Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,6

me enough to force me out of there. My mate was down. I could still feel her presence, but she’d gone down hard and wasn’t getting back up.

The second we were outside, I started throwing up.

“What’s wrong with him?” Grant asked.

Taylor rolled her eyes. “Tell me you are not that dense. There’s only one reason a male loses control like that.”

My brothers looked at each other in confusion. They didn’t seem to have a clue.

“Seriously? That’s his mate in there.”

Hearing her say it had my blood pumping harder. I just found her, and I was failing her already. I knew I was in shock. Silas and I truly believed we were the last of our kind, the last of the gorilla shifters. That was my mate though, so she had to be another shifter. I’d seen the intelligence and surprise in her eyes.

Baine came running out of the building. He looked way too happy. I was beginning to wonder if someone had slipped him drugs or something until he happily exclaimed. “It’s time to blow stuff up.”

“Not while she’s inside,” I said through clenched teeth. I could hear them creaking under the pressure of my jaw.

He froze and his jaw dropped. At least he got it, I thought.

“Do you really consider me such an amateur?” he scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. I should have known better. Baine lived for the thrill of exploding things. Nothing made him happier.

“Hurt her even accidentally and I won’t be held responsible for what I do to you.”

He gulped. “Would you chill? It’s just a distraction, not my grand finale. We’re going to rescue them all first.”

As if to prove his point, he pulled a device from his pocket, checked a few things, and hit one of the buttons. I flinched when a blast went off in the vicinity and I growled.

“She’s fine, I swear! No one was in that room. I checked first. It’s not my first rodeo, dude. I’ve got this.”

Human screams filled the air as people exited the building. It made the group of them calmly walking towards us stand out even more.

Silas walked out just as casually and then turned to nod at the new arrivals. He shook hands with one of the men. “Guys, this is Dave. He works with Jacob Winthrop.” We all knew that was code for they knew exactly who and what we were.

I didn’t know why they had been brought in and it didn’t matter. I was getting antsy. I didn’t care who the hell they were, I just wanted to get inside and ensure my mate was okay.

Dave started to introduce his team, but Ben beamed and stepped forward first, immediately hugging one of the ladies with them.

Dave chuckled. “I guess you two know each other.”

When Ben let her go, he surprised me by moving on to one of the guys with them and hugged him too.

“What the hell man? Do you know everyone already?” Baine asked.

Ben just grinned. “This is Clara, Shelby’s sister, and this guy here is her mate, Gage. I’m glad you guys are here. We have a situation.”

Clara’s smiling face morphed into concern. I could sort of see the resemblance to Ben’s mate. I knew the Colliers had a mess of daughters and then one son, Thomas, who was their current Alpha. I’d met several of Shelby’s sisters over the years, but I was pretty sure I hadn’t met this one before.

“What’s the situation?” she asked. There was an urgency to her voice. Finally, someone was ready to actually help.

“There’s at least one dead dog, and a possible injured gorilla. You’ll need to check her extra close, especially her head.”

“What’s special about her?” Gage asked.

“Animal or shifter?” the other girl with them asked. “I’m Chelsea by the way.”

“Eddie,” the last man on the team said with a wave.

“She’s got to be shifter, but we’ve only seen her in gorilla form.”

“Why does she have to be?” Gage pressed.

Ben snickered. “Because that bozo went ape-shit crazy in there. We think she’s his mate.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.”

“Introductions made, we need to move. Goal is to get in, rescue all of them. I don’t want to hear we left anyone behind, or that these guys get away with any, this time. Are we clear?” Silas said.

“Yes sir,” Bravo team replied.

“Clara and Gage, why don’t you two address our gorilla.”

“Great, a mating monkey, let’s go,” Clara said. “But I’m not messing around here, you have to let me do my job. I’m not going to