Chapter Nineteen

Jeremy

"King!" I screamed, hoping the lion would hear me before leaving the area. I needed his and Aziz's noses more than ever.

"I'm here. What the fuck happened?" he barked.

Aziz was already on the ground, tending to his sobbing omega who'd been punched trying to help my mate. He popped an ice pack from the first aid kit someone handed him and pressed it to Jack's eye. "Are you okay? What can you tell us, sweet one?"

Jack looked at me. "I tried. He came right as you two went in. I've been out for…I don't know how long." I could barely make out his words between his sobs. "I'm so sorry."

I put my hands up. "I know. And we're so damned proud of you for trying. Let's focus now. Did you recognize the guy? What was he wearing? Tell me every detail."

"He had a mask on and sunglasses. Hat, too. His voice was gruff. Taller than King but skinnier than all of you. Tall black boots. He knew Clay. Called him by name."

"It's the fucker from the other house. The one who held my mate at gunpoint," I said, taking out my frustration on the van by pounding it until my knuckles bled.

Jeremy! Clay's voice resounded in my mind. We'd never mind-linked before, but bonded couples sometimes could.

I'm here. Where are you? What can you tell me?

A few seconds went by without an answer, and I nearly lost my shit. It's wet and gross. Stuff is dripping from the ceiling. It's dark.

"What's going on?" Hammer asked.

I turned to my brother. "Clay mind-linked me. It's somewhere dark and wet. Where is he?" I balled my fists.

"Can you go with Hammer?" Aziz asked, kissing Jack's temple. "King and I can scent the fucker better. We'll get Clay back and then I'm going to disembowel the asshole for funsies because he dared to touch my mate."

Jack let out a snort. "Did you just say funsies? Doesn't matter. Yes, I'm okay with Hammer. You go. Bring back Pop-Tart's mate."

All three of us shifted, not bothering to undress or even take off our shoes. Aziz was the first to pick up the scent on the other side of the van. Drag marks through the dirt ended at the edge of the forest. They hadn't gotten far.

A lion's roar kicked off a long run into the thickness of the trees where the grass became drier and taller as we went on.

I'd gotten into a stride with the lion and the hyena on either side of me, when Aziz skidded to a stop, kicking up some leaves and dirt in the process.

"What?" I whispered after we shifted back to two legs.

"He's in that cave. His scent is mixed with moss and wetness. Wolves have the worst noses, I swear." Aziz punched me in the arm. "There's only one cave entrance here, so we go in as our animals and eat anything that's not Clay."

King nodded. "I'm telling Jack you said that."

"Just wait until you get a mate. I'm telling them everything."

"Can we focus?" I said a little too loudly.

"Let's go."

We shifted again and ran full speed into the cave. Inside, my mate was sitting tied to a chair, and the fucker had a weapon to his head.

Again.

A knife this time.

What a coward.

I shifted, wanting him to know before he died exactly who was robbing him of life.

"That was fast," the asshole said. "I didn't even have my fun. I only wanted revenge anyway. You ruined my fucking business at the other house, you and this pathetic bear."

"Raping omegas and taking their children isn't a business, asshole," I said. "King and Aziz didn't kill you before but, today, I don't think you'll be that lucky."

"Oh?" The man laughed, and his sunglasses almost fell off. "Will that be after I slit your mate's throat?" He moved the knife blade down Clay's face until it was pointed right at the artery in my mate's throat. "Or should I aim for the baby inside his belly?" The asshole bounced on his toes. "What if we have some real fun, and I make you choose between them?"

Clay shook with fear. "Jeremy, it's okay," he whispered.

"The hell it is."

My teammates lunged for the man who'd taken my mate while I had my sights on that knife.

But I moved too late. By the time King's teeth sank into the man's arm, the knife had already sliced Clay's skin, right at the side of his belly. Not deep enough to hurt the babe inside him but enough to not leave the fucker alive, not even to prod him for information. He wasn't worth another breath.

"You're okay, mate," I said as Clay collapsed against me. "It's only a small cut. We'll fix it. I promise. I'm so sorry, mate. I failed you."

His breaths were labored and then he cried out, "Jeremy!"

Aziz's hyena was crouched over the body, crunching on bones. He was taking his own vengeance out on the man who hurt his mate.

"Did he hurt you?" I scanned his body for a sign.

"No. I…I'm in labor. The baby is coming. Now."