Chapter 5
Chapter Five
DANTE
I push through the crowd at The Eclipse, scanning the dark corners and the dance floor for any sign of Ava. Where the hell did she go? I told her to stay at the bar. All I wanted was to make sure her rat of a boyfriend had left.
Goddess, he kissed another woman ? When she was right there? When he could kiss her without repercussions?
Fucking insane. This man is insane.
The wolf inside my chest paces restlessly, hackles raised. Something’s not right. I feel it. I feel it in my gut and the longer I spend away from Ava, the more worried I get.
I spot Archer working security by the VIP lounges. I make my way over to him, the crowd parting to my approach. Advantages of being a shifter: we’re all bigger than the regular human, no matter what animal we have inside.
“Have you seen your sister?” My voice is a low growl over the thumping bass. I can barely hide my worry.
Archer frowns, his brow furrowing. My tone immediately sets him off. I’m not usually like this. I’m the club’s enforcer and enforcers have to keep a cool head.
“Not for a while,” Archer says. “She was dancing earlier but...” He trails off, gray eyes narrowing as he picks up on my agitation. “What the fuck, man? What happened?”
I could tell him she fought with her boyfriend. That I found her crying. That that garbage she calls boyfriend kissed another woman. But there’s no time. My wolf is too unsettled. “Check the front,” I tell Archer, my voice resonating with a command. “I’ll take the back.”
Archer nods curtly and strides off, his shoulders taut with tension.
I make my way to the back of the club, shoving past drunk people. Every instinct screams at me to move faster. To find her. Now.
The heavy metal door crashes open as I barrel through it into the back parking lot. Dim streetlights flicker over the cracked asphalt. Beyond, the dark woods loom, shadows thick as ink between the trees.
There’s no one here.
I pace up and down the back, searching for signs that Ava came this way. Was I wrong? Is she still in the club?
My gaze lands on a track in the dirt. I stop and study it for a moment. It goes from here all the way to the forest’s edge.
Scuff marks. Signs of a fight.
Fear spikes through me, turning my blood to ice.
The threats she’s received. They’ve followed her here.
I flare my nostrils and catch Ava’s scent on the night breeze. Vanilla and cinnamon, unmistakably hers. But where? Where?
Terror grips my heart in a vise.
Ava is in danger.
My wolf pushes closer to my skin. I’ve always had great control over him—I’ve always had to—but he takes over in an instant. In a burst of fur and fangs, I shift. My limbs bend and pop, but the pain is welcome now.
My wolf form emerges in a heartbeat. I lunge toward the trees, pressing my wolf’s nose to the ground and following her scent trail. Worry makes my blood whoosh in my ears. Crashing through the underbrush, I track her deeper into the woods, dread mounting with every stride. Low voices reach my ears. Men’s voices. I pick up my pace.
There. In a small clearing.
Three figures drag a limp form between them. Ava weakly struggles against their hold, digging her heels into the soft ground, but they’re three and she’s one. She stumbles and curses, but they keep dragging her on.
White hot fury rips through me. I see only red.
The men spin to face me. My wolf growls, lapping at our exposed fangs.The men drop Ava roughly to the ground. She hits it with a grunt.
It makes me even angrier. I didn’t even know that was possible.
Two men draw weapons and aim at me. The first shot explodes to my left as I jump out of the way. Ava screams.
I leap at the first man with a roar, raw anger fueling my attack. He stumbles back, eyes wide with shock as I slam into his chest. My jaws close around his gun arm. Bones crunch. He screams. The acrid stench of blood fills my nostrils.
I whirl on the second man as he takes aim. Zigzagging, I dodge the spray of bullets, closing the distance in powerful bounds. My teeth flash. I tear the gun from his grip, metal screeching. Claws raking, I send him flying. He crashes into a tree and slumps, unmoving. I turn back to the first one as he gets up.
This time, I go for the throat.
Chest heaving, I turn to the third man, a growl rumbling deep in my throat. He’s got Ava slung over his shoulder, trying to flee.
Fucking bastard. I’ll rip him to shreds for daring to touch her.
I lunge, tackling him to the ground. Ava tumbles from his grasp, landing in a limp heap. Fury boils my blood. I snap at the man’s face, my snarls drowning out his terrified cries. He silences in mere moments.
Ava. Gotta check on Ava.
My wolf still buzzes with anger, but I push him down. I shift back into the exact clothes I wore moments ago. I scramble to Ava's side, chest tight with fear.
“Ava! Ava, can you hear me?” I cradle her face, brushing tangled hair from her closed eyes.
She’s breathing. Thank the Goddess, she’s breathing. But her limbs are limp, movements sluggish. I pull my phone, turning the light on and flashing it into her gray eye. Her pupil is blown wide.
Drugged. Rage spikes inside me again. These fucking bastards drugged her. I feel myself shaking with anger. How fucking dare they? If any of them are still alive, I’m killing them.
I shrug out of my jacket and wrap it around Ava’s curled form. I have to get her out of here. Get her safe.
Gently, so gently, I gather her into my arms, tucking her head against my chest. Her warmth seeps into me. That sweet scent envelops me, settles my racing heart. My wolf settles too, appeased now that Ava is safe.
She’s so soft in my arms, fitting like she was made for me. Even now, I want to bury my nose in her hair, lose myself in her body.
I shake my head. Hard. What the fuck, Dante? Get your head in the game. This woman was almost kidnapped.
A slight shift. Ava stirs with a small sound, nuzzling into my neck. My heart clenches.
“It’s alright, darling,” I murmur. “It’s Dante. You’re safe now.”
Her lashes flutter. Hazy gray eyes meet mine, whirling with confusion.
“Dante?” Her voice is rough, barely a whisper. “Dante... you... you’re...”
“What?” I ask softly, striding to the tree line. “I’m what?”
She blinks twice at me with those huge eyes. Goddess, she’s gorgeous. I could stare at her for eternity…
She parts her lips again, cocking her head. “You’re a shifter?”
I freeze. Well, fuck.