Page 18 of Pretty Little Kitty

Suero wasn’t sure if they knew about the danger of the tranquilizers, but he was determined to protect them from getting hit.

It had been almost two months since Diablo had been tranquilized, and he was still unable to shift into his wolf or lycanthrope form. As much as he sympathized with Diablo, Suero didn’t want firsthand knowledge of how it felt to have his beasts trapped inside of him.

He didn’t want Kia or Jared to get hit either. Suero had witnessed moments when Diablo struggled, believing no one was watching him. He would snarl, sweat, and curse as he tried to force them out.

If your phone hadn’t dropped, that dart would have struck you. Suero pushed the frightening thought aside.

“Is help coming?” Kia looked up at Suero with hope in his bright green eyes, his body slightly trembling.

Jared moved closer to his cousin, clutching Kia’s hand. “They would’ve been here by now.” His gaze darted down the road, searching anxiously, as if willing them to appear.

“They’re already here,” Suero reassured them. “My pack is just figuring out how to reach us without getting hit.”

“Hit with what?” Jared asked, his eyes widening in alarm.

Clearly, the man hadn’t been paying attention.

Small pebbles brushed against Suero’s palms as he crouched down, its roughness biting into his skin as he scanned for any signs of the hyenas.

The field stretched out before him, the grass standing tall enough to conceal someone. A low rustling breeze whispered through the stalks, the kind of sound that normally wouldn’t raise alarms. But now? It crawled beneath his skin.

He watched for any unusual movement in the tall grass, but the breeze caused the blades to sway, making it difficult to tell.

Somewhere to his right, a branch snapped. Not loud. Not close. The kind of break that didn’t happen unless something stepped wrong, signaling the presence of something dangerous nearby.

Suero felt the tension building, the sense of being watched and stalked.

It was a game of hide and seek, and the stakes were survival.

As soon as he sat back down, Suero raised his arm and wrapped it around Kia. His kitten nestled against him.

“I’m scared,” Kia whispered, gripping Suero’s shirt tightly.

He pressed a reassuring kiss to Kia’s temple. “We’re not alone. My pack has their eyes on us.”

“I’m not feeling very reassured.” Jared dropped to his hands and knees, his eyes darting beneath the car. “We’re sitting ducks out here. Can’t your friends hurry up with their plan?”

“I need you to stay calm,” Suero growled softly.

“How am I supposed to stay calm?” Jared’s voice wavered, rising above the rustle of grass.

Their patience was becoming frayed. If his pack didn’t devise a plan soon, he feared one or both of them might do something reckless.

A shadow crossed just a little too close. Suero shoved Kia behind him seconds before a stranger rounded the front of the car, a gun aimed right at him.

Suero shot to his feet with a fierce growl. He had only one purpose—disarm the hyena shifter before he could fire the gun.

Charging forward, Suero knocked the weapon free from the shifter’s grasp, his other hand clamping down on the man’s throat. Slowly, Suero bent down and grabbed the fallen gun. He pressed the cold metal into the stranger’s side, then pulled the trigger with an unflinching squeeze.

“No!” The guy kicked and screamed, causing Suero to release him. “What have you done?” He yanked the tranquilizer dart out and flung it aside, staggering to his feet.

“The same thing you did to Diablo,” Suero snarled, his voice a low, menacing rumble. “Maybe now you’ll truly understand the destruction you’ve caused.”

Matias, Cesar, and Miguel flanked him, while the others remained in the woods doing a sweep.

The hyena’s gaze darted between them, as if calculating an escape route. Suero stepped closer, his lip curled. “You tried to ambush me while I was with my mate?”

Miguel’s and Cesar’s eyes flicked toward Suero, but they remained quiet. Kia’s cheetah had chosen him, and in Suero’s eyes, they were mates. He wasn’t sure why his wolf was being so stubborn. Suero didn’t want anyone else. His kitty cat was it for him.

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