It took fifteen minutes to drive to Cassie’s, and Liv was thankful they were in Chattanooga because her friend sounded hysterical when they talked on the phone. As soon as Lawson pulled into Cassie’s driveway, Liv jumped out of the Jeep and ran to the house. Her fist was pounding the front door before he parked the vehicle.

“Cassie, it’s Liv,” she yelled.

Seconds later, the door opened, and Liv’s mouth dropped. Cassie was holding an ice pack over her eye, and her t-shirt was ripped.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Liv demanded. She rarely dropped the f-bomb, but the sight of her battered friend sent her through the roof. “Did Ryan do this to you?”

“Calm down, potty-mouth,” Cassie replied as Lawson approached the door. “Come inside where we can talk.”

“Are you okay?” Liv asked as she lifted Cassie’s hand so she could get a better look at her eye. It was black and blue, and swollen shut.

“I’ve been better. Want a beer because that’s all I’ve got? I should’ve had you stop for something stronger,” Cassie admitted as she walked to her kitchen.

Liv glanced around the living room. She barely recognized the place. The furniture was overturned, and her wood coffee table was smashed to pieces. She couldn’t believe Ryan did this.

“Um, sure, make it two,” Liv replied as she followed Cassie into the small kitchen.

“Cassie, you said Ryan was here. Where is he now?” Lawson asked as he leaned against the doorway.

“He took off into the woods behind my house right after––” she trailed off and shook her head. “I still can’t believe he did this.”

“I don’t understand. Start from the beginning,” Liv suggested as she handed one of the beers to Lawson and popped the tab on her beer can, taking a swig. The cold brew was smooth and refreshing. It didn’t matter if it was cheap so long as it was ice cold.

“Well, I was here working and heard a knock at the door. You can imagine how shocked I was to open the door and see Ryan. And it was him, not that creature from the woods,” she explained then took a deep drink of beer. “Anyway, he seemed like his old self, and I didn’t see any reason not to let him in. I asked him why he left and, come to think of it, he never really answered me,” she said and tilted her head as if pondering her revelation.

“And then what?” Lawson blurted, clearly agitated by Cassie’s silence.

“Slow your roll, Foot-long,” she countered. “Anyway, he said he missed me. That he needed me. I told him I missed him, too, and that I wanted him. What can I say? He looked sexy as hell, and I’m a horny little devil,” she confessed and took another drink.

“What happened next?” Liv hedged. She couldn’t help but wonder what caused Ryan to attack Cassie if he seemed fine. Did the Ravin do this? Was he that far gone?

“We were kissing and fooling around. It was nice, and I was feeling great until he took off my panties and flipped the fuck out. He fucking lost it, ripped my shirt,” Cassie shared, and looked at her top, “then fur sprouted along his hands and face. Then the claws came out. I could tell he was distressed and tried to calm him. I told him we didn’t have to do anything except talk, but he started accusing me of betraying him. Said I was fucking the Packard boys. I’m positive that was him at the cabin, by the way,” she added and walked to her freezer, replenishing the ice in her pack.

“What? That’s insane,” Liv blurted.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I told Ryan I hadn’t even met the guys, and that they had been missing for months. I explained that we were only at the cabin because we were searching for him. He said I was a liar and then called me a cunt. You know I hate that fucking word,” Cassie confessed, and Liv nodded. Every woman loathed that term. It was vulgar and vile.

“Oh, no. What did you do then?” Liv asked.

“I slapped him as hard as I could. Nobody says that shit to me. Well, that’s when he went apeshit. Started tossing my furniture like it was Styrofoam. I told him to get the fuck out, and that’s when he hit me,” she said and flinched as she pressed the ice pack to her eye.

“I’m sorry this happened,” Liv muttered and wrapped her arm around Cassie’s shoulder, offering comfort. “You know that wasn’t Ryan, right? The Ravin did this to you,” Liv reassured her friend.

She couldn’t help thinking about Lawson’s episode and looked his way. She could tell by his expression he was concerned about more than just his brother. Liv needed to get him to her lab and begin treating him before it was too late.

“I know you’re right, but fuck that, Liv. I was so excited to see him. I thought we were going to have mind-blowing sex, and then I could tell him how much he means to me. So much for that, huh? I’m such an idiot,” she mumbled then wormed her way from Liv’s hold and walked out of the kitchen.

“Look, I need to go search for him. You okay to stay here with Cassie for a bit?” Lawson asked and grabbed her hand.

Liv went willingly to his side and placed her hand on his chest. “Absolutely. Go find Ryan. Just promise you won’t do anything stupid. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you,” she confessed and stared into steel-gray eyes.

“I promise. I’ll be back before you can miss me,” Lawson murmured then gave her the Lawson smirk, which caused butterflies to take flight in her stomach.

Liv went on tiptoes and placed her lips to his. “I already do,” she whispered.

Lawson walked to the Jeep and grabbed the tranquilizer gun and his jacket before heading into the woods behind Cassie’s house. He couldn’t believe Ryan punched Cassie in the face. Lawson would never forgive himself if he ever injured Liv. He knew the Ravin was controlling Ryan, and it was imperative Lawson find him before he injured someone else.

The sun dropped below the horizon, and the temperature dropped as soon as the sunlight faded. He lifted his nose to the air and inhaled deeply, trying to pick up the scent of a shifter. Shifters had a unique smell that only their kind recognized. It reminded Lawson of grass and wood. It was clean, fresh, and called to his inner wolf.

He didn’t detect anything nearby and scurried to the tree line. On light feet, Lawson maneuvered through the wooded area, looking for signs of Ryan. He wondered if this was a waste of time given it wasn’t an ideal place for a shifter to roam. Too many humans lived nearby. Shifters preferred remote areas where their large animals wouldn’t be seen or hunted.

His vision adjusted to the darkness and Lawson scanned the densely wooded forest. A family of raccoons scurried into a hollowed tree as leaves crunched under his boots, and the hoot of an owl echoed in his sensitive ears. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and he contemplated returning to Cassie’s house. He and Liv could drive back to the Packard’s cabin since Ryan had gone there. Given his brother’s irrational thoughts, Ryan might go looking for Blade and Slate.

A twig snapped, and Lawson’s head jerked toward the sound. A figure stepped from behind a large tree. It was his brother, but the Ravin was the one in control. Ryan was unrecognizable, with long hair covering his arms and face. His elongated snout twisted as he growled, exposing large canines. Lawson tightened his grip on the tranquilizer gun, and the creature growled again.

“Ryan, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to help. Bro, you hit Cassie. Her eye is fucking swollen shut. I know you’d never intentionally hurt her. Let me take you back to Liv’s lab so she can give you an infusion,” Lawson suggested and took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

Without warning, the Ravin lunged and pounced on Lawson, knocking him to the ground. The gun slipped out of his hand as they wrestled to the ground. Lawson tried to shove the creature off his body, but it was too powerful. He punched the Ravin in the side, but it didn’t faze the beast.

Large fangs clamped down on Lawson’s thigh, and he screamed out as sharp pain exploded in his leg. He turned, trying to locate the tranquilizer, and spotted it about twenty feet away. He kicked at the Ravin with his other foot, trying to get free of its grasp. The Ravin’s sharp teeth sunk further into his flesh, and Lawson felt muscle and tendon tear.

He needed to break loose so he could grab the gun. Lawson wasn’t a match against the powerful creature, but his wolf was. Unfortunately, his wolf couldn’t fire a weapon. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. If he could shift only his lower half, his strong hind legs could kick the Ravin so he could get to the gun and shoot before the Ravin had a chance to run away.

He’d never shifted just half of his body and didn’t know if it would work, but he had to try. Lawson called to his wolf and gave a mental image of what he needed. This was unchartered territory, and he didn’t know if they could share control in such a manner.

Lawson felt pressure to his lower body and looked down to see his jeans split down the middle as his wolf’s hind legs extended. The Ravin held tight and shook its head back and forth, trying to sever the fur-covered appendage in its jaws.

Lawson kicked the creature’s skull with his other leg, and the Ravin went sailing. He scrambled toward the tranquilizer gun and grabbed it then rolled to his back. The Ravin quickly recovered and charged toward Lawson.

Lawson pointed the gun and fired. The dart lodged in the Ravin’s neck, and the creature roared, yanking the object from its neck. In the next breath, the animal took off running into the woods. Lawson knew it would take several minutes for the drug to take effect, and he couldn’t allow Ryan to run out in the open where humans might spot him.

Without hesitation, Lawson released his entire wolf. He shifted then followed the Ravin’s path. His wolf pounded the earth as it raced through the trees like a hound hunting its game. It didn’t take long for his wolf to pick up the Ravin’s scent, and he charged ahead.

Lawson noticed the creature was running toward Cassie’s house, and another burst of speed brought him closer to the Ravin. He spotted his brother several yards ahead and pushed harder, closing the distance.

As soon as he was within reach, Lawson’s wolf leaped through the air and landed on the Ravin’s back. His weight knocked it to the hard ground, and Lawson’s wolf bit down on the creature’s shoulder, pinning the Ravin in place.

A roar left the Ravin’s throat, and long claws slashed through his wolf’s side. He nearly released his hold from the pain but managed to maintain his grip. A growl left his throat, and his wolf laid its weighty form across the Ravin so it couldn’t attack again.

He felt the creature’s resistance diminish, and knew the tranquilizer was working. A few minutes more and he felt the Ravin’s body relax. Lawson’s wolf released its hold and backed away, eyeing the creature. It didn’t budge.

Lawson quickly shifted and picked up the Ravin. He trekked through the woods, retrieving the tranquilizer gun and discarded boots. His clothes and jacket were destroyed from the shift, but damned if his shoes didn’t survive once again.

As he reached the end of the forest, Lawson peeked out before he stepped into the open area. The last thing he needed was a human to see a bare-assed male, carrying what looked like a werewolf. He could only imagine what the media would do with that story.

Lawson placed the sedated Ravin in the back of the Jeep and rushed to Cassie’s front door. He barged inside without knocking and was greeted by the scream of two females.

“What the hell?” Liv blurted then her eyes dropped to his groin.

Lawson immediately covered his crotch. “C’mon. We’ve got to go. Cassie, do you have anything I can wear?”

“Did you find Ryan? Oh, my, God. What happened to your side?” Liv screeched as she hopped up from the sofa and rushed to his side.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine and, yeah, I found him. He’s in the Jeep and sedated, but that won’t last forever. We need to get him to your lab,” he explained. “Cassie? Clothes?” he repeated in a louder voice.

“Oh, sorry. Let me go look,” Cassie quipped and disappeared down the hallway.

“Lawson, this is bad,” Liv murmured as she inspected his wound.

Cassie walked back into the room, carrying a bundle of clothes. “These are your brother’s, so hopefully they’ll fit. Sorry, no underwear, Foot-long,” she teased and handed Lawson a hoodie, sweatpants, and socks.

“We’ve got to get on the road, pronto,” he ordered as he slipped into the sweatpants.

“Cassie, do you have a first aid kit? I need to bandage this,” Liv said as she grabbed the hoodie out of his hand. “I’m going to help you first, so don’t even think about arguing,” she said and pinned him with a stare.

“Yes, Mom,” Lawson replied with a chuckle.

Liv had seen him beaten to a pulp, shot, and close to death numerous times. He was quite sure he could handle a minor scratch, but she insisted on treating his boo-boo, and he loved her for it.

“I think your next costume should be a nursemaid,” he said as she tended to his injury.

Liv glanced up, and he winked at her. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she teased then handed him the hoodie when she was done.

“Alright, lets’ go,” he ordered and grabbed Liv’s hand, pulling her toward the door.

“I’m coming, too,” Cassie chimed in, and Lawson spun around to face her.

“Actually, could you follow me? And, you need to ride with her,” he said and met Liv’s gaze. “He might wake up, and I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

“No, I won’t let you go by yourself. You might need my help. I can keep the tranquilizer pointed at Ryan in case he wakes up,” Liv explained, and Lawson shook his head.

“No, Liv. I can’t put you at risk,” he admitted.

“Sorry, I’m going with you. End of discussion,” Liv declared then turned to her friend. “Listen, I think it’s best if you stay here for now. Let me give Ryan his first treatment and see how he reacts. You can come tomorrow and see him,” she offered.

Cassie crossed her arms over her chest and stared at them. Finally, she sighed and shook her head. “Fine, but I’m coming tomorrow no matter what. Understand?” she female huffed.

“Absolutely. I’ll call you when we get to the lab,” Liv replied and grabbed Lawson’s hand.

They left Cassie’s house and climbed in the Jeep. Lawson turned in his seat and glanced at the Ravin. He was still sedated, but Lawson had no idea for how long. He grabbed the tranquilizer gun and handed it to Liv.

“If he wakes up, shoot. Pull this trigger right here,” he barked and pointed at the lever that fired the dart. “Do not hesitate for even a second. Can you do that?” he asked and met Liv’s gaze.

Liv nodded as she stared at the creature sitting mere feet from her. Lawson’s gut twisted, and he prayed this wasn’t a mistake. If Ryan woke up while they were driving to the lab, there was no telling what he would do. And, Liv didn’t appear confident of her assigned task. Would they make it back to Hollow Rock safely? Lawson wanted to help his brother more than anything, but at what cost?