Page 28 of Vicious Wolf Mate

Jax sees him, too.

“What’s up, baby girl?” Jax yells at the Sand Rock beast. I almost roll my eyes. Jax is ever the one to pick a fight.

There is a brief pause before our Sand Rock Clan host answers Jax.

“Just who do you think you are talking to?” says the Sand Rock shifter. I can feel by his ambiance, his size, and how he carries himself that he will be no easy task. Not to mention there is another shifter close who hasn’t identified his or herself yet and is most likely the faster and deadlier of the two.

“Now hold on there, sassafras,” Jax snipes back. “I don’t know who you are. You haven’t told us your name.”

I cut Jax off with a wave of my hand. He who talks the most loses. I motion for Jax to stay quiet, give our Sand Rock friend some rope to hang himself with.

Our big friend, he’s impatient.

“What are you doing here?” the Sand Rock shifter growls. I can hear him bursting at the seams between words. He can’t wait to shift and unload. I am so worried about protecting McKenna.

I hand signal to Jax to get ready to shift. Jax is always kind of ready to shift, even visiting his mother he’s on the edge of shifting.

“Hey, captain,” I yell out to the Sand Rock shifter. “I appreciate your concern. You also ask great questions. We have a good friend, a real partner. He kind of got tied up in some things. He needs our help. He’s stuck in one of those Insignys Corp buildings not far from here.”

“And this concerns me in what way?” asks our Sand Rock friend. Zero emotion in his voice.

“You are angry we crossed into some of your territory. I would be too. I know how it feels to have privacy violated. I do. I won’t insult you by apologizing. We need to get to our friend.”

This is terrible. I am trying to undo the agitation Jax stirred up, worry about protecting McKenna, and listen for that second shifter that hasn’t made his or herself known yet.

“That’s tough,” says the Sand Rock shifter. “You sound weak and reactive to me. You shouldn’t have cared so much that you stepped onto territory that is not yours.”

Jax and myself don’t answer. We are both watching to see if the Sand Rock shifter shows the slightest sign of shifting. We are also listening for noise from the rear from the Sand Rock shifter who is there but hidden.

“Come get it, mamacita!” Jax yells out, which is clearly the straw that breaks the camel's back. Our host hunches forward and shifts.

Jax shifts next, but I am faster.

“Protect the girls,” I hiss.

I bolt forward.

My preferred approach is blunt-force trauma on a counter as opposed to initiating. Here I am initiating, so it is not many bites and blows and turns before the Sand Rock asshole has me on my back.

If I do not improve my position, a shifted Jax will lunge forward and leave the side of McKenna.

“Jax, guard the girls,” I scream. This slightest command to Jax is enough to get walloped twice. Then the brief second a muzzle reaches my neck, Jax hits the Sand Rock asshole on top of me.

“Wait! No! Jax, help!” Natalie screams.

I know exactly why Natalie screams. The other Sand Rock shifter darted in and grabbed McKenna.

20

MCKENNA

The desert’s scenery passes by in a blur. All I see is red, brown, and white. I can’t tell where I’m being taken.

As much as I try to scream at the top of my lungs, I can’t. With the speed of this damn wolf, the wind shuts me out. Sand gets caught in my eye and I can’t even fucking rub them. I don’t know if that’s what’s pissing me off.

Actually, I don’t know what I feel right now. Should I be panicking because I was kidnappedyet again? I have a strong feeling that these guys won’t be as “merciful” as Mace and Jax.

I let out another failed scream, trying to wiggle myself out of my captor’s hold. His huge ass paw puts a lot of pressure on my abdomen. My lungs could collapse and my ribs can shatter. I hit his forearm to at least get his attention.

---