by Zoe Chant
The grandmothers stayed on the sidelines, sipping tequila and watching. Roland stayed with them, either so they didn’t feel left out or because he was too comfortable in his lawn chair. Carter also didn’t participate, but not because he was having too much fun where he was; in the quick glance that was all Natalie could spare him before she got blindsided by a three-kitten attack, he was pacing around on the sidelines making angry gestures and talking into his earpiece.
At last, the game ended by mutual exhaustion. Everyone who had been playing flopped down on the grass. Ransom didn’t shift back immediately, so Natalie got a chance to stroke his soft fur before he became a man, and she found her fingers tangled in his hair.
“Best conformist nightmare of a suburban backyard co-worker barbecue ever,” she said.
“Absolutely,” said Ransom. Then he straightened up. “Hey—where’s Carter?”
Epilogue
“She what?” Carter demanded.
With what he’d paid for his phone, he ought to get better service than the crackling, indistinct response that came through from Fenella Kim’s assistant. “…very important. Where are you? Your reception… Can you go somewhere…”
“It’s not my reception, it’s your transmission,” said Carter.
The shouting inside his head competed with the static as the assistant said, “…call you back in half an hour…. Talk…”
The line went dead. Did Fenella Kim seriously expect him to wander around looking for better reception so she could call him back in half an hour? Apparently so.
On the other hand, he was just as happy for an excuse to flee the happy shifter togetherness of the backyard barbecue.
“I’m taking off. I have a business call,” Carter told Roland over his shoulder as he strode out, vainly trying to brush the fur from his coat as he went. Blue’s hairs were particularly clingy.
He jumped in his car and peeled out of there, trying to ignore the cacophony of voices in his head. It was like a dungeon full of monsters, all fighting for supremacy. Half the time it was a completely incoherent babble of hisses and snarls and screeches, plus flashes of color that seemed to communicate emotions. Or maybe he’d just lost his mind and was imagining that part.
The actual voices, when he could understand them, were even worse.
Go back to the party, something growled. I want to play with the dogs.
I want to fight the dogs, something snarled. They’re our natural enemies!
I want to fly, something screeched. Far, high, away!
Help me, something howled. Make all these beasts go away! I want you all to myself!
Help me, something shrieked. I don’t want to be here!
An unhappy shade of eggplant-purple pulsed across his inner eye, then began rapidly flashing a frustrated bubblegum pink.
“Stop it,” he said aloud. “Shut up!”
His inner monsters disliked being yelled at, but sometimes he couldn’t help it. Needless to say, that only set them all yammering louder.
Go back!
Go away!
Go home!
Fly!
Run!
[irate maroon]
[ragey teal]
Help!
It was like that all the way to his penthouse. Carter felt like he was losing his mind. It was almost a relief when something slammed into his head from behind, plunging him into merciful oblivion.
He woke up with a splitting headache, in a very uncomfortable position on a very cold floor. His hands were cuffed behind his back.
Great. Just great.
Carter listened for a moment before opening his eyes, in case whoever had kidnapped him wanted to have a discussion with their henchmen in front of the unconscious prisoner, say about the location of the handcuff key. But he heard nothing except the hum of a large engine and some thumping, grunting noises like someone working out.
He opened his eyes a cautious crack, then all the way when he saw that he was in the empty cargo bay of a medium-sized aircraft, and it was empty except for another prisoner.
All he could see of her was a small, black-clad female figure, curled up into a ball with her back to him. Her hands, which had beautifully manicured nails, were cuffed behind her back. She was squirming around and making frustrated grunts, presumably trying to get free.
“Hello?” he said.
The woman uncoiled, as much as she could with her wrists and ankles cuffed, and rolled over. Her black hair was disarrayed, her beautiful face was bruised, and her dark eyes were absolutely furious.
That was before her eyes met his. When they did, he realized that her fury went all the way up to 11.
“You!” gasped Carter.
“You!” snarled Fenella Kim.
A Note From Zoe Chant
Thank you for reading Defender Hellhound! I hope you enjoyed it. It’s the third book of the Protection, Inc: Defenders series.
Protection, Inc: Defenders is a spinoff from the seven-book series Protection, Inc. The entire series is available now on Amazon. It begins with Bodyguard Bear. If you read the whole series, you’ll catch the first appearances of the Defenders characters.
If you enjoy Protection, Inc. and Defenders, I also write the Werewolf Marines series under the pen name of Lia Silver. Both series have hot romances, exciting action, emotional healing, brave heroines who stand up for their men, and strong heroes who protect their mates with their lives.
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or join my VIP Readers Group on Facebook and get sneak previews and free stories!
Please review this book on Amazon, even if you only write a line or two. Hearing from readers like you is what keeps me writing!
Also by Zoe Chant
Protection, Inc
Bodyguard Bear
Defender Dragon
Protector Panther
Warrior Wolf
Leader Lion
Soldier Snow Leopard
Top Gun Tiger
Protection, Inc: Defenders
Defender Cave Bear
Defender Raptor
Defender Hellhound
See Zoe Chant’s complete list of books here!