“Do you want to talk about it?” Trigger asked.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Trig. Just because we had our wuss moment earlier don’t mean we need to do therapy hour every time an issue comes up. I’m fine. Or I will be once I beat the ever-lovin’ shit out of Amos.”

Trig turned his truck onto the road toward Darby. “So that’s a no on therapy hour?”

“No!” Colt glared out the window and clenched his fists on his thighs. His knuckles already tingled as if they knew what kind of battering was coming. That’s why Trig was driving. Both Colt’s hands would be broken after he was done with Amos. “Did you see her neck?”

“I saw it. He must’ve put one hell of a squeeze on her.”

Colt chewed on his thumbnail for a minute before he said, “And furthermore, this is a test…right? They’ve never won. Think about it. The Darby Clan has never won a fight with us. He’s an untested Alpha, pretty new to the Clan, and he fucks with Karis? He’s flexing his muscles…right?”

“Man, I don’t know him well enough to call what he’s thinking. If it was Chase pulling this? I could guess, but Amos has been with the Clan, what? A year? And he’s been a quiet member. He was there that night the Clan attacked us. I remember because he was the first to run when you killed their War-Bear. He was scared, so this move doesn’t make sense. Why would he mess with Karis? He has to know she’s yours. I went to find Kurt to ask him about the new Alpha, but he ain’t home.”

“What? Where is he?”

Trig sighed and looked troubled as hell. “All his shit was packed up. I think he’s on his way out if he and Gunner haven’t already disappeared. Also, good on Karis and Ava for getting out of that situation. It could’ve gone way worse for them.”

“Good on them? The girls were going to hide it from us.”

“And now ask yourself why.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m pissed and can’t think straight.”

“Your mate is trying to keep you out of jail.”

Colt snorted. “Well, I wish her luck with that. I’m pretty used to the food at the Darby Precinct.”

Trigger chuckled. And then Colt chuckled. This should not be funny. They shouldn’t laugh at what delinquents they were, but Trig chuckled a little louder and that made Colt laugh louder than him until he slashed his hand through the air and said, “Stop it, Trig. This ain’t funny. I have to keep my head. I have some mountain lion ass to whoop.”

“Hey, remember that one time I asked you if that was a ‘no’ for therapy hour and you went to bitchin’ about your problems for fifteen minutes?”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks, your sister takes care of that.”

Colt’s gag was instant. “Trigger! You’re a grade-A asshole.”

His Alpha was laughing in earnest now, and Colt was pretty sure he actually hated his friend again.

But when they pulled onto Main Street and Colt saw the sign for the GutShot, readiness overtook any humor he felt.

It didn’t matter how much Trig distracted him from what he had to do, the cold hard truth was that he was going to have to bleed Amos for making those marks on his mate’s neck. He could only imagine Karis’s thoughts with that bastard’s hand around her throat. Tough girl, but she wasn’t alone anymore. She’d said once that she needed a mate who had her back. That would never be a problem for him.

The GutShot was the Clan hangout, so without any discussion, Trig had come here and pulled right up front. He parked on the street and cut the engine.

“You know Colt…I’ll always have your back.”

It meant the world to him. “I know.”

“Come on,” Trigger rumbled. “Let’s get this done.”

“Yep,” Colt agreed, shoving his door open.

Colton didn’t even tote his dad’s old Colt Single Action Army, the pistol he’d been named for. All he needed were fists and Amos’s stupid laughing face to egg him on.

Colt lead Trig into the GutShot and froze the second he opened the door. The bar was empty other than Cooper and that female cougar shifter, Trina. They turned when he and Trig walked in, and their eyes held phantoms.

“Warmaker,” Cooper greeted him formally. The old man’s bushy gray eyebrows lowered as he said, “Amos is a different kind of hunter than Chase was.”

“What does that mean?” Trig asked.

“He likes to divide and conquer,” Trina answered for him. Was she crying?

Alarm bells were clanging in Colt’s mind, spurring his bear to panic. “Divide and conquer,” he repeated, shaking his head. “I don’t understand.”

Trina took a shot of what looked like tequila. Pulling a face at the burn of the liquor, she gulped and explained, “Amos has the Clan at Two Claws. He knew you would come here to fight him and leave your ranch exposed. Hairpin Trigger, your old lady won’t be human after tonight. She’ll belong to the Clan. And Warmaker…” A tear slid down her cheek. “Your mate will be dead.”