Eternal Hunter (Night Watch #1)(52)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“I’m fine,” he said again and turned away to scan the thicket of woods around the bar. The perfect place for sex. Groping in the dark. Fucking in the wild.

The man and woman were completely oblivious to everything but their need. Great prey for a wolf, one who wouldn’t have to bother going inside the bar— damn hole in the wall—and dealing with the kymine.

The vamp hadn’t told him about the kymine. Probably because she’d been the one to sell it to the bar owner. No wonder she’d known about the wolf.

This really was the perfect place to hunt. Pity he wouldn’t be able to smell the beast coming. It would take at least an hour for the kymine’s side effects to clear up, but if the wolf came hunting, he’d be able to hear the bastard.

The door squeaked behind him. He reached for Erin, pulling her into his arms and dipping his head toward her mouth.

They’d pass for a lust-driven couple. Hell, he was lust driven around her and—

Click-click. Fuck. He knew that sound.

The unmistakable c**k of a shotgun.

Jude froze. His lips hovered over Erin’s, close enough to taste the sweetness of her breath and the sudden fear on her tongue.

“Move away from her! Do it, freak! ”

His fangs burned as they lengthened even more in his mouth. His claws ripped through his skin.

“I’m f**kin’ tired of yer kind comin’ here, screwin’ with my bar!”

Slowly, Jude dropped his hands and moved his body a few precious inches from Erin’s. He kept himself between her and the ass**le with the shotgun.

He turned his head and found himself staring down the double-barrel.

A short, gnarled old man with tufts of greasy gray hair had a white-knuckled grip on the gun. His finger looked all too ready to pull that trigger.

“Get away from him, girl!”

Jude tried to figure out his next move. He was fast, but that shotgun was close.

“No.”

He blinked. Erin’s voice had been too calm. Didn’t the woman see the gun?

The old guy’s face scrunched. “Girl, I’m savin’ yer life! Knew what he was soon as I saw his face. Bastard couldn’t take that gas.”

Ah, so he had this gun-toting jerk to thank for the kymine.

The jerk spat a wad of tobacco on the ground. “Get away from him. He’ll rip ya apart!”

“The hell I will,” Jude snapped and got ready to rip that little gnome apart.

“I’m not a girl.” Her fingers curled around Jude’s shoulder. He looked down, saw her claws and knew when the gnome whispered, “Shit” that he had, too.

But the hold on the gun never wavered. The gnome just shrugged and said, “Then I’ll blow both yer asses away. No f**kin’ werewolves are comin’ in my bar and wreckin’—”

“We’re not werewolves,” Jude said quickly. He could take the gun, but what if the gnome got off a shot and it hit Erin? He didn’t know how fast she could heal.

Or if she could heal like a shifter.

No. No way could he risk her.

“The f**k ye say. I see them claws!”

Yeah, and the guy didn’t look like he was real interested in learning about all the differences between shifters. No, the fellow looked like he was only interested in firing that big-ass gun.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Jude said to Erin and meant it. Odds were good this would hurt her.

But not hurt as bad as a shotgun blast.

“What? Jude—”

The gnome’s finger tightened around the trigger.

Jude shoved Erin away—shoved hard. Her body flew into the air.

He grabbed for the gun just as the deafening blast blew the hell out of his ears.

Fire scorched his right side. Sonofabitch.

He caught the smoking barrels and wrenched the gun from the old man’s hands.

The guy whimpered.

Jude glared at him, all too aware of the blood trickling down his side. He didn’t even want to look at that wound. “Now you’ve pissed me off,” he snarled, the words sounding distorted to him, thanks to the ringing in both ears. “You have no idea who you’re messing with.”

The man’s eyes widened. Fear had his face going slack.

“Yeah, yeah, now you’re getting the picture.” He threw the gun aside. The day he’d ever choose a gun over claws, well, that was a day that hadn’t ever come for him.

The gnome scrambled back, his fingers clawing at the door.

Ignoring the pain, Jude lurched forward. He caught the little bastard around the neck and lifted him high into the air.

“You’re not going anywhere.” His side hurt. “Erin?”

A muffled groan. He jerked around and saw her pushing up onto her knees. She tossed back her hair, glaring at him. “You could have just said ‘duck.’”

Duck or f**k? He couldn’t tell for sure because his hearing was still screwy, but since they had an audience he’d go for duck.

Jude shook his head. Ducking hadn’t been good enough. He’d needed her clear and safe.

“Oh, hell, Jude!” He saw her lips form the horrified words. Erin jumped to her feet. Raced to him. “You’re bleeding!”

Like a stuck pig.

She reached for his shirt, but it was already wet with blood and plastered to his skin. Or what was left of his skin.

His fingers tightened around the old man’s throat. A wheeze slipped from the guy’s mouth.

“I’ve got to shift,” he muttered. No choice. The tiger was stronger than the man. He’d heal faster with the beast’s power.

No choice.

Erin gave a grim nod.

And the gnome suddenly started fighting in his hold. Clawing at him with stubby nails and kicking out. “No, no, no! ”

This was the last thing he needed. Jude could hardly hear, and he still couldn’t smell a damn thing.

Some hunter he was right then.

With a growl, he slammed the gnome’s head into the back of the building. A nice thud sounded and the guy’s eyes fell closed. Jude dropped him to the ground.

Then fell down beside him.

Erin dropped to her knees. “Jude, what can I—”

Fire heated his veins. The tiger roared, and Jude arched his back, more than ready for the burn of the shift. The tiger fought his way to the surface as the man sank back into the pain and let the beast have his way.

Bones popped. He saw the fur spring up on his hands and arms. This was it, this was what he needed—

“Behind you!” Erin’s scream.

He realized that her arms were pulling at him, trying to yank him closer to her. He hadn’t even felt her touch because the shift was too intense.