Page 16 of The Hero Within
"Don't you dare hurt him," she snapped, shooting daggers at Colton. Dogs yelped nearby.
Colton froze, glancing down slowly to where her palm was braced between them, a bare inch from his black shirt. "Pretty sure I'm not the one reaching for my gun."
She wasn't touching him, but she felt like she was. A tingle shivered over her hand. A heated breathless feeling that stole through her as Colton slowly looked back up. Memories danced between them—hateful memories—and she saw the ghost of it echo in his eyes, before it vanished. A tiny hint of regret she must have imagined.
What the hell?
"I saved your brother's life two years ago, Eden. Adam and I are square. I understand why you're holding a grudge, but I'm a different man now. I'm sorry for the part I played in... in everything."
Of all the things she'd ever expected to hear from him, an apology wasn't one of them. "Leopards don't change their spots."
The baying of the dogs grew worse.
"Eden," CJ warned. "We need to get moving."
She couldn't look away from those heated brown eyes as Colton practically dared her to say something. His lips curled in a slow, lopsided smile. "Believe what you want of me, angel. But the kid's right. You should leave."
A dog howled nearby. CJ's nostrils flared as he grabbed her arm, and stepped in front of her. And then a chorus of bays went up, coming closer.
"CJ—"
"They're loose," CJ said sharply, pivoting on his heel to look down the alleyway for a means to escape. "Shit." Nothing. "Edie, if you run, they won't chase you. They're after me."
CJ drew his pistol and Eden grabbed his wrist. If he made a run for it and the dogs followed, everyone in town would know what he was.
"Keep her behind you," Colton snapped, turning to face the mouth of the alley.
Was he insane? They'd rip him to shreds as easily as they would CJ.
Did she care?
Two enormous brindled warg dogs slid around the corner, practically frothing at the mouth. Their eyes locked on Colton, and then the lead one threw its muzzle back and gave a hollow, echoing howl, almost one of delight.
Another one joined them, and then they launched themselves toward Colton.
"Down," Colton said in a low, flat voice that made Eden shiver, as if it cut through her. He held out a hand and slowly lowered it.
The dogs slunk to the ground, their howls dying off. CJ's wrist twisted in her grasp, and he went down on one knee in the dirt, and then blinked.
"What are you doing?" Eden asked.
"I don't know," CJ blurted, and she saw his foot shift, as if to power himself to his feet again. But he didn't. Instead he looked at Colton helplessly.
The trio of dogs crawled on their bellies toward Colton's feet, whining and licking at his boots. Eden had never seen anything like it.
Colton turned those blazing eyes upon her, then his gaze shifted to CJ. "Not you. You can get up."
"What did you do to him?" Eden gasped, as CJ staggered to his feet.
Colton mockingly gestured them around him. "I'd recommend you step lively, angel. If more of them arrive, I don't know if I can hold them."
The dogs whined and groveled as the three of them edged past.
"Stay," Colton commanded, meeting each warg dog's eyes as he backed away. The shiver of his voice went through her as if he'd stroked her inside her skin.
Then they were safely in the middle of Main Street. CJ opened his mouth, but Colton shook his head and gestured across the street to another alley. "Move."
The sound of baying grew louder. More dogs. Gritting her teeth at the fact that Colton was the one commanding them, she started running.
