Wild and Free (The Three #3)(187)

Ryon was going down.

“No, God, no!” Leah cried.

The wolf went for Ryon’s throat, but he was butted to the side viciously by the head of a wolf I’d never seen but who was very familiar. The new wolf skirmished with the one who nearly took Ryon and then Ryon joined the fight and the enemy lost his throat.

The new wolf turned and attacked one of the two Chen was holding back with sure swings of a sign post pole, and I knew when I saw his brown eyes, he was Cain.

Thank you, God.

There were high-pitched whines and strange-sounding barks and, suddenly, Callum leaped to man and bellowed, “Retreat and I’ll be merciful!”

Half the wolves that were left in the fight turned tail and bolted away.

The rest, in short order, at the teeth of our wolves, fell dead to the Tarmac.

As the last one went down, ours leaped back to man.

*

In a Pub Somewhere in London

“All right!” a man shouted, tossing his fist in the air.

“Did you see that, mate?” another man asked, slapping the man sitting on a stool on the shoulder. “Retreat and I’ll be merciful!” he shouted, then whooped, “The man is naked and outnumbered, and still, half those beasts tucked tail and ran. Bad-f*ckin’-ass.”

“The one with the two-colored eyes is hot,” a girl said.

“Which one?” another girl said.

“Both of them.” The first girl smiled, not looking away from the telly.

“I like the good vampire. He’s lush,” a third girl said.

“Shut it, it isn’t done,” a man snapped.

“Testy,” the second girl mouthed, giving big eyes to the third.

The third smiled.

Then they both looked back to the TV.

*

Delilah

Callum pulled on his jeans. Abel pulled on his jeans.

Sonia circled around, stayed as wolf, and sat next to her king.

And Teona, appearing out of nowhere, grinned appreciatively as she handed out more jeans to her mate, Ryon, Caleb, and Calder.

“Jesus, you’re cock mad,” Cain muttered as he tugged his on, giving her a look that said he was close to laughing.

Or growling.

“Maybe,” she replied saucily. “But you know, baby, there’s only one cock for me.”

He rolled his eyes and turned, joining the line of The Real True who faced the posers.

Etienne took in Cain.

“A twin?” he asked quietly.

“Surprise,” Cain replied.

I tried not to giggle.

They kept bringing it; we kept giving it.

Hope bloomed inside me.

Etienne ignored Cain and looked beyond him.

“And there is your witch,” he noted.

“Dude, you are not cluing in,” Abel spat with frustration. “You’ve no idea what we’ve got, and I told you, you don’t wanna know.” He threw out both arms, indicating the dismembered bodies. “This enough evidence for you?”

“You also have no idea what I’ve got, young Abel,” Etienne returned.

“Maybe not, but I know it’s not enough,” Abel replied.

“Are you sure?” Etienne asked.

“Christ, what’s wrong with you?” Abel asked. “These jacked comebacks, like you’re the bad guy from a movie. Seriously, this is real, and if you don’t stand down, you’re not gonna be breathing much longer.”

“Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” Etienne asked.

I watched from behind him as Abel shook his head and muttered, “Whatever.”

In a trice, we were surrounded by vampires.

Not a couple hundred of them.

A lot more.

And they were all armed with lethal-edged swords.

I sucked in breath as the blooming hope inside stalled.

“Fuck,” Xun whispered, slowly turning his head side to side, taking them in while backing into Leah and me, Wei and Chen doing the same, surrounding us.

“Now would be a good time for whatever we got to come out,” Leah murmured.

“I hear you,” I murmured back.

“Now how sure are you, young Abel?” Etienne sneered.

“Bring it on,” Abel snarled.

Great.

My man was awesome and The Three and our families had it going on.

But right then, we were in trouble.

Big-time trouble.

I needed my blue light, however that could help.

But Abel was in danger, serious danger, and it wasn’t coming to me.

“Take their heads!” Etienne yelled.

Abel was right.

Earlier, they’d been playing.

Right then, it began.

*

In a Home Somewhere in Idaho

The man reached out and took hold of his wife’s hand.

She leaned into him, her body resting against his shoulder, as she held on tight.

“Please, God, please,” she whispered, her gaze unwavering on the screen. “Help them. Please.”

*

Gregor

“Got a lock on it!” headphone man cried loudly. “The signal’s coming from a suburb in Missouri.”

Gregor tore his eyes off the screens, long since noting they had cameras everywhere, microphones everywhere, and someone was switching them to get the best angles.