by Crissy Smith
He jumped down, landing gracefully on his feet. “There you are.”
Gray leaned against a rock and glared at the other man. Gray was in good shape but the late night and second day of hiking up the steep canyon were taking its toll on him. His back muscles protested and his legs were starting to cramp.
Meanwhile, RJ seemed full of energy. “Where’s the sheriff? Casey said he was coming with you.”
Gray motioned behind them. “He’s heading up with Claude. We split up so we could keep an eye out for if anyone was following.”
“Cool!” RJ hopped back up on the ledge. “We need to get started before I die of boredom. Here comes Mike.”
The other wolf stalked down in his animal form. He moved quietly, glancing behind him a few times. He shifted and seconds later a naked man stood in front of them all.
“I think they’re here,” he announced, accepting the bottle of water RJ handed him.
“About damn time,” RJ muttered. “Time we finished this.”
Gray exchanged looks with Dawson, not sure how he felt about the upcoming conflict.
“They came through this morning as soon as the gates opened. They didn’t take a map or ask about any of the trails. The ranger had the feeling they knew where they were headed.”
“Are you sure it’s them?” Gray had to ask.
Mike scowled at him. “Yeah, I sniffed around their vehicle. They’re shifters and I recognised their scent from the cabin we took Zach from.”
“So it’s on.” RJ clapped his hands together. “We need to tell Casey.”
The other men nodded and they followed them to the cave they’d been to before. Jim and Claude would just have to catch up.
Casey greeted his brother with a hug and Gray with a handshake. Prince Zachary looked tired but offered them a small smile as they entered the cave. The other feline stood at the far cave wall, rifle on his shoulder.
Mike explained to the rest of them what he had seen and found out.
“So it’s time,” Prince Zachary acknowledged, although he seemed more resigned than RJ and Mike had been.
Casey rubbed his shoulder. “We capture these guys then at least we know, when he goes back to get your cousin, there will be fewer complications. It has to be done.”
“I just don’t want anyone else hurt on my account,” he told his mate, shaking his head sadly.
Casey wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him off to the side of the cave.
“How long to do you think it will take them to get up here?” Gray asked Mike and RJ.
“I figure about two or three hours, tops. It’s one thing to map out the canyon and know where to go, but a whole other thing to do it when you’re on foot. I knew where all the shortcuts were, and luckily they didn’t or they would have beaten me here. I expect they will come shifted. There are a couple of wolves, two cats, and something else,” Mike informed them.
“Something else?” RJ questioned his buddy.
Mike shook his head. “Couldn’t get a good read.”
“Jim and Claude should be here by then also. So five of them and nine of us—pretty damn good odds,” Dawson stated.
“Seven of us,” RJ corrected. “Jesse stays with Zach to guard him. No one will get their hands on him again.”
“I can take care of myself,” Prince Zachary interrupted, coming back over. “You need Jesse with you.”
“Not gonna happen,” Casey voiced, narrowing his eyes at his mate. “Above and beyond all else, you are the Prince of our people. Jesse will guard you.”
“I am also one of the most powerful cats in the world,” he argued back.
“No,” Casey snapped. “You stay here.”
“I’m sorry to get in the middle, Prince Zachary, but I have to agree with Casey. We need to finish this, capture these men, and get you to safety. I have a son and sister who are dying to meet you. And you don’t want to disappoint those two,” Dawson added respectfully.
The Prince opened his mouth and closed it again. Finally, he nodded. “Nicely played,” he grumbled. “You take after your brother more than you think.”
Casey beamed and Gray hid his own smile. He could see the family dynamic coming together. It made him feel warm inside that Beth would have these men in her life. Would he be part of the family too? He just didn’t know.
He shook the question from his head. He had to concentrate on the task before him.
“We should split up and take our positions. It might be a few hours but we can’t take any chances,” Casey suggested.
The others all agreed. “Gray and RJ will take point. They’ll take the furthest position,” Casey directed. “Dawson and Mike will go south—block anyone from sneaking up on us that way. I’ll wait for the sheriff and Claude. They’ll cover the high ground.”
“What about you?” Dawson enquired with a lift of his brow.
Casey grinned. “I’m bait. I’ll lead them to us.”
Zachary and Dawson started to protest but Casey held up a hand to cut them off.
“My show, my call.”
“Sounds good to me.” RJ grabbed a pack and threw it over to Gray. He caught it easily and looked down at it. “Water and some beef jerky,” RJ clarified. “Should hold us over till we get some action.”
Gray shook his head at the other man but hefted the pack to his shoulder.
“I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to a hot shower and a nice home-cooked meal,” his partner told him as he motioned towards the mouth of the cave. Gray didn’t blame the man. Hadn’t he just had the same thoughts?
Gray caught Dawson’s eye and gave a slight nod of his head. He clasped the other man’s shoulder and followed the young wolf out. He hoped everything went according to plan.
Chapter Nine
While the canyon was truly a beautiful environment, the waiting was driving him crazy. It’d been two and a half hours since he and RJ had left the cave and still there was no sign of anyone else.
“So you’re retiring after this?” Gray asked the other man.
“Yeah, my older brother accepted an Alpha position in a Pack in New Mexico. Our Pack has so many strong dominants—and our Alpha has several sons who will take over the Pack—that my brother’s name was mentioned as a replacement for the New Mexico Pack.”
“You’ll move with him then?”
“Yeah.” RJ was crouched down flexing his fingers. “Dylan and our younger brother Ben are going to head there in a couple of weeks. I’ll meet them there.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
“Ben’s set up a storefront in town for me. I’ll have the first tattoo shop there.”
“Cool,” Gray noted. RJ had enough ink to show that he enjoyed it. “Did you do all of the unit’s tattoos?”
“Yeah, but my favourites are the two custom pieces I did for Zach and Casey. I’d like to do that more. Give mates something to show off.”
Gray could imagine having a picture of Beth’s sexy little bobcat on his body. “That’s awesome, actually.”
RJ chuckled. “Glad you think so. I’ll give you a good price when you mate.”
Gray bowed his head in thanks. “Appreciate it.”
Of course, all the talk about mates made him think of Beth. He knew she was the woman meant for him. Even his wolf agreed that she was the perfect mate. He wanted kids, didn’t care if they were wolf or feline, but he wanted a future with Beth.
He also knew that future would not be in his Pack. Even if he could get the other wolves to accept a bobcat into the Pack it would mean taking Beth away from her family, and he didn’t want to do that either.
But he would be giving up a lot. His position in his Pack—even having a Pack—his job, and his friends who were his family…
“Sounds like some heavy thoughts over there,” RJ commented.
“Yeah,” Gray admitted. “Some decisions to make once this is all over with.”
“Alpha red to alpha black,” squeaked from th
“Alpha black,” RJ answered.
“Headed your way.”
RJ and Gray both stood and started to strip. In just moments, they were shifted into two big wolves, crouched, and waiting.
Movement below them and then a bobcat broke through the brush, hightailing it over fallen rocks. A squeal from ahead showed a large flying bird.
RJ growled and jumped from his hiding place. Gray followed, barely landing before having to duck to avoid the large swoop the bird made.
He managed to stay on his feet right before a hard knock into his side had him sliding over the canyon ground.
“Alpha red, alpha black,” the radio went off again. “Three more coming in from the south.”
Gray wasn’t sure who that was but he didn’t have time to find out as he picked himself off the ground and faced the wolf that had run into him. He snarled at the animal.
Bigger than him, the wolf was from the grey breed, but Gray would fight to the death if need be. He caught the wolf as he launched himself at Gray again. He got a piece of his leg and bit down, getting a huge paw to his head.
They scrambled around, each trying to gain the upper hand over the other. He could hear the sound of fighting around him. He wasn’t sure who was there or even how many. He kept his eye on his attacker even when he heard the loud roar of a cat. He ignored everything around him and lunged.
He caught the wolf in the side, but he managed to kick and get away. Gray stalked him and went after him again. He was pushing him towards the edge of the cliff. Gray didn’t know how far it went down but it was his only option right then.
One last jump and he managed to roll the other wolf over. He heard the hit and looked down. The twenty-five-foot drop wouldn’t kill him but he would be out of the fight for a little while.
Gray had turned to go back to the battle when a large feline landed on his back. He dropped down, rolled, and fought to get back to his feet, knowing he had a pretty good gash on his shoulder. An angry cougar crouched across from him.
Gray was used to being smaller than other wolf breeds but this cat was huge. He growled and faked an attack. The cougar moved left just how Gray wanted. He went in low, taking the cat’s back legs out. He fell but swiped at Gray’s side.
Caught by just the edge of the claws, he hissed in pain. But, while the other shifter might be bigger, Gray was faster. In a series of quick moves, he went after the cougar again and again, backing him up the same way he had done with the wolf. The cat was smarter, though, and swung around to avoid going over the cliff.
A growl behind him, then a big black wolf was rolling into the legs of the cat. Gray took the advantage and landed on the cougar’s chest, taking him down. He closed his jaws around the cat’s jugular and bit down.
He was clawed at but the black wolf butted the cat until the cat finally relented. Gray shook his head in warning before he let go. It was only then that he realised the sounds of fighting had ended.
Next to him the wolf—RJ—shifted to human form and straightened. “Damn, man—who thought a little wolf like you could fight like that?”
Gray glared at the other man but didn’t really mean it. He was just thankful for the help. RJ grabbed the cat around the neck. “Shift,” he ordered.
Gray took in the wreckage around him, noting four men on the ground with Casey standing over them. RJ hauled the cougar, now in human form, up.
“There’s one more down there,” Gray told him.
RJ laughed. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere for a while but I’ll get him.”
He shoved his prisoner at Gray, and he led him to the others. Casey was already on the radio.
“Good job, alpha blue. We’ll come to you.”
“There were more and they split up. These six, then another six who ran into Jim, Claude, Mike and Dawson. No one got to Zach,” Casey told him.
“They okay?” Gray enquired.
“Minor injuries.” Casey gestured to him. “You okay?”
Gray’s shoulder was screaming at him but he would heal. “Yeah, fine.”
Casey cut his eyes to where RJ was hauling the wolf over his shoulder. “Let’s move.”
The trek down the canyon took a while with their prisoners’ hands tied but they made it. RJ would push at them occasionally but it was more for dominance than to hurt anyone else.
The sheriff had his gun out, holding it on his own tied-up prisoners.
“Steve,” Casey spat at one of the men Mike was covering.
Steve scowled at him but didn’t say anything.
“I see your dad didn’t make the trip with you,” Casey noted, crouching down in front of him. “Too much of a coward to get his own hands dirty?”
The man lunged at Casey but Mike caught his shoulder and threw him back down.
“That’s what I thought,” Casey said in disgust, standing again.
“Where is your father?” Prince Zachary joined them as he stepped down from the ledge above with Jesse right behind him.
The man glared but didn’t say anything.
“No worries. We’ll get him,” Zachary told the young man, grabbing hold of his chin. “While you and your friends here will be processed for kidnapping, torture and treason, I’ll deal with your father.”
Gray watched the scene closely. It looked like he was the Prince’s nephew. The family resemblance was close enough.
“The rangers are on their way,” Jim told them, closing his phone.
Gray collapsed against a rock. He needed to shift again but wanted to wait until the prisoners were gone.
“You okay?” Dawson asked coming up beside him with a noticeable limp.
“Good, you?”
“Fine.” Dawson waved his hand. “Little shit had sharp teeth.”
Gray chuckled, relieved that the whole mess was finally finished. His part of it, anyway. The wolves had promised to find and rescue the Prince of felines. He’d completed that mission. Of course, the felines still had to round up everyone else who was involved but that would be up to them how they handled it. The wolves were done. He could go home now if he wanted. He just wished he knew what it was he did want.
“Who’s got the beer?” RJ asked, falling in on the other side of him.
“First round’s on me,” Gray told him with a nudge.
“I got the second,” Dawson said tiredly from Gray’s right.
“Damn, sounds good,” RJ muttered, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes. “Sounds fucking fantastic.”
Chapter Ten
Beth knew the men were back. It was early evening and the talk of the town was all about the twelve men the rangers had taken to the jail for the sheriff. Dawson had gone home to shower while Gray had headed up the stairs ten minutes before.
“Why don’t you go see if the wolf needs a little help?” Dorothy told her, passing over a room key. “I’ll keep an eye on Toby.”
She’d been sitting on one of the chairs in the great room watching Toby colour on the coffee table. She accepted the key with a smile. Toby’s attention was still on his artwork so she quietly left the room and headed up the stairs.
She hadn’t noticed any lingering injuries on either man but shifters healed fast so that didn’t mean it hadn’t been a tough fight.
Gray’s room was empty when she entered. She could hear the shower running in the attached bathroom. She left the key on the dresser and padded across the room.
The bathroom door was silent as she pushed it open. The room was filled with steam but she could still make out Gray’s naked body through the glass.
Shit, he had a fine body. She stripped and quietly opened the stall door.
“Damn, baby,” he murmured. “I was just wishing you were in here with me.”
She pressed against his back. There were several large scratches that had started to heal. It hurt her heart to see him injured. She carefully kissed the wounds. “I didn’t get to wash your back last time. I thought I would volunteer my services again,” she told him, wrapping her arms around to slide over his stomach.
He chuckled and grasped her hand she was moving lower. “It’s not my back that needs attention.”
She smiled against his shoulder and stroked his hard cock. He moaned, his hips thrusting forward. He felt good in her hand. She liked that just the thought of her had him raring and ready to go.
She glided around to his front to face him, keeping a hold of his shaft.
He cupped her face and bent to run his lips over hers. “It was just a day but I missed you,” he confessed quietly.
She rose to her toes. “I worried about you.”
He kissed her sweetly, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close. Beth opened for him, let their tongues twirl and tease. As expected, the kiss quickly turned to passion and she gasped into his mouth as he ran his hands down her back to cup her ass.
She rocked up, letting go of his shaft and hanging on to his shoulder.
“Hold tight,” he ordered, picking her up and pressing her back against the wet shower stall. He nibbled down her neck to her collarbone as she arched for him.
His hard cock poked at her entrance.
She wiggled, letting him know that she wanted him inside her.
He slipped in slowly, helping her wrap her legs around his waist so he could thrust deeply into her.
Hot and solid, deep inside her. She gripped his shoulders hard, accepting him as he continued to gently enter her.
“You feel so good, baby,” he whispered against her flesh.
“Yours,” she told him. “I’m yours.”
She had to say the words. She knew he would be leaving her soon. She hoped he planned on coming back, but she knew that soon she would have to let him go. She tightened her grip even more. “Yours, Gray.”
He slammed inside her and stopped. “Open your eyes,” he demanded.
She hadn’t even realised they were closed. She complied with his request and her breath caught at the emotion she saw on his face.
“Do you mean that?” he asked hoarsely. “Will you be mine?”
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