Chapter Seventeen #2
Flint barely heard them. His entire focus was on Arrow, who was locked in brutal combat with Patterson. The bear outweighed Arrow by at least eighty pounds, all of it muscle, and he was using that advantage ruthlessly. He slammed Arrow into the floor, claws raking across his mate’s ribs.
Arrow yelped, pain sharp through their bond, and Flint nearly drew his gun right there.
But Arrow twisted, sinking his teeth into Patterson’s forearm hard enough to draw blood. The bear roared, loosening his grip, and Arrow scrambled free. They circled each other, both bleeding, both breathing hard.
“Yield,” Patterson growled. “Come back to the city. This doesn’t have to get worse.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Arrow’s voice was rough, his wolf riding high under his skin. “You insulted my mate. Called him unsuitable. Said he kidnapped me. You’re not getting an apology - you’re getting your ass kicked.”
Patterson charged again. This time, Arrow sidestepped, faster than the bear expected, and raked his claws down Patterson’s side. The tactical vest protected him from the worst of it, but the bear stumbled.
Arrow pressed his advantage, hammering blows into Patterson’s kidneys, his ribs, anywhere the vest didn’t cover. Patterson swung wildly, catching Arrow across the face hard enough to send him spinning.
Flint’s finger tightened on the Glock’s grip.
Through their bond, he felt Arrow’s pain, his determination, and underneath it all, a fierce protective rage.
Arrow wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for Flint’s honor, for their future, and perhaps most importantly of all, for his right to choose his own path.
Patterson grabbed Arrow by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “This is what you chose? Pain? Humiliation? You had everything - respect, status, a career. Now you’re just another assassin’s pet.”
Arrow’s claws found Patterson’s wrist, sinking deep. “I’m nobody’s pet.”
He twisted, breaking the bear’s grip, and drove his knee into Patterson’s gut. Once, twice, three times. Patterson’s hold loosened, and Arrow dropped, rolling away and coming up in a crouch.
Both shifters were bleeding freely now, their breathing labored. Patterson’s vest hung in tatters, and Arrow’s shirt was completely shredded. But Flint could feel through their bond that Arrow wasn’t done. He was just getting started.
“You want to know why I quit?” Arrow asked, stalking forward.
“It’s because I finally figured out I was living my life for people like you.
Trying to impress assholes who didn’t care about me, just about what I could do for them.
My family, my coworkers, supervisors like you - none of you ever asked what I wanted. ”
Patterson straightened, breathing hard. “And what do you want?”
“This.” Arrow gestured around the decrepit restaurant, at Python and Pax, at Flint. “A mate who sees me. Friends who have my back. A life that’s mine, not some performance I put on to make other people happy.”
“You’re a fool,” Patterson spat. “Throwing away everything for nothing.”
“He’s not nothing.” Arrow’s wolf filled his eyes, amber and glowing. “Flint is everything, and I’ll fight every bear, every wolf, every shifter who says different.”
Patterson lunged one last time, desperation making him sloppy. Arrow caught him, using the bear’s momentum against him, and slammed Patterson face-first into the floor. The entire building shook. Arrow pressed his knee into Patterson’s spine and hovered his claws at the bear’s throat.
“Yield,” Arrow commanded.
Patterson struggled, trying to throw him off. Arrow’s claws pressed deeper, drawing blood.
“Yield, or I’ll kill you right here.”
“You don’t have the balls,” Patterson gasped.
“Try me.”
Flint saw the moment Patterson realized Arrow meant it. He saw the fear flash across the bear’s face as he understood Arrow wasn’t the same wolf who’d sat in his office three weeks ago, eager to please and desperate for approval.
“I yield,” Patterson choked out.
Arrow held him there a moment longer, making sure everyone heard it. Then he stood, releasing his former supervisor. Patterson scrambled up, one hand to his bleeding throat, staring at Arrow like he’d never seen him before.
“You’re all witnesses,” Arrow said, addressing the three bears by the wall. “Patterson yielded. The challenge is satisfied. Anyone who says different, you can answer to me and mine.”
“And I recorded it all,” Python added, holding up his phone. “So don’t go running back to the agency with more fucking lies. My Cyrus needs his rest, and he doesn’t need any more of Patterson’s shit. Understood?”
The bears nodded quickly, eyes wide.
“Good. Now get out,” Python said pleasantly, flames still dancing across his suit. “Before I decide I’m annoyed about having to stand in this shithole for the last twenty minutes, and take it out on all of you.”
Patterson and his team didn’t need to be told twice. They fled, trucks starting up and tearing out of the parking lot in a spray of gravel.
The moment they were gone, Flint was across the room, hands on Arrow, checking the damage. Deep scratches across his ribs, bruising on his face and throat, and a split lip still bleeding.
“I’m okay,” Arrow murmured, pulling Flint close despite the pain it must’ve caused. “I’m okay, babe. A simple shift and I’ll be fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I won.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Your idiot.” Arrow kissed the top of his head. “Forever.”
Python shook off his flames and brushed off his clothes. “Well, that was entertaining. Now, can we please leave? This place really does smell terrible.”
“Yeah, babe,” Flint said softly. “Let’s get you home.”