Reno unstrapped her vest and Ivy took off, crouching low as she made her way down the ramp.
Reno went in the opposite direction, toward the left side of the room, gun in hand, making his way down. Only in wolf form could he easily sniff out Sanchez, but Reno didn’t have control over his wolf and might get shot, or get someone else shot. Not to mention that after shifting back, he’d be walking around as naked as a jaybird. They had to exercise extreme caution around humans since there were strict Breed laws. Everyone knew the risks of what could happen if the rest of the world found out they existed. War.
Halfway down the ramp, he did a quick scan of the room and leapt over the railing, crawling toward the back of the room. He could hear Denver hollering somewhere and the sound of laser guns firing.
He made eye contact with Austin, who quickly understood they were in danger.
Maybe it was the look in Reno’s eyes, the fact that he was on all fours, or maybe the Beretta in his hand. Austin unstrapped his vest. He was ten yards in front of Reno and all Reno could do was mouth Sanchez’s name. Austin must have been a hell of a lip-reader because his eyes sharpened and he started scoping the outer perimeter of the room.
Lexi’s wolf scurried in and skidded to a halt next to Austin. Something must have spooked her to shift in public, but she was also new and not always in control of her animal. Reno recognized her silver fur and white face with black-tipped ears. Austin mouthed a profane word and rolled his eyes as he curved his arm around her neck to keep her still.
It grew eerily quiet. Footsteps tramped overhead and Reno’s eyes tracked the movement.
Reno crouched low and ran across the room to the ramp that led upstairs. Austin remained in human form so he could control Lexi’s wolf. A good man fought to the death for his woman. Her wolf was too green and leaving her behind to hunt for Sanchez could endanger her life.
Wheeler crawled into sight and sat with his back against the wall. He pointed at a divider to the left and Reno turned his attention that way.
Reno cupped his wrist that held the gun, scanning the room. That’s when he heard the distinct click of a trigger release. Metal snapped on the plastic wall beside his head.
He hauled ass in the opposite direction and dove behind a pillar. As Reno made his way up the ramp, he heard another muffled clack.
When he reached the upper level, he flattened his back against a wall, looking at every shadow in the foggy haze. He couldn’t risk firing his gun haphazardly or the humans would hear and come running into danger. If he was going to use his gun, then the bullet couldn’t miss.
Pain sliced through his calf and he winced. “Fffuck,” he hissed. Sanchez had a silencer.
Amid chaos, he peered through a small opening and saw her.
April.
She limped up the ramp, her determined eyes wide and alert. When she reached the center of the room, every muscle in Reno’s body tensed like a cord being pulled taut. Dammit. She was going to offer herself to Sanchez to save his pack. Reno knew it would draw Sanchez out of the shadows and could work in their favor, but one wrong move could mean life or death.
“Sanchez, if you want me, here I am,” she yelled in a confident voice.
***
Walking up the ramp in my boot was an arduous challenge, but I finally made it to the second level. Ivy had rushed by, imploring me to get out. The blanket of fog made it difficult to see in the semi-dark room, but I kept my eyes alert. My stomach twisted into a nervous knot while I tried to decide if I was looking for Reno or Sanchez. But in my heart, I knew what had to be done to end this. Sanchez wasn’t after Reno, so I needed to lure him out to give the others a chance to get out safely.
I peered over the railing and my breath caught. Austin had his strong arms wrapped around a silver wolf and his eyes sliced over to mine. He pointed for me to get out and I shook my head. The wolf was struggling to get free and he tightened his grip, whispering into her ear. That wasn’t just an ordinary wolf—that was Lexi, my good friend.
When I caught Austin’s eyes floating up to the ceiling, I knew Sanchez was on the upper floor. Instead of crossing the room, I moved toward the walkway in the back that led to the next ramp up. When Wheeler saw me moving about, his eyes blazed, but I ignored him and kept moving.
A strange sound popped and it made my heart squeeze in my chest. When I reached the top, I decided to end the game.
“Sanchez, if you want me, here I am,” I shouted, uncertain which level he was on. I floated behind a wall and peered through one of the gaps. “Looks like you underestimated me. If this is all about pride, you’ll never get it back. You can kill me, but you’ve still lost.”
I moved around the wall and winced when my foot began throbbing. “Did Delgado find out what you’ve been up to?”
“As a matter of fact, he did.” Sanchez appeared out of nowhere and snatched at my right arm, throwing me off balance.