15. Nate
Chapter 15
Nate
Garin and Trig were both sound asleep beside me, but I just couldn’t relax. The danger was no longer hypothetical, and it was all because of me. I had to be the one hankering for a pizza and then was so bored that I went down an alley.
Had horror movies taught me nothing?
The messed-up part was that I was simultaneously mad that I was there and now we were in this predicament and glad that it happened. Had I not wanted pizza that night, I wouldn’t have my two amazing mates. In that respect, it was so worth it.
My bear was antsy, urging me to shift, but I was so warm and cozy with my mates that I didn’t want to get out of bed. I wasn’t sure which instinct I should follow and that would lead to me being here, but not. I was so up in my head, I couldn’t think straight.
I tossed and turned as calmly as possible to not disturb them, but eventually, my bladder had to join in the fun and really woke me up. It wasn’t something I could ignore, and being in the center of an alpha sandwich, getting out of bed without waking them was a challenge.
Reluctantly, I slithered out from underneath their arms and legs to go to the bathroom, working my way to the foot of the bed. By some miracle, they were still sound asleep as I padded to the bathroom. There was an eeriness in the air. It wasn’t until I reached the bathroom that I realized the sound I’d been hearing wasn’t wind brushing the rosebush across the front window…but it was the door.
Someone was twisting the handle, trying to get in. Fuck.
A spike of panic went through me as my bear took over, instantly shifting just as Garin and Trig felt my fear and woke up too. Garin’s wolf was instantly beside me, growling low as I gestured toward the door. I loved Trig exactly as he was, but in that moment, I wished he were a dragon so he could keep himself safe.
Trig tried to stand in front of me, but even as a small bear, I had several inches on him in every direction. He grabbed a kitchen knife and gestured for me to scoot toward the back of the room while he went to the door. He met Garin’s eyes and reached for the handle. “I’ll open it. You pounce,” he mouthed.
At least I was hoping it was what he mouthed. I’d seen far too many bad lip reading skits to know that it was a crap shoot at best.
The huge wolf nodded and crouched down, ready to attack.
In perfectly synched motion, Trig released the lock and pulled open the door just as Garin leaped into the air. The man didn’t stand a chance. And he shouldn’t. He came to my mate’s property with the intent to do us harm
To my relief, there was a single man with a gun in his hand. I hated the gun, but only having one man here, that was huge. The gun immediately fell to the ground as Garin tackled him, standing on his chest with his front paws while Trig kicked the gun away, then went out looking for others.
He was back a moment later. “There was just one dirt bike out there. I think he’s alone.” One dirt bike meant he hadn’t planned to bring me anywhere. It was a kill order, and had I not been all in my own thoughts, I could easily have been at the wrong end of it.
Garin’s wolf couldn’t be subdued. While the threat was still imminent, he went for the jugular, tearing out the man’s throat and leaving him bleeding in the dirt. He wasn’t playing games. The man came in as a threat and was going to leave as ash. It was the way of things.
After eliminating the risk, he took off running, doing his own perimeter search to confirm what Trig had said. I wanted to as well, but not enough to leave our human mate here all alone. This man might’ve been as alone as he appeared, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.
I snuggled up next to Trig, needing to stay in my fur until I knew it was safe. He wasn't used to the shifter side of justice. Garin had been brutal, violent, and completely alpha-like. Had he been part of a pack, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have been their Alpha. He was smart, powerful, and protective, all great qualities for a leader to have.
Garin came back after only about ten minutes, his body wet from the creek, water dripping down his gorgeous flesh. “No one else has been around here except for him.” He looked at Trig. “We need to get out of here before anyone else comes snooping around.”
He looked at me, still in my fur, and approached carefully. “Are you okay, Nate?”
I nodded and exhaled a deep breath as I shifted back. “Yeah, thank you. I can’t believe someone found us. Someone with a gun.”
Trig was already putting on a pair of pants and looking around at what we needed to pack up. “Well, I can’t believe he came alone. Maybe it was just luck that he followed the right trail here.” He shrugged. “Either way, I’ll talk to Aaron and find out what to do about this guy.”