Wicked Bite (Realm Enforcers #5)(74)

Damn it. All right. Bear stripped and tossed his clothes next to the garage. "How many attackers?"

"About fifteen," Lucas muttered, dropping his jeans. The rain mashed his hair to his head. "All with dart guns. What is going on?"

"I don't know." Bear kicked off his boots. "Did you see any witches go down?"

"Yeah. Bad," Lucas affirmed. "I called for medevac. Our pilots just put the helicopters away, but they'll be back in about fifteen minutes."

"Good thinking." Bear surveyed the naked group. "Kill anybody with a dart gun. They came onto our land, and they die." The next words hurt. "Don't kill any of Nessa's witches. Today, anyway." He turned and leaped, shifting into bear form in the air. God, it felt good.

He was healthy and strong again. The shift had been effortless. Finally.

His paws hit the ground, and he bounded forward, his senses already enhanced: sights and sounds . . . and soon smells. Witches and humans. Another scent. What was that?

Colors flew by even in the gray day. The rain punished him, but he didn't feel it. His coat was thick, and his body heated. Within seconds, he came upon the fight-eight witches and at least fifteen unidentified attackers with dart guns, all shooting. There were two large trucks on the dirt service road, both empty.

The witches threw fire, trying to cover each other, letting their gear take the darts. Several witch soldiers already lay on the ground. Their fellow soldiers covered them. One of the fighters was hit with a dart in the face, and she jerked it out, not stopping her fire.

Bear leaped over her and right into the man shooting at her, his canines slashing into the guy's neck. It hit him then.

Wolves.

The guy twisted beneath him, and the air shimmered. Fuck. Bear jumped back and covered the female Guard member. A series of pops echoed all around. When the air had settled, he lunged back up.

Fifteen fully grown and pissed-off wolves snarled at him, teeth bared. Their dart guns lay on the ground, discarded.

Wolf shifters had dared to breach his territory. They were after Nessa, his mate. In his animal form, he let go of any hurt feelings or pride. He wanted her. He'd bitten her, and he'd given her his heart in that moment. He didn't know any other way. And these killers had come to his land to kill her.

To kill his mate.

Bear stood up on his hind legs and roared, the sound echoing throughout the entire forest. All humanity disappeared from him, leaving only the predator.



       
         
       
        

Lucas bounded by, colliding with the first wolf, claws already slashing through flesh. The wolf yelped, and another one, this one black with brown markings, jumped on Lucas's back.

Bear rushed forward and swiped off the wolf, following up with claws across the jugular. Going for the kill, he sank his teeth into the wolf's neck, ignoring the animal's furious struggles. Claws raked down Bear's snout, but he barely felt the pain. Growling and snarling, he bit clean through the wolf's neck. The animal's body exhaled in death as its head rolled through the sleet.

Two wolves instantly jumped Bear. He swung around, fighting furiously. Fangs dug into his neck. He grabbed the nape of the wolf biting him and threw the beast over his head.

A fireball flashed from the trees and burned straight through the wolf's neck. Nice.

Bear turned to get three wolves off Lucas, biting and clawing as fast as he could. He finished off two more wolves, his mouth full of blood. He spit it out and roared.

His squad was bleeding but winning. Dead wolves littered the ground. One leaped for him, clawing down his back. He turned to fight. Five ran, wounded and growling, toward the first truck, shifting to human form as they reached it. Piling inside, they roared away down the road. He finished off the nearest wolf and glared at the speeding truck. He'd hunt them down later.

Another scent caught his attention.

Everything in him stilled.

He turned to see Nessa and Jasper run out of the trees. Nessa slid on her knees to one of the wounded, instantly putting her hands on the witch's chest.

The remaining three wolves turned their attention to her.

Bear lost it, barreling into all three. Lucas joined him, and they fought furiously, spilling blood. Bear broke the last wolf's neck and threw him toward the remaining truck. Then he turned to find his mate.

She was with another downed witch, her hands over his chest, her eyes closed. The witch sat up and gently pushed her away. "I'm okay."

Jasper stood to her right, balls of fire on his hands, ready to throw.

Bear looked around at the battlefield. Blood, fur, and sleet mingled together.

Almost in slow motion, one of the truck doors opened and a man stepped out, dart gun in hand. He fired a long series of shots right at Nessa.