Page 49 of Paws and Claws

They pressed into an alcove's shadows as Quinn entered a room at the end of the hall. Dominic's enhanced hearing picked up multiple voices inside. When the door opened again briefly, he recognized four faces - all high-ranking Hunters.

"No Roy or Bruce," he murmured against Tabitha's ear. She shivered at his proximity, and his lion hummed in satisfaction.

"Focus," she breathed, but her hand found his in the darkness.

He squeezed her fingers, marveling at how natural it felt to hold her hand now.

Dominic's heightened hearing picked up every word through the door as Quinn's clinical voice described her latest weapons. His lion bristled, fighting the urge to burst in and stop this immediately. Only Tabitha's warm presence against him in the alcove kept him grounded.

"The HF-1000 emits frequencies specifically calibrated to a shifter's enhanced hearing," Quinn explained. "Even in human form, the discomfort is... significant."

Dominic's jaw clenched. Next to him, Tabitha's fingers tightened around his.

"But this," Quinn continued, "is my masterpiece. The Magic Disruptor interferes with a witch's connection to their power. The results are quite spectacular."

The sound of metal sliding against metal made Dominic tense. "And for the more resistant specimens, the X-Taser. Ten thousand volts, specifically modulated to penetrate supernatural defenses."

His lion roared inside him, demanding action, but years of discipline kept him still. They needed more information.

"However," Quinn's voice took on a prideful edge, "my crowning achievement is this." A soft beeping filled the air. "The P-Tracker Mark II. Range of fifty feet, accurate to within inches. In fact..."

The door suddenly flew open. Quinn stood there, a sleek silver device in her hand pointed directly at them. Its display pulsed with two bright dots - one gold, one purple.

"Well," Quinn's lips curved into a cold smile. "What do we have here?"

21

TABITHA

The silver tracking device's display pulsed rhythmically and cast an eerie glow across Quinn's calculating features. Tabitha's heart thundered erratically in her chest, the silky fabric of her black cocktail dress suddenly feeling too tight. The device's screen showed two distinct dots - one shimmering gold that had to be Dominic's lion shifter signature, and a vibrant purple that matched her wild magic.

Tabitha exchanged a quick glance with Dominic. His jaw was set, his green eyes blazing with that righteous fire she'd come to admire. Even caught red-handed, he radiated authority in his crisp white button-up and tailored black dress pants.

"No point hiding now," Tabitha muttered, stepping out from the alcove. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she emerged into the private hallway. The music from the club thumped distantly through the walls, an oddly fitting backdrop to this confrontation.

Dominic moved beside her, his presence solid and reassuring. "Dr. Quinn, you and your associates are under arrest for illegal weapons manufacturing and conspiracy against theparanormal citizens of Saltwater Grove." His voice carried that familiar commanding tone.

Quinn's laughter echoed through the hallway, joined by chuckles from the four other Hunters emerging from the meeting room. "Oh, that's rich. The sheriff and his little witch think they're leaving here alive."

"Your devices won't work on us," Tabitha said, though her stomach churned at the array of weapons laid out on the table behind Quinn. She could feel her wild magic surging beneath her skin, ready to burst free.

"You sure about that, witch?" Quinn adjusted something on her device. The purple dot on the screen pulsed faster. "We've studied your kind extensively. Every strength, every weakness."

"Then you know how dangerous it is to corner us," Dominic growled, and Tabitha felt the heat radiating off him as his lion stirred close to the surface.

Quinn's smile never wavered. "Corner you? Sheriff, we've been waiting for you. Both of you. Who do you think made sure you found those abandoned labs?"

Tabitha's blood ran cold. All this time, they'd been playing right into the Hunters' hands. But as she felt Dominic inch closer to her, his shoulder brushing against hers, she knew they weren't going down without one hell of a fight.

Tabitha's wild magic rushed through her veins as Quinn raised her tracking device like a weapon. The other Hunters grabbed their gear, spreading out in the hallway.

"Ready to dance, Sheriff?" Tabitha called to Dominic, her hands already glowing with purple energy.

A deep growl rumbled beside her as Dominic's form rippled and changed. His dress shirt stretched and tore as golden fur erupted across his skin. Where the rigid sheriff had stood moments before, a massive lion now crouched, muscles coiled and ready to spring.

"Cute party trick," Quinn sneered, pressing a button on her device.

The air filled with electricity. Tabitha's magic spiked wildly, nearly slipping her control. She gritted her teeth, forcing it back into shape. "That the best you've got?"

---