Justin remained on his hands and knees, continuing to look as if he struggled to remain conscious, which didn’t require a lot of acting.

The titanium was doing its job to weaken his leg and zap his energy, but not enough to prevent him from taking a chance to free Eli.

He had his hand over Eli’s small one when Toro yanked her chain leash to pull her back.

She yelped, falling over on her side.

Justin’s fingers dug into the ground. Seeing anyone mistreat her sent him and Herc into a rage. He shook for real now, with the need to crush Cazador’s skull.

But when he glanced at Eli to check on her, she gave him a calm face.  As she made it to her feet, she lifted her cuffed hands to use a finger to rub the left side of her nose. That was one of Herc’s physical signals. She was telling Justin she was going ahead and would wait on him.

That actually meant she would wait for him to get them free, which was a great idea if he had any chance of making it happen. 

When she looked at him, it was clear she put all her confidence in him. 

He’d be damned if he would let her down. 

Until Cazador and Toro discovered she’d lied about their mating connection, the wolf shifters wouldn’t kill him. But if he failed to get Eli out of here and escape himself, they’d hurt him bad enough he’d have to be dragged off the mountain.

Eli would end up in even more danger, because his alpha female would fight them to protect Justin.

Dammit. What a mate. He could not lose her.

Cazador said something sharp to Eli and she started walking ahead of the wolf shifter. The chain dragged behind her until Cazador looped a coil of the leash to hold and allowed the chain to become tight. 

Herc was banging around, growling. 

He wanted out to fight.

Justin silently told him, I need you focused to help me, Herc. We will make the wolves pay, but not at the risk of harming Eli.

Herc quieted immediately and waited for directions.

That was the partnership he’d had the entire time with his bear, one he would help Eli discover with hers.

Once Eli was out of sight, Toro slapped Justin across the back with the end of the chain.  “Break’s over. Get moving.”

Justin wobbled getting to his feet and complained in a weak voice, “That fucking titanium is eating my muscle.” 

“Tough shit, bear.  Move it.” Toro tried to sound tough, but Justin could smell the wolf shifter’s anxiety. 

Good.

Weaving forward to appear off balance, Justin kept moving. As he did, he came up with a plan. 

Not much of one, but Eli was depending on him.

All Gallize had an extra kick of power driven by their magic, but it didn’t work the same for everyone. Cole could power up his arm or leg in human form to really blast someone with a fist to the head or roundhouse kick. 

Justin’s magic worked a little differently.

He and Herc were so closely joined in spirit that they both had to bring that extra power to the surface.

Justin silently said, We need the Gallize power, Herc.

His bear growled softly, agitated by the titanium collar preventing them from shifting and killing the wolves. 

That didn’t stop Herc from pushing power through Justin. Not even a Gallize could break titanium, but with his body feeling flush with an extra jolt of kick-ass, he was ready for the stunt he had in mind.

Herc kept up a deep rumbling sound in Justin’s ear. 

Justin warned his bear, Stay calm. I’m going to try to free us.

Kill wolves.

Getting there, Herc.

Justin paused, causing the leash to go slack as Toro kept walking.  Lifting his hands to his head, Justin said in a weak voice, “Give me a minute.”

“Fuck, bear. This is going to take all day.”

“Your boss shouldn’t have shot me.”

“Quit your whining and move on. We need to catch up with that bitch.”

Herc snarled a deep, deadly rumble that was normally the last warning before he ripped an enemy to shreds.

Justin wanted to free him right then.

Nobody called Eli a bitch.

“Okay, okay.  Just a little dizzy.” Justin nodded and acted as if he was going to move forward again.

Instead, he lowered his hands slowly from his head and curled the fingers of his left hand inside the metal collar around his neck.

That would save his throat, he hoped.

He spun hard, which took up slack in the chain, and gripped the leash with his right hand. His forearm muscles flexed, now increased in size and strength from the new surge of energy he and Herc had generated.

It all happened in seconds.

Jerking the chain to him, Justin loved the look of shock on Toro’s face. Priceless.

Justin caught the wolf’s throat in both hands and leaped left, shoving Toro downhill where the wolf landed sprawled on his back.

That only knocked the wind out of him.

Justin couldn’t let him howl for his buddy. With a body that now weighed half again more than it should, Justin dropped his knees hard on the wolf’s chest.

Ribs crunched. Oh, yes. Love that sound.

Blood oozed out of the wolf’s mouth when he opened it to howl. 

With his wrists locked, Justin slammed double fists down on Toro’s throat, which gave easily.

Crushed windpipe.

Wolf eyes came forward, bulged in panic.

No more sound out of this one.

The wolf struggled for air, but he couldn’t regenerate fast enough to get air into his lungs again. Not unless he shifted, which Justin realized the bastard was trying to do.

Dammit. Die already.

Justin grabbed the chain and looped it around the wolf’s throat, pulling the ends tight. 

Toro’s head had already warped with snout and jaws widening, but the titanium did its job. 

Finally, Toro’s struggling ceased.

Sweat poured off Justin’s face from the power overload and burning energy to fight this guy. 

He hoped he wouldn’t need an extra Gallize boost any time soon, because there was a limit to how much he could draw on at one time, and how often.

Basically, he couldn’t do it again for a while. He would only be stronger in his bear form, which he couldn’t use right now. He had to stay human to maneuver and communicate with Eli if need be. 

Herc said, Hurry. Save mate.

“What the fuck do you think I’m doing?” Justin grumbled as he dug through the wolf’s vest for a set of keys to his cuffs and collar.

Too slow.

“Save me the freaking commentary right now, would you?” Justin snarled, his big hands fumbling with the small keys.

Mishka need help.

Justin shook his head and stilled at Herc’s words. “Mishka? Who is that?”

Bear mate.

“Who told you that’s the name of Eli’s bear?”

Mishka.

“Are you and Mishka talking?”

Stupid words.

Justin accepted the equivalent of Herc saying duh. Well, damn. Never a dull moment with his bear.  After contorting his huge fingers to get the slender key in place, the cuffs snapped free. The collar popped next.

That felt good to get it off his neck. 

Maybe his thigh would hold up until Rory could flush out the titanium.

Herc ordered, Hurry. Find mate!

“I’m on it.” Justin kicked the dead wolf to the side where ferns and other plants covered him. Once he got out of here, he’d call in a cleanup team.  His leg ached and he’d burned through a load of power, but Justin was ready to take on the world.

They should never have messed with his mate.

He didn’t know how he and Eli would figure out the future, but they would. Their bears had clearly mated. Justin and Eli would bond then he’d bring Nico to Eli.

Justin intended to keep them both.

First he had to save her.

He had no weapon except this chain, but the minute he tried to use that on Cazador someone would be shot, probably Justin. 

He fell back on what he did any time a mission went FUBAR, which many did. 

Made it up as he went.

Discarding the idea of carrying the chain, which could also cause the tiniest noise Cazador might hear, Justin searched Toro and came up with a knife.

Not much help against a shifter unless he got close enough to slice Cazador’s throat, but he’d take it. 

Hurrying in the direction Eli had gone, adrenaline sharpened Justin’s focus.  He could take down the second wolf with his eyes shut if Eli wasn’t involved. 

Success would require stealth and the element of surprise.

After picking his way carefully along the path, he deviated to the side, away from the mountain face and into a more exposed area with piles of fallen rocks.

Moving silently, Justin finally heard Eli’s voice.

She seemed to drag her feet, giving Cazador grief with each step.

Justin shadowed them with soft footfalls. 

How could he let her know he was free so she wouldn’t react when she saw him?  The trail she and Cazador were taking curved closer to where the mountain fell away at a sharp angle.

There were deep holes on the other side as well, but he’d rather she stay away from that cliff. 

She’d survive stepping off in a hole.

It dawned on Justin that he now had a direct line to her.

Justin asked Herc mind to mind, Can you speak to Mishka and let her know we’re close? Have her tell Eli not to react.

Yes.  Herc was quiet a moment, then he told Justin, Mishka good. 

Eli slowed on a stretch of trail that was no more than eight feet wide and became very still. 

Cazador whipped the chain up and down, jerking on her collar.  “Get going.”

“Must pee.” She turned with careful movements to face him.

“You should have said something the last time we stopped. Pee where you stand.”

She gave him a disgusted expression. “Is filthy idea. Russian shifter would not say such.”

“Do you really think I’m going to let you go in the woods where I can’t see you?”

“Yes. Over there.” She nodded to the trees climbing gradually up the side of the mountain. 

When the wolf looked where she pointed, Eli lifted her gaze past him, searching the trail behind. 

Glad for the wind in his face, Justin had found two trees to stand behind. He stuck his head out from behind a trunk and moved his hand into view with his palm out. He wanted her to stay right where she was and not take any chances.

She lifted her chin enough to acknowledge the hand signal. A look of determination came over her. 

Cazador said, “Nope. Not doing anything like that until my partner catches up and can watch my back.”

Justin wanted to rush the guy, but Cazador carried that damn gun loaded with titanium-coated rounds. 

A wild shot could hit Eli in the head and kill her quickly.  That’s the only thing that kept Justin going slow and steady, just like when he’d led the black ops mission into enemy territory to rescue Adrian. 

He wouldn’t let anyone else go first that time.

If someone was going to get caught or die, it had to be him. 

Cazador glanced toward the trail Justin should have been walking down.

Leave it to Eli to draw his attention back to her with a question. “Why you steal me?”

Angling back around to face her, Cazador said, “Why do think? Did you miss when I told you I’m getting paid big money for this?”

“Not money.  What is reason?”

“Telling you isn’t going to make any difference in what happens to you.”

“Never mind.” She lifted her head, looking down her nose at him.  “You are cheap hand.”

Justin kept easing around the few trees between him and Cazador to get a better approach to the wolf.

Scowling, Cazador snapped at her, “Who are you calling cheap labor? I promise you I’m not cheap, bitch.”

She lifted a shoulder in dismissal and stuck her nose in the air in a perfect snooty pose.  “You are like mushroom.”

“Mushroom? What the hell are you talking about, princess?”

“Keep in dark. Feed sheep manure.”

Justin almost snorted at that.

He would like to get more intel, but he didn’t want Eli to push Cazador too much. This guy might be just as she had, so adorably, identified him.  Nothing but a hired gun. But he was definitely not cheap labor.  Finally reaching a place where Justin could slide into the open without stirring branches, he paused when Cazador made a slimy sounding laugh. 

“You want to know why you’re being snatched, princess?” the wolf shifter asked with a lilt in his voice as if all of sudden he enjoyed being the one to tell her.  “First, my wolf client will run tests on you in lots of ways.  Their people are making huge strides for shifters.  I’ve watched their operation. Entertaining, especially when they bring in a female shifter and keep her conscious to see how far they can push her. Nothing slows those scientists down, not even loud screaming.”

Eli had no comeback for that.

That fucking wolf was using terror tactics, looking for a way to break her psychologically. 

She wouldn’t break, but that didn’t mean Justin wanted her listening to scum tout the abilities of a wolf shifter pack that preyed upon other shifters.

The Black River pack didn’t research for the benefit of any shifters, but development for profit. They created stronger pack mates by altering them in sickening ways, and screwed up other shifters both mentally and physically so the rogue wolves could rise to the top of the heap.

They were a purely predatory group.

Cazador smiled, clearly pleased with himself, narcissistic asshole that he was. He added, “Once those scientists get all they want, then the pack will hand you over to a Power Baron who supports them.  I’ll receive a bonus payment for you and the man financing this will get what he wants. Everyone’s happy. Well, maybe not you.” He laughed at his sick joke.

Defiance rose in Eli’s voice.  “Money not from clan.”

The wolf started laughing.  “Oh, sure.  Dream on. How many people even know you’re in this country? You work that out and the person behind this should be obvious.”

Justin wished Cazador had named a specific clan, but the wolf shifter shared information only to weaken a captive.

Eli kept her attention on the wolf, but Justin knew by the subtle movements of those blue eyes she tracked his progress as well. 

Cazador angled his head to the side, as if looking for Toro.

“Where do you take me?” Eli asked, like a teacher snapping the classroom’s attention back to her.

Watching the trail, Cazador said, “You know what? Shut up already.”

Lifting an imperial eyebrow at him that made Eli appear every bit the haughty princess she hated to be called, she said, “Ah. I see. Do not know. You are—”

“If you say mushroom, it’ll be your last word for a long time,” the wolf warned.

“Only ask where I go.”

With evident exasperation, he informed her, “As soon as I get your slow ass off this mountain, I’m driving you to meet the pickup team. Be glad to be done with you. No. More. Questions. Got it?”

Did that stop Eli? Not one bit.

She said, “Mouth like pig.”

“I’d really like to carve you up with a titanium blade, starting with your tongue.  You should shut the fuck up while it’s still your choice.”

Justin had noticed right away that Cazador and Toro wore no communication gear, which pointed to the wolf shifter’s arrogance over his ability.

Angling around, Cazador called, “Toro?”

Justin stood very still and far enough off the trail Cazador would not see him, but he was out of time.

Cazador gave the trail a long, thoughtful look then turned back to Eli.

Justin checked the wind. It still blew in his face. With his scent behind him, Justin stepped away from his cover, but still needed to ease into the open and quietly approach Cazador.

Eli’s eyes did not move to give Justin away. 

The wolf crossed his arms and the chain still securely in his grip jangled. “You have no idea how lucky you are they sent me. I’m the patient one. If they’d sent the backup wolf team that normally handles these situations, one of them would have broken your jaw by now. Not a bad idea, now that I think about it.”

She gave him such a look of disbelief.  “We have not same meaning for luck.”

“Oh? Keep mouthing off at me and I’ll show you how your luck can change. If you’re such a badass ursid hybrid bear, you should heal by the time I dump you off.”

Her face remained calm and full of disdain for Cazador. “Could be wrong.”

“Not a chance, princess. I saw you change. If not for the shit load of money I’ve been promised, I’d kill you for your coat alone. It would be worth a fortune, but then I’d have a pissed off Power Baron to deal with and the Black River pack.  See? You have no idea just how fortunate you’ve been.”

Justin paused. That meant Eli’s father hadn’t given her away as an ursid hybrid, but it still didn’t finger the person who had sent the Black River pack after her from the start.

Her father wouldn’t have done it, because he could have killed her in Russia if he’d wanted to, and with no repercussion.  He had nothing to gain by handing her over to wolves. Her father had killed Black River pack wolves that attacked her. If he’d wanted to trade her to a Power Baron, her father could have done that without involving the Guardian.

Anyone who had lived as long as her father had, and with a clan as old as he ruled, would be able to get word directly to a Power Baron.

The majority of the Power Barons hailed from Europe.

As for the alpha of Clan Boudreaux, Justin might be no fan of the asshole, but even he couldn’t accuse that shifter of working with wolves to start a war with a Russian bear shifter clan.

Plus there was crossing the Guardian to consider.

Pissing him off would be worse than a war.

Justin took light steps, moving forward. Taking his time now could mean the difference in Eli not getting shot. When he was close enough, he’d lunge and wrap his arms around the wolf shifter, pinning his arms and gun to his body.

The wolf had been holding the weapon casually as he spoke to Eli, but now he pointed it at her head.

Justin’s heart did its best to climb up his throat.

Without turning around, the wolf warned, “Been waiting for you, bear. If you touch me, she dies. I won’t give up my life for any amount of money.”

Eli’s panicked eyes reached Justin.

How had the wolf realized he had company?

The wolf stepped over to one side where he had Eli and Justin in view, but kept his gun trained on her.  “Wondering how I knew you were there?  I smelled the fear on her. She’s ballsy, but her heart rate jumped for no reason. Plus Toro never answered.”

Eli’s eyes reflected her disappointment, but only for a moment, then she was back to her solemn face.

Justin showed no reaction, waiting to see what the wolf would do now. 

“I’m guessing you killed my partner,” Cazador said, more thinking out loud than talking to Justin.  Shaking his head, he said, “I had an excellent plan working. Now I have to rethink it. Didn’t you pay attention when I said I’d put a bullet in her to get what I wanted? Looks like that’s back on the table.”

Justin didn’t want to allow Cazador time to sort through his options.

He and Herc needed a minute to come up with an option as well. To buy time, Justin took a dig at the wolf’s ego, as Eli had proved to be a good tactic. “Sure, you’re a big man with a gun and woman on a chain.  Is that how you earned the name El Cazador? The Hunter? You didn’t track us. Talk about luck. You’re lucky we happened to hike past your trap.”

“Think again, bear,” Cazador spit out.  “That helicopter pilot didn’t find her by accident. He was up there looking to make the news with an ursid hybrid sighting, thanks to my tip. The minute I caught his radio transmission, I figured you’d go for the fastest way to get her out of here before the woods were flooded with people hunting a rare bear.”

Justin had suspected that helo. “You can be smug all you want, but my people are searching for me right now. I haven’t checked in on time.  You have no idea what you’re up against with my organization.  Tell you what, I’ll give you a head start if you release her now.”

That soured the wolf’s smile. He swung his gun at Justin.

“Do not shoot him ...” Eli started.

“I heard you the first time,” the wolf snapped at her.  “But I’m done dealing with having to get both of you off this mountain.”

Justin wanted to tell Eli to stay calm and it would all be okay, but her bear surfaced and her eyes glowed bright blue before he had a chance to warn her to not interfere.

With fast reflexes, she reached up and grabbed her chain, yanking it hard as she ran and threw her weight backward down an incline.

Sure she would go rolling off the steep cliffs so close to that path, Justin yelled, “No!” 

He jumped toward her.

The thunk of a suppressed gunshot sounded.

Heat ripped across Justin’s head again, but he kept going.

Eli’s yelling trailed off as she rolled backward out of sight.

The second bullet struck Justin’s thigh. The same one still wounded.  He hit the ground and the landscape around him blurred into a moving swirl. He struggled and blacked out from a double load of titanium.