Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(29)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“I don’t trust anyone who isn’t pack.”

While similar to Lucas, she realized that Jordan’s face wasn’t as hard. More handsome, less dangerous. But the threat was still in him.

“I was just going down to the kitchen.” She put her hand on her stomach. “I skipped a meal last night. What with the fire and attempted murder and everything.”

No smile curved his lips, but he did step back, giving her space to cross over the threshold.

Guess that meant she got to eat.

Sarah had taken five steps down the hallway when she heard the smash of glass. Jordan lunged in front of her, and she saw the deadly flash of his claws.

The scent of blood filled the air. The wolves growled behind Lucas, their instinct to lunge forward and attack. Blood always drew them in . . .

Lucas let the shift sweep over him, barely feeling the burn of the change. The crack and snap of bones filled his ears, drowning out those growls as the wolf inside was—fucking finally—free.

He sprang forward, his paws slamming down on the earth and the others were right on his heels, racing forward toward the line of buildings nestled near the woods.

No mercy. He sent out the order, knowing the others would understand. If they showed mercy now, word would spread that their pack was weak. Too many bastards were already trying to come after them. Too many enemies needed to learn to stay away.

The coyotes deserved what was coming for them with hungry jaws and sharpened claws.

He burst through the window, and the glass shattered around him.

“Get back in your room!” Jordan ordered, never glancing back. “Lock the door and stay there!”

He raced for the stairs.

Because she wasn’t a fool, she raced back for her room. She hurried inside. Slammed the door shut. Clicked the lock, thought about hauling the dresser over in front of the door and—

“You’re a hard woman to catch, Sarah King.” A low, taunting growl.

She froze, her eyes on the closed, bolted door. If she’d been a shifter, she probably would have caught his scent in time, but…

But he’d known she wouldn’t sense him.

The floor creaked as he came closer. “Watching you run was fun, but the chase is coming to an end now.”

“Not yet,” she whispered, then she screamed, “Jordan, help me!”

The bastard slammed her head into the door.

Bodies littered the floor. Coyote shifters who’d been slaughtered. The wolves sniffed the air, moving carefully now.

Someone had beaten them to the kill.

When he’d landed on the floor, he’d landed in the middle of the bodies.

Dead.

Jess lay with his head twisted, his eyes open, and his throat gone.

Looked like the coyote leader wasn’t going to be a threat to him anymore. Not to him, not to anyone.

Dane. His only concern then. The wolves broke up into groups and began searching. The scent of coyote was all over the place. Coyote . . . and wolf. Blood and death.

More bodies littered the floor as they tracked through the house. No survivors.

The killers had been fast and brutal. The dead were still fresh. They must have missed the slaughter by minutes.

They searched all the houses, every room. He caught the wolf’s scent, but Dane was gone.

Not dead, maybe, but gone.

Piers snarled as he crouched over a pair of handcuffs. Silver.

The coyotes had been prepared for Dane, but not for whoever had ripped through them.

Lucas’s gaze swept the house once more, the fury building in the wolf as the scent of blood filled his nose.

I don’t like this. From Caleb.

He didn’t like it a damn bit, either. Whoever had attacked the coyotes—someone strong. Damn strong.

Coyote and wolf scents were all over the f**king place.

The coyotes had been caught unprepared because they’d thought they were letting in an ally. An ally who’d sliced them apart.

Shit. He whirled away and ran back for the darkness. Someone else was hunting out there. Someone strong—a lot of f**king someones. He’d find them.

The world dimmed when her head rammed into the wood, but Sarah didn’t pass out. No, that would have been too easy.

The bastard grabbed her and picked her up, forcing her to face him as he smiled down at her.

“It’s been too long, Sarah.”

She blinked and stared up into his squinty brown eyes. She knew those eyes, they were very distinct with that faint yellow that circled his pupil. Oh, yeah, she knew him. Knew that thick blond hair, that deceptively handsome face. Those too-sharp teeth. Hayden. The coyote who’d started this hell with Rafe. “Hayden, how did you—”

“Sarah!” Jordan’s fists pounded into the door and the whole room seemed to shake.

Hayden smiled. “Do you think he’s strong enough to get in . . .” That smile widened as his claws rose to her throat. “Before I slit your pretty, lying throat?”

No.

The room shook again.

Hayden’s lips came close, feathering over her ear. “Don’t worry, Sarah, I’m not going to kill you . . . yet,” he whispered. “Someone wants to see you first.”

Her heart seemed to stop. Rafe.

“But I did kill all the bastards in my way.” He caught her chin and forced her head toward him. “Guess who’s the king coyote now?”

“Not you, ass**le.”

Those claws pressed into her throat. Sarah gasped, ready to—

The door exploded behind them, the wood shattering and hitting Sarah and Hayden. She stumbled and grabbed tight to the coyote—and took him down with her.

They rolled, twisting and jerking, and Jordan attacked. He grabbed Hayden, slicing with his claws, and Sarah scrambled back.

The shift started then. A fierce, hard explosion of bones and flesh. The men fought as they shifted, and it was the most savage thing she’d ever seen. Claws buried into flesh, fur exploded. Spines snapped.

She backed away, crawling fast. Her gaze darted toward the door. Now was her chance. She could run through that door and get away.

Sarah started to inch forward.

Kill the bastard. Kill the ass**les waiting . . .

Jordan’s thoughts, slipping so easily into her mind. Hold on—whoa—the ass**les waiting? There were more?

She stopped inching anywhere. Her gaze darted to the window. Open—had Hayden climbed up to get to her? That would have been easy enough for a shifter.

Dammit, Lucas—come back.

Sarah’s heartbeat shook her chest. Two choices—run and face who the hell knew what below . . .

Or help Jordan and face ’em together.