Chapter Twelve

The beer cans had been emptied and smashed. Each bear-man took a turn crushing their cans. Boomer crushed his against his forehead, earning him an eye-roll from his mate. Morgan and Orion attempted to perfect a high-five crush but dropped their cans before they could crush them.

The night was going well. Callie had even met his gaze over the fire a few times, sending chills up his spine. He never thought of himself as a romantic, but when she was near, he wanted to try. In his head, he was planning paths swathed with rose petals. He was already considering begging Dom for a candlelit dinner because he knew he wouldn’t be able to cook one without burning the cabin down.

None of them heard them coming, not until the first pop sound. Their heads snapped up in unison. Reid leapt to his feet. Morgan jumped up after him, ready to brave the flames that separated him from his mate.

Then they saw the dart that stuck in Reid’s leg.

Drugs didn’t work on shifters. It was a universally known fact. Their bodies processed the chemicals too fast. Still, Reid stared down at the small vial with astonishment before his body collapsed. Addison screamed.

Orion’s form rippled. His beast was trying to rip its way out. Morgan jumped for his friend and clamped a hand on his shoulder. The beast settled back beneath the surface. Though the moment he spared for his friend had lost him precious moments.

Two more darts pierced the air. One struck him in the neck. Another hit Dom. Morgan swatted the dart in his neck away, but it was already too late. The drug had entered his system. He could feel it fill him, like concrete encasing his bones.

He didn’t need proof to know who was behind this. The Den had arrived already.

The sound of feet slapping the ground surrounded them. A voice cried out as a body was flung upside down. The intruder swung by a rope around his ankle, and Orion chuckled, telling Morgan that was a trap meant for one of his friends.

Morgan swung his body toward Callie, forcing it to cooperate despite the drug taking over his system. She stood beside him, and he let out a breath. Just as he relaxed, she was pulled away from him.

She screamed, face warping with rage as a man dragged her away. Morgan’s bear roared. It tried to claw its way forward, but the drug formed a wall. The beast pounded its massive paws against the barrier, but nothing broke it. Each passing second tightened his muscles. His body felt like stone. Morgan was forced to watch as Richard Stone dragged Callie away.

Orion and Boomer howled. Their anger echoed through the clearing. Two more pop sounds cut through the sound. Morgan couldn’t see, but he heard the two fighting right up until the drug took them.

Silver, Morgan thought. The Den had mixed some sort of chemical with liquid silver. Through the stone sensation, he could feel the burn. It was slow and menacing, unable to work through his bunched muscles.

He didn’t know how long it would take for the drug to wear off or what kind of condition they’d be in once it left. That gave Richard plenty of time to run back to Alaska with his daughter.

Morgan refused.

Gritting his teeth, he commanded his body to work. He dug his fingers into the earth and pushed himself up. His feet dragged along the ground until they found purchase. He struggled but managed to stand. Richard was leaving the clearing with his hand clamped around Callie’s arm.

The man had taken her from Morgan once. He wouldn’t do it again.

Morgan trudged forward. A shape blurred past him. His reactions were too slow. He couldn’t tell what was happening.

“I won’t hesitate to drop you, too.” Richard’s growl echoed in the clearing.

Addison jerked to a stop in front of Morgan. Richard had spared the women. How chivalrous, Morgan thought with no small amount of venom. Still, he dragged himself forward. Richard could fill him with darts and he still would not stop.

Richard nodded to Morgan. “Why don’t you help your friend? He seems to be struggling.”

As soon as Addison turned her back, one of Richard’s men raised a rifle. The dart hit her in the back. Morgan watched her face flash with irritation.

Morgan had wanted to bring them together, to warn them of the impending war, but it seemed it had already started. He thought they would have more time. They were strong together. Yet, Richard had dropped them all in seconds.

There was a thump, the dangling shifter probably cut down from Orion’s trap. Callie shrieked. She fought, kicking at the truck while her father tried to force her inside. Rage boiled inside Morgan when the man sank a dart into his daughter’s neck. The side of the truck was ruined from Callie’s fight, but one prick of that poison and she deflated in Richard’s arms.

Morgan growled, wanting to run for Callie, but Addison collapsed in his arms. He dropped to his knees, unable to carry the woman’s weight with his own. The darts were starting to take over. He couldn’t fight much longer.

The only person still standing was Emmy. Morgan watched her take in everything that happened around her, hand on her stomach, before turning to glare at Richard. Emmy wouldn’t forget what the man had done.

No one here would.

Richard might have started this war, but they were going to finish it.