Her Wild Hero

“Declan and Kendra have stayed ahead of them this long,” Landon said as if reading Angelo’s mind. “We have to believe they were able to keep it up.”


Clayne looked skeptical but didn’t argue. “I’m going to catch up with Ivy and Tanner.”

The wolf shifter turned to go, but Landon caught his arm. “Be careful. And go slow.”

Clayne nodded, then turned and ran. Angelo didn’t have to ask what Landon had meant by that warning. If the pack of hybrids had already taken out Declan and Kendra, the rest of them could be walking right into another ambush. Everyone else must have been thinking the same thing, because they spread out without being told.

Clayne, Ivy, and Tanner led the way up a lightly wooded slope before disappearing over the crest. Angelo would have picked up the pace to catch up with them, but Landon ordered them to stay back until he got to the top of the hill and gave the all clear. But instead of waving them forward, Landon held up a clenched fist, then spread his hand wide. Angelo immediately dropped for cover. Around him, the other men did the same.

Angelo scanned the slope. Shit. There wasn’t a tree or a rock big enough to hide behind within two feet of any of them. Not exactly the best place to get caught out in the open. He tightened his grip on his M4, ready to pull the trigger.

Up ahead, Landon glanced over his shoulder and waved them forward. Angelo jumped to his feet and ran up the hill, Tate and the others on his heels. Twenty minutes later, they were following Landon into the jungle to where Ivy, Clayne, and Tanner waited.

Angelo stopped and stared in amazement. The six dead hybrids lying on the ground around them were easy enough to figure out. What had him stumped were the six shallow graves that had been dug near the river.

“What the hell happened here?” Tate asked.

“Declan happened,” Clayne said, a hint of a smile tugging at his mouth.

“Yeah, I figured that,” Tate said. “I meant the graves. I seriously doubt Declan hung around to bury the bastards after they tried to kill him and Kendra.”

“So what are the holes for?” Derek made a face. “Damn, are those flowers in there?”

It was Ivy who answered. “Yeah. The same ones Declan’s been using to cover their trail. I think the hybrids hid in the holes so they could ambush Declan and Kendra.”

“The orchid smell is so thick, Declan would never have been able to smell them,” Tanner added.

Clayne growled. “Fucking bastards. Didn’t matter, though. Declan kicked the shit out of them anyway.” He nudged the hybrid closest to him with his boot. “He smashed this one to a pulp, and just about ripped the heads off those two over there.”

“Declan wasn’t the only one kicking ass.” Ivy had moved over to the other side of the clearing. “Two of the hybrids were shot. It looks like Kendra stabbed this one to death with the barrel of her M4, too. Her scent is all over him but none of her blood.”

“Damn.” Derek laughed. “I knew Kendra was a badass.”

“Looks like it.” Tate grinned. “Let’s go find them. They can’t be too far ahead of us now.”

Angelo was down with that. But Clayne and Ivy made no move to lead the way. Tanner stared at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Angelo asked.

Clayne exchanged looks with Ivy. “We don’t know where they went.”

Everyone stared at him.

“What do you mean, you don’t know where they went?” Tate demanded.

“We can’t pick up their scent,” Ivy explained.

Tate frowned. “Can’t you just follow the smell of those damn flowers like you’ve been doing?”

She shook her head. “We swept a hundred meter perimeter before you got here. We didn’t pick up the scent of those flowers anywhere. The only thing we smelled were more hybrids.”

“Shit,” Angelo muttered. “How many of them?”

“A couple scouting packs,” Clayne said. “Not as many as this bunch, but we’re still talking at least three or four of them. No doubt, they’re looking for Declan and Kendra, too. Hopefully, they’re not having better luck than we are.”

Tate swore. “What the hell do we do now?”

“Hang here while we try to pick up Declan and Kendra’s physical trail,” Ivy said.

We meaning her, Clayne, and Tanner.

“Again?” Tate scowled. “That took forever before.”

“It’s the best we can do right now,” Ivy said.

And it was a hell of a lot better than they could do on their own, that was for sure, Angelo thought.

She gave Landon a long look, then turned to follow Clayne and Tanner in the jungle.

“You heard Ivy,” Landon said. “We hang tight here until they get a bead on Declan and Kendra. Until then, let’s make sure we’re ready if any more hybrids decide to show up.”

Angelo dropped his pack and pulled out his NVGs. The sun was already going down, and if recent experience was any indication, they were going to be in for another all-nighter.