Howl My Name (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Grayslake Book 5) (15 page)

“You think you’re too big to fall.” He grabbed Gary’s head and yanked it down, forcing his knee to collide with the male’s face. “When really, you’re too big to stand on two feet. And when we’re on the same level, we’re even.” He released Gary, letting him fall to the side in a broken heap.

Reid knelt next to the bloody body and met the male’s eyes. “I’m going to kill you.” He ignored Gary’s whimper. “Not because you followed the wrong male. Ignorance isn’t an excuse, but it’s an explanation. I would have let you live if you had come to me. But you shot at me, didn’t you? You tried to get me and almost killed two humans.” The broken male’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Well, as much as he could. “I heard you, Gary.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
And by trying to kill me, you risked my mate. By coming here with a gun, you risked my mate. For
that
, you’ll die.”

Fear, then panic, then acceptance. They were known to him, the emotions that flashed across broken features just before Reid ended a life. Long ago, he would have been swayed by that initial wave of fear, possibly even the panic, but with time came his own acceptance of what had to be done.

He didn’t enjoy the act of killing, but he reveled in the relief that came from eliminating a threat. A movement to his right stole his attention for a moment and he spied Evie standing nearby, hands clutching the revolver as if it’d protect her from the world.

That was his job.

And the first step was ridding the planet of Gary. He wanted to take his time and play with his prey—his wolf was all for that idea—but he wanted to hold Evie more than he wanted to draw out Gary’s death. So he cupped Gary’s cheeks and then changed his hold. Reid tightened his grip and then one wrench ended the male’s life. One moment he breathed and the next he… didn’t.

And Reid didn’t feel an ounce of remorse.

Dammit, this was another death he’d have to tell Clary about. He was really getting tired of this shit. He hated talking to his therapist. Hated. It.

He dropped Gary to the ground and pushed to his feet, wiping his hands on his stained jeans as he stood. Staring down at the body, his first thought was about the waste of a life. Because of Ezekiel. Zeke was the cause, Reid was simply the instrument.

Betrayal meant death.

“Hey, Reid?” Evie drew his attention and he watched her pad closer, her face getting redder by the step.

He looked her over, eyes traveling over her curved body and hunting for any hint of injury, noting she still clutched the gun. He’d pushed her off him when Gary attacked, but maybe he was too rough with her. Had he injured her when—

“Reid?”

Reid yanked his attention from the juncture of her thighs, realizing that his quick check somehow turned into him aching to lap at her cream again. “Huh, yeah?”

“You wanna know what I think is sexy?”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Now you wanna talk about sexy?
Now?
”

“Well, yeah.” She grinned and nibbled her lip, attention flicking down and then she met his gaze once more. “I think it’s hot as hell that you kicked Gary’s ass with your dick hanging out.”

Reid sighed and looked down his body, spying the aforementioned dick. “Well, shit.”

Evelyn tried not to lean against him. Tried not to slump into his hard, warm body and take comfort in his embrace.

She was too pissed. At Reid, at Asher, at any damn person who thought the bonfire was a good idea.

“So, to recap, you
expect
Ezekiel to make an appearance and we’re going to go through with the celebration anyway.” She wasn’t talking to any one person, but to the group of idiots all together.

“Yes?” She would have thought Asher’s timid response and little-boy-lost smile was cute if they weren’t talking about violence and death.

“This just can’t happen. How do any of you think this is a good idea?” She met each male’s gaze. She’d finally been introduced to them all, a dozen men who’d come at the Southeast Itan’s request. A couple—she’d learned—were staying on once all was said and done. They liked Reid—to a point—and knew he’d be a good leader even if he did howl instead of roar. But no matter what, they knew he was a good leader, strong and fiercely protective of everything he called his.

Which was good. Until he decided to do stupid things such as bait her uncle.

Her attention drifted from Asher to Carter and then on to Mac, Ethan, and Blake. Those were the five who’d decided to stick around so she’d made it a point to remember
them
.

The other idiots—because they were all idiots since they supported this plan—weren’t as important to her. Her bear didn’t want them to get hurt, but the she-bitch had decided the males sticking around were
hers
and she needed to know everything about them. They’d live in the clan den with her and Reid, supporting their Itan twenty-four seven.

The others were good bears, but these males had become essential to keeping her mate alive.

Alive while he made himself vulnerable to Zeke.

“Seriously? No one has a response to this?”

“Evie…” Asher started and before she could correct him, Reid snarled at the male.

“Itana,” her mate snapped and she sighed.

“Evelyn, Asher.”

“No,” her mate grumbled. “I’m the Itan, you’re the Itana. Period.”

“We haven’t mated.” She had to point out the obvious.

“Not for lack of desire. Zeke kicked your ass. I got shot. Then Zeke tried to get
us
shot, and I won’t feel comfortable mating you until we’re safe and I kill him.”

That was sweet in a very bloody way. “Reid…”

He gave her a gentle squeeze, warm hands tightening on her thigh, and she turned her head to meet his stare. “This isn’t a good plan.”

“It’s a perfect plan. He’ll be there. He won’t want to see his brothers burned. It’s an insult and he won’t let it stand.”

It
was
an insult and he
wouldn’t
let it stand. Burning basically said—to shifters—the three men never existed. Their ashes would be taken by the wind as if they’d never walked the land. Being buried was a sign of respect, of giving back to the Earth that supported you during life.

Ashes were nothing.

“How are you going to accomplish this? You’re still injured—”

“It’s hardly a twinge,” he immediately countered.

The bullet wounds were a soft blush pink now, the redness gone as his wolf purged itself of the poison that stunted healing.

“—and he’s not dumb enough to think you wandered off on your own to be taken out.”

“Agreed.”

She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to finish and got… nothing.

“And…” she led, hoping he’d finish.

“And I won’t be alone.”

“Who’ll be with you?”

His warm, callused hand cupped her cheek and she leaned into his palm, taking comfort in his touch. They weren’t mated so the connection didn’t soothe her bear as much as it would if they were tied together, but they’d come closer in the last few days. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course, I trust you.” Not that she had a million reasons
why
exactly, but her bear told her she was never safer than at Reid’s side. Period. “But that doesn’t change the ques…” Her mind followed the twists and turns until she got to the only answer. “I’ll be with you.”

The five men joining their clan grumbled and growled, obviously not liking the plan. Well, Evelyn was slowly coming around to Reid’s way of thinking.

“You’ll be with me. We’ll run off, pretend to find a nice spot to mate.” Reid nuzzled her neck, licking the length of her throat. “I’ll strip you bare.”

“Oh,” she whispered and tilted her head to the side, giving him more space.

“And when he thinks you’re vulnerable, he’ll strike.” He sucked on her flesh and she squirmed, enjoying his sensual attentions way too much with this many people staring at them. “And then I’ll kill him.”

Thoughts of blood should have washed away her arousal.

It didn’t.

Which made her realize she was slowly becoming more like Reid ever minute. And that… wasn’t a bad thing. At all. She liked his view, liked that violence was dealt with swiftly and permanently. That he was so dedicated to the clan and his people, he would kill for them. There were fierce Itans across the country, men who ruled by intimidation and threats. Reid ruled by hard truths. If you hurt him or his, you were hurt in return, two fold.

A person only hurt one of his once because then… they were dead.

He’d proved that already, hadn’t he?

And she… loved him for it. Or as close to love as she could feel after so short a time. No matter what it was called, he’d become necessary to her just as she was necessary to him.

“And me?”

“The second he’s distracted, you climb. I don’t want you close when he loses it. He’ll get desperate and I want you out of the way.”

“I could help,” she pointed out. “I could shift and—”

Reid’s denial was immediate. “I’m sure your bear is very strong, my wolf wouldn’t want to claim a weak female, but you’ve never trained your shifts to be fast.”

“I’m quick,” she glared at him. “The quickest of my last clan.”

“Two heartbeats, Evie. That’s what it takes for me and when I push, I can get it down to one though not with any regularity. So while he’s trying to pull on his fur, I will be there. If he shows up as a bear, it takes a single thought to bring my own forward. He will not win. It is just a matter of how long it’ll take for him to die.”

Damn he was sexy.

“Reid—”

He cut her off with a kiss, a quick brush of passion against her mouth that had her sinking fully into him and taking what he offered. It was hope and a promise, assurances that the night wouldn’t end with him dead or dying, but with him killing his opponent. There was no other option for him. No other acceptable outcome.

And that was what he gave her. Right that moment, right then and there.

I will not be harmed.

I will not be killed.

I will end his life.

And he would. She knew he would. She just hated that it put her mate at risk.

“I will be fine,” he murmured against her mouth.

“I know,” she whispered back. And she did.

“So we’ll go ahead with our plans.”

Evelyn nodded. “We’ll go ahead with our plans.”

Even if she hated them.

“Good,” his gaze left hers to focus on the gathered men and she did the same. “I want you all stationed around the edges of the clearing, monitoring the perimeter. Our bears are only allowed to head north for their run. Tell them their Itan ordered it since he cleared the area and ensured it was safe. Lie about booby traps or bombs if you have to, but they go north.”

“And you two?” Asher was the only one ballsy enough to speak up.

“We go south. No one on our tails. He’ll scent you.”

A low snort had them all focusing on the door to the office and Mac swung it open before the eavesdropper could scamper away.

Scamper. Because that’s what twelve-year-old girls did.

“Have something to say, Simone?” her mate drawled and her half-sister squirmed in place, fingers squeezed together.

“Um…”

“Spit it out before I send your butt back upstairs,” Reid growled and she shot a glare at her mate. She was a kid, Simone…

“You’re an idiot if you think he’ll scent you,” Simone’s voice whipped through the silence and Evelyn realized that Reid might be damn justified with his anger.

But instead of yelling, her mate smiled widely. Which was… weird. “Ballsy, kid.” Then his smile disappeared. “Explain.”

Her sister stepped into the room, taking hesitant strides past the gathered men. “I told you they don’t know how to track. Or scent. They learned when they were younger, but then granddaddy and,” Simone met Evelyn’s stare. “Granddaddy and your mom were killed by the four of them. Dad beat on your mom even though they were true mates and Granddaddy tried to stop them and…” Simone shrugged.

And that was that and exactly what she’d suspected. Not the beatings, not her mom’s abuse, but she imagined that was how things had progressed. The four Archers were too mean to do anything but kill what stood in their way.

“They knew how to take care of themselves in the wild once, but never bothered to do it anymore. They can buy a whole cow from the butcher. Why hunt a deer?”

It was Evelyn’s turn to snort. “There’s nothing better than fresh.”

Agreements were murmured around the room, the other shifters appreciating a new kill as much as she did.

“Okay,” Reid nodded. “Then we’ll use that.” Reid’s expression turned earnest. “Thank you, Simone. You’re still going back upstairs, though. I’ll hold a true clan gathering in a few days and you can come to that one.”

“But you said you’d take out Zeke. Why can’t—”

Reid moved fast, hand darting out and snatching Simone, yanking her close and her sister squeaked. Evelyn tensed but she wasn’t worried about her mate, but more about how Simone would react. “Because if shit goes to hell, I refuse to risk you. You’re Evie’s sister which makes you mine and I sure as hell wouldn’t allow Zoey into danger like this. I need Evie as part of the bait. Otherwise her happy ass would be home with you where women belong.”

Evelyn glared at him.

“Duuude,” Asher groaned. “I don’t have a mate and I know that was a bad idea. Apologize. Otherwise you’re gonna have one cold mating bed.”

Reid glared at Asher. “Why?”

Now Asher shook his head. “First rule of mating—never ask why you need to apologize, just do it. A glare requires an apology.
Aaaand
now you’ve ruined it because you bothered to ask.” The bear sighed. “You really should call Ty in Grayslake. Or his Enforcer, Van. Even Keen. Or Isaac. They’re mated, they’ll tell you.”

Reid growled, the sound rolling through her, the vibrations plucking her nerves and arousal slid into her veins. She was mad at him, she had to remember that. But then he made those sounds…

“I don’t need anyone to tell me how to handle my mate.”

And then her desire fell flat. “Reid?”

“What?” he snapped.