She’s fine, Isaac assured.In fact, she was unaware that there was a raid until I checked on her.
What about Team Three?Kyle wondered.Did they get Babcock?
Isaac shook his head, but kept running.Their mission failed too. He wasn’t in his cabin. They’re on their way back.
As he crested the final hill, Jon sucked in a shuddering breath. Chaos surrounded the shelter. Fires had broken out—or more likely been set—along the front of the simple structure. Feline hybrids crouched behind whatever cover they could find as they fired energy weapons at the lupine hybrids. Wolves, in animal form, blocked each entrance discouraging the cats from entering the building. Were more wolves inside with the human females? It was likely, but they’d have to get closer to know for sure.
Isaac released his shift. His naked form was only visible for a moment before he manifested his energy shield.
Kyle followed Isaac’s example, shifting back to human then disappearing from view. “Where can we do the most good?” Every syllable was tense and guarded.
As Isaac assessed the situation, Jon shifted back to his human form and camouflaged his presence with his Shadow shield.
“The back of the building,” Isaac concluded. “The wolves will try to escape with the women there. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Jon agreed, and so did Zion. Armed soldiers were hiding in the trees, and a group of lions had assembled in a line, waiting for the wolves to attempt an escape. “That area is covered,” Jon pointed out. “I say we take a look inside.”
Isaac hesitated, but ultimately agreed. “We still need an entry point, even though we’re invisible.”
“That door looks as good as any,” Jon suggested, pushing the image across their psychic link.
The three Shadows hustled down the hill and approached the shelter as stealthily as possible.
Let me look around, Isaac urged.
Kyle and Jon paused, waiting for their leader to assess the scene.
Isaac flowed through the wall just far enough to see what waited inside.One guard, but he’s well-armed. I’ll go first and take him out. Wait for my signal.
Understood, Jon said.
The fighting seemed to intensify at the front of the building, so Kyle said,Hurry.
Isaac smoothly passed through the wall.
Using their mental link, Jon followed Isaac’s movements, confirming that he had the situation under control. Isaac jerked the guard’s weapon out of his hands, then used the rifle like a bludgeon to render the hybrid unconscious with one solid whack. Isaac supported the hybrid as he fell, ensuring that he made as little noise as possible.
After pulling the door open, Isaac waited for his teammates to enter and then took the lead. Isaac could sense danger sooner than Kyle or Jon. It was one of the reasons he had been selected as team leader.
There wasn’t much to the shelter. A row of storerooms and the door through which the Shadows had entered ran across the back wall. The rest of the space was a large open room. The women, twenty-six of them, were huddled in the center of the area. Wolves prowled around them, snarling and snapping at the terrified females. A group of lupine hybrids stood off to one side speaking in hushed tones or shouting an occasional order.
“We need to draw the cats to the back so we can take the women out the side,” Elias was saying. He stood back from the circling soldiers speaking with a younger male.
“Knife a couple and shove them out the back door,” the younger wolf suggested. Jon didn’t know his name, but he was frequently seen with Armando. Or he had been before Diego killed Armando. Was this Elias’ new beta? “The cats will smell human blood and come running. They can’t help being protective fools.”
“We need every female,” Elias argued. “I’m not risking another attack this close to their village.”
“Then we have no other choice. It’s better to sacrifice a few than retreat empty-handed.”
Anger surged through Jon and it was all he could do not to charge across the room and rip out the young one’s throat. Each female was precious. Even Zion, who had more reason than anyone else to resent humans, had come to understand their value. Only a fucking coward would intentionally harm a woman. But the way they’d treated Akari proved that the wolves were beneath contempt.
Quickly searching for Zion’s mind, Jon urged,Move in, sir. Move in now! We’re inside the shelter and they are about to make things much worse.
Are the women in a safe position?Zion replied.
They’re huddled in the center of the room, Isaac told him.Give us thirty seconds and we’ll get them flat on the floor.
Let Isaac and Kyle wrangle the women. Jon was going after Elias. There was no way that bastard was escaping, again. Then he realized all his equipment was in the forest with his shreddedclothes. Looking around the room, he hurriedly assessed his options.
