Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(64)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“You go after Maya. Make sure that Josette keeps her nose clean.” Like that was going to happen. Playing with dark magic was like taking crack. Or so a witch had told him once. Just a few hits were all you needed to get hooked, and that was one addiction you couldn’t beat.

He stepped away from Sarah. “We’re following the demon.” Because the guy had whirled away from the building and was now rushing down the alley. Moving fast for someone so old. But then, Lucas didn’t really think the guy was old. A demon didn’t just use glamour to disguise the true color of his eyes. If the demon had enough power, glamour could be used to hide anything . . . or to transform the demon into just about anyone.

A lesson Marley had taught him.

“Stay close,” he said.

“Try to keep me away,” she told him and then they were running, heading right for that alley, sticking close to the old building’s walls. The stench of garbage hit him and old alcohol burned his nose.

The demon was moving fast. Didn’t really matter how fast he ran, though, Lucas had the scent now.

Sarah kept pace easily, rushing just as quickly as he did through the narrow alley. In the distance, a fire truck’s alarm screamed. Lucas knew that by the time the truck got to the scene, the building would be too far gone to save.

Brody didn’t screw around.

Neither did he.

The demon burst from the alley. Lucas froze, and threw up a hand, blocking Sarah. That demon wasn’t just running blind. He was heading for a black van, one with a familiar cable company’s logo on the side.

His gut twisted. The van didn’t fit with Rafe’s setup. No way, but . . .

The door flew open as the demon approached and the guy jumped inside. The van’s motor snarled to life. Lucas’s eyes slit.

“No, wait, Lucas, I think—”

Too late. He raced forward just as the tail-lights flashed on. They weren’t getting away from him that easily.

Once again, the back doors of that van flew open. Only Rafe wasn’t the one glaring down at him.

A woman stood there. A woman with long red hair and golden eyes. The demon was right behind her, gripping her shoulder.

“Told you he was comin’!” the demon cried. “We need to go, we need—”

The woman smiled at him.

“No, Karen! Don’t!” Sarah’s scream of fury.

But the woman lifted her hand and tazed him. Fucking tazed him.

The electrodes shot right into his chest. His body jerked, shuddered, and the shock rode hard through his system. The tremors didn’t stop after a few moments, they just continued, shaking his whole body—she must have amped up the tazer.

Growling, his hands flew up and he yanked out the electrodes even as the electricity still pumped through him.

The redhead’s lips parted.

“That all you got?” he asked, his claws ripping out. “Not good enough.” Then he attacked.

Chapter 16

Lucas leapt up and landed in the van, tackling both Karen and the demon. Sarah jumped up behind him, ramming her knee on the bumper. She ignored the stab of pain and focused on the danger.

“A tazer?” Lucas laughed at that. “Did you really think that shit was going to work on me?”

Sarah scrambled closer, her breath panting out from the run and the adrenaline that spiked her blood. “Lucas, she’s FBI, she’s—”

“Tazers work well enough on coyotes,” Karen Phillips said, her voice calm, as if a wolf shifter didn’t have his claws very near her throat. “I figured it was worth a shot.” Her gaze darted to Sarah. “Besides, if I’d shot you, I knew she’d be seriously pissed.”

The demon made a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan.

Then there was a click. A very soft, very dangerous click of sound. Sarah glanced up and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. One that a guy—a young guy with dirty blond hair but one very steady hand—had aimed on her.

The driver. No wonder the van wasn’t flying down the road. The driver had stopped to get in on the action in the back.

“Tell the wolf to back off,” the blond ordered.

Lucas didn’t look away from Karen. “Tell the dumb ass**le to drop his gun or I’ll start slashing his partner.”

Ah, yeah. Sounded like a Mexican standoff to Sarah. “You heard the man.” Sarah extended her hand toward the driver. “But don’t drop it, just give it to me.” Because she’d been itching to get her hands on a weapon. Tired of being defenseless.

The guy didn’t move for ten seconds. Then Lucas’s fingers drew closer to Karen’s chest.

“You’re FBI!” The blond yelled at Sarah, veins bulging in his neck. “You’re supposed to be on our side! You can’t just stand there and let—”

“She’s not FBI anymore.” Lucas’s glittering eyes lifted. “She’s pack.”

Suddenly, the agent’s hold wasn’t so steady.

The demon tried to sidle toward the still-open back doors. Not going to happen. Sarah moved slightly, putting her body between the demon and freedom.

“Curtis, give her the gun!” Karen yelled. “I know shifters. He’ll slice me before you can even fire.”

“Yes,” Lucas said softly. “I will.” He smiled. “Then I’ll come after you, Curtis.”

Curtis swore and turned his hand, offering the gun to Sarah. She reached for the weapon, wrapped her fingers around the butt of the gun—

The demon tried to jump out of the van. Right. She’d expected that. One fast elbow jab and she had him slamming into the side of the van. Still holding the gun, Sarah yanked the back doors closed, one at a time.

Then her gaze swept the small scene.

“You can . . . get off me now . . .” Karen glared up at Lucas. He shook his head and leaned in closer. “Wanna tell me why the hell you smell like coyote . . .” He inhaled and Sarah saw a muscle jerk in his jaw. “And wolf?”

Uh, oh. Sarah pointed the gun at Curtis. “Drive. Get us out of here.” They’d wasted too much time. Left those back doors open too long. There were too many other eyes out there, watching.

“Drive?” The guy parroted. “To where?”

“My place,” Lucas said. “And, yeah, I’m sure you know exactly where that is, right?” His right hand waved toward the row of surveillance equipment that lined the interior of the van. “You bastards have fun watching?”

Curtis didn’t answer, but he did crawl back toward the front of the van.