Page 48 of Flint's Arrow
“Arrow? It’s about damn time you called. Where the hell have you been?”
“I need help.” Python’s mimicry was flawless, even capturing the slight tremor Arrow’s voice would have if he were genuinely distressed. “Please. Can you meet me? I... I can’t talk about it on the phone.”
A pause. “Are you safe? Did those assassins hurt you?”
“Just...please. I need to talk to you. There’s a barbecue place about forty minutes outside Big Sky. I can’t leave…I’ve got no car or…I’ll text you the coordinates, but I haven’t got long… Can you…?”
“I’ll be there in ninety minutes,” Patterson said immediately. “Hold tight, kid. I’m coming.”
The call ended. Python’s eyes cleared, returning to their normal state with just a hint of residual flame. He tapped at Arrow’s phone, presumably sending the location.
“He bought it,” Python said, handing the phone back. “Hook, line, and sinker.”
“What if he brings backup?” Arrow asked, voicing the concern that had been building since Python suggested his plan. “He could bring other agents, other shifters…”
“That’s why we’re all going with you,” Flint said, his hand finding Arrow’s. Through their bond, Arrow felt fierce protectiveness and absolute confidence. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done something like this.”
“We’ll stay out of sight,” Devon added. “But we’ll be close enough to intervene if needed.”
“Though hopefully it won’t come to that,” Levi said. “Patterson’s a bear shifter, right?”
Arrow nodded.
“And you’re a wolf.” Calvin’s expression was thoughtful. “That’s not an easy fight to win, you know that.”
“Wolves are faster,” Storm pointed out. “More agile. Bears rely on brute strength. Try wrestling with Devon sometime - it’s a great workout.”
“Patterson’s spent the last decade, at least, behind a desk,” Arrow said, thinking of his former supervisor’s soft middle and expensive suits. “I haven’t trained much lately, but I used to do it all the time.”
“I’m not sure that’s enough,” Pax said bluntly. “That bear might be old and pudgy, but he’s still going to remember how to fight even if he’s out of practice. No offense, but you could get really hurt.”
“Then I get hurt.” Arrow met each of their gazes in turn. “Patterson called Flint a ‘twink assassin,’ like it was an insult. Like Flint was something to be ashamed of. He filed a complaint claiming I was being held hostage and coerced. He’s making Cyrus’s life hell and putting pressure on all of you. Someone has to stop him, and you’ve already said it can’t be any of you.”
“We could stop him,” Calvin offered. “One of us could…”
“No.” Arrow’s wolf growled in agreement. “Ultimately, this is my fight. Patterson disrespected my mate, questioned my choices, and threatened my new family. I’m handling it.”
Flint’s fingers squeezed his. Pride radiated through their bond.
“It’s because of you, bloodthirsty little snake,” Python said approvingly. “I like that you’re rubbing off on him.”
“That’s what he said,” Storm muttered.
“Do youeverstop?” Devon asked.
“Not really, no.”
Python clapped his hands together, flames dancing briefly across his palms. “Right. We need to move. Our old hangout is forty minutes out, and I want to get there before Patterson does, so we can set up properly.”
“Wait,” Wren said quietly. He’d been so still, Arrow had almost forgotten the chameleon shifter was there. “Where exactly is this place? I wasn’t around when you used it.”
“Neither was I,” Pax added, hopping down from the lumber pile. “Do we all know how to get there?”
“Calvin, Levi, and I used to meet there,” Storm said. “Back before any of you showed up. When we needed to talk without Ethan’s surveillance picking us up.”
“It’s rough,” Calvin warned. “No running water, no electricity. Just four walls and a roof that probably leaks.”
“But it’s warded,” Python added. “Old wards I set up ages ago, that can be renewed. They’re designed to muffle sound and mask scents, which is perfect for a private conversation, or a fight.”
