“When I go missing, Vall will figure it out and kill you.”
Jaclyn glanced back out the door in time to see Vall’s large, dark-haired body duck into the woods. His howl carried in on a breeze, beckoning for Sunray to join him.
Sunray’s glance went from Jaclyn to Vall, back to Jaclyn again. She clutched her stomach and growled. “Jaclyn, please, if you don’t go now, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you.”
Then, suddenly, the pull of the moon became too strong to fight off, and Sunray completed her transformation. Standing before Jaclyn was a golden-haired werewolf, nails extended, eyes glistening, and teeth bared, hungry for nourishment. Growling, Sunray made a threatening step toward Jaclyn. With fear ruling Jaclyn’s actions, her survival instincts kicked in. In one fluid movement, she shifted to panther.
Chapter Sixteen
Slyck paced restlessly outside the den. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. He could feel it in every fiber of his being. He’d watched Vall and his pack take to the woods minutes earlier, but Jaclyn and Sunray hadn’t surfaced yet. Had Vall discovered she was panther? Was Sunray unable to distract him or take him on? Whatever that was supposed to mean.
No longer willing to wait, Slyck stalked forward, hell-bent on rescuing Jaclyn and getting the fuck out of Dodge. So help anyone who tried to stop him. As he rounded the corner, his thighs connected with something muscular, something hairy.
Something that walked on all fours.
“Jaclyn . . .” He dropped to the ground and wrapped his hands around the black panther mewling before him. “Thank God, you’re okay.” Jaclyn purred and brushed against him. “Shake it off, sweetheart. We need to get you out of here, and if you stay like this, the wolves will smell you.”
He held her tight while her bones slid back into place and she returned to her human form. “Where’s Sunray?” he asked as he pulled her to her feet. Slyck tore off his T-shirt and pulled it over her head, covering her naked body.
“Running with Vall.”
“Fuck.” It suddenly occurred to him just how Sunray had taken Vall on. “Come on, we need to get to the gate while they’re all distracted.”
Their heavy footfalls echoed in the still night as Slyck and Jaclyn ran through the deserted streets and made their way to the front security gate. He spotted Drake inside the booth, his hand on the controls. They were close, so fucking close to making it, Slyck’s body began to shake in anticipation.
“Going somewhere, kittens?”
Slyck spun around and surveyed the street. Vall moved, advertising his presence some twenty feet away. Once again fully dressed, he stood beneath an awning, just outside the grocery store. Instinctively, Slyck grabbed Jaclyn and positioned her behind him, protecting her from the beast.
“Back off, Vall. We’re going to walk out of here, and you’re not going to do a damn thing about it. If you try, I’ll stop you, and trust me, you’re not going to like it.”
Amusement passed over Vall’s face. “Did the kitty just threaten the big bad wolf?”
“So you want to do this the hard way then?” Slyck snarled.
Vall cocked his head, his expression smug. “Is there any other way, kitten?”
Just as Slyck detected movement around them, he identified a few other members of Vall’s pack, his easily led minions. Goddamn it, he really hadn’t anticipated an ambush.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” Vall taunted, hackles raised. Still maintaining his human form, he kept his distance, using the awning to protect him from the pull of the full moon.
The pack cantered forward and closed around them. Vall tsked and shook his head. “You should never underestimate your opponents, Slyck. You really are past your prime, aren’t you?” He let out a bark of laughter and announced, “I knew what you two were up to all along. I thought I’d go along, just for the hell of it, and then take you all down at once.”
When Slyck fisted his hands and took a threatening step forward, Vall laughed out loud and said, “Look around, Slyck. You’re outnumbered.” He rocked on his heels, his glance menacing. “What were you thinking, venturing outside on a night like tonight?” He waved his hand toward the moon. “When the town wakes up tomorrow to find you gone, they’ll never blame me, since I can’t be held accountable for my actions in wolf form.”
“But you’re not in wolf form,” Slyck countered.
Vall gave a humorless laugh and cut his hand through the air, motioning toward his loyal followers. “Oh, but they