Page 27 of Beneath His Alpha's Wings
“The feral shifter attacked Adam and Nolan.”
I was on my feet in an instant. “Shit. Are they okay?”
Lucas turned to me in alarm. “What’s happening?” he mouthed.
“They’re fine,” Larkin said. “But the bastard got awayagain. He hopped in a car, going south of Nolan’s place.”
“I’m on my way. Who’s out there?” As I spoke, I yanked off my shirt and started pulling down my pants.
“Dev, me, and Mesha. We’re in different cars, following him. But I don’t know if any of us are on the right track.”
“What’s he driving?”
I listened as Larkin described the car, shivering slightly in the chilly evening wind.
“Kessel?” Teddy asked.
“Knash attacked Adam,” I said. “I have to go.”
“Be careful,” he said, pulling Stryker closer in alarm.
I nodded, then turned my attention back to my phone. “I’m hitting the air, I’ll call when I spot him.” I turned to Lucas. “I love you.”
“Um…” Larkin said.
“Not you, I was talking to my true mate.”
“Yourwhat?!”
“I’ll explain later.” I hung up and quickly embraced Lucas. Then I ran and hurled myself off of the balcony.
“Kessel!” he shrieked in horror.
I realized he probably hadn’t seen this little stunt before.
‘Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you!’I called, as soon as I was shifted enough to speak telepathically.
Even after I was done, I kept falling, turning slightly to catch up to my falling phone. When I was close enough, I unfurled my wings and caught my phone in my talons. Then, with a few powerful flaps, I gained altitude and headed off for the mainland.
I spotted the car by the side of a road, not too far from Nolan’s, as the owl flies. Then I realized Dev’s car was parked behind it. Shit.
I landed on the ground, shifted as fast as I could, and called Larkin. I spat out the directions. “And hurry!” I added. “Dev’s already here!”
With that, I shifted again and took to the sky, wishing for all the world I was something larger, more powerful. I quickly had them in my sights. A huge bear and a tiger, circling each other warily.
Dev lunged and the bear dodged. He pounced again, and this time clawed at the bear’s chest. The feral shifter threw Dev off of him, then reared on his hind legs with a roar. Dev started to stand, but I could tell he was favoring a leg. Shit.
I forced my gaze away from the fight and checked the roads, soaring in a tighter circle. Nothing. Wherever the hell Larkin was, he wasn't going to get here fast enough. The feral shifter was going to get away again. He roared again and I turned my attention back to the fight. The bastard was going to get away again. Maybe even kill Dev in the process. And there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it. Useless bird.
We'd have to move Nolan and Adam, and the baby. Teddy too. And he was in no shape to travel. And Lucas and our son would still be in danger…
No, I was not going to let this bastard endanger my true mate any more. As long as he stayed on his hind legs, I had the perfect shot, and his attention was fully on Dev.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I swung around one more time, tightened my wings against my body, and dropped like a rock. My inner owl wanted to screech, but I kept my beak clamped tight, dropping like the silent deadly predator I was. Although a bear was a far cry from a mouse.
He saw me at the last possible second and swung in my direction with a roar. Maybe I hadn't thought this out very well, because there was no possible way I could change course. I was committed now. I just tightened my wings and fell faster. Out of the corner of my eye I could see one massive paw swinging up in my direction. I kicked my legs out and slammed my talons into his face as hard as I could, sinking them in and grabbing on. I knew for sure I hit one eye and I was pretty sure I got the second.
And then his paw slammed into me like a brick wall. My talons ripped out of his face and I felt myself falling, too stunned to move. I hit the ground, then something slammed down on top of me, pinning me, crushing me. Everything started to go black. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
