Hard to Handle

by Fel Fern

  “I thought there’d be homeless living here,” he said.

  “The Deadpaws probably claimed this area as their territory, denied anyone else entry,” Joker told him. The shifter blew out smoke through an opened window. On the dashboard and in the backseat of the car were an assortment of rifles.

  “How did you get the name Joker?” he asked. Max needed a distraction. He kept picturing Grant and his pals being found out by the Deadpaws. His mate was stronger than that, Max reminded himself. He should have more faith in Grant.

  “During basic training, I liked to make jokes. It made our staff sergeant mad, so he named me Joker. I kept the name.” Joker glanced at him. “I gotta say, when Grant mentioned he was mated, I thought he was pulling my leg, but here you are in the flesh.”

  “I know. I’m probably not what you’d pictured, huh?” Max asked.

  “Never saw Grant as the type who’d settle down. He should’ve never brought you along. You’re probably safer back in the pack house with the other werewolves.”

  He knew Joker was right. Ben and his father’s enforcers would keep him safe. But Max couldn’t imagine fiddling his thumbs and doing nothing while Grant and his friends did all the work for them.

  Max snorted. “Why? Because I’m human, is that it?”

  “Being human has nothing to do with it. I’ve worked with tough human bastards who could easily stand toe-to-toe with us shifters. You’re a distraction, and right now, Grant needs to focus. Distraction can lead to mistakes in the battlefield.”

  “You’re no longer in a war,” he told the shifter gently. Grant had mentioned during their ride back to the city that part of him wondered if it was right, asking his ex-army brothers for help.

  Joker blinked at him a few times, then took another drag of his cigarette. “Yeah, you’re right. This blows. I thought I’d be able to see some action today.”

  Max didn’t hear Joker’s next words, because he felt a sudden spike of pain through the mate bond connecting him to Grant. He groaned, clutching at his head. Max couldn’t think or talk. Joker was repeatedly asking him something in the background.

  “Max, what happened? Are you all right?” Joker asked, finally shaking him.

  “It’s Grant,” he whispered. “Something went wrong.”

  Max tried to focus on the mating bond again. Still there. Grant was still alive, but what the hell happened? Grant promised him that he would be careful, wouldn’t take drastic actions.

  In the distance, he heard a werewolf’s howl, followed by another. He spotted dark shapes appearing from the end of the street, thought he recognized a few furry faces. Max heard the rumble of car engines nearby. Yells and growls.

  “Oh shit,” he muttered.

  “Let me guess,” Joker said drily. “Ben and the others didn’t want to stay home and wait.”

  More people ran out of some of the warehouses. Unfriendly faces. Some of them started to shift. Max thought he spotted the Deadpaws Pack tattoo on the side of their necks. This was supposed to be a covert operation. Ben and the others screwed it up by interfering.

  Max couldn’t think about the mess they had on their hands now.

  “Grant,” he repeated. “He’s injured. Joker, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. Please. I need to know if he’s alright.”

  “You’re right. We’re heading closer to the location,” Joker started the engine. They zoomed past an angry group of werewolves. One tried to fire at them but only missed the car completely. His heart raced. Max never imagined himself in a situation like this. Perhaps the best course of action was to get out of everyone’s way. Like hell Max would do that.

  Joker continued. “But promise me one thing. Don’t go running on your own. I promised Grant I won’t let any harm come to you.”

  “I promise,” Max lied. He needed to find his mate, because this entire mission just went up in smoke.

  * * * *

  Grant eyed Daniel tied to the metal chair a few feet him. Too easy. Could be a trap. He managed to slip in through one of the windows and kept his head down. So far, no one had detected him. Good so far, but where were Bruiser and the rest of the Deadpaws? Hiding elsewhere?

  He contacted Rex and Marcus and told them to split up, check the nearby warehouses. Grant had a feeling this was a trap.

  Outside, he heard some kind of commotion, followed by yips, snarls, and gunshots.

  His phone rang. Seeing it was Joker, he answered.

  “Grant, heads up. Looks like Ben brought his entire pack with him.”

  “Thanks for the update, Joker.” Hearing the creak of the door sliding open, he ended the call.

  Ben entered the warehouse. A rifle was slung over one shoulder. Seeing Daniel, Ben ran up to his Alpha. Spotting another figure coming up behind Ben, gun raised, Grant left his hiding spot.

  “Get down!” he yelled at Ben.

  The Beta looked momentarily confused as Grant tackled him to the ground. The bullet found his back. Pain seared up his back, his skull. Silver. The Deadpaws werewolves were serious.

  He grunted. Blood coated the back of his shirt. Ben recovered, whipped out his rifle, and aimed at their shooter. Ben must’ve found his target, because Grant heard a cry, then the thump of a body on the ground.

  For a few moments, he couldn’t think. The bullet found its way to his spine.

  Through the mate bond, he sensed Max’s panic. He cut off his emotions, not wanting his mate to resort to something drastic because of one bullet wound.

  “Shit, Grant,” Ben said.

  “Bullet. Take it out,” he managed to utter. Grant pulled out a knife from his boot and handed it to the Beta. “Before the silver gets into my system.”

  Grant tore at his shirt. Ben swore, but did as he asked. Agony raced through his entire body as Ben pressed the blade into skin. It felt like hours, but only minutes passed. Ben finally extracted the bullet. Grant breathed through the pain, steadied himself.

  “I’ll be fine. Tend to Daniel,” he said.

  “You sure?” Ben asked with a frown.

  “Yeah.”

  Through the opened door, he spotted two more werewolves coming at them, both in animal form. Grant reached for his own revolver, but his movements felt sluggish. Thankfully, he spotted Rex and Marcus. His pals shot the two enemy werewolves before they could even reach the door.

  Ben unchained Daniel while Rex came up to him.

  “You got shot?” Marcus asked him as Rex used the remains of his tattered shirt to bind his wound.

  “Not on purpose,” he grumbled. Grant rose shakily to his feet. “Ben, is there a car waiting?”

  Ben nodded. “A pack mate’s waiting on the street.”

  “Rex and Marcus will cover you,” he said.

  “What about you?” Rex asked. Marcus and Ben hefted Daniel up and began bringing him out the door.

  “The goal was to extract Daniel.” Grant’s entire body felt sluggish, but without the silver bullet, he knew his cells were slowly reuniting themselves. “I’ll be fine.”

  Rex gave him a dubious look, but nonetheless followed his order. Left alone in the warehouse, Grant froze as he sensed a spike through the mate bond connecting him to Max. Impossible. Max was close by? What the hell was Joker thinking?

  Chapter 16

  “You’re running? What the hell? We had a deal.”

  That angry voice sounded familiar, Max thought. He halted in his footsteps. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Joker shook his head in warning. The ex-soldier cautioned them to stay low and remain inconspicuous multiple times.

  Since they were being fired at when they were in the car, they’d decided to continue on foot. So far, Max could tell Grant was still alive, but he had a feeling his mate had been badly injured. So many questions. Grant didn’t answer Joker’s calls when they contacted him earlier. Joker also tried contacting Rex and Marcus, but no response.

  “We have to move. The warehouse they’re keeping your father in is up ahead,” Joker whisp
ered.

  Max didn’t listen. He followed the angry voices, with Joker cursing behind him. Max used a car as a hiding spot and looked out. Joker yanked the back of his shirt just as he glimpsed Bruiser and another man a few feet from them, arguing.

  “Wait,” he told Joker. “That’s Bruiser, and if I’m not wrong, that’s the Deadpaws Alpha, judging by the physical description Ben gave me.”

  Joker frowned but nonetheless released him. They listened in.

  “Deal’s off. You told me you convinced the Alpha’s son not to bring in his pack,” said the heavyset man in his forties with the beer gut. “Plenty of my men are dead, and I’ve just gotten word Daniel Shepard’s gone. No more bargaining chip for us.”

  “Your men were supposed to watch him, Darby. How would I know they’d come earlier than agreed? Not my fault things went south so fast.”

  “Wait.” Darby pressed a finger to his lips then looked right at Max. He ducked his head, but he had a feeling they’d been spotted. Darby drawled, “Looks like we have a couple of peeping Toms. Is that you I see, Max Shepard? Bruiser, looks like not all is lost after all.”

  “Run,” Joker said, giving him a shove forward, towards the direction of the warehouse.

  Seeing Bruiser coming after him with a gun and Darby changing forms, Max didn’t hesitate. Joker fired at Darby, but the Alpha came right for him and tackled Joker to the ground. Joker’s rifle clattered to the ground. Max gulped. This was all on him. If they stayed in the car and remained out of sight, he wouldn’t be endangering Joker’s life or his own.

  “Just you and me, Max,” Bruiser said, flashing him an unpleasant grin. “Come to me, human. Let’s finish what we started.”

  Max bolted, as fast as his feet could carry him. Everywhere he looked, he saw shifters fighting with each other. Werewolves clashed with fangs and claws or fired at each other with guns. Max felt like a fish out of water. What possessed him to join this fight? He didn’t know. Max should’ve stayed put in the car.

  Grant was strong, would’ve made it out on his own. Right? What if Grant was bleeding somewhere where no one would be able to find him? Not the time to think about his mate. Max had his own problems to worry about.

  Bruiser must’ve given him a head start, was probably playing with him. No way in hell Max could’ve outrun a shifter. At the very least, it seemed Grant had made good on his promise on rescuing his father.

  Someone grabbed his arm and tugged him violently close. Bruiser.

  “I love it when my prey run,” came Bruiser’s repulsive voice against his ear.

  Bruiser partially shifted his hands to claws and pushed them into his skin, drawing blood. Max screamed. He tried to fight off Bruiser, but the shifter’s hold felt like iron. Kicking and punching at Bruiser felt like he was fighting a brick wall. At that moment, Max resented being weak and human.

  A growl resonated from somewhere nearby. Bruiser stilled. Both of them saw a big and muscled black wolf padding towards them. Grant, he thought. Joy filled his heart at the sight of his mate, but Max soon noticed the droplets of blood Grant left behind.

  The color of Grant’s fur prevented him from identifying where exactly his mate had been wounded, but this wasn’t good at all.

  “Stop, or he dies,” Bruiser said, moving his clawed hand from Max’s arm to the side of his neck. Grant froze. Max’s heart beat savagely inside his chest. Oh God. If he could only turn back time, then they wouldn’t be in this position.

  Bruiser let out an ugly-sounding laugh.

  “I thought everything was lost. I really underestimated you, Max. I thought you’d be too chicken to bring in your father’s pack. You would’ve thought you’d have the brains to come here early?”

  With Bruiser’s claws so close to his pulse point, Max couldn’t risk aggravating Bruiser further. It wasn’t just his life Bruiser held, but also Grant’s. The bastard knew it as well. Max’s entire body froze up when Bruiser tapped at the mating mark on the side of his neck.

  “You mated that monster bodyguard of yours. Stupid move, human. I’ll enjoy slitting your throat. I wouldn’t have to do a thing afterwards, because he’s going to die after you. Two for the price of one. Ain’t that grand?”

  His heart dropped at those words. Max would be fine risking his own life but his mate’s? No way. Max finally found someone who understood him, who loved him and saw something good in him. Grant and he were supposed to have a future together. It couldn’t end here.

  Grant flashed him a warning look with his golden eyes. Don’t try anything stupid, he could almost hear Grant saying if his mate was in human form. Too bad Max refused to go out like this. He had to take a chance. To fight for that future he wanted with Grant. No more partying or acting like a spoiled, rich brat. Grant had already made him a better man since they met.

  “You’re pathetic, Bruiser,” he said. “Just because you can’t fight my mate head-on, you’re going for me, a human? Hah.”

  “What the hell did you say to me?” Bruiser demanded.

  “You heard what I said.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are?”

  Max answered by closing his fingers into a fist and ramming it as hard as he could right into Bruiser’s genitals. At least that one self-defense lesson Chad and he took because Chad had a crush on the instructor paid off. Bruiser howled, releasing him. Max ran as far from Bruiser as possible.

  That gave Grant the chance to close in for the kill.

  He felt Grant’s pain earlier, but his mate moved like no injury hindered him. Grant was like a deadly force of nature. Grant sunk his claws into Bruiser’s chest, taking the other shifter down. Before Bruiser could shift, Grant closed his fangs to the side of Bruiser’s neck and refused to let go. Bruiser let out one last scream before Grant tore out his throat.

  Once Bruiser stopped moving, Max edged closer to his mate. He heard someone panting behind him. He spun, looking out for any weapon on the ground he could use, but it was only Joker. Joker looked bloody, out of breath.

  “You’re alive!” Max walked up to the other shifter and gave him a hug.

  “Woah. Slow down and don’t get too close. Grant looks ready to murder me for touching you,” Joker said.

  Max felt Grant, still in wolf form, pressing up against him. He reached for Grant’s fur, grimaced as his fingers came away with more blood. Grant needed medical attention soon. Grant probably chose to remain in wolf form, because he didn’t have the energy for another shift.

  “How did you manage to deal with Darby?” he asked.

  “I had help. Members of your father’s pack helped me take him down. Darby’s dead and so are most of his wolves. It’s all over.” Joker looked at Grant. “Sorry, pal. You’re probably mad at me.”

  “No, I’m the one at fault. I insisted on coming to you when I felt you were hurt,” Max told his mate. Grant let out a growl. Max had a feeling once they got home, Grant would be lecturing him. Well, it didn’t matter. Max went to his knees and gave his mate a hug.

  “I’m just glad we’re both alive. Dad’s safe. It’s all over.” Grant licked his face in agreement.

  “Now let’s get you all patched up and go home,” he told his mate.

  Epilogue

  One Month Later

  “Max, come on. Let me see,” Chad insisted. Max could barely hear his friend thanks to the loud music of the club.

  “Hey,” said a new voice. A handsome blond man in his early thirties came by the bar. The guy flashed Max a big smile. “Can we buy you two a drink?”

  Max could hear Grant’s growl from a mile away. “You can buy my friend a drink,” Max said. He pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and showed off his new engagement ring. A plain gold band. Nothing fancy. “I’m getting hitched soon.”

  Chad let out a squeal, then hugged him. “Max, let me see. No bling?”

  “Nope.” Max eyed his big mate pushing through the throng of people to get to him.

  “Scram,” Grant growled at the two men, who wisel
y left them alone. His mate slid an arm around Max’s shoulders and pulled him close. Max smiled up at his mate and rested a hand on Grant’s broad chest. “You done for the night?”

  A month had passed his father’s kidnapping. Since then, the dust had begun to settle down in his father’s pack. Grant and his friends forgave Ben for screwing up their operations. After all, Ben and the others were only worried about their Alpha.

  His father had taken a liking to Grant and seemed to have accepted him as his son-in-law. Then again, Daniel had no choice. Max had already chosen his mate and vice versa. Grant’s spinal injury had healed completely thanks to his shifter regenerative abilities.

  With the Deadpaws Pack gone, Max was free to go back to his old life. He still met Chad, went on social events, but he no longer partied or drank excessively. Grant was no longer on his father’s payroll but still took other bodyguard gigs. Grant refused to take a single cent of his trust fund or Daniel’s money. Max sometimes got jealous of Grant’s other clients, but it didn’t matter.

  In the end, it was him Grant came home to. Max managed to convince his mate to let his dad pay for their wedding. Max wanted an extravagant one. Naturally. It was tough, convincing Grant to let his father pay for anything, but Max won that battle.

  “Aw, you’re taking him away?” Chad asked Grant with a pout. “But it’s still so early.”

  “Oh yes, we have some wedding planning to do,” Max said. Grant only rolled his eyes at Max’s new code word for ‘sex.’ “We’ll go out again soon, Chad.”

  “We better. You know I need to find someone new. I want someone to look at me the way Grant looks at you.”

  “You will,” Max assured him. “I’m sure your mate is somewhere out there.”

  They left the club, with Grant leading him out, a possessive hand on his back. Even a month after the incident in which they both nearly died, his mate had remained overprotective of him. Not that Max minded.