Page 70 of Wolves Always Bite

Mywolf wanted to wag his tail at the praise.

“WhataboutBabette?”

“Isaacis watching her for now.Freeingthe prisoners is our first priority.Wehave all the time in the world after that to interrogate her.”

Teagueran up carrying a full bag of green apples, a leftover steak on a plate, and a couple of water bottles.Hedropped everything but the apples beside me.

“Thesteak is for you,” he said. “Thewater is forJeremy.Idon’t know if that’ll work to help stabilize his magic or not, but it is a place to start.”

Everytype of supe had their own unique way of balancing their magic.Forshifters, protein was ideal, but we didn’t know howJeremy’smagic worked.Iwondered whyTeaguethought water would be best.BeforeIcould ask, he was already moving toward the building again.

“Lookslike we’re ready to start getting those people out of those cages.Hollerif you need anything.”Gageslapped his legs as he stood.Thenhe followedTeagueback inside the building.

Afew minutes later, asIfinished eating the steak, five cop cars screeched to a stop outside the warehouse, blocking the exit.Theyjumped out of their vehicles with guns in their hands and magic blazing.Iheld up one hand in surrender, butIrefused to let go ofJeremywith my other.

“AreyouAdrian?” one of the officers shouted.

“Yes,Gageand the others are inside.Alot of supes need help in there.”

Oneof them, a bear shifter by the smell of her, veered towardJeremyand me while the others rushed into the warehouse.Shewaved over a couple of paramedics, who were pulling up in an ambulance.

“What’swrong with him?”Theofficer motioned to the magical light flowing fromJeremy’schest.

Iexplained the situation to the officer and the paramedics.Oneof the paramedics got on the phone with a superior andIappreciated how they knew when to ask for help.Ilistened to the conversation, but in the end whoever they were talking to just confirmed whatTeaguehad already said.

“Help, over here,”Dillonshouted as he rushed out with the first of the freed prisoners.

Oneof the paramedics rushed to their side.Thehaggard prisoner was in rough shape.Thewolf shifter’s scent was overwhelming, in a way that only came from weeks of no personal hygiene.Herfeet were bare, and her bloodied clothes hung in tatters over her body.Iwondered if someone had beaten her to make her clothes like that, or if she’d done it herself when she’d tried to break out.Wolvesweren’t meant to be confined in small places.We’dgo crazy in a cage.

“We’llneed statements from you and your team,” the bear shifter officer said.WhenInodded, she moved away to talk to the newly freed wolf.

“It’sfine,”Isaid to the remaining paramedic. “Iknow there isn’t much you can do for him.Myteammate said he just needs time.Go, help the others.Andyou might want to call for more people; you’re going to need them.Thereare lots of people in cages in there, and most of them are in the same condition as that wolf.”Inodded toward the womanIsaachad brought out. “Themage on my team who has some healing magic won’t be able to help much.Hismagic is needed to open the doors.”

Theparamedic grimaced and moved toward the warehouse, probably needing to check numbers before calling in backup.

Nelsonemerged with another battered supe.Theshadow jumper often appeared angry at the world, but he usually exuded quiet strength and tight control.Hedidn’t now.Hisbody flickered from solid to shadow as he guided the man, another shifter, out of the building.Hekept it together long enough to see the man seated and being attended to by one of the paramedics, before his body disappeared in a plume of black smoke, which curled back toward the warehouse.

Noneof us were coping well with what we’d found in that building, butIsensedNelsonwas affected by it more than the rest of us.Ididn’t know his story—he’d been onGage’steam beforeIjoined—butIwondered about it now.Wewere on the same team,Itrusted him with my life, butIwouldn’t classify us as friends exactly.Ishould change that.

Iwasn’t sureIwas a true friend to any of my teammates.Wewere family, bound together by our oaths toGageand by our work, but for the first timeIwondered if that was enough.Ourpasts were all different, butIsuspected they were similar enough.Beingvulnerable wasn’t something we did easily and getting close to people made you vulnerable.Wetrusted one another with our lives, but perhaps not our hearts.Andthat was kind of sad now thatIthought about it.MeetingJeremyshowed me thatIwanted more—more for myself and more for the people closest to me.

MeetingJeremyhad changed everything.

Istared down at the magical human in my arms and wished again that he would wake up.Ineeded to see his eyes.Ineeded to see his smile.Ineeded him to start asking a million questions.

Thelight streaming from him abruptly stopped.Aloud sound burst through the air.ThenJeremy’slimbs convulsed.Hejackknifed in my arms, andIcouldn’t move fast enough to get out of the way.Hisforehead slammed into my nose, breaking it.Itasted blood asIshouted for help.

Withinseconds, the paramedics,Gage, andTeaguewere all there.AshandDillonwere right on their heels.TheytookJeremyfrom my arms, andIforced myself to let him go so they could help him.Hisbody shook as they laid him on the hard asphalt.

Whenhe finally stopped convulsing, it was sudden, like someone had flicked a switch.Myheart stopped at how still he was.Istrained to hear his heart beating, but there were too many people too close;Icouldn’t pick out his heartbeat from the others.Iscrambled over to him, needing to touch him.Igrowled until people moved out of my way.IbrushedJeremy’sneck and searched for a pulse.

Andthere it was.Thesteady beat of his pulse under my fingers.Hischest rose and fell.Andhis face relaxed as if he were merely sleeping.

Ilooked atGage, then toTeague.

“It’sover,”Teaguesaid. “He’sresting now.He’sgoing to be fine.”

Mythroat worked and my eyes burned.Gagegrabbed me by the back of my neck and squeezed.Asob broke over me, ripping out of my chest, and the demon hauled me into his arms.