Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,144

around here somewhere. If you try to run, I'll have my dog stop you again."

"Your wolf!" he snapped. "I fucking saw Roman change in there!"

"And someone who shoots up a school is clearly insane," I countered. "Red, if he gets up, make sure it doesn't happen again."

Lane barked, making it clear he approved, so I took the risk of pulling out my phone. With one knee on the kid's waist, one hand holding his arm bent a little too far behind him, I used the other to quickly dial 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency," the operator asked.

"I'm at the high school on Main Street, and I have the shooter. We're in the back, and I have him pinned with my dog making sure he can't get away. Can you send some cops out here to take this kid?"

"What's your name, sir?" she asked.

"Ian Langdon," I said. "My stepdaughter goes here, and I was in the area when she called."

"Ok, I have a group of officers heading your way. They will be armed. Do exactly what they say."

"Tell them I have a dog," I said. "Make sure they know he's big, and he's protection trained."

"Yes, sir." There was a pause, and then she was back. "Are you or anyone injured?"

"No," I assured her just as a cluster of police in riot gear came into view. "I see the cops," I promised.

"Ok, sir, stay on the phone with me," she said.

"Red," I ordered, "go lie down. Good boy. Just lie down and stay."

Lane ducked his head, but at least he understood what I was doing. Taking a few steps back, he lay down like an obedient dog, dropped his head onto his paws, and then we just waited. I made sure to turn so the police could see the phone to my ear, but that was the best I could do. The guns pointed at us were intimidating, but this had to happen. It was the only way to make sure this ended safely.

Then one of the cops yelled, "Hands in the air, both of you!"

I lifted my arms but didn't move my knee off of Mason. The kid pushed his forward, since that was the best he could do while on his stomach. It seemed to be enough, though. The officers swarmed in, a pair of them looking at Lane suspiciously.

"Stay, Red," I ordered.

He whined his compliance.

"Trained?" one of the cops asked just as another tossed my phone away and pulled me to my feet.

"Yes, sir," I told him. "He was in the truck with me, and when I saw this boy running across the grass with a gun, I sent him after the kid."

"Uh huh." The cop patting me down sounded like he didn't care at all. "Any weapons on you?"

"Keys in my pocket, and I tossed his gun over that way," I said, while motioning with my head towards the direction of the weapon. "My phone's now in the grass somewhere. That's it. Oh, wallet in my back pocket."

They found those, pulled them out, and checked to make sure I had nothing dangerous. Another cop found the gun, but I couldn't see what he did with it. Four more pulled Mason to his feet, then cuffed him and patted him down. I tried to keep track of all of it, but I'd never been in a situation like this before, and I really didn't want anything to go wrong. Not now. Not with what I knew Mason was going to say.

Sure enough, "They're werewolves!" the boy screamed. "That's why he's here! He's the one in charge, and they're all over."

The guy who patted me down chuckled at that. What he didn't do was cuff me. When the boy was hauled away, however, the pair with me lowered their guns and turned their complete attention on me. The whole time, Lane didn't move.

"Now, why were you here again?" the man on the left asked.

"I was heading to the store when my stepdaughter - um, girlfriend's kid. She called me saying there was a shooting, and I could hear gunshots in the background. I didn't even think. I just headed this way."

"And how did you end up back here?" the other asked.

I tilted my head toward where my truck was parked. "That was the closest entrance. I had my dog in the truck, and I was thinking that I had to do something. Um, I don't even know what, but I was here, and I had Red, so..."

"You were going to run