by Anya Byrne
He could hear Andreas fighting at the other entrance, and he wasn't too worried, as the enforcer would undoubtedly handle the threat as easily as Finn had. The distinctive sound of gunfire—different from the one his opponents' weapons had made—echoed through the house, and while he could be mistaken about that, he suspected William was holding his own too.
All of a sudden, a familiar cry reached his ears, one that didn't come from any attacking human. Even if it was unwise to leave the back door unwatched, Finn rushed toward Jessie's room, hoping he was not too late to prevent any injury to his family.
When he got there, his gaze first zeroed in on Parker. His mate was fine, a little pale, but trying to calm down a crying Shannon, together with Gavin. Meanwhile, Jessie was out of bed for the first time in quite a while. Despite being heavily pregnant, Finn's older brother was leaning over his father, who had apparently taken a shot to the shoulder.
William grimaced and gently pushed Jessie's hands away. He managed to get up on his own with nary a grimace. "Don't you dare heal me. You can't afford the energy loss. You shouldn't even be out of bed."
"They shot you," Jessie said tremulously. "You're bleeding."
"I'll be fine," William said, pressing his hand to his wound. "It's just a scratch."
That was a lie—Finn could tell that much—but he let it go because the wound wasn't life-endangering either. They had more pressing concerns, such as the men outside taking advantage of their distraction to burst in through the windows.
Finn readied himself to attack, but he never got the chance. Better said, he didn't need too. The men suddenly collapsed screaming. They tried to reach for their weapons, but couldn't get a grip on them, their limbs shaking too badly. The scent of urine reached Finn's nostrils seconds before the men launched themselves out the windows they'd come through.
The room wasn't too high up, so they'd undoubtedly live with a broken bone or two, but that didn't justify their behavior. Finn glanced at everyone in the room, but his pack members all seemed as shocked as he felt.
"What just happened?" Parker asked, gaping.
"Something very fortunate, I'd say," Gavin offered, rocking Shannon in his arms. "But I doubt whatever it is will keep them busy for long."
Despite his bleeding shoulder, William helped his son back to bed before saying, "I suspect it'll just make them angrier."
Judging by William's tone, the human doctor had some sort of clue about the reason of this unexpected development, but the "don't ask" was so clear in his demeanor William could have just as easily screamed it.
As it turned out, the matter wasn't something that could be buried. Before Finn could decide what to say, Andreas burst into the room. "What happened? The guys I was fighting just bid a hasty retreat. Is something going on that I don't know about?"
William didn't answer, but Gavin seemed to have figured things out on his own. "It was Shannon, wasn't it?"
His voice was steady, and his hold on his still sniffling baby unfaltering, Finn remembered all the times in the past he'd noticed something... different about Shannon and wondered just how much more the child's parents had seen.
"It's a possibility," William replied. "We don't have much to go on when it comes to that particular issue."
Gavin accepted the answer with a nod. "We'll discuss it later. For now, how do we get rid of those men?"
Finn stole a look outside and narrowly dodged a bullet aimed straight for his head. "Well, it seems we might have a little trouble with that."
They were surrounded, even if the men hadn't managed to enter the house yet. Leaving the cabin wasn't an option, and judging by the wide birth most of the attackers were giving the place, they'd already realized something wasn't right about its inhabitants.
To Finn's mind, they had two options. The first was to remain indoors, maintain their previous roles and hope for reinforcements, relying on their protected positions and, perhaps, Shannon to keep everyone outside at bay. Finn had no doubt that his brother would be sending help. At the same time, though, Saul was a good distance away, and there were no guarantees these men wouldn't bring out heavier weaponry. Finn and Andreas might be, for the most part, unaffected by regular guns, but things like bazookas could still hurt them—and that was without mentioning all the damage the men could still do to the more vulnerable members of their pack.
So, no choice then—they needed to fight back. "Andreas, you're with me. We're taking this party to them."
Jessie let out a sound of distress, and Finn hated that he had to put more strain on his brother than this whole debacle already had. Andreas kissed Jessie's forehead and grinned. "Don't worry about me, Jessie. We've been through worse, you and I. This is nothing."
Finn nodded. "Their bullets aren't silver. Even if they do hit us, we won't stay down."
At that, Jessie relaxed a bit. "Well, that's some good news at least."
"Quite," William said, "although I can't imagine who would attack this place without knowing you're werewolves. Be careful, and don't underestimate them."
Finn grinned. "Will do."
He should have probably gone ahead and followed his plan, but he couldn't, not yet, not when he felt his mate's anxiety so clearly through their bond. Parker was trying to be brave, but he was terrified that something would happen to Finn.
"Trust me, okay?" Finn whispered as he hugged his mate. "I won't let anyone separate us, or hurt our family—ever again."
Something inside Parker seemed to ease at his words. "I trust you."
His mate's faith strengthened Finn's decision. It also settled his final dilemma. When he pulled away and broke the embrace, he allowed his wolf to come to the fore.
Earlier, he hadn't been sure his animal form would come as an advantage or not. Then, he'd wondered if using this shape would breach the Secrecy Accords and draw the wrath of the Gathering onto them once more. But now, he realized he was being foolish. If anything, this shape would encourage the silencer guilds to take care of the problem for them. It was the least they could do after all the crap they put their own men through.
Andreas seemed to agree, because he quickly discarded his clothes and changed shapes as well. Now on four paws, they left Jessie's room and headed back downstairs.
By now, their silence had apparently encouraged their opponents to attempt entering the house again. Andreas and Finn struck silently, jumping the black-clad men, claws and fangs tearing at vulnerable human flesh. This time, the screams were justified, as neither Andreas nor Finn pulled their punches.
Several of the shooters tried to use their guns, but the bullets didn't work. It wasn't exactly a pleasant sensation, to be shot, but it didn't last. Werewolf healing pushed out every bullet other than silver ones, and then knit the flesh back together with barely a pang of hurt.
In minutes, Andreas and Finn had their new opponents down—most of them unconscious, some dead. Once they made sure the injured ones wouldn't wake to give Parker and the others trouble, Andreas and Finn readied themselves for the next step of the plan.
As far as Finn could tell, most of the surviving attackers had clustered around the back door, but there were some who were approaching from other sides. With only Andreas as backup, Finn didn't have a lot of options. They just slid outside through the back door.
Well... They didn't exactly slide, since that would have implied stealth and the element of surprise, an advantage they didn't benefit from. They did, however, have speed, and dodged the rain of bullets directed at them the moment they left the building. If any of the projectiles hit him, Finn couldn't have cared less. He was too focused on the battle, on taking out every single man who dared to endanger his mate and his unborn child.
In hindsight, Finn should have known better than to expect things would continue to go well. After all, these people might not have been prepared for a paranormal foe, but they were still professionals.
Still, when the silver bullet hit him, Finn couldn't help but be surprised. His instin
cts kept that shock from sabotaging his chances for survival, and he took refuge behind a large rock. Dread and anger filled him when he heard Andreas's yelp of pain, but thankfully, his friend managed to find haven as well.
A large part of the attacking men were down now, but Finn still wondered if, perhaps, not using silver originally had been just a ruse, a plan meant to lure them out. No, that didn't make sense. If everyone here had been armed with silver weaponry, Andreas and Finn wouldn't have had a chance to begin with. What did that mean?
Finn tried to look around and find the person or persons who'd attacked them, but it was easier said than done. The men were retreating, but that didn't mean Finn was out of danger. He was more than ever aware that with himself and Andreas here, the house was left unguarded. Shannon's power could give them an edge, but would it be enough? Damn it.
There was no way around it. They had to go back to the cabin, even it meant exposing themselves to the silver bullets. Finn's hope had been to take advantage of the lack of appropriate weapons and handle the threat before it could reach the others, but obviously that wouldn't happen now.
He woofed lowly at Andreas, and his companion nodded—insofar as he could in his wolf form, at least. They waited for a few moments, and then Finn dashed out from behind the rock.
In the process, he drew the attention of their opponents—and what seemed to be a sniper, now that he thought about it—onto himself. One silver bullet hit him before he took refuge once again, back in his previous position and satisfied that the gamble had worked.
Andreas was already gone, bursting through the back door of the house before the humans—distracted as they'd been by Finn's supposed attempt to flee—even knew what was going on.
"Clever," a male voice said in front of him. "But you've just confirmed what I already suspected—that you people aren't human."
Finn didn't recognize the speaker, which confused and unsettled him. He was never happy when he didn't know who or what he was fighting against. It was a big disadvantage, as eloquently proven by his situation.
The man didn't seem very concerned about facing a paranormal creature. "You know, I had my doubts when I was told one of you just got up and walked after being run over by a car. I figured... Well, you know how incompetent underlings are, always trying to justify their failures. I suppose I can accept my own mistake here. Maybe I shouldn't have killed him."
"That does sound unfortunate," Andreas said, now back in his human form. "You seem a reasonable man. What do you want with us?"
Finn peeked over the edge of the rock and realized with a great deal of relief that his friend hadn't left the house and was simply speaking from inside. He could only assume the others were safe, and probably worried sick about Finn.
"With you, I didn't want anything in particular. You were just in my way. Of course, that's changed now. I'd love to decorate my study with a carpet made out of werewolf fur."
"You're insane," Andreas replied. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."
The man laughed. "Don't I? It seems to me that one man with silver bullets managed to make two werewolves cower. It's almost amusing."
Finn really wanted to ask why the guy had brought along a sniper armed with something like that to begin with, but that would just make things worse—more so since he'd have to change into his human form to communicate. He wasn't sure he'd even manage the shift, given that the silver poisoning was starting to weaken him severely. If he didn't get the bullets out, the consequences could be serious.
Fortunately, he didn't have to find out. The man suddenly released a garbled cry, and Finn had the presence of mind to scan his surroundings just in time to see most everyone collapse in bloody heaps. The gunshots were barely audible, but Finn's advanced senses caught them nonetheless. Moon be blessed, he'd never thought he'd be happy to see silencers.
"What... What did you just do?" the man screeched.
"They did nothing," a smooth voice said. "You did it to yourself."
As if on cue, Parker burst out of the cabin, followed by Andreas. Finn came out of his hiding spot and met his mate halfway. Parker dropped to his knees next to him, hugging Finn's head. "You're hurt. You promised you'd be safe."
Finn mentally winced and let out a whine, in the hope of providing at least some measure of comfort to his mate. Since he couldn't speak, he used their bond to reassure Parker, to let him know that he truly would be fine.
It must have worked, because Parker released him and moved aside. Andreas stepped in instead. "Let me see. Where are the bullets?"
Finn complied with Andreas's request, displaying his injuries as he'd been bid. Most enforcers—like silencers—were trained in removing bullets, out of simple necessity. Through the nature of their job, they had to be ready for anything. As such, Andreas knew what he was doing, so Finn let him poke and prod at the wounds.
It wasn't pleasant, and at some point, Finn must have briefly succumbed to a dizzy spell caused by the silver poisoning. When he awoke, he was back in the cabin, in the room he shared with Parker. His mate was curled by his side, holding his hand.
"We really have to stop meeting like this," Parker said in a chastising tone.
"Sorry about that," Finn apologized. "How long was I out?"
"Not long. Half an hour, give or take." Parker's sedate expression melted into a warm smile. "But you don't have to apologize. You were right. I knew you'd recover."
Finn cupped Parker's cheek gently and brushed their mouths together. "I still regret putting you through this."
He couldn't have acted any differently, especially since he hadn't known silencers would step in to help. Even so, he hated he'd been forced to strain Parker so much. His mate deserved better.
"Are the silencers gone?" he asked with a sigh.
"Not as far as I know. Their leader insisted on talking to you, since you're in charge of the pack in Saul's absence."
Finn nodded. He was relieved by the decision, since he wanted to know what the hell was going on, and who the men attacking them had been. This wouldn't happen again, not if Finn could help it.
"All right. Let's go."
He slid out of the bed under Parker's watchful gaze. Thankfully, his werewolf healing had kicked in and the silver poisoning hadn't been serious. Parker must have realized that because by the time Finn was dressed and ready for the meeting, the lingering tension in his mate's shoulders had faded.
The cabin was smallish, so Finn had no trouble tracking down the silencer leader. The man was in the living room, and Andreas was keeping him company. Finn instantly recognized him as Baqir, Erdi's former Malik.
"Mr. Simmons," Baqir greeted him with a bland smile. "It's nice to see you again."
After what Finn had witnessed of Erdi's guild, he couldn't say he felt the same. Nonetheless, the man had saved his life, and those of his friends and family. Finn had to at least display some courtesy.
"And you. I appreciate your assistance."
Baqir waved a hand. "We were only doing our jobs. Don't make the mistake of believing it had anything to do with who you are, and the most recent member of your pack."
No, Finn would never believe that. In fact, it surprised him Baqir had even come. Finn had thought most, if not all the members of Erdi's guild, hated the man. But then again, like Baqir had said, it had been a job and nothing more.
"Either way, we are thankful. Could you tell us what these people wanted and how they found out about us?"
"Turns out they were after Gavin," Andreas replied. "The issue seems connected with Alicia's disappearance. Alicia's ex, Martin Cook, was involved in some shady business with the some members of the human underworld. The man who paid us a visit is one of the most preeminent leaders of a particularly dangerous group."
"See, this is why it's dangerous to get involved with humans," Baqir pointed out. "We are unavoidably drawn into their conflicts. This will not go away easily."
Finn grimaced. He didn't want to think about the logisti
cs of the operation Baqir now had to handle. "But you do have contacts in the human underworld, correct? They'll assist you with the cover up."
"I said it would be difficult, not impossible." Baqir got up, pinning Finn with a fierce glance. "My orders don't allow me to touch your... pack, Mr. Simmons. The Gathering considers you've earned your freedom, and you aren't immediately at fault for this situation. However, your humans' connection with their non-paranormal families remains dangerous."
"You can't possibly think of taking out women and children." Jensen didn't count, since everyone had seen how Erdi looked at the man.
"The gender and age of each individual are not my concern," Baqir answered. "They are human, and they endanger our existence. If anything, the fact that children are involved makes the situation even more volatile. The younger the humans are, the more likely it is that they will say something unfortunate. But in any case, it's not my call. The Gathering has decided to allow an exception in your case. It is strongly recommended that you absorb the humans in question within your pack."
"That's a significant change in tune," Andreas offered, his voice thick with doubt.
Baqir shrugged. "Things are changing."
"Does this mean Alicia, Kyle and Jack are safe?" Finn asked, deciding to focus on the immediate problem, rather than on his own suspicions regarding the situation.
"They were never at risk, not really. We tracked down the culprit after my brother called us. It turns out Martin Cook was concerned about his family and removed them from danger, which is actually what made his pursuers focus on Mr. Price instead."
In a twisted way, that made sense, although Finn believed Baqir's assessment of the danger Martin Cook posed was somewhat... flawed. He didn't bother addressing that, since silencers undoubtedly didn't think the same way Finn did. There was something else about the explanation niggled at the back of Finn's mind, something that bothered him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but that didn't stop him from continuing with the same thread of conversation. "So they're free? Gavin's mother and children?"