Chapter Seven
At first, Darcy stood frozen. He’d been thrown back in time to when his uncle abused his aunt.
But he forced himself to snap out of it and sprinted with the dogs toward the shop—only because he didn’t want them to bite anyone trying to protect Luca.
Tongues lolled as the dogs panted heavily in the humid air, their paws scuffing against the asphalt.
They might be the most chaotic dogs he knew, but they’d become his buddies. Even Princess Consuela, who continually tangled herself between his legs, nearly toppling him with the leash.
Bursting through the open bay door, he flung the leashes at Luca’s employee. “Don’t let them out of your sight and watch they don’t chase rodents or eat trash!”
The guy looked at Darcy like he’d lost his mind. “Who the hell are you?”
“Luca’s boyfriend!” Darcy blurted out, his heart thumping. “Gotta go rip an ape off his back! Watch the dogs!” Pivoting sharply on his heel, he bolted back outside, lungs burning from the exertion.
Instead of hurrying back to Luca, he crept across the street where the patrol car was parked at the curb. He glanced around, sliding the pointy tool from his back pocket.
Luca’s employee hadn’t seen him snag it, too busy wrangling the dogs. It was a small comfort to know that even a burly man could be flustered by that slobbering whirlwind of dogs.
With a pounding heart and shaking hands—was he really about to commit vandalism?—Darcy thrust his arm forward.
The tool bounced back, but didn’t puncture the tire. Three more unsuccessful attempts only made it seem like Darcy was either doing arm exercises or jerking off behind the car.
“Guess we go the old-fashioned route.” He unscrewed the cap on the air valve and slowly let the air hiss out.
Oh my god. This was taking forever. When it was finally halfway deflated, Darcy took off down the street.
There’s gonna be footage of you in one of these shops showing you let all that air out.
Just as long as no one told his grandma.
His damn side was in pain and on fire. Luca wanted him to stay at the shop, but Darcy wasn’t about to let that creepy deputy throw his boyfriend into a brick wall. Especially when Luca was recovering from a gunshot wound.
Oh god! Was the deputy one of those vile hyenas? Was he the one who shot Luca? No, no, no. That was ridiculous since Luca would’ve told Darcy just how dangerous the cop was.
Hyena or not, he had no right to treat Luca that way.
Too bad Luca couldn’t change into his wolf and maim that bastard.
Darcy finally reached the spot where Luca was being arrested. He bent at the waist, resting his palms on his knees. “I am not built for running.” He wheezed with each inhale, his lungs burning from the exertion of running.
“What’re you doing back here?” Luca demanded as Gilmore marched him toward his patrol car, cuffs glinting in the harsh sunlight.
“I’m calling out this bullshit!” What exactly was Darcy going to do? Fight a cop? A cop twice his size? It was one thing to fuck with a police car. Dumb, but justified. Assaulting a police officer was serious jail time.
But impeding an arrest wasn’t as serious.
Darcy got right in Gilmore’s path, his nose twitching from the stench of hot asphalt and tar. “Have you even told him what the charges are? You see he’s hurt, and you’re banging him around!”
Gilmore halted, his jaw set like stone, eyes flashing with irritation. “Boy, if you don’t get the fuck out of my way, you’re gonna share a cell with him.”
That… didn’t sound so bad. A few hours in jail for calling out an injustice.
Darcy darted in front of the deputy again, arms outstretched like a barricade, determined to stall for as long as possible.
But Luca’s face, contorted with pain, told a different story. Darcy’s gaze fell on Luca’s shoulder, where dark spots of blood had begun to seep through his shirt.
“He’s injured! You have to get him medical help!” Darcy shouted, refusing to back down.
Luca gave Darcy a look that said to be quiet, but Darcy returned a look that said not a chance in hell.
When it seemed like his pleas were falling on deaf ears, he took matters into his own hands and called for help, determined to fight for Luca.
He whipped out his phone and called emergency services.
The moment he heard the operator’s breath, he launched into a rapid-fire plea.
“I’m on Main Street, and my boyfriend is being unlawfully detained.
He’s also bleeding! I need an ambulance, another cop who doesn’t have a vendetta, and maybe, yeah, send a fire truck! ”
“Sir, the deputy has to call for medical assistance for—”
“He’s not doing jack shit, lady!” Darcy shouted. “Deputy Gilmore is just marching Luca along.”
“Did you say Gilmore?” the operator whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Yeah,” Darcy whispered back, his pulse racing faster. “Tell me you’re not a groupie.”
“Sir,” she replied in her regular tone, startling him, “under these extenuating circumstances, I’ve dispatched medical services and additional law enforcement officers.”
“You’re a real gem,” he murmured, his shoulders growing slack.
“Have no idea what you’re talking about, sir,” she said, her tone softening like a breeze easing through tense branches.
“Then I have no idea why I’m thanking you, ma’am.” He started to hang up but paused, brows wrinkling. “Lacey? Is that you?”
The call disconnected abruptly. Darcy’s frown deepened. Since when did his manager at Furry Friends moonlight as an emergency service operator?
With no time to unravel the mystery, Darcy took off after Luca but stopped so fast he had to whirl his arms to avoid a face-first collision with the asphalt.
Deputy Gilmore stood by his cruiser, a glare locked on the deflated tire.
Oh boy.
Darcy inhaled deeply to calm his nerves and steady his breathing. If he’d known his morning would involve dashing around a crooked cop, he would’ve slipped on his running shoes . You don’t own any running shoe s.
“Get your ass over here now,” Gilmore barked, his beefy hand still clamped around Luca’s upper arm.
Luca didn’t look too good. He was sweating profusely, his brown skin appearing unnaturally ashen. Darcy gasped when he noticed the blood seeping farther through the shirt covering Luca’s bandaged shoulder.
He stormed over to the deputy, furious and scared out of his mind. If the cop had manhandled him that way, the prick would’ve snapped Darcy’s arm.
“You deflated my tire, you little shit.” The deputy sneered, eyes narrowing with contempt. “Gonna arrest you too, boy.”
Luca tried to snarl, but it came out feeble, like a sputtering motorboat.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Officer.
” He pointed sharply at Luca, his finger trembling slightly.
“There’s no way in hell you can’t see his condition!
” Darcy slammed the side of his fist against the trunk.
Pain flared up his arm, but he ignored it, locking eyes with Gilmore in a tense stare-down.
The morning was already oppressively hot, which wasn’t helping Luca’s condition.
And where was the crowd of gawkers? The Nosy Nellies who wanted to see what was going on? No one was around except the three of them.
The street was suspiciously empty.
“Back. Off,” Gilmore warned, his voice a low growl.
Oh. Fuck.
Darcy ran around to the hood of the car, trying to pull Gilmore’s attention away from the sharp points slowly emerging from beneath Luca’s top lip.
Why wasn’t Luca fighting back? Darcy understood not throwing punches, but Luca should have some spark of defiance. Resist!
Jesus. Darcy had just gone full-blown rebel.
And it felt good. Terrifying, but exhilarating.
“There’s a restaurant literally right behind you!” Darcy gestured toward the lizard perched above the building that had haunted his childhood dreams. “Take him in there so he can at least cool off!”
Darcy was breathing heavy, hair plastered to his scalp, but he wasn’t going to stop arguing with the asshole. Luca’s life was on the line. Something told him that, if Gilmore took him away, it would be the last time he’d see his wolf.
A symphony of growling engines rumbled just out of sight, a steady crescendo that continued to build. Darcy had been trying so hard to prevent Luca’s arrest, frantically grasping at anything he could think of, that he’d forgotten Luca had sent off a text. His family was responding.
There was no mistaking that throaty rumble. Lucas’s brotherhood was coming to defend one of their own.
Leading the charge was Killer Eyes—he needed to learn the guy’s name—riding the most badass motorcycle Darcy had ever seen.
It wasn’t just transportation but a declaration of war wrapped in chrome and fur.
Also, it was just a little too on the nose. A wolf with a bike crafted of wolves? Dude was telling everyone what he was without saying a word.
Darcy glanced over at Luca, ready to cry from sheer exhaustion.
“Luca!” He shot around the car, arms out as his dog whisperer collapsed. Gilmore let him fall, Luca’s head cracking on the ground with a sickening thwack .
“You bastard!” Darcy swung, but a hand clamped down on his wrist, halting him. “Let me go! He’s a grimy sleaze ball who thinks he runs this goddamn town!”
Never in his life had Darcy wanted to punch someone so badly. He wanted to claw that smirk off the deputy’s face. Rage coiled in the center of his chest, squeezing tighter the longer it festered.
“Go to your lobo . He needs you.”
Darcy looked back, then up.
Killer Eyes had his wrist, but it was in a gentle hold. The guy was staring directly at Gilmore, and if looks could kill, the deputy’s soul should’ve been ripped right out of him.
With a trembling breath, Darcy nodded. Santiago was lifting Luca, carrying him into the restaurant. Darcy needed to be with his wolf.
“You’re interfering with an arrest.” Deputy Gilmore looked as if he wanted to handcuff Killer Eyes instead. Darcy prayed the deputy tried.
Turning swiftly, he dashed through the restaurant entrance, horrified by the explosion of lizard-themed décor. It looked like his grandma’s front lawn with its overgrown collection of lawn ornaments.
Darcy was convinced she owned every plastic flamingo ever created.
Rushing past the fever dream main room, he made his way to the back of the restaurant.
“Dot, take control of the front,” instructed a large, muscular guy in an apron.
The woman with gray hair, who Darcy guessed was a waitress, nodded. “On it, Lizard.”
His name was actually Lizard? That explained the tacky décor.
Darcy glanced to his right. Santiago was carefully placing Luca on the pantry floor. Blood stained his shoulder, and a deep cut marred his brow from the fall.
Please let Killer Eyes eat Gilmore.
“Why aren’t you taking Luca to the hospital?” Darcy edged closer, determined to stay. He’d fought too hard to protect Luca. No one would separate him from his wolf.
“We have a pack doctor.” Santiago slid a massive bag of rice under Luca’s head for support. “Dr. Martinez is on his way.” He looked at Darcy, assessing him. “Were you hurt?”
“No,” Darcy replied, his voice unsteady. “We were just walking the dogs when Gilmore started following us. Luca didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Furballs!” Santiago clapped his hands. “Now it makes sense.”
Darcy had no clue what the guy was talking about. “I walk dogs on the side. You know I have three jobs.”
Which he was running late for. By now, Darcy should’ve returned the dogs to their owners and getting ready for his shift at the pet store.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the weekend, but he was still shocked about the whole Lacey situation.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t remember what they were.” Santiago crouched next to Luca, gazing down at him. “Not exactly high on my priority list.”
Lizard resumed cooking like nothing had happened. Pans clattered against the stove, and meat sizzled while he expertly flipped eggs on the griddle.
Darcy’s stomach growled at the aroma of bacon. Despite the restaurant’s creepiness, the food smelled absolutely amazing.
“Why didn’t he fight back?” Darcy lowered himself to his knees. “He just let Gilmore haul him around.”
“Same reason I let Deputy Douchebag arrest me,” Santiago responded, his voice steady but with an edge. “Cop focusing on me meant his eyes weren’t on Percy. I can handle Gilmore. Percy? Wasn’t letting the deputy get close to him.”
“So, Luca let Gilmore handcuff him because of…me?” Darcy was baffled. “But we barely know each other. Why would he do that?”
Luca had gone along with Gilmore until the deputy threatened to arrest Darcy. That was the only moment Luca appeared feral.
“You’ll have to ask him.” Santiago winked. “I’m gonna check on everything outside and find out where the doctor is. You good?”
Darcy nodded. “I just want Luca to get better. Gilmore knew he was hurt and made it worse. People like him shouldn’t hold power.”
“That’s probably why he isn’t the sheriff. Mahoney might be close to retiring and doesn’t control his officers, but even he’s smart enough not to put Gilmore in charge.”
“Darcy,” Luca groaned, reaching out. “ Elegido.”
“What does that mean?” he asked Santiago. “I heard him say it when he was snarling at Deputy Gilmore.” I mean, he was talking a lot of Spanish I didn’t understand, but I remember hearing those words.” As soon as Darcy took his hand, Luca seemed to relax.
Santiago had an odd look in his eyes then muttered a curse before leaving.
Fine. If Santiago wouldn’t explain, Darcy would use the translator app he’d downloaded.
He just needed to figure out the spelling. After several failed attempts, he finally got it...
Chosen one? What did that mean? Knowing the internet wouldn’t have much on wolf shifter lore, Darcy slipped his phone back into his pocket. He sat cross-legged on the floor, holding Luca’s hand as they waited on the doctor.
With gentle fingers, Darcy brushed back the damp, dark strands clinging to Luca’s pale forehead. Fighting for his wolf had shattered everything Darcy thought he understood about himself, like finding a sense of belonging amid the chaos.
“Don’t worry, dog whisperer. I’m not going anywhere.”