"Can you flash him inside?"
She froze at the deep sound of Fang's voice in her ear. Looking up, she saw him in human form. Her heart pounded in gratitude as she did what he asked and prayed that Wren's uncontrolled powers didn't interfere with hers for the jump.
Fang turned to face the Arcadians who stared at him in disbelief.
"Well, well," their leader said in a smug tone. "What have we here? A piece of Katagari trash that's taken up refuge with the bears?"
Fang gave him his best shit-eating grin that was designed to anger him. "No, just a wolf who's going to kick your ass back to whatever hole it crawled out of."
Their leader scoffed at his boast. "And you plan to do this alone? You think a lot of yourself, don't you, animal?"
Fang shook his head. "Oh, punk, please. Believe me, when dealing with wusses like you who have to gang up on a kid to feel powerful, I don't need any help."
They charged him. Fang turned into a wolf as he leapt at the leader's throat. He tackled him to the ground. He would have ravaged him more, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the others pull a Taser. As the Arcadian fired it, Fang leapt out of the way. It fizzed on the leader who went down cursing.
Fang dove at the legs of another. Before he could get ahold of him, Dev and his brothers were there as backup. Not that he needed it, but . . .
The Arcadians scattered like school-yard bullies seeing a principal.
Fang manifested his human form and sneered at their flight. "Yeah, you better run home to your mama. Hide under her skirts until you grow enough balls to stand and fight."
Dev grabbed the one who was still on the ground. "Stoooone," he said, his tone lethal as he dragged out Stone's name. "How many times do we have to tell you not to come here?"
But it was hard to hold on to him since Stone was shifting from human to wolf and back again.
"The tiger started it," Stone growled out the ten and a half seconds he was human.
Dev snorted. "I somehow doubt it. Wren keeps to himself unless he's provoked."
"What about you?" The Dev lookalike with the ponytail sneered at Fang. "Why are you here?"
Fang narrowed his eyes as he took issue with the bear's tone. "Back off, Grizzly Adams. I don't answer to you."
"Leave him alone, Remi," Aimee said as she rejoined them. "He allowed me to get Wren inside and send you guys out here to deal with Stone."
Passing an arrogant sneer at Remi that he was sure ticked the bear off to no end, Fang turned his attention to Aimee. Dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, she took his breath away. Her blond hair was mussed with a large strand of it falling into her eyes.
Every part of him came to life.
She didn't even look his way as she lunged at Stone.
Remi swung away from him to catch her. "Settle down, little sister."
Aimee struggled against his hold. "Settle down, my heinie. Did you see what he did to Wren? I want to claw a piece of his skin off."
Stone raked her with a repugnant glare. "He's an animal, like you. He deserves nothing better than to be a hide mounted on a wall."
Aimee kicked at Stone, but, courtesy of Remi, her foot just missed him. "You disgusting filth! If you're the ideal of humanity, I'd much rather be an animal." She looked at Dev with her lips curled. "You're right, I hate wolves. They're the most repulsive breed ever conceived. Why Lycaon picked them for his sons is beyond me. I think they should all be rounded up and executed. Filthy dogs! All of you!"
Stunned, Fang felt her words like a blow to his stomach. Dog was the worst insult that could be dealt to a wolf. It likened them to a whipped animal whose only function was to please its master. A mindless supplicant with no power, no dignity, and no sense.
But it wasn't so much what she said, it was the sincere hatred backing those words that cut him the deepest.
She was just like the all the others who hated his species and it was why the wolves did their best to avoid the other branches of their kind. No wonder with all the different breeds living under the Peltier roof none of them were wolves.
It was all crystal clear now.
Making sure to keep his voice even, Fang stepped forward. "For the record, there's a big difference between a dog and a wolf. The main one being, we heel to no one. Ever."