Page 22 of Targeted By Fate
“Boss, it's at the bottom of the ocean by now.”
“Rolo, you’ll be on the ocean floor weighed down with a concrete slab if you don’t go get it.”
If we waited long enough, these bozos would eliminate one another and we could go home.
“Shit, that damned feline scratched me.” That wasn’t Rolo. “I’m going to kill it.”
“For fuck’s sake, forget the damned cat.” These fools were yelling and making a huge racket while they were unloading contraband.
Keane had already put some of the Ironclaw guys on edge, but I was worried one would grab him by the neck and bash him against the side of the ship. I conjured up images of my mate’s beast, limp and dangling from a meaty fist.
Stop. You have a job to do.My beast was telling me to concentrate.
I motioned to my brothers and the others to be ready. Keane had one more trick in his repertoire.
“Ahhh.” The yell echoed and reverberated around the containers. “It’s on my face. Get it off.” For a wolf shifter, that guy was a big baby.
There was another thunk, a crash, and more swearing. A second gunshot and a screech, the scent of blood replacing the salty aroma of sea water.
With the Ironclaw members in disarray, shooting at one another, we took our fur and attacked. They were at a disadvantage, and our beasts leaped on them, sinking their canines into their flesh before they could shift. One died before he hit the ground, two went overboard and screamed they couldn’t swim.
Bye-bye.
But the remaining Ironclaw guys took their fur, and they were worthy of the title warrior. One tore Lake’s beast’s ear half off, while Thiago’s opponent clawed his underbelly. The gangway and desk became slick with blood, but as one large wolf leaped at me, a tiny beast flew through the air, clamping onto the wolf’s head. He shook himself, trying to get rid of my mate, but while he was blindsided, I ripped his throat out, and he collapsed with blood gushing from his wounds.
One of the shifters escaped, his wolf's footfalls thumping along the dock until they faded in the distance. But even if we had killed them all, they would rise again. They reminded me of that arcade game Whack-a-Mole where you eliminated one and five took its place.
I took my skin, and my mate’s beast flew into my embrace as Ironclaw blood mingled with our own.
“You were the hero of the night.”
* * *
My brothers recovered from their injuries, and Keane insisted on training with us even after we’d quashed the supply of Duskthorn.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be using your mate like… you know, a dog.” Lake adored Keane and didn't want to insult him and his beast.
My mate shifted and grinned at my youngest brother. “That’s sweet of you, but humans have trained rats to ferret out landmines, and there’s research into whether elephants can be trained in similar techniques.”
“Wow! From small animals to huge ones.”
“And honey bees!”
“No. You’re kidding me.” Lake tapped his phone. “Oh, you’re not.”
“That’s enough for today.” Thiago waved us away as he was headed to the woods to shift and hunt.
But my phone beeped just as he tossed off his clothes.
“Glad I’m not the pack Beta.” Thiago took his fur and bounded off.
Keane shrugged on his shirt and studied my face. “I was looking forward to a night alone, but I’m guessing Alpha needs you.”
“Needs us.” I flipped the phone around so my mate and Lake could read the text.
“But we did our job and stopped the supply of Duskthorn. How could there be more deaths?” Keane took the phone and tapped on the link. He dropped the device, but Lake swooped in and caught it.
“Leave a message for Thiago, and get Ezra and Riggs to meet us at headquarters.” Maynard was off on a job and wouldn’t be back until this evening.
