“The other packs already know most of the situation,” Jaxson continued. “We’ve been in talks about how to handle it with them, so I might as well brief you now on it now, so you’re not caught off guard.” His face was grim. “Shifters have been disappearing for a while.”
“Disappearing?” She frowned. “You mean going missing?”
He nodded. “At first, it was just lone wolves vanishing off the streets. Then a few from the smaller shifter gangs downtown went missing. Being in the security business, Riverwise hears things. For a while, it seemed random. Maybe some rogue witch at work, harvesting shifters for her Dark Arts.”
Olivia cringed. “But now you think it’s more than that?”
“It’s definitely more,” he said. “The pace has been picking up, plus we’ve begun to see some of the first wolves who disappeared show up again. And they’re pretty messed up. Sick. A couple have died since their release.”
“Release?” she asked, her face scrunching up in revulsion. “From where? Who’s doing this?”
“That’s what I was trying to find out when you interrupted me in the alleyway.”
She thought about the men, the ones using the cattle prods on Jaxson, and her stomach curled into one giant knot.
Jaxson gave a soft smile at her distressed look. “It’s all right. You were trying to do the right thing. I can’t fault you for that.” He traced a finger along her cheek that just stirred up feelings she really shouldn’t have for this incredibly brave and sexy man. But her lips were still swollen from his kiss devouring her only a minute ago. That didn’t exactly help.
She brushed all that aside. “I had a feeling something was wrong with that shelter. So you think whoever took Cassie might be taking her there?”
“The shelter’s a way-station of some kind,” Jaxson said. “The shifters were released near there. And some of the ones who disappeared might have processed through there at one point. If we move fast and if we’re lucky, we’ll find Cassie there before they move her on to wherever they’re holding the missing wolves. If we don’t find her there, I’m going to locate someone inside that place who knows what’s going on and persuade him to tell us where they’ve taken her.”
“Persuade.” She swallowed—she could easily picture Jaxson in his hulking, snarling wolf form. She wouldn’t mess with him, but these people… they might have guns. Then again, Jaxson was an ex-SEAL. They probably had more to fear from him than the other way around—no matter what form he was in. But she couldn’t help worrying. “That sounds… dangerous.”
The muscles in Jaxson’s cheek worked silently for a moment. “It takes a lot to kill a shifter, Olivia. And yet these people have practically destroyed full-grown gang members three times Cassie’s size. I’m not going to let them play with a twelve-year-old girl.”
She nodded quickly. Of course not. Because that’s the kind of man Jaxson was. She blinked back tears and impulsively threw her arms around his neck. “Go get the bastards,” she whispered, then pulled back just as quickly, nervous that it had been too much.
A crooked smile hung on Jaxson’s face for a moment, then he slipped one hand behind her head and pulled her in for a fierce and fast kiss. Before she could react, he was gone, hurrying out her office door after his brother. Off to save the little sister of a beautiful shifter female who would no doubt claim his heart when it was all done. Olivia could see it unfolding now… because if there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Jaxson River would rescue that little girl. Or die trying.
And Terra Wilding, his perfect mate, would be eternally grateful.
Jaxson held up two fingers to signal Jace to hold his position.
His brother echoed the command to the three members of the River pack behind him. They held still in the shadows of the alleyway next to the homeless shelter. Their clothes weren’t exactly suited for their mission—Murphy, Taylor, and Rich were still in their business casual from the office, Jace wore his usual jeans and grungy band t-shirt, and Jaxson still had on his silk shirt and dress pants from the disaster date. But they’d picked up enough guns, blades, and tech to fight their way through most situations… including breaking into a homeless shelter to rescue a shifter kid.
Only there would be more than warm soup waiting for them inside.
Jaxson edged to the front of the shelter. A light was on over the main door, but it was closed. There was no activity out front.
“All clear,” Jaxson said, low enough that his voice wouldn’t carry. “Let’s take the door in back.”