Chapter Five #4
Help was on the way. Aaron. The fire department. Hopefully Axel and some of the other paranormals.
He took a step back.
“Easy,” Carter said quietly. He knew in his gut that these weren’t natural animals scared by the fire. This was the pack that Aaron was investigating.
There was a loud whooping noise that seemed to echo through the trees.
Carter cringed. What a horrible sound.
His phone vibrated again but Carter didn’t want to take his eyes off the…
animals, shifters, whatever that was stalking closer.
Carter could run. Except he didn’t think that was the right move here.
Wasn’t he supposed to never run from a predator?
Although if they were shifters, they weren’t ruled by their animal instincts.
Actually, maybe Carter should have asked more questions.
“You can leave,” Carter offered, trying to reason with the human side of the shifters. “The fire department is on the way. More cops.”
The entire time that he spoke, Carter was backing away. He hadn’t needed to go into the forest to see the fire, so he was close to his truck. Sticking his right hand into his pocket, Carter grasped his keys.
He just needed to get to his truck.
Maybe Aaron was right. Carter was no match for men that could turn into animals, especially without his gun or any weapon. With it being his day off and spending it at the vet, Carter hadn’t thought that he needed a damn gun.
Not much farther.
The puppies were barking and whining in the truck and Carter could hear them. Did they feel the hyenas close by? Hear them? The loud cries broke Carter’s heart. Making getting to them and keeping them safe priority one.
Okay. He could do this. Help was on the way. Carter just needed to get to his truck.
The hyenas spread out around him.
Carter lengthened his stride so that he would reach his truck faster. The biggest hyena seemed to be ready to strike.
The hyena crouched down on his back legs.
Carter counted. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
Just as the hyena launched himself toward Carter, he ducked and raced to the back passenger door of his truck.
He yanked open the door and threw himself inside before slamming the door closed and locking it.
A heavy body crashed against the door but Carter had made it inside.
He fumbled with his phone, dropping it under the seat.
Shit! He tried to reach down to retrieve his phone, but the hyenas’ snarls and growling made him think twice.
He needed to warn Aaron though. People were coming.
Hudson would be with the fire department.
Had he led innocent humans to the slaughter?
Guilt settled into his gut. Carter didn’t know what else to do.
Straining to reach his phone, Carter cried out in triumph when he found the small device and sat up. His truck was surrounded now. He could drive off except that would leave the hyenas to attack whoever showed up first.
‘Hyena pack,’ Carter sent to Aaron.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Made it to truck,’ Carter sent. ‘They are surrounding us.’
‘Almost there.’
Hopefully Aaron and whoever was with him would beat the fire department.
Carter was still worried about the fire but that was less of an issue now when his brother could be attacked.
Scrambling into the front seat, which wasn’t easy with him being such a big guy.
The puppies were still crying and whimpering.
“It’s okay, little ones,” Carter cooed to them. “It’s okay.”
Legolas was barking and chewing at the front of the carrier. Arwen had wedged her way into the back of the carrier with Aragon blocking most of her tiny body with his larger one.
A bike engine approaching caught his attention just before one of the hyenas leapt onto the hood of his truck. Carter laid on his horn, hoping to capture the attention of the bike driver. And it wouldn’t suck if he scared the hyena away.
Instead of being scared, the hyena dragged his long claws over the paint of Carter’s truck. Huge gashes left behind had Carter narrowing his eyes.
“Fucker!” Carter shouted. He was pretty sure that his insurance wouldn’t cover shifter damage. He snorted. That was not a helpful thought. Funny though. He could just picture the insurance adjuster getting a report about shifter claws on his hood.
The hyena leaned against the windshield, baring his teeth and dripping saliva onto the glass.
“Fuck you,” Carter yelled. He really wished that he had his gun. Or any weapon.
The hyena laughed. His fangs gleamed in the sunlight. This was a brazen attack in the middle of the day. Aaron had been right. These shifters were dangerous. Where was his help?
Since he was pretty useless in this situation, Carter settled for glaring at the shifter. The truck started to rock as it was hit from every side by big heavy bodies. Using his mirrors, Carter watched the other five animals before the hyena on the hood began to hit the windshield with his paw.
“It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay,” Carter told the puppies, who were really barking up a fuss now. Carefully, he moved the carrier from the passenger seat onto the floorboard. He didn’t want his little ones to be injured if the hyena managed to break the window.
Straightening, Carter spotted the motorcycle he’d been hearing barreling onto the scene. The bike kicked up dirt and debris as the rider stopped it not far from Carter’s truck. Bastian jumped off the back of the motorcycle, barely taking the time to turn it off.
Okay, the cavalry had arrived. Except it was just Bastian. One man against five? Carter didn’t like those odds.
Lifting his hands to his lips, Bastian let out a sharp whistle. He’d already had the attention of the shifters on his arrival but now the five hyenas on the ground backed away from Carter.
As the one Carter was assuming was the leader of the hyenas, still on his hood, also turned, Carter pressed down on his horn again. Maybe he could at least keep that asshole busy.
The hyena ignored him. It was obvious that Bastian was the bigger threat.
Bastian looked like a total badass, standing a few feet away, motioning for the hyenas to come at him. This was the man, shifter, paranormal, that Carter’s brother was committed to. And Carter couldn’t let Bastian get hurt. He needed a plan.
Two of the hyenas stalked toward Bastian as Carter began to search the interior of the truck for a weapon. Anything. Too bad Carter was a bit of a neat freak and his truck was spotless.
A howl made him jump.
“Fuck!” Carter murmured. “Now what?”
Legolas let out a happy bark. This sounded much different to the ferocious ones he’d been releasing.
“What is it, buddy?” Carter asked. Yes, he was talking to his pup like the little one could answer him.
The howl was answered by a roar.
The hyenas around him froze. The leader on Carter’s hood lifted his head toward the trees.
Following where the hyena’s attention had gone, Carter was watching as Axel stepped out from beyond the trees with a bear, lion, wolf, panther, and what appeared to be a dog covered in flames. Holy shit! What was that thing?
Even though Axel was the only one approaching that was still in human form, the look on his face screamed he was not one to be messed with. Carter definitely wouldn’t want to be one of the hyenas.
Axel zeroed in on the leader of the hyena pack. “You wanted my attention? Now you have it. Bring it!”
The hyena leapt off Carter’s truck, launching himself toward Axel and the other shifters.
The chaos was instant.
Axel ran forward to meet the hyena leader as the other shifters raced past him. Carter clutched the phone in his hand while watching the lion knocking down the hyena closest to Bas.
It was obvious that the new group was used to working together.
As Axel caught the hyena leader by the throat and tossed him to the side, the flaming dog snapped at the neck of the other.
The wolf and panther worked back-to-back, nipping and snarling at two hyenas that had tried to run back into the forest.
Thunder cracked in the sky as it began to darken.
Carter had to crane his neck to see a huge bird above them flapping his wings. He had to resist rubbing his eyes, shocked by everything that he was seeing. This was the big secret in town. Carter was seeing for himself what being surrounded by paranormals really meant.
An SUV screeched onto the scene, and Aaron had the door open and was running for Carter’s truck before the vehicle came to a complete stop. Carter fumbled with the door handle, managing to fall out of the truck in time for Aaron to wrap his arms around Carter’s waist.
“Are you okay?” Aaron was panting as he squeezed Carter tight.
“I’m okay.” Carter ran his palm down Aaron’s back, hoping to calm him. Carter pulled Aaron close as a steady rain began to fall. “I’m okay.”
It was hard to ignore the whines, grunts, and wails of pain from the fight. The clash with the other shifters hadn’t gone well for the hyenas. It hadn’t even been a long fight. Axel and his family had arrived immediately, taking the hyenas down.
“What now?” Carter asked. His voice shook and he cleared his throat.
“Gavin is trying to put out the fire with the rain,” Aaron said. “At least until the fire department arrives.”
“The hyenas?” Carter asked.
Aaron peered up at him before pressing his lips together.
“What?” Carter questioned.
“They’ve killed people, humans.”
“Okay?” Carter didn’t like when Aaron pulled away from him.
“Bo is going to take them to face punishment,” Aaron said quietly.
“Bo?”
Aaron pointed over as the flaming dog turned into a tall man dressed in black leather.
What the hell?
“That’s Bo. Alpha of the hellhounds. He’s taking the hyenas with him,” Aaron said.
“Taking?” Carter’s question was answered as Bo waved his hand and the space over his shoulder burst into swirling colors.
“Portal. Bo is going to take the hyenas to hell through the portal. They’ll face judgment for their crimes,” Aaron explained.
Carter nodded as Axel picked up the hyena leader and tossed him into the…portal.
Sirens blasted through the quiet of the aftermath. “I think I need to sit down.”
“Probably a good idea,” Aaron said softly, directing Carter back to his truck.