Turner (White Wolf Ridge 1)

“True. Now let’s turn the tables,” I add.

We pull up and Merrick is sitting in his car, watching and listening from a distance.

“What’s going on inside there?” I ask in a whisper.

“He’s checking his weapons. I don’t know what he has planned, but he’s alone in there.”

“Okay.”

“Open the line,” I tell Mark. He hands me a dummy phone and presses the call button. He doesn’t answer the first time. In fact, he stares at his phone in awe and suspicion. With the blessing of keen sight at night, we can see right through his basement window, even though he has most of it blocked off. He’s waiting for a war. Nut case.

“Do I continue to call?”

“Yes.”

On the second call, he picks up on the last ring. “It seems you’ve been a Peeping Tom, which is illegal as fuck. Something I wouldn’t expect from a man of the badge.”

“Turner, call your dogs off.”

“What dogs? I haven’t done anything. You, on the other hand, have committed several offenses. Tsk, tsk.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. I’m just curious as to what you’re going to do?”

“A good dog is a dead dog.”

“Don’t make it come to that. I assure you that it won’t end well for you.”

“No, maybe not, but I’ll be taking that bitch of yours with me to the other side.”

“What?”

“You won’t make it out of the building.”

“I don’t have to. My work is already being done for me. I knew you’d want to keep her safe.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’d be surprised what people are willing to do when they believe they can get super powers too.”

Maria, tell me you’re okay.

Someone’s here.

Get into the basement safe room. Take my sister. I love you. I’m on my way now.

No!

“Make it look like we’re all leaving. Get him when he thinks he’s safe. Tie him up, and I’ll deal with him.”

I jump into my truck with Mark, and Merrick jumps into his. We race down the road. I know Merrick’s going to sneak out and hide, but I have to get to my mate.

“Call Maria.” My truck rings, but she doesn’t answer.

I’m coming, my queen. Suddenly I feel an intense pain, and then it eases.

“Fuck, she’s not answering me.”

We pull up to the house in less than eight minutes, and there’s a minivan parked next to Mark’s truck.

We step out, and he slices the tires as he passes. I step in and watch the scene in front of me. My sister’s on the floor, but then my mate snarls and growls, pouncing on Nancy who has a gun in her hands. The gun flies out and Maria bites Nancy’s jugular, ending the young woman. God, my wife is gorgeous in her white fur and honey eyes. I run in and make sure Nancy’s dead before I rub my mate’s head. “I love you.” She relaxes and shifts effortlessly back into human form as if she’s done it a thousand times. Swiftly, I grab the throw off our sofa and toss it on Maria. Then I hear a groan.

“Aria!”

Maria and I hurry to my sister, and Mark is pressing his shirt to her shoulder. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

“I’m fine. God, Maria’s a badass Alpha female.”

“I want to be badass like that one day.”

“That she is.”

“Mark, can you drive her to the hospital?”

“I can.”

“I’m going to help Maria wash up and deal with this, and then I’ll be at the hospital in an hour.”

“Don’t worry about me.” She winks. My sister’s more badass than she knows.

“Mate, stay here while I get rid of this one here.” I grab the body and run through the woods to where I know a small pack of mountain lions live. I toss the body in there, and it’s not more than a minute before they’re devouring what is left of Nancy. She shouldn’t have come after my mate. This is for the best.

I rush back to the house to see the blood on the floor has already been cleaned up and the shower’s running. Leaning up against the wall, my mate sobs hard. I grab a towel and pull my woman out, turning off the water before carrying her to our bed. With her in my lap, I let her cry.

“Oh my goodness, we have to go.” She flies off me, the towel falling. “We promised Aria.” Damn it, I’m not supposed to be so damn horny right now.

“Yes, get dressed.” I still have another bastard to deal with. I close my eyes and think about the shit I have to do. I strip and shower because I have some of Nancy’s blood on me. After a quick wash, I meet my mate downstairs.

“I’m sorry you had to kill her.”

“It’s not that I had to kill her. I’m upset about it, but it’s more about your sister getting hurt. How can I be your mate if I can’t protect her?”