Page 52 of Flint's Arrow
Arrow didn’t move. “The shifter’s name is Flint, and he’s my mate.”
“You’ve been compromised.” Patterson’s gaze swept the room, lingering on Flint with open contempt. “Coerced into a false bond by an assassin. We’re here to help you.”
“I calledyou,” Arrow said carefully. “I asked you to meet me here so we could talk. There’s no coercion, no kidnapping. I quit my job and moved to be with my mate. That’s all this is. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
“You quit because they blackmailed you.” Patterson took a step forward, and the three bears behind him fanned out, covering the exits. “They’ve made you think you had no choice, but you do, son. The agency takes care of its own.”
Flint watched his mate’s jaw tighten. “I’m not your son. And I wasn’t blackmailed. I made a choice.”
“No wolf walks away from a career like yours for some” - Patterson’s lip curled - “pretty boy assassin. Look at him. He’shalf your size. Clearly not suitable as a mate for someone of your standing.”
Flint’s snake hissed inside him, furious at the dismissal. But he kept his face neutral, his hands visible and non-threatening. Let Patterson think he was weak. Underestimation was a weapon Flint knew how to use.
“Watch your mouth,” Arrow said quietly. “That’s my mate you’re insulting.”
“That’s the coercion talking.” Patterson gestured to his team. “We’ll take you back to the city and get you checked out by a proper healer. They’ll find whatever spell or bond manipulation they used on you. Fix it. Then you can come back to work where you belong.”
“I don’t want to be fixed.” Arrow’s hands flexed, claws sliding free. “Damn it, I want you to leave me and my mate alone. Stop calling the agency brass, stop filing false complaints, and stop pretending you care about my welfare when you just want to maintain your authority. I quit the agency. What I do now is not your concern.”
Patterson’s expression darkened. “I’m trying to help you.”
“You’re trying to control me, the same as you control everyone in your department.” Arrow took a step forward, putting himself between Flint and the bears. “But I’m not in your department anymore. I don’t answer to you. I never have to listen to your bullshit again.”
“You little…” Patterson lunged.
Arrow was ready. He met the bear shifter halfway, both of them partially shifted, claws out and teeth bared. They collided with a sound like thunder, crashing into the counter hard enough to crack the old wood.
The three bears behind Patterson surged forward, and Flint’s hand went to his Glock.
“Hold,” Python’s voice commanded, suddenly visible as he materialized between the charging bears and the fight. Flames danced along his fingers, and his eyes had gone completely crimson. “This is a legal challenge. Witness law applies. Anyone who interferes answers to me.”
The bears pulled up short, staring at the demon in front of them. One reached for his gun.
“I wouldn’t,” Pax said cheerfully, appearing next to the bear and plucking the weapon from his holster before the shifter could blink. “See, we’re all just here to make sure things stay fair. You guys stand over there, Python and I will stand over here, and we’ll let them work it out. Sound good?”
“There’s a damn demon,” one of the bears said stupidly.
“Very observant,” Python replied. “Gold star. Now back up against the wall and shut up.”
Flint barely heard them. His entire focus was on Arrow, who was locked in brutal combat with Patterson. The bear outweighed Arrow by at least eighty pounds, all of it muscle, and he was using that advantage ruthlessly. He slammed Arrow into the floor, claws raking across his mate’s ribs.
Arrow yelped, pain sharp through their bond, and Flint nearly drew his gun right there.
But Arrow twisted, sinking his teeth into Patterson’s forearm hard enough to draw blood. The bear roared, loosening his grip, and Arrow scrambled free. They circled each other, both bleeding, both breathing hard.
“Yield,” Patterson growled. “Come back to the city. This doesn’t have to get worse.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Arrow’s voice was rough, his wolf riding high under his skin. “You insulted my mate. Called him unsuitable. Said he kidnapped me. You’re not getting an apology - you’re getting your ass kicked.”
Patterson charged again. This time, Arrow sidestepped, faster than the bear expected, and raked his claws down Patterson’s side. The tactical vest protected him from the worst of it, but the bear stumbled.
Arrow pressed his advantage, hammering blows into Patterson’s kidneys, his ribs, anywhere the vest didn’t cover. Patterson swung wildly, catching Arrow across the face hard enough to send him spinning.
Flint’s finger tightened on the Glock’s grip. Through their bond, he felt Arrow’s pain, his determination, and underneath it all, a fierce protective rage. Arrow wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for Flint’s honor, for their future, and perhaps most importantly of all, for his right to choose his own path.
Patterson grabbed Arrow by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “This is what you chose? Pain? Humiliation? You had everything - respect, status, a career. Now you’re just another assassin’s pet.”
Arrow’s claws found Patterson’s wrist, sinking deep. “I’m nobody’s pet.”
