She forgot Gerald. She forgot everything else and took off for the trailhead where they descended. People parted for her with surprised murmurs, but no one stopped her. When she neared, she spotted Xavier and Lucas each leading a handcuffed man in front of them.
She darted around the one Xavier was shoving along just as the medics came forward and took him away. Xavier spread his arms wide, and she launched herself into them. He caught her, and she held on tight, tears stinging her eyes at the sweet relief of having him back safe and sound.
“If this is what I’m coming home to, hopefully, I get calls like these every night,” Xavier said on a laugh.
“Uh, no. You’re definitely not doing another poacher rescue for a while,” she said. “My nerves can’t handle it.”
“God, I love it when you get all bossy on me.”
“Mrs. Alpha!”
Laurel focused on a figure rounding the bend over Xaiver’s shoulder. She couldn’t make out the face, but she knew Jake from the sound of his voice—and his nickname for her.
“Hey, Jake,” she called, her arms still around Xavier. She grinned and leaned in, trailing kisses over Xavier’s cheek, headed for his mouth.
someone she assumed must be Nash. But the figure broke into a run and cut across the trail, sprinting away toward the trees at an angle. He sidestepped Jake, who didn’t notice
“Stop!” Jake shouted.
away, turning
appearing from around the bend in the trail. He pursued the man at a run, but Laurel knew he was way too far behind to catch
watched as the hunter neared her and Xavier. She figured he’d cut left and sprint for the forest again, but he was headed straight for them. Straight for Xavier, she realized, and he was close enough now that she could see the hateful
the man yelled. “I came here to take you down, and I’m not leaving
constricted as the man raised a pistol in his hand and aimed it at Xavier’s chest. Everything slowed. The moment lengthened, and she could see it
took off for the man
called behind
a quick noise that rose in the back of her throat, bringing her fox to the surface. She gave in, and it exploded out of her. She leaped just as her two legs became four paws, and soared through the air straight for
her paw—claws first—in his eye and felt the satisfaction of his flinch as she pressed into the soft place between
of her bone hitting the ground at an awkward angle. The air was knocked out of her, and she rose on her front paws, scanning for the man. Her stomach retracted painfully until suddenly air whooshed back into her lungs. Pain radiated sharply along her shoulder, and
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