“Cameron?” I said, trying to get her attention.
She blinked a few times, then glanced up at me. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m all right. I hit my head,” she said and lifted a hand to rub at the back of her skull. “It almost knocked me out.”
I ran my fingers through her hair and probed at her scalp. She had a big lump, but the skin wasn’t broken.
“I think you’re gonna be fine. Doubt it was hard enough to give you a concussion.”
“We called the cops,” another voice said.
“Oh no,” Cameron muttered. She looked like she didn’t want to deal with the cops.
I’d have called Ollie, but he was on his way to meet the doctor his alpha had set up. Screw it—this was more important than that. He’d want to know about it. Holding Cameron close, I took my phone out and called Ollie.
“Nate?” Ollie answered a moment later. “What do you need?”
“Cameron was just attacked again,” I hissed. “Same guy.”
“Are you shitting me?” Ollie barked. “Where? What’s happening? Is she all right?”
“She’s okay, a little banged up, but the guy got away again. Ollie, someone called the cops. I’m getting her out of here, but you need to call them off or something.”
“Fuck.Fine. I’ll tell them I’m handling it, that the victim will be giving me a statement directly. I’m gonna let JC know what’s happened. Now get the hell away from there, Nate.”
He hung up, and I tucked my phone away.
“Let’s get you out of here. That okay with you?” I asked Cameron, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.
She started to nod, then stopped herself. “No, I need to get some work done. I’ve got deadlines, and?—”
“Hey,” I said, tilting her chin up so I could meet her eyes. “I think getting assaulted on the street and damn near getting knocked out warrants an afternoon off. Do Ineed to go talk to your boss about it? Because I wouldloveto have that argument.”
“No.” She gasped and grabbed my wrist, her fingers cool and soft on my skin. “Don’t. Fine, I’ll go.”
“Good girl. Come on.”
The woman had just been violently attacked in broad daylight, and she was still thinking of going back to work. God, she was tough. Most people, men or women, would have been mentally finished for the day, if not the week, had the same thing happened to them. It was impressive as hell.
I put a hand under her arm and helped her up. The crowd had grown larger, but thankfully no police had arrived yet.Really nice. Had I been double-parked, there probably would have been two or three officers here to write a ticket. But someone getting attacked by a psycho? Not one in sight.
Though, in this particular situation, it may have been better this way. At least I’d been here. I didn’t want to think about what would have happened if I’d left.
Some deep part of my mind, driven by instinct, had told me to wait and watch until Cameron was inside her building. When I’d seen the arms reach out from the shadows and yank her into the alley, I sprang into action, tossing my helmet and rushing to Cameron’s aid. Whatever was going on here needed some major inspection. This feral wasnotacting normal, and I’d make sure I caught the fucker and get to the bottom of it.
“Hey, buddy,” one of the men in the crowd said as I walked Cameron out. “You probably shouldn’t be leaving. She should wait for the cops.”
I let out a smallhumansnarl. “Fuck off,buddy.”
He raised his hands in surrender and backed away, fear in his eyes. Even a human could feel some of the aura an alpha shifter could give off, and he was noticing it now. He’d have no clue what it was or why he felt terrified of me, but it managed to get him to back up and shut his mouth.
The crowd parted, letting us through, and Cameron kept her head down, her curly hair swinging forward to hide her face.
“Hop on,” I said, helping her onto the bike.
Bending over, I snatched my helmet off the pavement and eased it onto her head, being mindful of the injury. She stayed quiet, even as I clicked the chin strap into place and got on the bike. She leaned forward, pressing her body into mine and wrapping her arms around my waist. A tiny voice in my head piped up,This feels nice.
We pulled away from the sidewalk just as a police cruiser rounded the corner, lights on and sirens blaring. Without giving it a second glance, I hit the gas and raced down the street in the direction of Cameron’s apartment.
At every stop light, I scanned the area, my mind on high alert, determined to scout out any and all possible danger. The feral was acting weird. I couldn’t put it past the fucker not to follow us. Also, if he knew where Cameron worked, then that meant he probably knew where she lived. Not fucking good.
