Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
He could feel eyes on him, knew there were plenty of spectators watching. Some were even snapping photos. He also knew none of them would have called the police—shifter business was shifter business. And anyone who’d seen how inhumanly fast Eli and the falcons had moved would have known instantly that they were shifters.
He whipped the balaclavas off the dead falcons, hoping he’d recognize at least one of their faces. It was a pointless hope.
A quick search of their pockets revealed that none had wallets or cell phones on their person. There was, however, a cheap-looking cell phone in the pocket of the jeans the leader had shredded when he shifted into his falcon form. It was most likely a burner phone, but it could have some info on it. He needed his wounds seeing to, so now wasn’t the time to check.
Both cell phones in his hand, Eli grabbed the smoothie from the bonnet and jumped into his SUV. The move pulled at his wounds and sent pain rippling through his ribs. He cursed between his teeth, gripping the wheel hard.
Taking stock of himself, he figured he had a fractured wrist, puncture wounds in his sides, a few broken ribs, and ugly gashes along his chest, thighs, forehead, and arms. Awesome.
Letting out a deep sigh, he tossed the phones onto the front passenger seat and took his own ringing cell from the pocket of his jacket, unsurprised to see his mate’s name on the screen. Her soul-deep panic raced along their bond and tightened his chest.
Placing the smoothie in the cupholder, he swiped his thumb across the screen of his cell and said, “I’m fine, baby.”
“You’re not fine! I can feel your pain!”
“I’ve had worse.”
“That does not make me feel better! What happened? I would have come to you, but I have no idea where you are. I called Roni, but your pack have no clue either. Cassidy had had some sort of knowing but it hadn’t given them anything to go on. Seriously, what happened?”
“Falcons.” He switched on the engine, deciding not to tell her that driving would be painful, thanks to his fractured wrist. She’d insist that he remain where he was. The injury would begin to heal as he drove.
“Where are you?”
“Outside the little row of shops near the new movie theater.” No need to yet spoil the surprise of the smoothie. In this mood, she’d only berate him for buying it, claiming he wouldn’t have been attacked if he had just driven straight to her apartment.
“That’s about fifteen minutes away from your territory, right? Go home, let Ally heal you. I’ll meet you there.”
“Baby—”
“Don’t argue with me, canine, I’m not in the fucking mood!”
He couldn’t help smiling. Apparently, she not only went quiet when she was pissed, she fumed when she was scared. Although he despised that she couldn’t quite beat back that fear, he couldn’t help feeling warmed by it.
“Don’t think I don’t know that you’re smiling,” she said. “Now drive. I’m staying on the line until you’re home.”
“Casey, you don’t need to—”
“Drive, canine, drive.”
Lips twitching, he put the phone on speaker and set it in the second cupholder before driving out of the lot. “How was your day?”
“Don’t talk to me right now.”
His mouth quirked. “All right.” He heard her speaking to someone in the background, asking them for a ride, and heard a female voice respond—the words were too muffled for him to make them out, though. When he finally crossed the border of pack territory, he said, “I’m home.”
“I’ll be there soon.” The line went dead.
After parking the SUV, he headed into the main lodge. Many of his pack mates were pacing in the living area, looking various levels of panicked.
It was Bracken who saw him first. The enforcer gaped. “What in the holy blue fuck happened to you?”
“A gang of falcons decided to have some fun with me.”
Roni let out a string of inventive curses that made her mate’s eyebrows fly up.
“Oh God,” muttered Ally. She pointed to a sofa. “Sit.”
Eli obeyed, placing the phones on the seat beside him. She laid a hand on his arm, and her healing energy flowed into him and set to work on his injuries.
“We’ve been trying to call you,” said Nick, jaw tight, “but the line was busy. I’m guessing it was Casey.”
Eli nodded. “She wanted to stay on the line until I was home.” He gave Ally a thankful nod when he felt his wounds close over.
Roni blew out a breath. “I’ll bet she freaked.”
“She did,” said Eli.
“Want me to pick her up and bring her to you?” asked Derren.
Eli shook his head. “Thanks, but she’s already on her way. One of her pack mates are giving her a ride. Contact whoever’s guarding the border; tell them to let her pass.”
“Will do,” said Derren, pulling out his phone. “Where exactly where you when you were attacked?” he asked, his thumbs flying across the screen of his cell as he no doubt texted the enforcer on duty.