Alpha Unit One, New York

by Chris T. Kat

  A small blonde-haired woman leaned against the busted door, calling a name, probably the bear’s name. “Nelson!”

  The bear’s head snapped toward her. He clambered off the prone cop. Several other cops took their fallen colleague and dragged him to safety.

  “Can you tranq him?” the woman called out.

  Don’t move, Sam, Nicky told me, and I froze. A second later, a puff of air whizzed past me. The bear roared again. He swatted at his neck where the tranq dart sat.

  I glanced back quickly. The white tiger was out for the count. Medics and cops already swarmed around him. Looking back at the bear, he didn’t seem much fazed by the tranquilizer. Instead, he seemed angry as hell as he set off at a trot toward Nicky.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Nicky

  CRAP. THE tranq didn’t have the same sudden effect on the bear shifter as it had on the tiger. That’s what you got when you used standard tranq darts. They felled most of the big cats, but not bears. Or at least not one that was pumped with XP-27 and mad as hell.

  I readied myself to shoot again when Sam rushed between the bear shifter and me.

  Sam! Get out of my way! I don’t have a clear view!

  The hell I will. Retreat.

  The bear advanced farther. Would Sam be able to take him on? My gut twisted in dread. He might be able to if the bear shifter wasn’t filled with that fucking gas.

  Nicholas!

  I jumped, then fell back into the best stance for shooting. Get out of my way!

  Before we could argue any more, the bear winced and swatted at his right side. Oh right, the other sniper!

  The bear threw a murderous glance toward me. His back legs chose that moment to buckle, and he groaned. Seconds later, he was out like a light.

  The woman who had been calling him stumbled over to him, tears streaming down her face as she mumbled his name over and over.

  Sam shifted into his human form and bridged the distance between us in the blink of an eye. He grabbed my neck, an uncomfortable hold that reminded me too much of him grabbing me by the nape when we were in our shifted forms, and squeezed. “When I order you to retreat, you damn well obey me the next time.”

  “Just because—”

  He cut me off with a light shake. “This has nothing to do with your shifter status. I’m the Alpha Unit leader. What I say goes. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” I muttered. Heat flooded my cheeks as Tiny shrank back into himself.

  Sam pulled back his hand and beckoned me to follow him toward the door. He stopped and coughed. I did the same. XP-27 was usually a gas you couldn’t smell, but since we could detect it here, the amount of gas must be insane.

  “How much did they use?” I mused.

  The corners of Sam’s mouth twitched downward. “Too much.”

  “We can’t go in, Sam.” Roland materialized next to us. Annie, Jake, and Julie soon joined us.

  Annie took one deep breath before she turned away, her face ashen. “I can’t go in there. Just this little bit is already causing my beast to go wild.”

  Jake threw her a worried look but otherwise remained silent.

  “Can we use gas masks?” I asked, gagging on the smell of the XP-27. I’d also never be able to stay in my human form inside that building for long.

  “Gas masks don’t work with that gas,” Roland said.

  “What the hell is that racket going on there?” Sam asked, irritation seeping into his voice. He didn’t look good, and the facial features of his lion already started to show on his human face.

  Swallowing, I glanced in the direction he pointed and froze. The woman kneeling next to the bear was wailing. Pools of blood formed next to the bear’s side. My eyes popped open wide as realization set in. “He shot him.”

  “Yes, of course he did,” Sam replied.

  I tugged at Sam’s arms, willing him to understand. “No, he killed him. He didn’t tranq him; he killed him.”

  Sam snarled, then used his radio. “Henderson, why did your guy kill that bear shifter? One of your own Alpha Unit? Get human teams, heavily armored, over here. We can’t go into the building or we’ll lose control as well.”

  “Killed him? That can’t be….” The radio crackled with static for a while before Henderson came on again. “Sending two teams your way.”

  We watched two teams run toward us when the first of them started to stumble and cry out.

  “Pull them back, pull them back! They’re under fire!” Sam shouted into his radio.

  A hail of bullets painted a line next to our feet, keeping us immobile. Sam grabbed me and shoved me behind him. Annie cursed and all but threw Jake behind her. Julie crouched low, with Roland standing guard over her.

  “Fuck, that other sniper’s with the EFSS!” I yelled.

  “Can you shoot him?” Jake asked.

  “No, I’ve got no clear view, and he’s too far away for me.” Stupid rifle. Worth nothing when push came to shove.

  The two teams headed for us tried to pull back, but they fell, one after another. How was this possible? They were wearing armor, and—

  “They’re using special bullets—cop-killers. They’re here to kill, and they’re not making any distinction between humans and shifters,” I whispered. A heartbeat later, I pushed against Sam’s back, begging, “Let me at least try to help these guys retreat.”

  Chaos reigned. Henderson and his guys tried to cover their people’s retreat, and the teams tried to take as many of them to safety as they could, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t only the sniper on the roof, though. Others had joined him. How was that possible? Sam and the others had taken them out!

  Sam gave a curt nod, and I set up my tranq rifle. I called my cat-sight forward so I could zero in on some of the attackers. When I saw one man’s gun blaze, I fired. My rifle was the only silent one, but the darts worked their magic.

  The noise around us was deafening, but I only concentrated on my job. Others had to help the two teams. After a while, the shooting stopped, and Sam dropped a hand on my shoulder.

  “They’ve gotten them to safety,” he said.

  “Good. I’m almost out of darts.”

  “You tranqed them?” Julie asked. “Why didn’t you shoot them dead?”

  “Because I’d have to switch rifles, and the other one’s still in the bag. This was quicker, and darts work on humans or small shifters within seconds,” I replied, not bothered by her question. I didn’t kill if I had another option, and what I’d said was true. During the time I’d have needed to switch rifles, I’d tranqed some of the attackers.

  “That still leaves us with the problem of the rest of Alpha Unit Two in the building behind us,” Sam gritted out.

  “I haven’t heard a peep from inside for some time now,” Julie said.

  “With all that noise going on, that doesn’t surprise me,” Sam replied.

  “Jake and I could go in and have a look,” she said.

  Sam snorted. “Are you insane? You two alone with five members of the unit still missing? Two of them are shifters. One’s a jaguar, and the other’s a cougar.”

  I didn’t like it, but Sam was right. Fuck, what if one of the humans on their team needed medical attention right away? What if the two remaining shifters were beyond rescue by now?

  “We have to do something,” I said.

  Sam shook his head. “We need to get away from this building, let Henderson deal with the EFSS around us, and have other teams secure the building. My lion’s too close to the surface. Oh shit!”

  Sam grabbed me and pushed me behind him again. I was about to give him a piece of my mind when I discovered Annie had shifted. Her muscles bunched as she pounced on top of Jake.

  Julie screamed something, and the next minute a deafening boom sounded, and debris flew everywhere.

  Chapter Thirty

  Sam

  A GROAN underneath me pulled me back to consciousness. Darkness surrounded us, but it took only seconds for my cat-sig
ht to catch on. I smelled blood, fear, and confusion all around me. What the hell had happened?

  “Sam,” Nicky whispered. “You’re heavy.”

  Sure I was, but what did that have to do with anything right now?

  Hands pushed against my chest, and I hoisted myself up on my elbows. Rubble dropped from my back, causing me to blink. Nicky lay underneath me with a dazed expression. An explosion. Someone had used an explosive on us! The entrance had come down around us, and I couldn’t see a way out. Debris was everywhere, leaving us only a way deeper into the building but no way out of it.

  “Are you all right?” Frantically I patted Nicky, who grumbled but didn’t try to push me away.

  “I’m okay. You took the brunt of the explosion. You… you….” He hiccupped, then slapped a hand over his mouth.

  “I’m fine,” I said. I didn’t know if I was, so I took stock of my body. It felt decidedly bruised but nothing major. As long as my mate was fine, that was all that counted anyway. “What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

  “No, I’m good. You tucked me into your body, so I don’t think I’ve got more than scratches and a huge scare.” Nicky’s voice came out wobbly. I helped him into a sitting position, pushing debris off both of us. Grabbing his neck, I pulled him against my chest and gave him an all-enveloping hug. He shuddered and held on to me.

  “When you’re done with the lovefest, what are we going to do?” Jake asked from a sitting position a few feet away from us. Annie lay across his legs while she bathed his face with her tongue.

  My gut tightened at the sight. Annie was in her tiger form, and the XP-27 was in the air. “Jake,” I started.

  He waved me off. “It’s fine. Annie’s fine. She couldn’t stop herself from shifting, but she’s still herself. She says she can’t talk to anyone besides me telepathically, but otherwise the XP-27 shows no effect.”

  “How’s that possible?” I asked.

  “Annie thinks it’s either because of our long-established mate bond or… or because she’s pregnant. Shit!” Jake grabbed Annie’s furry head in trembling hands. “What if the gas is harming the baby?”

  Annie chuffed at him while she licked his nose. Nicky chose that moment to turn in my embrace, his gaze searching. I asked, “What?”

  “Where are Julie and Roland?”

  “Over here,” Julie called out. Even from this distance, I could tell that her left leg was broken. Roland sat next to her in his wolf-form, a long gash on his right side dripping blood.

  Nicky and I stumbled over to them. Julie screamed when Nicky lightly touched her leg, causing Roland to growl.

  “Sorry,” Nicky said. “We need to get her out of here. Both of them. Quickly.”

  Nodding, I tapped the radio. Nothing happened. “Shit!” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I surveyed the remains of the radio in my hands. “Anyone else got an intact radio?”

  No one did, and I sat back on my haunches. Roland’s head drooped, pulling me out of my stupefied thoughts. I ripped my shirt off and tied it as a makeshift bandage around Roland’s wound. Blood trickled through right away. We needed help, the faster the better.

  “Hello?” a soft voice called from what had once been a corridor.

  My head snapped to the side, taking in the sight of a bloodied human. Nicky surged to his feet and tripped over the debris toward the guy. My hackles rose, but I needed to put pressure on Roland’s wound, and I couldn’t go after my mate.

  “Nate!” Nicky exclaimed.

  Nate, Henderson’s son. Well, that was at least something. He seemed unharmed, if a bit harried looking.

  “Nicky?” Nate Henderson gave Nicky a hug, dwarfing my mate.

  A low growl escaped me nonetheless. Roland whined, but when I glanced at his face, he stuck out his tongue at me.

  “Do you think it’s wise to stick out your tongue at me when I’m the one tending your wound?” I asked.

  He barked, then closed his eyes. I guess no answer was still an answer.

  “I guess you’re supposed to be our rescue?” Nate asked after he released Nicky. “What the hell’s going on, anyway?”

  Nicky quickly filled him in. Roland’s healing abilities kicked in, and the bleeding stopped after a while. Julie’s complexion had turned an ugly shade of white-green, and her breath came in fast puffs. Roland licked Julie’s palm, and she gave him a tremulous smile before she started petting his head.

  My lion wound himself inside me, pressing me to let him out. I was astonished I’d held out for as long as I had, but I knew I couldn’t maintain my tight control for very long. “Shit, I can’t hold my lion back much longer. Nicky, do you still have some darts left over?”

  “My bag and rifle are somewhere under the debris,” Nicky replied. “I don’t think you’ve got to fear going feral. Look at Annie, she’s doing fine.”

  Nate’s head turned toward Annie, and the ghost of a smile flitted over his face. “Mated pair, huh? Laura, our cougar shifter, shows no signs of going feral either. Her mate’s in here too. The XP-27 is obviously not stronger than the mate bond.”

  “Is either of them pregnant?” I asked.

  Nate frowned at me, clearly taken aback. “No, not that I know of.”

  “Good.” That was the last thing I managed to say before my shift took over.

  When it was done, I shook out my mane, fearing my human mind would withdraw completely. Annie scrutinized me closely, and for that I was grateful. If I went feral, she’d do everything in her power to prevent me from harming anyone.

  “Oh fuck, oh fuck.” Nicky’s muttered complaint made no sense to me at first. He gazed around, his eyes filled with fear. Then he dropped to the ground, a scream ripping from his throat. The scream changed into a heartrending meow.

  Nate gasped as I charged toward my mate.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Nicky

  WHEN SAM changed into his lion, Tiny demanded to be let out too. Right now. As small as he was, he held immense power over me. Besides, the desire to cuddle with my mate’s plushy mane was overpowering any common sense I had.

  The suddenness of the shift ripped a scream from my throat. When I blinked my eyes open, I couldn’t help but send a disgruntled ow toward Sam. It came out as a high-pitched meow, but Sam’s reaction was instantaneous.

  I probably should’ve been afraid of Sam charging at me since I couldn’t be entirely sure he hadn’t gone feral, but I wasn’t. I was aware of someone gasping, someone else calling Sam’s name, all accompanied by worried sounds from Roland and Annie.

  Sam skidded to a stop in front of me, kicking up dust and small stones. He promptly lay down, regarding me intensely. I pounced on his muzzle, trying my best to get enough leverage to crawl up his head. He nudged me lightly, so I finally reached my destination, chuffing all the while.

  What are you laughing at? I asked as I turned around in circles on his head, attempting to find the optimal spot to recline.

  The others look somewhat astonished. Especially Nate. Almost as an afterthought, he added, Why did you hug him?

  Oh gosh, is that how it’s going to be? You acting like a green-eyed monster whenever I dare hug someone who isn’t you?

  I’m simply worried about your safety.

  Snorting, I dropped on my belly and started to gnaw on one of Sam’s twitching ears. Worried about my safety, my ass.

  Tsk, language.

  What are you? My mother?

  Sam shuddered dramatically while he moved his head aside, trying to dislodge his ear from my teeth. He had another think coming if he thought I’d lose my prize this easily.

  Nate’s voice penetrated my inner rant. “Wow. You’re a cub, a baby shifter. I knew there was something not right with you, but I never imagined that’s what it was.”

  He’d suspected? Fuck. I obviously hadn’t hidden my true nature as well as I thought I had. On the other hand, no one had really found out, so I must’ve been good.

  Sam shook his head more aggressively, almost
flinging me off. Protesting, I hissed, Hey! Watch it! Valuable cargo on your head!

  Sam’s laugh echoed in my mind, and a sudden surge of warmth and joy left me rather pliant. What I wouldn’t give to be at home right now. A fine snooze on my favorite pillow, with Sam curled around me, and then another round of sex….

  Stop that, Sam said.

  Stop what?

  Your pheromones are flooding everything, and it’s weird for a cub to emit such a scent.

  Oh, sorry. I pulled myself together, glancing over at the others and catching Annie rubbing against Jake’s leg. Roland seemed asleep, while Julie looked even worse than before.

  Something knocked heavily against the debris that had formerly been the entrance to this building. Roland’s eyes flew open, and everyone else came alert immediately. A hole appeared in the rubble. A moment later, someone called, “Hello?”

  “Dad!” Nate cried out.

  “Nate? Oh, thank God! Are you okay?” Henderson Senior asked.

  “Yes, just some scratches. But we need to get out of here immediately.” He gave his father a quick rundown of who was with him, and especially about Julie’s condition.

  I climbed down from Sam and lumbered over to Julie. Baby shifters could emit a very soothing scent, and Julie seemed to be in dire need of it. Carefully, I nestled up against her uninjured hip and purred. A short time later, she rubbed behind my ears, and her breathing sounded less labored.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  I meowed and started to lightly knead her hip muscles with my paws. Tension slowly flowed from her. When I glanced up, she seemed to have fallen asleep.

  “That’s some powerful soothing you’ve got going on,” Jake remarked. “Can you keep it up for a while?”

  I meowed in affirmation.

  “Good. Henderson said they’ve got the EFSS shooters for good this time, and they’re moving the debris to get us out as quickly as possible. They’re having some problems with static, though, so it could be a couple of hours.”