Primal Bonds

Andrea finally went slack in Sean’s arms but breathed hard, wolf eyes hot with rage. Sean let her go, and she sank to her haunches next to him, pressing her shoulder hard into his hip.

Callum morphed slowly back to human. Blood dripped from his face, his throat blackened from his Collar’s sparks. “Bloody Lupine,” he grated.

“I want no Shifters dying,” Sean said. “Not today.”

“To hell with what you want,” Callum said.

Andrea growled and jerked forward, but Sean stopped her with his hand on her back. He drew out his cell phone again. “I’m not letting Shifters die,” Sean repeated. “But the cops get the humans. They’re paying for Ely. I suggest all Shifters clear out, unless you’re wanting to explain your presence to the human police.”

He punched numbers, then paused with his thumb over the button that would send the call.

“Bloody hell, Sean,” Ben rumbled.

Callum spat blood. “Just like a Morrissey to only believe one side of a story.”

Sean snarled at him, feeling his eyes change. “Humans are shooting at Shifters, and you’re getting cozy with the same humans. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’re in on it with them.”

“Because mixing ourselves with them and their world makes us weak,” Callum said with heat. “Going to their bars and shops, our cubs wanting their toys like stupid cell phones and satellite dishes. They’ve forgotten that Shifters are supposed to be fighters, warriors, a hell of a lot better than humans.”

“So you’re putting Shifters in danger because your son’s been bothering you for a nicer computer, are you now?” Sean asked. “Good logic, that. Now, Callum, are you going to run or stay and pay the price?”

“Don’t be an idiot. You won’t call the police.”

Sean rotated his thumb over the button. “But I will. This human toy, you see, lets me talk to people from far away.”

“He’s right, Sean,” Ben broke in. “If the cops take the humans, they’ll just tell them we hired them. The police will come after us then. You’ll make it even worse for us.”

Sean knew that, had known it, hated that. In retrospect, it was a good thing that Kim and Silas, and Sean, hadn’t been able to convince the human police to take the problem more seriously. The detectives would have found Shifters at the end of the trail. Shifters would be rounded up, guilty and innocent alike, interrogated, not likely to be let go in a hurry, probably punished, which mean being put to death. Shifters did not need a lockdown and arbitrary arrests, especially not just now with Liam and Dylan performing their experiments on the Collars. Callum’s little plot to keep Shifters pure could be the death of them all.

Sean smiled, thumb still poised. “What do you suggest then, Callum. We kill your humans?”

Callum liked that solution, Sean could see, and the humans saw that he liked it too. But as much as Sean wanted to tear off their heads, he knew that dead humans were another risk they couldn’t take.

“You want it too much, Callum,” Sean said in a quiet voice. “So what I’ll do is call my dad. He and my brother’s trackers will escort these humans out of town, somewhere far, far away, where we won’t ever see them again. Ben, why don’t you and some of the Shifters you trust here help with that? Take them somewhere that I or my brother won’t happen on them. Either that or I take them to San Antonio and let them face Ely’s mate.”

Andrea growled in agreement. Female Shifters defending their mates were the most dangerous Shifters of all. They didn’t care who died, as long as those who’d attacked their mates bled. A lot.

“We’ll help your dad take care of it,” Ben said quickly.

Two of the other Shifters disarmed the humans so fast they didn’t have time to react. Sean’s adrenaline eased the slightest bit. Ben would be smart enough to see the wisdom of hiding the mess and throwing the police off the scent. Whatever evil deed they’d been planning here today wouldn’t happen.

Callum, on the other hand, wasn’t about to obey. “I think it’s time the Morrissey clan had a new Guardian.”

He leapt at Sean, shifting to his wildcat in midair. Sean blocked Andrea from attacking, at the same time half shifting so that he caught Callum in a claw-filled embrace. Callum’s Collar was sparking, the electricity from it singeing Sean’s skin, but it didn’t slow Callum much.

Sean’s own Collar bit shocks deep into him, but he clenched his jaw and kept the pain at bay, as he’d trained himself to. Andrea was snarling in fury, barely holding herself back. Sean fought himself away from Callum’s vicious teeth, and in a lightning-swift move, he hurled Callum across the room. Callum crunched into the wall and slid down it.

Breathing hard, Sean dialed his cell phone again and got Spike, one of Liam’s trackers, loyal and the smartest of the bunch. Spike had been waiting for the call, in fact, Liam telling him to stand by in case Sean needed backup. He was there in a few minutes, followed by the other trackers and Dylan. Dylan looked white and almost ill, but he ignored Sean’s look of concern as he pulled Callum off the floor.

Andrea remained a wolf, still growling at Callum. Sean retrieved his sword and swept the remaining Shifters a stony look.

“Go home. It’s over.”

Sean deliberately turned his back, showing he didn’t need to keep them in his sights to make sure they obeyed. He also knew none of them would try to take on Dylan. They were at least that smart.