Page 24

“I’m sorry I missed the meeting. Connor was feeling extra frisky this morning.” Madison grinned at Felix as she stretched out on one of the gurneys.

“No worries. Rian just got everyone’s input about the surprise party for Rebecca. I’ve never seen him this excited before. It wasn’t just him either, everyone couldn’t do enough to help. Rebecca has really done a lot for Arkadia.”

“She’s so tiny though,” Madison commented.

“She is fun-crazy, and extremely protective of the townspeople. I haven’t been here that long, but the little twerp has burrowed her way to my heart. I just want to carry her around in my pocket.” Felix had a clipboard and was finishing the inventory of one of the treatment rooms.

“Do you think Maddox will remember to grab ketchup? I forgot to ask for it,” Madison asked.

Maddox had left nearly thirty minutes ago to grab them lunch at the diner.

Felix shrugged. “Probably, the man is a genius in the kitchen. He can take basic food like rice and chicken and make it into meals that you can actually eat.” Felix sounded amazed.

“When we were kids he would make us dinner all the time. Madelyne and I aren’t very good in the kitchen,” she admitted and felt the now-familiar pang she experienced every time she mentioned her sister.

“Thank god, he can cook, otherwise we would probably starve,” Felix admitted.

“Have you heard anything about that vampire? I think his name was Rhys,” Madison asked.

She couldn’t explain it, but she felt extremely close to the vampire. They had lived through hell together. She wanted to make sure he was okay.

“Prince Gabriel still has to let him feed directly from him to keep Rhys compliant. His eyes haven’t returned to normal yet, and he isn’t able to tolerate human blood.

That is the most concerning issue, if he can’t live off of human blood, it’s Vampire and Shifter law to kill him. ” Felix shook his head.

“If anyone can save him, though, Prince Gabriel can. During the virus epidemic you should have seen him. Always in control. That man exudes power. Rhys just needs some time that’s all.”

Madison could tell that Felix was being optimistic. But, she knew council law, and they would have a fight on their hands to keep Rhys alive.

“Excuse me, I need help,” a voice said from the doorway.

Madison felt her body freeze. She and Felix turned at the same time to face the stranger at the door. She began to shake in anger as her tiger rose to the surface.

“Go ahead and shift, this is an elephant gun. It can easily kill your kitty cat. Now, come quietly.” The man waved an impressive long-barreled gun at them.

“You really are a dumb fuck aren’t you? Our mates are already on their way, they can sense our fear through our mate bond,” Felix said disdainfully.

The stranger gave a childlike smile and shrugged his shoulders.

“Then, I guess there is no reason to keep you alive.” He raised the gun and set his sights on Madison.

Connor!

Her heart screamed her mate’s name. Next to her, she heard the sounds of breaking wood and debris falling to the floor. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The blur of movement to her right had her turning her head to look at Felix.

Instead of the small, red-haired man she had come to adore like a little brother, there stood a twenty foot, dark-green and brown Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The intruder began a high-pitched scream. Felix didn’t waste any time, he bent down and grabbed the squealing man between his long jagged teeth. Hearing their mates outside, Felix turned and walked through the clinic wall to the street outside where it seemed the entire town stood gaping in shock.

“Holy fuck,” Madison whispered.

“Don’t forget the ketchup. Madison likes to put ketchup on her meat loaf,” Doc said.

Connor nodded and threw some ketchup packets in the to-go bag. He was going to surprise his mate by joining them for lunch.

“Is it just me or are you busier than normal?” Doc asked.

Connor had to admit he was right. It seemed like everyone was in the diner for lunch.

Rebecca and Aleks sat with Ashby, Nic, and Gabriel at one table.

Kate, Bran, and Caleb were chatting with Liam, Sebastian, and Kent at another table.

Rian and Damian seemed to flitting from table to table talking to everyone.

A lot of the pack and pride had come in for his ma’s meat loaf. Everyone was excited about the town Thanksgiving dinner. Rebecca, being Rebecca, had created and started passing around a volunteer sign-up sheet. It was already filled. God, he loved this town.

Out of nowhere a wave of panic and terror washed over him. On the other side of the counter, Doc had dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.

“Doc?” Kate asked. Everyone got quiet staring at their doctor.

In the distance a loud, inhuman roar reverberated through the diner.

Rebecca jumped up excitedly.

“Yes! Yes! He did it!” She ran from the diner.

Connor and Aleks were frozen in shock when a second roar catapulted them forward.

Connor ran across the street and headed to the clinic. When he got to the building he skidded to a halt, half of the town behind him.

“What the fuck!” Aleks yelled.

Rebecca was jumping up and down. Sebastian was doing fist pumps in the air. Doc looked at the large reptile and turned milky white.

“Felix?” he whispered.

Connor stared at the dinosaur that was chewing on a screaming man.

“Is that? Is that a severed arm between your teeth!” Doc demanded, his voice going up an octave.

Felix ignored him.

Connor edged past Felix looking for Madison. He spotted her trying to step through the rubble. He ran over and lifted her over most of the large debris.

“Spit him out this instant!” Doc ordered, his finger pointing to the ground imperiously.

“I want a ride, come on Felix, you promised me if you ever mastered a T-Rex, I would get a ride,” Rebecca begged, trying to climb up Felix’s back leg to secure a spot for her piggy back ride.

Connor watched as his elder brother started to lose his mind.

“Becca, get down!” Aleks screamed, trying to pull his mate down.

“You are going to have people breath! Do you hear what I am saying? Can you hear what you have me saying! How are you going to floss arms out of your teeth, Felix?!” Doc’s face was now flushed red, and his breathing was erratic.

“Becca, you get your cute ass down here now! You are on a freaking dinosaur!” Aleks screamed, beginning to hyperventilate.

Rebecca whooped and cheered from Felix’s back, her tiny arm wrapped around the large lizard’s throat.

Connor looked over to the crowd. Liam was waving his arms at his mate. “No! No fucking way! I am not waking up next to a fucking T-Rex baby. Don’t even think about it.” Liam clutched at his mate’s arms as Sebastian sniffled. Kent was steadily trying to calm both his mates down.

Rian was taking pictures of Felix with his smartphone. His head looked over to where Liam was confronting Sebastian.

“Oh hell no! You would squish Liam. Enough with the scary shit, Sebastian, you are not eating my ass!” he declared loudly.

Aleks and Doc paused for a moment to stare at Rian, who surprised everyone by turning slightly pink. “Okay, that didn’t come out quite right, but you know what I mean.”

“How about a velociraptor? They’re smaller?” Sebastian asked.

“No!” Rian and Liam shouted.

“Look at the clinic!” Doc covered his face with his hands as Felix continued to chew on the intruder.

Ma walked up behind him and placed a comforting hand on Doc’s shoulder.

“Felix, spit that bad man out. Rebecca, one lap around town and then you are sitting down for a while, you’re getting too excited.

Sebastian, I wouldn’t recommend anything bigger than an alligator, you’ll destroy the pride house.

Duncan, take your brother to Mojo’s, get a shot of whiskey in him, and then bring him by the diner for something to eat.

Connor, is Madison okay?” Ma asked, her voice calm and even.

Connor looked at Madison, and Madison looked at Connor.

“Why did I ever think I would be bored living here?” Madison asked.

“Wildcat, this is par for the course.”