Brody had saved her from that.
Brody released her, and Jasmin rolled free. Power was still reverberating through her, and she felt stronger than she ever had before. Her wounds were healing themselves as she watched.
She and Brody both went still. As one, they looked at each other, and then at the men outside the cage.
They had to be stopped.
One last surge of power went through her, and Jasmin’s jag burst out of her once more. Tawny fur, black spots. And then her body gave another shudder. With a crack of bones, she grew—and grew. Something else crashed through her jaguar skin, with white fur and claws like knives, and fangs like a saber-toothed tiger.
She was one with Brody, and she was Monster Kitty.
She and Brody turned, faces twisted in identical snarls.
Then they lunged at the cage door together, and started ripping it from its hinges.
Chapter 27
“Holy fuck!”
Bastian backed away from the cage door, terror on his face. The metal twisted under their claws and fangs, the door crumpling and tearing.
Shots rang out and bullets tore through the cage, ricocheting off the mesh with metallic clangs.
One hit Brody’s shoulder, but it didn’t slow him down.
Decker and the guard slung their assault rifles into position. Decker was barking into his radio. “Security team! We have a situation!”
To the scientists he yelled, “Get the fucking trank guns!”
The guard took aim and let off another round of bullets. Jasmin felt one hit her flank with a punch, but she barely registered the pain. Brody took another bullet.
They almost had the door off. Decker raced around to get a direct shot. He raised his rifle.
From across the room, Adele screamed, “No!”
Her restraints slithered away from her body and she rose off the gurney, a terrible, twisted look on her face. She raised her arms toward Decker, her fingers curved into claws. “Leave my son alone!”
Long, bloody gouges appeared on his arms, his legs, his face, slicing clothes and skin, pouring blood.
Decker screamed, the gun clattering from his hands to land on the floor. The scientists lunged at Adele, but she turned on them and raked her fingers through the air, tearing gouges in their faces.
The other guard was backing towards the door, yelling into his radio. “Mayday! Mayday! All hell’s breaking loose…”
With one more heave, Jasmin and Brody tore the gate off the cage. Decker had struggled to his knees, and now he started shooting. Jasmin pounced on him, knocking away his weapon, while Brody headed for the retreating guard.
But is wasn’t enough.
The barn doors opened and more men in black swarmed inside. Adele was backed against the medical equipment, still fighting, but her face was white as a sheet and her arms were trembling.
She couldn’t keep this up for long. And even Monster Wolf and Monster Kitty couldn’t take on this many men with guns.
They fought their way to each other, shoulder to shoulder, side by side like they always should have been. Brody took another bullet, one meant for Jasmin, and she could see him starting to weaken.
But hell, they were going to take as many of these bastards with them as they could. And if there was any afterlife for shifters, they’d be together there.
And then there was an explosion overhead, as a fiery blast took out a section of the barn roof. At the same moment, an impossibly huge grizzly bear burst through the side of the barn, roaring. Tank was followed by Lissa in black bear form, her face contorted in fury.
Flynn appeared in the doorway, grenade launcher still in his hands. Sloan and Xander smashed through the other entrances, wearing combat armor and bristling with weapons.
The cavalry had arrived.
The battle turned to chaos. Tank’s bear was in Protector mode, twice his usual size and flickering with the blue light of his magical bond with the crew. He seemed impervious to bullets, slapping men in black out of his way like flies.
Sloan, the sniper, was taking shots at exposed enemy soldiers, while Xander had abandoned his gear and gone panther.
The soldiers were battle-hardened and put up a strong resistance, some of them shifting. Jasmin was locked in battle with a tiger, and she could feel herself weakening as blood seeped from her wounds.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Bastian edging toward one of the holes in the wall, arm around Adele’s neck, dragging her along. She appeared to be unconscious.
Through the power of their newly forged bond, Jasmin sent a warning. Bastian has Adele! Stop him!
Brody gave one last shake of his massive head and tossed aside a black wolf. He bounded for Bastian, ignoring the gun he held in his free hand.
He gave a great leap, and took him to the ground.
Bastian Changed to wolf—a massive, heavily-muscled brown and white creature. He rolled over and let Brody’s momentum throw him free.
Brody scrambled to his feet and charged again. Jasmin dodged a pair of men in black and lost sight of him.
A shock wave of power shot through the room from overhead, sending everyone tumbling. At first Jasmin thought it was another grenade. Then she looked up.
Descending through the blasted ceiling was a creature she’d never seen before. It was like a winged horse, jet-black, but with a massive snakelike neck and a dragon’s head. On its back was a tall man with long, platinum blond hair pulled back and braided. Tristan? How the hell had he gotten here?
The black creature opened its mouth, and Jasmin heard a faint, bell-like tone, like a musical ringing in her ears. Their enemies fell to their knees or curled up in a fetal position, hands over their ears as if trying to shut out a horrible sound. One by one they went limp.
The barn fell silent, except for the panting of the Bad Blood Crew and the snarls of Monster Wolf, who had his teeth buried in the thick neck of Bastian’s wolf.
Flynn strode over and looked down at him.
“Brody,” he commanded. “Stand down.”
Chapter 28
Brody shook his massive head, growling. Flynn folded his arms and stared him down.
“I said stand down,” he repeated.
The others gathered around, keeping a safe distance. Tristan raced over to where Adele was lying on the floor, checking her pulse and lifting her eyelids. Jasmin watched from her place on the floor, too weary and bloodied to get up, but filled with relief and gratitude at seeing him. If anyone could help Adele, it was Tristan—another white wolf.
Brody stopped moving and looked up at Flynn, his jaws still locked into the brown wolf’s muscular neck.
“No fair,” Xander said, coming up beside Flynn. “He should get to kill him.”
Flynn cut his eyes sideways to Xander, and returned them to Brody.
“Fun as that would be for everyone involved,” Flynn said, “I want him alive. I want to make sure we have all the information in his fucking pea-brain before he gets what’s coming to him.”
Brody gave Bastian another shake, and the brown wolf whimpered.
“Brody,” Flynn said. Everyone in the room could feel his alpha presence pressing down, demanding obedience. Flynn wasn’t Brody’s alpha, but Jasmin knew how powerful his presence was. Few shifters could stand against it—but then, few shifters were the White Tornado, aka Monster Wolf, in a homicidal rage.
She wanted to beg him to let go, but this was between Brody and Flynn. Monster Wolf had to accept Flynn’s authority, or there was no chance of Brody ever joining the Bad Bloods as her mate.
If he wasn’t lost in Monster Wolf forever.
Brody let loose of Bastian and backed off, still growling.
“Change back,” Flynn said, holding those terrifying silver eyes with his gaze.
Brody’s fur bristled all over, his growl tapering off and his breath coming in labored pants. Jasmin clenched her fists, driving her nails into her palms. Could he come back? Would he want to? If he coul
dn’t, could Tristan help him find himself again?
Finally, the huge white body gave a shudder, and Brody was back. Bloody, beaten, crouched on the floor on all fours, still with a feral look in his eyes. Jasmin couldn’t stand it anymore. Gathering all her strength, she stumbled over and knelt beside him, hugging him up tight in her arms.
Tears stung her eyes.
“Hey,” she whispered. “Hey there. Come on back. You’re okay. We’re all okay.”
His body shuddered, and then he was really back—her Brody, with the light of recognition in his eyes. The light of love. Her mate. Hers.
“Fuck.” It was a dry-mouthed whisper.
“You said it, hero,” she murmured to him, and got a faint, weary half-smile in return.
They sat there together, bleeding, feeling the warmth of their mating bond, happy to be alive. “Ma?” Brody murmured.
Flynn called, “Tristan? How you doing over there?”
“Okay,” he said. “She’s coming around. Can somebody get the gurney? And can you get Brody over here?”
Sloan and Lissa wheeled the gurney over and Tristan gently lifted Adele onto it. The others helped Brody and Jasmin to their feet and supported them as they walked over. Tristan had his hand on Adele’s forehead, his eyes closed as if he were concentrating. The black creature was standing at the head of the gurney, its head resting on Adele’s shoulder.
Tristan and the serpent-horse backed off as they approached. Brody took his mother’s hand, and Adele’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled. “Brody,” she said. “You came.”
“Of course, Ma. All these people came. They all helped us.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You were amazing,” he whispered. “You saved us.”
Her brow furrowed. “Evil,” she said. “Hurt people…”
Brody shook his head. “We all fight to protect the people we love,” he said fiercely. “Sometimes to the death. That doesn’t make us evil. The evil ones are the ones who come after us.”
She smiled, and then her eyes closed and her hand relaxed. Brody looked up at Tristan, eyes panicked. “What happened? She’s not—”
Jasmin gripped his other hand. She couldn’t be dead. Not after everything Brody had gone through to protect her.
“No, she’s okay,” Tristan said. “At least for now. But I won’t lie. She’s got some of the most dangerous mental powers a wolf can have, and she’s sustained some damage on top of her inherited mental instability. Rachelle readjusted her brain waves as much as she could, but she needs expert help.”
Jasmin was staring at the serpent-headed creature. Even under the dim light, her wings sparkled like magical jewels. She knew Tristan had some trick mental powers, but altering other people’s brain waves with your mind? That was some wild shit.
Suddenly, the creature’s form shimmered and rippled, and a dark-haired woman with a mischievous face stood in its place. She touched Adele’s shoulder gently. “She’s stable for now,” she said. “But we need to get her out of here, someplace warm and quiet.”
“Take her back to the cabin,” Flynn said. He tossed Tristan the keys to one of the trucks. Glancing around, he added, “Bring the drugs and equipment with you. Put Adele in your old room. You can bunk with one of the guys.”
“He can stay in the tiny house,” Lissa offered. “At least the sheets are clean.”
Xander scowled at her, but Sloan just grinned. “Come on. I just did laundry a month ago.”
Lissa wrinkled her nose. “It’s out back behind the main house,” she said to Tristan. “The thing that looks like a fairy-tale cottage.”
Tristan said, “Aren’t the rest of you coming?”
Flynn shook his head, and gave his famous crooked grin. “Once we get everybody fixed up, we have somewhere else to be.”
No one enjoyed the next half-hour, which involved a lot of digging out of bullets and stitching of wounds. Lissa and Sloan pulled the trucks up and brought in spare clothes for everyone who’d shifted.
Tristan and Rachelle walked Adele’s gurney outside to Flynn’s truck. Brody started to follow, but Flynn grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Not you, hotshot,” he said. “We’re dealing with this shit once and for all.”
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
“Jenkins,” he said into the phone. Shit. It had to be Timber Jenkins, the Nashville alpha. “You and I are about to have a meeting. I’m bringing my crew. One of your guys broke our treaty, and I’m delivering him for you to deal with, because I’m busy and I already had to put down my eggnog and handle this shit, which put me in a bad mood.”
He listened for a moment. “No, we’re not fucking leaving our weapons at home. So tell your security when they see a pickup and a black van, they better stand down, or I’ll blast my way in with the grenade launcher. And yes, I just happen to have it with me.”
He listened again. Jasmin could hear Timber Jenkins protesting, until Flynn sighed and cut him off.
“Not listening, Jenkins. Don’t fucking care. Be there in ten.”
Chapter 29
Fifteen minutes later, they drove without trouble through a completely unmanned security gate, Xander standing in the back of the truck with the grenade launcher on his shoulder. Three minutes after that, they were standing in front of Timber Jenkins, alpha of the Nashville pack.
He was a big man in his forties, his handsome face starting to get a little fleshy, as if he enjoyed his food a little too much and didn’t exercise quite enough. His blond hair was tight and curly, his gray eyes cool.
Brody hadn’t had many dealings with Timber. For a son of Nash Jenkins, evil sonovabitch, he wasn’t too bad, but he didn’t have the rep of being an especially stand-up guy, either. Brody had never been in this particular office before—he was too far down in the pack hierarchy to rate a personal interview with the alpha.
He’d realized pretty early on that the Nashville pack was a lot safer place if you didn’t come to the alpha’s notice.
The office was rich and pristine, full of expensive art and polished wood and crystal and brass. Jenkins had on a cashmere sweater with the sleeves pushed up.
The crew was dressed in tatters, covered in blood and dirt, dripping muddy snow on the Aubusson rug. Flynn stood in the center and the others ranged around him, Xander and Sloan holding Bastian’s unconscious body. Brody had never been prouder to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone.
Flynn jerked his chin at Xander and Sloan, and they dumped Bastian on the floor in front of the desk. Timber winced.
“Really?” he said. “Do you all have to act like barbarians? He’s bleeding on the carpet.”
Flynn glanced down. “I go with hardwood, myself,” he said. “Get a nice glossy finish on it, and you can just mop that shit right off.”
Jenkins ignored that. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, as unconcerned as if he wasn’t facing an entire crew, fresh from battle and armed to the teeth.
“Do you care to tell me why you brought me one of my wolves in this condition? That could be construed as an act of war.”
“Or not,” Brody said. “Especially since I’m the one that did most of the damage, and I’m a member of your pack.”
Timber looked him up and down. “The traitor,” he said coolly. “Why am I not surprised?”
Jasmin growled, and Brody could feel the rumble spread through the crew. Only Flynn was silent.
Waiting for him to speak.
Brody looked at Timber—his supposed alpha. He never gave a shit about me, Brody realized. And neither did his father. He’d never have lifted a manicured claw to save me. This is a pack in name only. They call me a traitor, when they don’t even know what loyalty means.
He stepped up to Timber’s shiny desk.
“I was never a traitor,” he said. “Your brother was the one who betrayed me—who betrayed all of us. He went after the alpha of the pack—not in fair combat, but by throwing in with that asshole Creston, letting shifter hunters do his dirty
work.”
Timber narrowed his eyes, but Brody wasn’t done.
“Tyrone called everyone who he knew wouldn’t support his cowardice into an auditorium for a ‘mandatory meeting,’ hit us with knockout gas and locked us in your father’s fucking cages. Do you have any idea of the tsunami of shit the Silverlake pack would have brought down on us if he’d succeeded in killing Jesse and taking Rafe’s pregnant mate? You’re damn lucky Donnie and us other so-called traitors shut him down, or you would have lost this whole pack instead of a few million in restitution money. Not to mention that it was the right thing to do, which I know is a difficult concept for you. So don’t call me a fucking traitor, you pansy-ass corporate pecker who wouldn’t know pack loyalty if it bit you in the ass. You never gave a damn about me. You never gave a damn about any of us.”
Timber’s expression grew hard, and he opened his mouth to speak, alpha dominance rolling off him.
Brody didn’t care. He owed no loyalty to Timber Jenkins, and Brody Jameson, aka Monster Wolf, did not submit to assholes.
Brody leaned his fists on the desktop, crowding Timber’s fancy polished personal space, and kept talking.
“And then tonight, that piece of shit bleeding on your rug kidnapped my mother,” he said. “He spied on me, ambushed me, and tried to sell us to Creston’s buddies. Some underground lab called Gen-X.” Flynn had gotten that much out of Brody before he passed out.
That meant something to Timber. His expression didn’t change, but Brody saw him swallow hard.
Flynn shook his head at Timber. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I distinctly remember that, as a condition of getting to keep the Nashville pack, you agreed to cut off all ties with any of Creston’s contacts, and to keep your dirty little pack squeaky clean. I’d hate for the Council to find out you haven’t done that.”
Timber leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowed, turning a fancy pen over and over in his fingers.
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