Page 13 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Jackson surveyed the demolished hotel room, his chest tightening at the signs of struggle. Emily had put up one hell of a fight. Shattered furniture, overturned lamps, and scattered belongings painted a chaotic picture of her last moments there. His gaze fell on her open suitcase near the bed. Stepping forward, he crouched and picked up the sweater she’d worn earlier, holding it to his nose. Her scent clung to the soft fabric—a delicate mix of wild berries and honeysuckle, warm and fresh with an undertone of something wilder, distinctly wolf.

Thane searched the bathroom and returned, shaking his head. “She fought hard.”

Leroy ran into the room. “Okay,” he panted, hands braced on his knees. “Doc Gwen was working late. She saw an old, dark-blue sedan, maybe late seventies or early eighties. Boxy frame and chrome bumpers. She didn’t think much of it because of the interstate detour five miles back. Tons of different cars have been coming through.”

“You need to start some cardio,” Jackson muttered, tossing the sweater aside.

“I’ve been telling you for years that you need an Enforcer,” Leroy shot back.

Thane nodded. “I’ve said the same.”

Jackson had always handled his own problems. “I’ve never needed one before, and I don’t need one now.” Except somebody had just taken Emily Nightsom right out of his territory.

Zylas Blount stepped into the room, his face pale as he surveyed the destruction. He wore his high school football jersey and dark jeans.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jackson asked.

“I found him outside,” Leroy said, still catching his breath.

Zylas rocked back on his tennis shoes. “A bunch of us were at the movie theater when Leroy asked around. I know you don’t have an Enforcer. I might only be eighteen, but I’m one of the best trackers we’ve got. Being an Alpha, I’ve got a sensitive nose. Probably better than yours.”

“It’s not better than mine,” Jackson muttered. He was at his peak, and he knew it. Still, the kid had a point. “Do you want to help?”

Zylas squared his shoulders. “I want to help.”

Jackson knew of the kid’s skills. “Good. We’re shifting and tracking her scent. You with me?”

“Absolutely,” Zylas said, his jaw firming. “I like Emily a lot. I, uh, asked her out once.”

“Yeah, I was there,” Jackson replied, voice dry.

Zylas flushed, looking younger than his eighteen years for a moment. “Well, she’s really pretty.”

Jackson ignored the twinge of possessiveness that sparked in him. They didn’t have time for this. “Let’s move.”

Leroy frowned. “Rumor has it you want to take out Jackson and be the Alpha?”

The kid didn’t have a chance against Jackson, even if the council backed him. “Now isn’t the time,” Jackson growled.

Zylas rolled his eyes. “At the moment, all I want is to play football.” Still, he stood a little taller. “But I’ll step up for the good of the pack if that’s what’s needed. I’d never let Emily be kidnapped.”

“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, we’ve got to move.” Jackson strode out of the room and down the stairs, his pulse hammering in his temple. The instant his boots hit the wet ground outside, he leapt into the air, shifting in mid-motion. Pain and then freedom shot through him as his muscles stretched and bones cracked, reshaping into his powerful wolf form. Rain slicked his thick coat as he landed, paws digging into the cold earth. Behind him, the air stirred as Thane and Zylas shifted, their scents sharp with anticipation.

Jackson lowered his nose to the ground and inhaled. Emily. His head filled with her scent, awakening something primal inside him. His blood pounded with rage and fear. They had hurt her. He’d seen the blood in the hotel room. He’d smelled her. Whoever had made her bleed would pay, and she’d better still be alive.

She had to be.

He surged forward, paws pounding dirt and mud as the rain fought him. The frigid rain promised snow before morning, but he didn’t slow. Trees blurred past as he led the others beyond the edge of town, their breathing steady behind him. He pushed faster, driven by an urgency that burned through muscle and bone. Emily needed him.

After miles of relentless running, they reached a three-pronged fork in the road. Jackson skidded to a halt, rain dripping from his muzzle as he sniffed the air. Her scent branched in three directions.

Smart. That meant there were at least three of them.

Shifting back to human form, he let the icy rain cool his overheated skin. The other two did the same, their breath fogging the air as they waited for orders.

“All right. You follow the roads. Zylas, you go west. Thane, east. I’ll continue north.”

Zylas squared his shoulders. “We’ll find her.”

Thane nodded. “Got it.” Without hesitation, he shifted back into his wolf form and bounded down the eastern road.

Zylas met Jackson’s eyes, determination hardening his young face. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back.”

Jackson almost smiled. He was starting to like the kid. “Stay safe,” he ordered before shifting once more. His paws struck the ground, propelling him forward with the speed of a creature born to run. Faster than any true wolf could dream of moving, he raced through the rain-soaked night, clinging to the faint trail of Emily’s scent.

His thoughts churned with every step. Why the hell had he let her stay at the hotel? He’d known about the previous kidnapping attempt, yet he’d assumed she’d be safe within his territory. Now, she was paying the price for his misjudgment.

His heart pounded harder, his breath sharp with determination.

He had to find her.

Emily’s feet had gone completely numb. They were bare, so that shouldn’t alarm her too much, except she was a wolf. She should feel fine. The illness was progressing faster than she’d anticipated. It was time to stop ignoring the truth and seek medical help. Her mother had died from a mysterious sickness that seemed to target the females in their family. Emily had hidden her symptoms from her father to spare him the worry, but maybe she’d waited too long.

She shifted slightly, feeling the ache in her legs and the hollow weakness in her stomach. “What’s your name, anyway?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.

“You can call me Bob,” he said.

“Bob?”

He shrugged, the motion lazy. “Sure.”

“So, what’s your next move, Bob?”

He leaned back in the chair, the gun resting on his thigh. “I think I’m gonna call your father. Might as well get more money out of this. Then I’ll kill the guy who hired me.”

“Who hired you?”

Bob tilted his head as if considering. “Don’t know. It was anonymous. I deliver you, I get paid. But if the price is right, I could track them down.”

Emily narrowed her eyes. “Double-crossing everyone? So much for honor.”

He rolled his eyes. “Honor doesn’t pay the bills.”

“My father will pay to get me back.” She redistributed her weight subtly, testing her balance. If she could regain enough strength, she’d make her move.

Bob’s gaze flicked over her, assessing. “Yeah, I figured. Your family’s loaded.”

“So, who were the other two guys?”

“Just a couple of hired guns. I’ll pay them off once this is over.”

Good. That meant fewer threats to deal with. She just needed an opening. Her muscles coiled in anticipation, her illness forgotten beneath the sharp pulse of adrenaline that coursed through her veins. “Go for the bigger payout from my father.” She kept her tone even, eyes locked on his. She would strike the second he dropped his guard. If only she could get her damn feet to cooperate. Her toes tingled, but the numbness still clung to her calves like a weight.

Bob’s gaze drifted lazily over her, head tilting as if considering his options. “I guess if I’m not going to deliver you to whoever hired me, you and I might as well have some fun.”

Fun . The word made her stomach twist. Fun for her would be sinking her teeth into his jugular and holding on until he stopped moving. She forced a tight smile, tilting her head. “Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind?”

He shifted forward, elbows resting on his knees, gun still solid in his grip. The air in the room thickened as he leaned closer, eyes running over her as if seeing her for the first time.

A metallic scent clung to the air. Her blood mixed with the tang of gun oil and the rain-soaked earth from his boots. Emily swallowed against the weakness dragging at her limbs. Just a little longer. She could wait. She could strike when it counted.

She purposefully did not look at the gun.

He winked. “You are pretty.”

“Gee, thanks. I think you’re a colossal dickhead.” There was no reason to be nice. Not anymore.

He stood, eyes gleaming with something dark. “That’s just rude. Do I have to shoot you?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t,” she replied evenly.

“Take off the pajamas.”

“No.” Emily ignored the throb of pain echoing through her kidneys. Her muscles coiled. Her pulse hammered.

He tilted his head and tapped the gun against his thigh. “I could shoot you in the leg. You don’t need that.”

“Yeah, but blood would get everywhere.”

His grin widened as if the thought amused him. “I kind of like blood.”

Emily clenched her jaw and braced herself. The moment he lowered that weapon, she would strike. Her breath hitched in her lungs, muscles preparing to spring.

The front door exploded inward with a deafening crack. Wood shards burst into the room, scattering across the dusty floor. A massive black wolf lunged through the splinters, eyes wild, teeth bared. It collided with Bob, driving him backward with bone-rattling force.

Jackson had found her.

Bob squeezed the trigger. The gun fired, the sound sharp and violent in the small space. Pain tore through Emily’s arm, hot and searing, sending her sprawling.

Her head struck the floor, stars bursting behind her eyes. Dazed, she turned her head just in time to see the wolf clamp its jaws around Bob’s throat, a vicious growl reverberating through the air. Blood sprayed across the room, dark and metallic.

Bob’s body hit the floor with a hollow thud.

“I wanted to do that,” she mumbled, her vision fading as darkness pulled her under again.