“Of course! And thank you for giving me something to do,” Avaleigh said as she got up to join them in the kitchen.
Maverik walked over to the side door on the opposite side of the kitchen and opened it just enough to be able to tell it was opened. “You coming?” he asked Everly, his voice low.
Everly glanced back toward their family sitting around Barron’s house, waiting for Emmalyn to wake, and Avaleigh already coming toward the kitchen. She darted for the side door. “I sure as hell am,” she said as she slipped through the barely opened door and Maverik followed, pulling the door closed behind them.
~~~
Maverik stopped Everly at the bottom of the outside stairs. “I’m thinking I’ll shift and lead us to him. You don’t. You just follow me.”
“Why?” Everly asked.
“Because they’ve found him by now, or we’ve done a piss poor job of raising them. They gotta be toying with him. So, if a woman strolls into sight, he might just make a grab for her to try to protect himself.”
“And then I can shift and tear his throat out,” Everly said.
“Only partially rip it out. We don’t want him to die too quickly.”
Everly smiled coldly. “Lead on, Maverik. I’ve spent enough time wishing I could do this. It’s time to see it through.”
“You just follow along. I’ll go slow so you can keep up in human form. When you see me slink off and intentionally break away from you, we’ve found him. Then it’s up to you to lure him in. I got your back if you need me. I’ll let the boys know what’s coming so they don’t try to protect you.”
~~~
Remi soared low over the trees in the darkness of the night. Their property covered just under a hundred acres and it was no problem to keep the human they were hunting corralled and on familiar territory. His Dragon was black and blended into the darkness easily. For someone to see him, they’d have to be on their land and within a close vicinity to Remi. Remi knew only one person was close enough for that at the moment… the bastard who’d attacked Emmalyn.
They’d located him a while ago, and were simply biding their time, terrifying him. Doing their best to torture him mentally before they finally got their hands on him to do it physically as well.
Remi rode the air currents down to the ground and landed heavily, causing the ground to tremble. He threw back his head and released a spine-tingling roar. Swinging his massive headleft and right to get a better look at the woods around himself, his Dragon couldn’t suppress his grin as Havoc’s Wolf burst into the clearing, snarling and foaming at the mouth.
You got him pinned down again?Havoc asked.
Yeah, he’s here, in this clearing. I can smell his fear.
Same. But we have to drag it out a little longer.
Why?Remi asked.I’m about to drag his ass out here and get it started.
Kiernan and Shawn stepped out of the shadows and trotted toward them.When do we get to draw blood for what he’s done?Kiernan asked.
We have to hold off for a little while. My father just let me know he’s on his way,Havoc said.
What does Uncle Mav want?Remi asked.
He said to hold off until he gets here.
This is our fight,Remi insisted.
That’s what I said. He said we’d understand when he gets here,Havoc explained.
You think Emmalyn’s coming?Kiernan asked.
If so, she’ll sure as hell get the kill.In the meantime, let’s freak him out a little more, Havoc said, shifting into his human form again in clear view of the entire clearing.
“I smell the human,” Havoc growled out.
Kiernan and Shawn shifted and raised their noses in the air, too. “I want the heart,” Shawn snarled.
“The heart is mine!” Havoc shouted.
