to the back seat, and it was a miracle I didn’t take the thing off its hinges. Sliding in, I slammed the door behind me and immediately wanted to rip the vehicle apart. The stench of fox and drugs was pungent, even with the windows open. I let out a snarl.

“Do I have to sit next to him?” Brix muttered from outside.

“You could always take the back with the fox,” King suggested as he climbed into the passenger seat.

“Might be better,” Brix groused as he sat next to me and Puck started the engine.

“Cry me a fucking river,” I snapped.

Puck guided the SUV down the gravel road that led deeper into our territory. “I think he might be hangry.”

“It’s horny you’re thinking of,” King offered.

“Like you’re not? You’ve been living in a perpetual state of blue balls,” I shot back.

He shrugged, watching the road as he always did when his alert system was heightened. “I’ve made peace with it. You’re just being a cranky ass.”

I turned, scowling out the window and hoping the fresh breeze would clear away the awful scents in the vehicle.

The rest of the guys remained quiet, probably not wanting to stoke my wrath. Smart.

It took us about ten minutes to get to the spot we’d designated as a jail and detention center of sorts.

We didn’t need to use it often because our territory was fairly well hidden, but if someone trespassed or tried to do us harm, this was where they ended up so they could be questioned and… dealt with.

Puck slowed to a stop in front of what looked like a standard cabin. But when you got inside, there were two cells and an area where prisoners could be questioned. It looked pretty damn terrifying. But then again, there was a reason we had the reputations we did.

We slid out of the SUV, Puck pushing the button for the back hatch.

“I’ll get the fox. If you let End take him in there, he’ll be dead before we reach the threshold,” Brix said, moving to the back.

Puck shook his head. “When did you become the reasonable one?”

“Probably since Wren put his balls on a chain,” I muttered.

A smack landed on the back of my head, courtesy of King. “Watch it.”

My back teeth ground together, but I bit my tongue and followed Puck into the cabin. He flicked on the lights, illuminating the space and the dust-covered surfaces. I moved around, opening windows, not wanting to be closed in with the scent of drugs once they brought the fox in.

A soft groan sounded as Brix carried the man inside. He tossed the shifter into a metal chair and fastened his wrists and ankles to the arms and legs with shifter-proof chains. The fox wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Puck strode over with a syringe he’d gotten from the supply closet. Sliding the needle into the man’s arm, he hit the plunger. The serum would keep the man from shifting into his fox form.

Once all the windows were open, I stalked back to the fox and waited.

The four of us formed a half circle around the shifter, Kingston taking center.

It took a few minutes for the man to come around, but the second he did, he writhed against the bindings.

I watched as he tried to bring on the change and call on his other half, but he couldn’t.

“What the hell did you give me?” he snarled, spittle flying.

“Just a little something to keep the fox at bay,” Puck singsonged. “Don’t pretend like you give a damn what poison you put in your veins.”

The man sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kingston let out a low growl that carried the dominance of a true alpha. The man snapped his mouth closed, sweat breaking out on his brow. King crossed his arms over his chest and stepped forward. “Do you know who we are?”

Defiance lit in the fox’s eyes, and I knew he was about to make a dumb play. “Probably the pack of that bitch.”

A muscle popped in King’s cheek. “Did you take the time to find out what pack the woman you sought to kidnap was a part of?”

“Don’t fuckin’ matter,” the man spat.

“But it does,” King cooed. “Maybe you’ve heard of us. The Diablos ring a bell?”

The blood didn’t drain from the fox’s face. It disappeared altogether, and the man’s eyes went so wide you could see more whites than irises. “I-I-I didn’t know. They didn’t say. I-I wouldn’t have.”

“Want to know what else?” King said, baring his teeth. “She’s. Our. Mate.”

My wolf howled at that, demanding justice and blood.

A wet spot bloomed on the man’s jeans, darkening the denim.

“Aw, hell,” Puck muttered. “Why do they always piss themselves?”

“It’s better than the vomit,” Brix muttered.

“That always comes later,” Puck argued. “When we start removing fingers and toes.”

“I’ll tell you whatever you want. I swear. I just—” The fox closed his eyes. “Just make my death swift. Promise.”

I scoffed. The man had no honor. No strength. And my wolf wouldn’t even get the joy of breaking him.

“Tell us who hired you,” King ordered.

“No one,” the man said.

King snarled.

“I swear! There’s a reward on the open market. For anyone who can grab the girl with the scarred face in Crescent Creek.”

The series of growls that lit the air had the fox trembling.

“Who?” King snapped.

“Red River.”

This time, the growls were deafening. My wolf raked at my insides, demanding freedom. He wanted nothing more than the taste of Bastian Boudreaux’s blood on his tongue.

“Tell. Me. Everything,” Kingston gritted out.

“It, uh, went out on the black market. A call for people to bring her to Red River alive. I guess Boudreaux wants to make an example of her,” the fox said, his gaze jumping around the room.

“How so?” Brix snarled, fur rippling over his arms.

“H-he wants to breed her then kill her.”

Brix let out a howl that was pain and rage all wrapped into one.

Kingston’s expression had gone completely cold, his face nearly unrecognizable. “The price. Tell me the price.”

“Ten million for her alive,” the fox whispered.

I couldn’t wait any longer. I knew no additional information would be useful, so I stalked forward, bent down, and got in the bastard’s face.

“Wren. Her name is Wren.”

“O-okay.”

“Say her name,” I snarled.

“Wren,” he whispered.

“Remember it and take it to hell with you.”

My claws lengthened, and I punched my fist into his chest, fingers clamping around his heart, feeling it beat against my palm. Then I tore it straight out of his rib cage, relishing the feel of his blood coating my arm.

But it wasn’t enough. Not even close. It wouldn’t be until I’d wiped every enemy of Wren’s from the planet.