Unstoppable (Their Shifter Academy #6) - May Dawson Page 0,4
on our side of that fence.
“What the hell did you do?” Blake demanded.
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” I admitted. “Stay here.”
I rose into a crouch and dared a look over the top of the concrete barrier. Half a dozen wolves prowled the fence around the academy. The pickup truck’s hood was completely dented, but that didn’t stop the driver from backing up and ramming it into the gates again.
But the gate held.
I ran into the guard shack. It wasn’t a big space, just a concrete floor and reinforced walls and a table for the radio, but there should be weapons in here.
Titus sprawled across the ground. His outstretched fingers loosely held his rifle. His eyes were open, wide and unseeing, and the look on his face was still surprised.
He looked as if he’d been betrayed by a friend.
That friend was somewhere on campus, most likely. Maybe if we were lucky, he was the one who Lex had just shot.
But I didn’t feel like we were lucky.
I swore and took the rifle from Titus’ still-warm fingers. I carried my 9mm in my shoulder holster, but at least Blake could take this one. I looked at the radio, then realized whoever killed Titus could very well be listening in.
I grabbed my cell out of my pocket instead, then called Lex.
“Yeah?” Lex asked.
“The gates were wide open, but I’ve got them shut now. We’ve got company down here.” I filled Lex in rapidly as I could.
“Got it. We’ll get you some reinforcements as soon as we can.”
“I won’t hold my breath,” I said. There had been shifters here from the Northsea pack and from Clearborn’s, but most of them had left to track down our enemies. Clearborn had called them back, but it would take time for them to return.
I ran back out to Blake, catching a glimpse of the wolves, and of a man who sighted in on me with his rifle. I dove back behind the concrete barrier again just before I heard the ping-ping of rounds striking the wall.
I passed the rifle to Blake, who hesitated as he met my gaze. The look on his face was grim, but he grabbed it.
I told him, “Time to learn how to shoot. We have to make sure they don’t make it through that those gates.”
“There’s eight of them,” he said grimly. He didn’t have to point out that there were two of us.
“You counted?”
“I can count, Chase. Christ.” Even when we were pinned down by enemy fire, my brother managed to look like I was the one who hurt his feelings.
“I know you can count. I was just asking. An accurate count is important.”
I didn’t like the idea that my little brother had stuck his head over the barriers, but what I liked never mattered much in this world. Reality kept spinning and I never liked it.
And now I needed Blake to watch my back.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said with a nod. “Six wolves, two humans.”
“Okay,” I said. I wasn’t going to argue with him, stick my head up needlessly, and get shot. It was time for me to start to trust him and hope maybe he came to trust me again too. I texted the info to Lex.
“What are we going to do?” Blake asked me. His voice came out gruff; he was trying to be stoic. But his brown eyes were wide. There were still faded freckles on my brother’s nose and over his ruddy cheeks that made him look young, despite the size of his tall, broad-shouldered body.
“We’re going to protect Skyla and our friends,” I said.
That was easy to say. Hard to do.
Just on the other side of the gates, a wolf howled. He was so close that the sound prickled down the back of my neck, my heart beating faster as if I were prey. It was hard to believe that not that long ago, I’d run with a pack, howling like that myself.
“Just stick with me,” I said, with confidence I didn’t feel. This was beyond what I’d learned during all those drills. I had to be strong for Blake.
He couldn’t know that I had no idea what the hell I was doing.
Chapter Three
Maddie
* * *
Silas led us into a cafe down the street. The air was fragrant with coffee and the scent of burnt sugar, and I inhaled deeply. The café was strangely almost empty, but a long glass showcased a dazzling array of sandwiches, salads, cookies, and tarts.