Chapter Three
Logan hunched over his laptop with a headache pulsing behind his eyes. After leaving the bar the night before he’d driven around the town of Brookside, familiarizing himself with the area.
There’d been few residents on the streets, but the ones he’d seen had looked at him suspiciously. Logan didn’t know what was going on, but now he knew he had to get answers.
Before bed, he’d programmed several searches to run. Now, as he sipped his first cup of coffee, he scrolled through the results. He ignored the files that he should be reading for the attachment he needed to see.
Toward the bottom he finally saw it. Annabelle Sanchez.
He stared at the name.
His dreams had been filled with her beautiful face. The way she’d looked him up and down with interest. He’d wanted to lay claim to her right then and there. The animal part of him had been at the surface, stretching and yowling to get close to her. The faint scent of her cat had only teased his senses as well. Logan had no idea what species she was, and that was very interesting. Part of his extra training was to recognize the numerous types of felines.
If he opened the attachment, he might just find out all Annabelle’s secrets. So why did he hesitate? He wanted to know more about her, but…this felt like cheating. Logan scoffed at himself. This was ridiculous. He wasn’t even going to discover everything he needed to know about Annabelle. The Coalition didn’t keep Intel on every shifter, but they did have access to all government databases as well as connecting family and community ties. Logan had to be careful with what he used during his legal documenting of cases, because he had access to far greater resources than any of his fellow agents knew about.
He shook his head to dislodge the thoughts about the other work he’d done. There were reasons he hadn’t visited Arizona, and the secrets he had to keep made him feel even further away from his other agents. He couldn’t think about all that, though. It had been months since he’d received a call to do dirty work, but the call was always right around the corner. He’d done things in his life that left him with an overwhelming feeling of disgust. No matter how many shifters he tried to save, he’d never get his soul cleaned. Logan was tarnished, dirty, and would never be worthy of the love he saw others share.
No, his past remained shadowed and he couldn’t claim to have changed his ways, since he didn’t know what the future contained. There was so much more that Logan might possibly be called on to do.
The ringing of his cell drew him out of his musing.
Logan picked up his phone and saw it was Jamie calling. He hadn’t been expecting to talk to the other shifter so soon. Something must have happened.
“Hello.”
“Logan,” Jamie said. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
“No, I was just going through some searches I started last night.”
“The case I gave you?”
“Yeah,” Logan said. “I went to the bar and nosed around. The town is something I haven’t seen before.”
“That’s why I’m calling,” Jamie said. “One of the other team leaders had some information on it. Zak did some undercover work around that area a few years ago.”
Logan had met the tiger shifter a few times, since he was good friends with Jamie, but it was hard for him to be around another large cat who was so dominant. “Why’d he tell you?”
“He’d met Mac Gordon during his assignment and Mac saved his life. Zak says that Mac’s solid and if he’s involved in the case, then there’s a good reason.”
Logan thought about everything he’d seen last night. He’d had a feeling that Mac knew more than he’d been admitting, but he’d also known in his gut that the bear shifter wasn’t involved in a kidnapping. “I would agree, but there’s something going on in that bar. Probably with the entire town. I didn’t find any sign of the woman who’d gone missing. I have more questions than answers.”
“Zak said the same thing when he’d visited the Den,” Jamie said. “He never did get Mac to trust him enough to tell him what, though.”
“I’ll find out,” Logan swore. “I’ll get to the bottom of it and find Samantha.”
“I got a little more on her as well,” Jamie said. “Cody Johnson was there when I spoke to Zak about Mac. He decided to take a little flight and flew over the troop.”
“He didn’t get caught?” Logan asked, immediately realizing what a stupid question that was. While he’d not met Cody, every Coalition agent knew who he was. There was even talk about making Cody the next director of the Coalition. The man was extremely talented. Even though many thought of the birds of prey species as being lesser than the larger predators, Logan knew better.
Jamie snorted. “They didn’t have a clue he was there.”
“Good.”
“He did overhear some interesting conversations, though,” Jamie said.
“Oh?”
“I wasn’t actually certain that Frank hadn’t done something with Samantha himself. It was just so tidy. His story.”
“I had the same thought,” Logan admitted.
“Well it seems Frank is really looking for Samantha and while she remains missing he’s making her brother pay…with blood.”
“Shit,” Logan spat.
“Yeah. We even considered saving him, but we sent out a few more spies and they called in that Samantha’s brother actually sold her to Frank for a higher position in the troop.”
“The fucker.”
“Exactly,” Jamie said. “They’re only hurting him for now, so we’re just watching, but if they try to kill him, the rescuer will swoop in.”
“Anything else you can tell me?”
“This isn’t the first time that Samantha has taken off on Frank. If she’s running and has the help of Mac Gordon, I don’t know if we’ll find her.”
“We may not want to, you mean.”
“Yes,” Jamie agreed.
“I’ll think about it,” Logan said. “I’m not done with Brookside, though. I want to know what is going on.”
“Just be careful. We really don’t know what is going on.”
“I will be,” Logan assured his friend.
“I’m sorry about this.” Jamie lowered his voice. “I wish I hadn’t called you. I don’t want you getting into trouble.”
Logan couldn’t agree with that statement. Not that he planned to get in the middle of trouble, but he wasn’t sorry about Jamie calling him. The flash of a beautiful, black-haired, green-eyed woman was in his thoughts. No, he didn’t regret getting the call.
“Logan?”
Shit! He’d gotten lost in his thoughts again about Annabelle. “Sorry, was thinking about something.”
“Something or someone?” Jamie asked.
“What?” There was no way that Jamie knew about Annabelle. Was Jamie having Logan followed as well?
“Relax,” Jamie said with a chuckle. “I remember the beginning when I first met Brandy.”
“Oh,” he mumbled. Logan had a feeling he was blushing, so he was really glad he was all alone in his kitchen.
“I take it you met her in Brookside?”
“Yes,” Logan admitted.
“Well at least she knows about shifters or is one.”
“She is. Not sure what type, but a feline.”
“I’m happy for you.” Jamie sounded it, too.
“Getting ahead of yourself,” Logan said. “I don’t know anything about her or what she’s into.”
Jamie sighed. “Can I give you some advice?”
“Uh, I guess so.”
“Trust your instincts.”
Logan laughed. “That’s it?”
“It’s not as easy as it seems,” Jamie assured him. “Your training, job, friends, something might try to get in the way. You’re a powerful shifter, trust in what your animal tells you.”
“Okay.” Logan still didn’t understand. “I’ll do my best.”
“If you need anything just give me a call.”
“Thanks,” Logan said. “Keep me informed on what the troop is up to.”
“You got it.”
Once Jamie hung up, Logan tossed his cell on the table. He stared back at his monitor.
Annabelle Sanchez.
He double-clicked the attachment to open it.
Logan lifted his mug and took a sip of cold coffee. “Ick.” He spat the chilled brew into the cup and rose. Disgusting.
Crossing the room to start another pot and clean his mug, Logan thought about his next move. He had to return to Brookside. That much was obvious, but should he go under the guise of still searching for Samantha or should he warn Mac and Annabelle that the troop was looking for her?
Maybe he’d play it by ear? Logan set his mug in the sink and turned on the hot faucet before pulling the coffee pot closer. The familiar routine of pouring water, adding beans and turning on the machine calmed him. He shut off the water tap to stare out of the window above the sink. The view wasn’t fantastic. He was on the third floor, overlooking a park.
Everything might be changing, but Logan was used to having to roll with the twists and turns of life.
The aroma of fresh, expensive coffee brewing filled the small room. He glanced around the apartment’s small but tidy kitchen. It wasn’t much, but he kept it spotless, filled with more food than he’d be able to eat and expensive décor. A far cry from the hole he’d once had to suffer. The roaches that had crawled on every inch of the avocado-green kitchen of the trailer were just one portion of the filth he’d lived in. Logan knew he’d paid too much for the place he currently resided in, but it was in one of the best buildings in the town. He didn’t care about the money. He was never going to have to beg, borrow and steal to survive ever again.
He walked to his computer and sat. The file had opened. Was he really going to read all about Annabelle? Invade her privacy?
Yes, he was.
Logan began to scroll through the information.
A foster child.
Annabelle had grown up in group homes and temporary houses from age three to fourteen. At fourteen, she’d run away from the residence she’d been sent to and no one had heard from her again until she was eighteen and a legal adult.
She’d been questioned about her whereabouts for four years, but she’d refused to answer, instead only asking for her birth certificate and social security card. The government hadn’t had a reason not to comply with her request.
At eighteen, she’d begun her life.
Logan had a feeling he knew where she’d spent those lost four years. Mac Gordon had to have had a hand in Annabelle’s disappearance. Which didn’t seem strange when he’d met the bear shifter while looking for another young woman.
The links were starting to come together and Logan didn’t know what to think about it. Was Mac running some kind of halfway house for lost shifter girls?
Logan opened the Coalition database and typed in Annabelle’s parents’ names. She had to have ended up in the foster care system for a reason.
He frowned when the results came up empty. Logan typed the names again but received the same response.
That couldn’t be possible. He switched to the FBI and tried again.
Nothing.
He had to log in to the CIA. As he waited for the website, he stood then crossed to the coffee pot. Logan pulled down a clean mug from the cabinet and poured some of the brew before taking the cup back to the table. His page had loaded, so he returned to work.
Annabelle’s parents had to have left some sort of footprint in the past. A driver’s license, a tax return—something.
Entering information into the CIA form was always time-consuming. He’d possibly cut down on the headache by using his less than legal means. Just a quick call and he’d have everything he could ever want on Annabelle and everyone related to her. He might even get the answers to what she was doing now.
No. Logan wouldn’t go that route. Not only would it put him in debt once again, but it would also put Annabelle within reach of a scarier existence. No. Logan would dig the information out the old-fashioned way. By working the case.
After barely sleeping the previous night and a long, boring day of working the bar, Annabelle finally had the results of what Carter had been able to find about Logan. It had taken much longer than she’d expected. Carter had been thrilled, but the difficulty of hacking into the Coalition’s system had gotten Annabelle annoyed. She wanted to know what Logan was up to and find out how to get him to leave them alone.
Finally, Annabelle had the pages in front of her that might give her the Intel she needed to use against Logan.
Annabelle locked her bedroom door before sauntering to her favorite chair. She dropped down in the recliner and tucked her legs under her to open up the manila envelope Carter had passed her.
The first page was a full-sized photo taken the day Logan had graduated from the Phoenix police department. He’d been much younger, with innocence in his gaze that she hadn’t seen in person. The years that had passed had been kind to Logan. He’d filled out in all the best ways. His face was fuller, with deep lines around his eyes and mouth. She wasn’t sure they came from smiling, though. Logan seemed to be more the brooding and scowling type. Still, he looked mouthwateringly good in that uniform.
Instead of putting the picture in the envelope, Annabelle set it on the small table next to her. She’d decide what to do about it later. The next page had information about Logan’s childhood. He’d grown up in a small town in Texas, close to the Mexico border.
Logan had been a decent student, making grades that were enough to get him through school, but not much better. His father had spent time in and out of jail. Hell, even his mom had a record. Annabelle closed her eyes. She had a feeling that Logan’s early years might have been as bad as her own. She’d somehow not considered that he was more than just a Coalition agent.
He was also a man who had a past.
From the numerous trips he’d made to the hospital between the ages of five and ten, Annabelle suspected that Logan might know exactly how it felt to be alone and scared.
Opening her eyes again, she scanned Logan’s teenage years, not wanting to see any more of his pain until he’d turned eighteen.
The last few months of high school, he’d buckled down and brought up his grades enough to be accepted into the police academy. He hadn’t stuck around Texas, though. Instead it appeared that he’d jumped on the first bus out of town and had never looked back.
He’d excelled at the police academy.
Logan had been at the top of the class during the entire training. By the time graduation had come, Logan already had an offer to work in Phoenix, but he hadn’t accepted. Instead, he’d gone to California to join the Los Angeles Sheriff Department.
Then, he’d accepted one of the first posts for the Shifter Coalition.
Since he’d become an agent, Logan had gone after shifters who’d broken the law. From the case summaries she read, it seemed as though Logan took his job very seriously and he didn’t quit. In one investigation, he’d tracked the criminal shifter for over six months.
That did not bode well for them if Logan found out about them. From all appearances, he was strictly by the book. There was no way he’d look the other way when it came to people disappearing. Even if it was for the best.
Some of the shifters they’d helped had spotty backgrounds. Mac always made sure that they helped the innocent, but that meant there were times when it went against the law.
Annabelle shook her head. She hadn’t wanted to admit she’d been hoping to find something that told her she should trust Logan. Her attraction to him wouldn’t keep her from being able to protect her family.
Logan was nothing but trouble. The evidence was in her hands. Annabelle shoved the printed sheets of paper into the envelope before standing. She shoved the package into the desk drawer and wandered to gaze out of her bedroom window. From there, she had the perfect view of the back of the property.
The woods behind the bar called to her and she saw her favorite tree from where she stood. Not all felines climbed, but her animal, a margay, was one of the most skillful of any species. The instincts that came along with her shifter abilities were strong in both human and cat form, but when she transformed, she never managed to stay out of the trees.
Annabelle released the catch on the window, unlocking it and pushing the pane up. Mac hated when she crawled out of her room this way, but Annabelle rather enjoyed it. She undressed quickly, scattering clothes along the floor before jumping out through the small opening.
Trent whirled around and cursed when she surprised him by landing only a few feet away from where he leaned against the back door. “Damn it, Annabelle!”
She merely grinned in response. Sure, she hadn’t known he was out there, but she’d have fun sneaking up on the ex-cop. “Sorry,” she lied.
“No you’re not.” He waved his hand at her. “And I thought Mac told you to stop doing that.”
Annabelle shrugged. “It’s faster this way.”
“Tree calling you?” he asked, instead of continuing to lecture.
“Yeah,” she replied. “It’s a nice night.”
“It is,” he said. “But you still need to be careful. Mac is still worried about the fox troop showing up.”
“I know.” She pointed to her favorite spot. “I’m just going right there.”
“Okay.” Trent peered around the empty backyard. “Go ahead and shift and I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“You don’t have to. I might be out there a while.” Her branch was the best place to think. Sometimes she even fell asleep.
“I don’t mind,” he said. “Not really tired, but I’m off duty until tomorrow afternoon.”
Trent wouldn’t bother her, she knew, and he often spent hours outside on his own. Annabelle thought it had something to do with his hyena nature but hadn’t ever asked. Trent had joined the group after she’d already arrived, but she’d been a teen and hadn’t been told his whole story.
That was the way things went with their little family. All of them had a reason for living out in the middle of nowhere in a town where they were surrounded by shifters or those who already knew and accepted them.
She had a feeling that Trent’s past was full of pain and suffering. He went looking for trouble, which drove Mac crazy, but Trent never put anyone other than himself in danger. Mac let Trent have as much free rein as anyone, but Mac also kept a close eye on him. It was as if Mac was waiting for the day that Trent walked away from them. Annabelle hoped she was wrong, but in her gut she knew that Trent was just biding his time until he found whatever he was searching for.
The selfish part of her wanted to keep Trent with them, though. He was so gentle and kind to her.
“Go.” He waved his hand. “It’ll be fine.”
Since he was giving her the chance to shift and still remain safe, avoiding a lecture from Mac, Annabelle was going to take him up on his offer. “Okay, but if you want to go inside at any time, it’s fine.”
Tent shook his head.
He was apparently done talking.
Annabelle closed her eyes so she’d be able to concentrate on the animal within. There was always a part of her that remained aware of her feline. Feeling the thread that ran between her human and feline sides, she mentally tugged at the connection. Warmth filled her as she began to transform.
There was no pain. Not since she’d learned to call her cat instead of losing control over her other form.
The snap of bones were loud and she arched as her body changed. She ignored all the noise around her until she was on all four paws and fur covered her. The chill of the night diminished with the thick coat covering her body.
Margays were unique to the shifter world. Even natural margays were uncommon. Annabelle didn’t remember her mom or dad, any family really, so she’d researched their natural instincts and habitats to learn about herself.
The first time she’d read about how her species preferred to stay in trees and, unlike many other felines, remained nocturnal, she finally felt the missing pieces in her soul connecting.
Annabelle had devoured every bit of information she’d found about the species. Mac had helped when he’d been able to, but not a lot was known about them. Studies were still going on and as much as Annabelle would love to travel to southern Mexico to see the natural cats, she didn’t want to leave her family.
It had been a tough choice.
Everything inside her screamed to go and learn about her animal half. She should be solitary, that was ingrained in her species, but Annabelle craved the bonds of family. Even if that meant having to let go of finding out where she might have come from.
Annabelle stretched her forelegs out in front of her before arching her back. It felt so good. She loved shifting.
Trent smiled down at her when she looked up. Annabelle padded to him to wrap around one of his legs then the other. She marked him with her scent as a brother, a sibling of sorts, to show him love.
“Good kitty.” He leaned down to pat her on the head.
She swiped a paw at him, but he moved deftly out of the way.
“Now go have fun.”
Annabelle kneaded his leg with her sharp claws.
Using his other foot, he pushed her off. The shoelace of his boot was undone and she swatted at it. When he jerked his leg away, she pounced and followed that little piece of string.
She’d get it. She could. All she had to do was keep her eye on…
“Annabelle!”
She yowled in surprise. She hadn’t meant to get distracted.
“I know,” he said.
With one last head-butt to his knee, Annabelle took off at a sprint across the yard. At night, the northern California temperature dropped, but she wasn’t feeling the cold. Instead, as she ran, her muscles heated and the feeling of freedom soared inside her. She didn’t head directly to her tree. Instead, she sped past it, farther into the woods.
She knew better than to wander too far. In a town full of shifters, she wasn’t one who’d fight some of the bigger predators. While conflict was unusual, Annabelle had to be careful. She wasn’t as powerful as some of the others and she knew it. While they remained aware and still had human sensibilities while shifted, their animal instincts were stronger in that state. There’d been times when a shifter had let their animal nature take over, causing problems.
As she zigzagged between the trees, Annabelle had to keep her senses open and aware of her surroundings. It helped that she lived with several shifters who were considered large predators, Mac in particular. A grizzly bear shifter, Mac had gone toe-to-toe with numerous other shifters and had always come out on top. Not without injuries, but he was a formable opponent. His scent surrounded her, marking her as off limits.
Annabelle circled around, heading closer to the bar. Slowing down, she enjoyed the quietness of the forest around her. The full canopies of the trees hid the moon, allowing only small slivers to shine through. The damp ground cushioned her paws as she stepped carefully around twigs and fallen branches. It was such a beautiful night.
Maybe she would sleep in her tree, after all.
She’d made a sort of nest on one of the wide branches, against the trunk. After a bad day, or when the loneliness threatened to swamp her, she took refuge up high, where few could reach her in either human or shifter form.
The sound of a shotgun booming had Annabelle dropping low.
There weren’t supposed to be any hunters in the area. The forest was a protected national park, the reason why it was safe for them to shift there.
When shifters had announced their presence and come out to the world, the hunting laws had become strict to ensure that shifters were not hunted down. Several humans had fought against the new regulations, but the government had been adamant that all shifters be protected, even in their animal form. In Annabelle’s opinion, the new guidelines had been the best thing about the shifter announcement. Still, people could be stupid and that included hunting where they shouldn’t.
She needed to get out of the way.
There was no doubt Trent and some of the others would have also heard the gunfire. Since Trent knew she was out, he’d come after her, and she didn’t want anyone hurt on her behalf.
Staying as low to the ground as possible, she started to crawl toward the big round tree trunk just in front of her.
Another shot, and this time it seemed to be closer.
Ignoring the trembling she couldn’t control, Annabelle scrambled forward faster. While she was quick as a feline, she couldn’t take the chance of popping out of cover until she reached the tree and could go up. Not knowing who was out in the woods with her, Annabelle had to use her brain and not let instinct take over.
Relief flooded her when she felt rough bark against her paw. She just needed to go up. She jerked her head at the rustling coming up behind her. Three scents, and they were human. She wanted to snarl and growl, but that would give away her position.
“I’m telling you,” a small, skinny, redheaded young man said. “I saw it. It looked like a cheetah or something. Just smaller.”
Annabelle almost scoffed. She didn’t look anything like a cheetah. Dumb humans.
The big, round, bald human slapped the redhead on the back. “You probably saw a fox or something, son.”
Now she was really offended. She actually wanted to run at them so they got a good look at her. However, that would be a very bad idea. Not with those big guns in their hands.
“Do you think we scared it away?” the youngest, a black-haired teenager asked.
“I told you not to shoot until you had it in the crosshairs of your scope,” Baldy said.
“Sorry, Dad,” the redheaded man replied. “I got excited.”
Enough was enough. Annabelle was irritated and pissed off. If she didn’t do something, her family would come searching for her and they might come in shifted form.
She couldn’t climb from her spot—the angle would give her away to the humans. If she moved, they might see her. Stuck, she went through her options. She could make a break for it. It seemed like at least two of the humans weren’t marksmen, but the bald man might be. If she began the transformation, she’d be vulnerable if they didn’t know what she was doing. Crap. She didn’t know what to do.
“Let me see the flashlight,” Baldy demanded.
A steak of light landed right on her.
“Holy shit!” the redhead shouted. “I told you.” He lifted his rifle and Annabelle had to act.
Using her back legs, she launched herself at the tree and started to climb. Her claws scored the rough bark as she scrambled up, using the branches and leaves as cover.
Several birdshot shotgun rounds thudded in her wake.
She yelped when a pellet or ricochet hit her back leg. No, no, no. She couldn’t get killed by a bunch of moronic humans.
Annabelle’s foot slipped on a branch and she cried out, barely catching herself.
“There! Up there!” someone called.
The humans fired several more times.
Finding a small opening, Annabelle dove for it. She wedged herself in, hoping it would hide her. She was high enough that as long as the humans didn’t have a direct shot, she should be okay.
The loud, long growl that shook the entire area around her was both a relief and filled her with terror. Mac was coming and he’d be coming in as a bear.
Logan heard the first shot as he closed the door of his truck behind him. Instinct took over and he raced toward the back of the bar, gun in hand, before he realized what he was doing.
He rounded the corner and spotted another man in the yard, running in the direction of the woods. The bar’s rear door flew open and Logan aimed at the figure stepping out.
“Annabelle!” the guy in the yard yelled. “She’s out there!”
Cold dread filled Logan. He now recognized that it was Mac exiting the building. “Where?”
The stranger and Mac both looked at him in surprise. They hadn’t even known he was there.
Another gunshot.
“Trent,” Mac said calmly. “Is she in her tree?”
“No,” Trent cried. “She went for a run first.”
Mac glanced at Logan. “We have to find her.”
“Any idea who’s out there?” Logan asked. He didn’t holster his weapon, instead lowering it by his side.
“Probably hunters,” Mac said. “The forest is protected, but that doesn’t keep everyone out.”
“Fuck,” Logan spat.
“Trent,” Mac said. “Go ahead and try to find her. Stay in human form so you don’t get shot.”
Trent didn’t hesitate. He took off at full speed.
“Going to call this in, agent?” Mac asked.
“You have a sheriff around here?”
“Yes.”
“Call him,” Logan said. “I’m going to find out what’s going on.”
“Carter!” Mac yelled. “Call this in. We’ll be in the woods.”
Logan started forward but stopped and frowned when Mac yanked his shirt over his head.
“Is that wise?” Logan asked. “If it’s hunters?”
“I said it’s probably hunters,” Mac corrected. “If it’s not…”
While Mac let his sentence trail off, he finished undressing.
From farther away, they heard yet another shot, then a faint yelp. Mac roared and it actually shook the ground under Logan’s feet. But, Jesus, the man’s power radiated from him.
“Go!” Mac ordered, crouching.
Logan didn’t need to be told twice. At a pace slower than Trent had taken off, he jogged toward the tall tree line. Is this what Annabelle has to worry about? She can’t even go for a run without having to watch for bullets?
What would they have done if he hadn’t been there?
It appeared they had faced this situation all ready. Hopefully, that would keep Annabelle safe.
Annabelle. He hadn’t been able to keep her out of his thoughts, as he’d spent his day investigating the town and its residents. He’d driven through the town in circles before parking and getting out. He’d been inside every store and spoken to every person he passed, showing Samantha’s picture around.
There was no way that many people had lied to him. Samantha was not there. That he was sure of.
Even with his badge, the citizens of Brookside had been wary of him, but they’d answered every question. Logan was beginning to think that Samantha had never been there at all. He’d headed to the bar to question the two men who’d supposedly picked up the young fox shifter. Instead, he now found himself stepping into the dark forest, hoping to find Annabelle safe.
The moonlight disappeared as soon as he entered. The temperature also dropped by several degrees. There was no movement, no sound, and that worried him. The natural creatures that called the woods their home would have been scared by the shots, but he couldn’t hear the humans either.
There were a couple of scents he’d be able to follow.
Logan didn’t know what type of shifter Trent was, but his trace had to be the more recent aroma. Instead of following him, Logan closed his eyes and thought about Annabelle.
Her unique feline-tinted scent. Yes, picturing her in his mind helped him remember how she smelled. Straight ahead. Maybe a half hour to an hour ago.
Logan marched forward with determined strides.
He prayed he didn’t hear any more gunfire. If he got there in time, he’d make sure that the hunters were dealt with accordingly. The new laws were in effect for a reason. But, sometimes, they didn’t protect everyone. Logan sped up. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Annabelle while he was out here. No. It was his job to protect shifters and he couldn’t fail.
Logan began to jog.
Behind him came a crash of branches and he had a feeling that Mac had completed his shift and was now coming. Logan couldn’t think about that, though. He knew Mac and apparently Trent cared about Annabelle, but he had to be there to help her.
It didn’t make sense. This was more than him wanting to help another shifter. Every instinct inside him screamed that he shift and protect her. He wanted to prove that he’d keep her safe. Which was fucking insane. Logan didn’t even know her, but it was his lion driving him forward, more than his human side.
“No!”
Logan heard the shout and turned toward the sound, slightly left of his current location, and ran. It appeared Annabelle had run pretty much in a straight line.
A young red-haired man flew through the air as Logan stepped around a tree.
“Stop or I’ll shoot!” A big bald guy was pointing his rifle at Trent, who held a teenager off the ground by his neck.
“Do it,” Trent growled. “I’ll rip his fucking head off.”
“Nobody move,” Logan said, stepping forward. He picked up the badge from his back pocket. “US Shifter Coalition.” With his weapon trained on the bald man, he held his identification up with the other hand. “Drop your weapon.”
The bald man paled but didn’t comply. “I’m not dropping anything until he lets my son go.”
Trent bared his fangs at the teenager.
“Drop it now,” Logan demanded. “And he’ll let go of your boy.”
The human appeared to know he wasn’t going to get his way and dropped the rifle.
“Kick it toward me,” Logan ordered.
The bald man did so and Logan spotted the other two guns close by.
“Now drop to your knees and link your fingers behind your head,” Logan told him.
“Tell that animal to let go of my son,” Baldy shouted. “We weren’t doing anything wrong. He had no right to attack. I want him arrested.”
“What were you shooting at?” Logan asked. He closed the distance between him and the human.
“We were hunting,” Baldy replied with a lift of his chin.
“This area is protected. It’s part of the national forest. There is no hunting here,” Logan stated.
“There’s no hunting anywhere!” Baldy exclaimed. “Not since those animals got their way.”
What an idiot. Logan almost pointed out that he was one of those animals, but didn’t see the point.
“Get down on your knees,” Logan repeated.
Mac growled as he appeared at Logan’s side, making the bald man lower himself to the ground and cover his head.
“Jesus!” Baldy yelled. “There are more of them!”
Logan eyed him, but he seemed calm enough, so he turned toward Trent. “Release the boy.”
With yellow eyes shining, Trent shook the teenager instead. “Where were you aiming?”
“There.” The teenager’s fingers shook as he pointed up at the tree.
Logan narrowed his eyes but couldn’t see through the thick branches and leaves.
Trent growled but let the kid go. The teenager scrambled quickly away from Trent to his father’s side.
“Take the same position,” Logan said to the boy. After they were side by side, he glanced at the redhead, who seemed to still be out. His chest moved up and down. The young man lived.
“Annabelle!” Trent called softly. “You up there?”
Logan couldn’t see anything but the scent… “I smell blood.”
This time the rumbling came from Mac.
There was a sharp, poignant scent and Mac realized the teenager had pissed his pants. Smart boy—he should be scared.
Mac took a few unsteady steps toward the humans, but Logan held up his hand. They didn’t need any more conflict.
“Annabelle!” Trent said louder.
Above their heads, there was movement before a small brown head with black rosettes and streaks peeked down at him. Her eyes were wide with terror, but she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.