Her heart hammered as she abandoned her self-improvement initiative and let loose a string of profanity that impressed even herself. Had she said that out loud? Apparently so. Zach’s eyes widened.
Yeah, she swore like a sailor. Better he know now, than be surprised later. If there was a later, because she couldn’t see a way out of this one.
The Sabres formed a loose circle around Kade and crew, glowering at the Dires. The Dires closed in, their expressions determined. The human crowd, sensing the tension, darted nervous looks at the Weres as they pushed past.
It was a standoff. So long as the humans were present, the Weres were bound to human form and limited actions. But then two Dires pressed closer, and their fellows followed suit.
The Sabres held their ground. But there was nowhere to run. And no way to fight as Weres without revealing themselves to the humans. If the Dires continued to close in, they’d overwhelm the Sabres by simple numbers. Fists might hold them off, but would they grab her in full daylight, in front of a crowd?
Then a small beige van veered across their side of Portage and screeched to a halt near them. The side door slid open, and Kade grabbed Cara. The Were lifted the little woman and almost threw her into the van.
Jessie didn’t need to be told. She jumped in on her own and Zach followed.
The van was moving with the door still open and Kade hanging on to a strap just inside it. The big Sabre slammed the door shut.
Jessie looked at him “What about the others—”
“They’ll be fine. Now that we have you out of the picture, all the Dires will do to them is stare. They’ll be more concerned with ditching our guys than fighting them.”
Jessie swallowed. So much violence and it was all about her. Then the figure in the passenger seat twisted around to glare at Kade.
Jessie stared. It was a woman.
She was stunning. Strong features, but beautiful. Her amazing mane of long curly hair was streaked black and gold, like it had an exotic and expensive dye job.
She also didn’t look amused. “Good move, bro. You left a helluva mess in your wake. The council will be cleaning this one up for a while.”
Bro? Was this Kade’s sister? She had the same coloring.
“I didn’t lose it even once,” Kade protested.
Sitting on the van floor, Jessie leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I saw claws.”
Yeah. Claws and a brute strength that still had her grasping to believe. The Were had tossed that display unit like it weighed nothing at all. Inhumanform. She couldn’t imagine Dires fighting Sabres as beasts. How had they stayed hidden among civilization for so long?
“Claws are allowed,” Kade commented. “Did Neil get clear?”
The woman, who was not just a woman, nodded. “Yep, he’s bruised, but okay. Some good Samaritans separated them. Berated them for reckless driving and road rage. He’s got your truck. Says his is a total loss. By that, I expect he means the outside now matches the inside.”
“Great,” Kade snarled. “Now Neil is driving my damned truck.”
The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Men and their trucks.”
The big, dark-haired Sabre wheeling the van through traffic snorted. “You don’t let me drive yours,” he stated as he jammed on the brakes, narrowly missing a pedestrian.
“And we all see why,” she pointed out. She twisted back again to Kade. “What the hell happened?”
“What happened,” Kade growled. “Is that Braden has himself a bloody army. We had at least twenty on our tails.”
The woman’s smile faded. “Shatza.”
Jessie thought the word was a distinct understatement. They’d tried to get Braden.
And they’d failed.
* * *
Cara’s kitchen was full of werewolves.
