Chapter 57

Iwas on my feet in a heartbeat. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Between the magic running through her body and the sounds Raven made, we were about to be in a fucked up situation.

“You’re going to drop the cake like that,” Cade said with a chuckle as he hurried down the steps. He caught the edge of the plate but froze as he saw her.

“Back the fuck up now, Cade,” I ordered. I began barking out orders before he could give me some smartass remark. “Inside, everyone. Now!”

Another somehow angrier snarl tore through Raven’s throat.

“Go, go, go.” I gestured wildly to my brothers and hoped to hell one of them would fucking listen. “Get your sorry asses inside! Now!”

“No,” Raven whispered, shaking her head. Poor girl was probably talking to her goddamn wolf. We had minutes before she fucking lost control.

“Raven. Look at me, sweetheart. Come on.” I did my best to pull her attention to me. Those violently purple eyes were as damn near off-putting as the sounds she let out. I motioned for her to step toward me. She needed to get away from the house. “Come on. Walk this way, okay? I’ve got you.”

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Declan asked.

“The hunter,” I whispered.

“What?”

“They can control our wolves,” I reminded him. “Size and temperament wise, Raven’s an optimal weapon to use against the pack’s leaders.”

Which also meant the hunter had been watching us a lot more closely than I expected. I’d let my fucking guard down and missed it. If they knew that bit about Raven, there was no telling what else they fucking knew.

“I don’t want to,” she whimpered, her voice laced with fear and those eyes wide.

“I’ve got you, okay?” I told her and gave her the best reassuring smile I could muster—which was probably crappy as fuck. “Dealing with weird magical shit is what I do. You’re safe with me, okay? I’m going to do whatever the fuck I can to make sure you’re okay. Villains unite, right?”

She nodded but barely.

“Now, can everyone else get in the fucking house?” I snapped. “The less of us out here the better.”

Thankfully my brothers fucking listened. Only Declan and Cade stayed—not a fucking surprise there. I would too if I was in their place.

“Get the sedative,” Declan called after them.

“On it,” Sam replied.

“You have a sedative for her?” I demanded.

“It’s more like a horse tranquilizer,” he told me. “Her idea, not mine. She doesn’t trust her wolf when she’s sleepwalking. The only problem is we have to get close enough to stick her with it.”

That hit me in the heart a little for her. What a fucking awful way to live.

“Ah, fuck my life,” I grumbled. Of course, we had to. Note to self: buy a tranquilizer gun. It could go with all my other obscure weapons.

“You know more about this than I do,” Declan conceded. “How do we do this without hurting her?”

I scoffed, unable to help it. The not hurting her part was questionable. If her wolf was as angry a predator as everyone said, we’d have some issues in that department.

“How fucking scrappy are you?” I glanced at Cade.

“Distract her, got it,” he said under his breath and yanked off his shirt. “I can take her.”

“She almost ripped your arm off once,” Declan reminded him.

“She almost ripped your arm off and you were in wolf form,” Cade snapped. “I was in my fucking pajamas running down a hallway when she caught me by surprise. I won’t make that mistake twice.”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m—”

“Hey,” I interrupted with a reassuring smile. “I spent three days locked in a meat locker while an Unseelie tortured the fuck out of me. This? This is nothing, sweetheart. You’ll have to try real hard to top that.”

“Please tell me that’s not a true story,” Declan muttered.

“It was eight days, but who the fuck’s counting?” I replied quietly. I backed up further, making sure to drag Raven’s attention with me. “Keep walking this way, sweetheart.”

In slow steps, I led her across the fucking lawn. Cramming her wolf in the tiny fucking space between the porch and the table was a bad idea.

“Raven, sweetheart, right here.” I snapped my fingers as she closed her eyes, shaking harder. Fuck, she was trying so hard to fight a battle she wasn’t going to win. “Focus on me, okay? Can you do that? Focus on my voice?”

She managed the tiniest of nods even as she emitted a wicked growl. Fucking hell. I wasn’t sure I had enough time.

“I need you to think of a memory… something strong… something happy.”

“How the fuck are happy thoughts going to help her?” Cade demanded, but I ignored him. Her growls and snarls were becoming more frequent.

“Got a happy memory up there?” I asked. Another nod. “I need you to hold onto that thought, Raven, okay? Hold on tight. Fucking cling to it for dear life, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“And then you’re going to give in—”

“No!” She shook her head furiously, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Please, no—”

“You have to! You have to!” I rushed to explain. “If you don’t, your wolf will rip right through your humanity, and we won’t be able to get you back.”

“You can’t possibly know this!” Declan exclaimed. Jesus fuck, he never learned.

“It’s my job to know this shit!” I snapped. “Raven, I need you to do one thing for me, sweetheart. I need your permission to do whatever it takes to stop you—”

“Save her you mean,” Cade interjected.

“Stop you,” I repeated strongly. I gave Raven my full attention. I’d deal with the fucking peanut gallery after. “I can stop you, but it won’t be pretty—”

“You’ve—”

“It won’t be pretty, but I can do it,” I said over Declan. “Give me permission, Raven.”

“Okay,” Raven whispered. The gravel and grit in her voice made the single word barely discernible as she rapidly lost the battle against her wolf.

“Happy memory, Raven, happy memory,” I repeated. I hauled Declan back with me as fur rippled across her skin. “And we’re out of time. Back up, back up, back up. Cade, keep her distracted!”

If he heard me, I didn’t have a clue. He shifted fast, tail rigid and dusty blond fur ruffled.

“What the fuck do I do?” Declan asked.

“Don’t get killed and keep her occupied,” I said. “I need to get my shit from my Jeep.”

“What shit?”

“You wanted to know what the fuck I do for a living? You’re about to find out.”

As Raven’s wolf ripped its way to the surface, I took off across the yard at a dead sprint. Thank fuck, I had my Jeep. I would’ve been fucked otherwise.

Snarling, growling, and more angry fucking sounds erupted behind me. I could only imagine what the fuck was happening. I’d parked near the end of the drive, and I skidded around the side.

The thing about my job was I fucking lied. To everyone. Bounty hunter? Sure. But only every once in a blue moon when I wanted to make some fast cash. Catching humans was a fucking piece of cake.

My real job dealt with rogue shifters and magical creatures—the kind of shit the humans didn’t know about and couldn’t hunt. The kind that targeted humans and used their monstrous side as a weapon. Me? I was damn good at tracking them down and taking them in. Ruthless. But I was also fucking equipped like no other—that did more for me than my personality ever did.

I yanked up the floor of the backseat to reveal a stash of carefully curated weapons and gear. I only had fucking minutes to get what I needed.

Bite-proof shirt and gloves? Check.

I’d have to leave the pants. Stripping out of my shirt was about all I had time for.

Snout-guard? Got it.

Magical sizing catch-all noose? Probably a smart fucking idea.

Electrical additive for my gloves? Yeah, I’d need those.

Dig-ins for my boots? After being tossed by a fucking bear, those were a goddamn necessity.

No gun. I couldn’t do that shit to Raven.

But a knife? Magical and guaranteed to never kill?

I wasn’t about to leave my fucking baby behind. The last thing I wanted to do was stab her, but if I had to, I wouldn’t hesitate. Stab wounds healed. Death was fucking permanent.

A loud snap and painful howl was my cue. Hopefully, I didn’t fucking need anything else. Everything had its place in my utility belt, making it easy to stash them. I slammed my door shut and ran like hell.

Cade was down—how injured was something I couldn’t think about. Declan had shifted and was doing his fucking best to keep her distracted.

It. Keep it distracted.

That distinction needed to be very fucking clear in my head. This wasn’t Raven I was dealing with. It was a feral shifter—deadly, vicious, and sorely outweighing the rest of us.

That thought made my blood run hot, adrenaline and excitement blending together. I fucking loved every second of hunting. The rush it gave me was indescribable.

Sam stood on the porch, syringe in hand. There was no fucking way I could hold it and subdue the wolf. Too much shit at once.

“Be ready to run that to me!” I ordered as I sprinted past and hoped to fuck that he heard me.

Hackles raised, Declan remained planted between Cade and the wolf. It towered over him. Yeah, that wasn’t a fucking fight I wanted to watch. Declan didn’t have what it took—especially considering he was facing down his wife.

Not wife.Wolf.

Just a feral wolf.

Before the wolf could lunge, I slid between the two. My arm lodged between its jaws. Thank fuck for my goddamn bite-proof shirt. It was fucking armor. I felt the intense pressure of its jaw attempting to crush my fucking arm, but that was it. I’d had worse.

“Give me your worst,” I growled and pushed back—a taunt to keep it in place. With my free hand, I wiggled my fingers. I made sure my glove was in place securely as I clicked the discreet button on the knuckle. Sparks surged across my palm and danced between my fingers. The voltage wouldn’t kill it, but it would pack a fucking punch.

With another baiting shove, I grabbed its throat and held on tight. The wolf whined and snarled, bucking backward and letting me go. I landed a solid kick to its upper chest and sent it tumbling backward.

When it recovered, it was fucking pissed—more than pissed. Good. Pissed off equaled reckless, which would tip the odds in my favor. The glow of purple intensified as the wolf and I circled one another. My fingers twitched impatiently with every step, electric currents sparking off my glove.

With my other hand, I carefully loosened the opening on the catch-all noose.

Step one: get the catch-all around its neck.

The second it came at me, I jogged backward.

“Come and get me,” I said under my breath. I didn’t care what the fuck it was thinking as it growled, spittle flying from its snout. I was in control.

I slowed, letting it gain ground.

That space between us fucking closed.

Swiftly, I side-stepped it, giving it no time to turn with me.

That edge let me force its head through the catch-all.

Magic surged through the rope. It tightened around the wolf’s neck. At the exact same moment, I dug my fucking heels into the dirt. Thank fuck for the dig-ins because the fucking strength the wolf had. My knees damn near gave out as I rushed through locking the catch-all into place on my belt. I needed my own fucking weight to counteract the wolf.

There was also no fucking way I was letting go.

That tug, that pull, that rush. It fucking went to my head. The adrenaline was intoxicating. One wrong fucking move was all it’d take for the wolf to fucking end me. Maybe I really was a sick bastard for enjoying that feeling.

For every pull it gave, the rope around its neck tightened.

I’d done this enough to know that first, it’d pull and then it’d fucking charge.

Step two: snout-guard.

I barely had the snout-guard off my belt before the wolf charged. Throwing my arm up, its teeth caught on my arm tight as it tackled me to the ground.

Paws.

Teeth.

Spit.

Growls.

And the fucking blinding pressure in my arm.

The onslaught to my senses would’ve overwhelmed me if I wasn’t fucking used to compartmentalizing. I shoved up with my arm, but the wolf dragged me with it. It flipped and rolled. A painful grunt tore through my body as it slammed me over again into the grass.

That would hurt in the morning.

But I refused to let it stop me. I scrambled as it surged forward, damn near mounting its back. I buried my hand in its scruff, and the endless electrical wave currents made its body rigid momentarily.

One fucking opening.

“The syringe, Sam!” I bellowed, my voice strained as the wolf bucked to get me off. I dug my heels into its side, the plated ridges anchoring into its skin. I hoped to fuck he heard me because I didn’t have a fucking chance to look.

I struggled to maintain control as I grappled with the fucking thing. The second its head whipped around to try snapping at me, I grabbed the wolf’s upper jaw and yanked back. Hard.

Down we went—with it on top of me.

The flurry of pale fur and claws was intense as I dragged the wolf’s snout straight into my face. Yeah, I fucking tempted fate. When I shoved the snout-guard over its face, it sent us rolling all over again in an attempt to get away.

The magic in the snout-guard, however, was faster. It locked on hard, shrinking and forming a tight barrier—with just enough room to breathe but nothing else.

And all that did was fucking piss the thing off further.

Fuck my life. It showed no fucking signs of slowing. It had to be the hunter’s magic coursing through it.

“Sam!” I shouted and chanced a glance over my shoulder. He was just out of reach—smart fucking boy. Fuck, I was going to test my luck. “Throw it!”

His mouth moved, but I didn’t hear a fucking word he said over the slew of angry growls and snarls coming out of the wolf on repeat. He did listen.

Thank fuck, my lucky stars aligned.

I managed to swipe the syringe out of thin air and jammed the safety between my teeth to rip it off. Where the fuck was I supposed to stick this thing? Side? The side was probably fucking good. I slammed the fucking needle into the wolf’s side and decompressed the entire syringe into it.

It bucked once more and tried to throw me. But every effort was less than the previous one. I could feel the literal energy seeping from its body. Even the hunter’s magic couldn’t counteract a fucking horse tranquilizer.

It slumped to the ground, passing out. I climbed off carefully, breathing hard. My heart hammered wildly in my chest as I dropped to the ground, staring at the wolf. I refused to remove the catch-all, and I wasn’t removing the fucking snout-guard until Raven shifted back.

“You’re good, you’re good,” I let out softly, my words catching in my throat while I tried to steady my breathing. I clicked off the power to my glove and gently patted her side.

Wrestling a fucking two hundred pound plus wolf wasn’t my favorite fucking activity. I survived on fucking adrenaline and my fight instinct alone. As those wore off, the fucking pain kicked in. Head-to-toe, it fucking burst through my bones and muscles. I stilled and hoped to fuck she shifted back to human because shit, I didn’t have it in me to fight her again.