The Wolf Marshal's Pack (U.S. Marshal Shifters 3)

Aria was sorry for every time she’d ever thought Susan was too much of a worrywart. She’d had real problems this whole time, and when push came to shove, she was standing up and trying to protect Aria just like Aria was trying to protect her. She really was sweet, and she was a lot braver than Aria had given her credit for being.

“It’s all right,” Aria said gently. “I’ll join you in a minute. I just want to keep an eye on Colby.” She squeezed Susan’s arm. “I’ll feel a lot better if I know you’re okay.”

Susan gulped down her panic and nodded, running back towards the bathroom.

Aria pulled the curtain aside.

*

The force of the collision had shattered the windshield of Eli’s truck. Colby reached straight through it and pulled Eli out over the twisted wreck of the front of the cab.

Halfway through, it turned from him dragging a fugitive from his vehicle and into him dragging a timber wolf out by the collar of its slowly ripping shirt.

“No, you don’t,” Colby growled. “Not this time.”

He wrestled the wolf sideways. He still had most of his shifter strength even in his human form, but he knew that Eli, shifted, was still stronger.

But Eli wanted him to shift, and he was tired of playing Eli’s game.

If Eli was his reflection, Colby was just going to have to break the damn mirror.

It didn’t matter who was stronger. What mattered was that, as a human, he had more flexibility and coordination. He could wrap his arms and legs around Eli and hang on tight, keeping him pinned to one place no matter how much Eli thrashed and snapped at him.

I’ve got a wolf’s determination and a human’s ingenuity. You can’t beat me.

He kept his chin down against his chest, protecting the soft flesh of his throat.

“You’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Aria Clarke. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney—”

Eli flailed in Colby’s grasp. His jaws gnashed together just half an inch away from Colby’s ear.

“Come on, I know it has to be pissing you off to be hearing this human stuff. Sorry you’re not getting your big alpha showdown this time, asshole.”

Teeth sank into his shoulder, and the pain momentarily blinded him. He refused to let his grip loosen, even though the fingers knotted in Eli’s fur were starting to grow numb.

He needed Eli frustrated and out of control. Sooner or later, Eli would exhaust himself, and this wrestling match would end.

“You’re not going anywhere. And you’re never coming near my mate again. She outsmarted you, and now I’m going to outlast you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You don’t get what you want anymore.”

He heard Susan Fowler’s screen door open and close, and when he looked up, he saw Aria headed towards them with a determined look in her eyes.

She had her gun out and aimed squarely at Eli.

This was starting to become a very familiar sight.

Against all odds, Colby wound up grinning at her, even though he could feel blood soaking through his shirt.

“I could have sworn you were supposed to stay inside.”

“I’m more of an outdoors kind of girl.”

And just like that, the rest of the cavalry arrived all at once. Martin, Theo, and Gretchen seemed to step straight out of thin air, with the mythic shifters dropping the invisibility that had shrouded them all.

“You’re surrounded,” Colby said. “Give up.”

“And Animal Control is really and truly on their way this time,” Aria added. “They know enough to take a nature photographer’s word for spotting a wolf. And you’re feral and dangerous, so they won’t take any chances. You can die as a wolf... or live as a human. Your choice. But you’re outnumbered.”

Eli’s unnerving yellow-green eyes stared into Colby’s like he wanted to dissect him.