Olaf peeked out from behind Ronan, and Ellison was aware of Scott and Rebecca in the background. Ellison seethed with impatience.

“An attack on Shiftertown is a different thing from their snatch-and-grab modus,” he said. “Rebecca won’t let anything happen to the cubs—you know that.”

“You got that right,” Rebecca said. She was tall, like most Shifter women, but when she shifted to her Kodiak bear, in all of Shiftertown, only Ronan was bigger.

“And I’m not chopped liver,” Scott said. “Anyone comes for Cherie and Olaf, and I’ll let my craziness come out.”

“We need you Ronan,” Ellison said.

“And if he’s too much of a wuss to go,” a voice said behind Ellison. “I’m game.”

Broderick. The wolf Shifter stood on the walk between Ronan’s house and converted garage, arms folded. “I know you think I’m an ass**le,” Broderick said before Ellison could speak. “But I have nephews and younger brothers. We cut this off at the source, Ronan.”

Ronan stroked Olaf’s hair, pushed the lad gently behind him, and closed the door. “Fine. I’m coming.” He glared at Broderick. “But I’m going at you at the next fight club. For calling me a wuss.”

Broderick looked pained—no one won fights against Ronan, except maybe Dylan. But at least Ronan was coming.

“Can we hurry?” Maria asked, as impatient as Ellison.

“One more,” Ellison said.

He’d saved the best for last. He knew that once Tiger joined them, the man wouldn’t want to slow down to let Ellison pick up anyone else.

When Andrea unlocked the door for them to Liam and Kim’s house, Tiger was nowhere in sight. Ellison scented him, though, and the Tiger-man was not happy.

“He’s downstairs,” Andrea said. “Comfortable with TV and lots of snacks. Liam didn’t want him following.”

Ellison faltered a step. “You mean Liam locked him in there?”

“Yes. The basement door’s reinforced steel. The only thing that would hold him.” Andrea smiled her half-Fae, half-wolf smile and dangled a key from its ring. “Here you go. I’ll be at home.”

She got herself out of there with amazing swiftness, the back door slamming. Ellison heard her run back to her own house, the cries of Katriona and Kenny welcoming her.

Ellison grasped the key and drew a breath. “Everyone needs to clear a space. Maybe you should all leave the house.”

“Nope,” Ronan said. “If he attacks, you need us to help pull him off you.”

Maria, at least, had the sense to leave the kitchen. She ducked out of the big room to the living room beyond. “Good luck,” she said.

Gee, thanks. Ellison approached the door to the basement, tucked near a broom closet in the back of the kitchen, squared his shoulders, and put the key into the lock.

As soon as the key turned, Tiger slammed into the door from the other side, nearly tearing it from its hinges. Ellison had danced aside, knowing what was coming. The door, made to withstand Shifter strength and police battering rams, remained whole, but only just.

Tiger roared and leapt at the first Shifter he saw—Broderick.

“Shit!” Broderick yelled, his feet coming off the floor as Tiger’s entire body hit him.

“Tiger!”

The cry came not from Ronan but Maria. Tiger paid no attention. He slammed Broderick into the wall, shoving him halfway to the ceiling.

Ronan and Ellison gripped Tiger on either side and tried to haul him back. Broderick screamed and fought, his half beast emerging in defense.

Maria put herself where she could look into Tiger’s crazed face. “Tiger!” she shouted again. “We need you. And Broderick. Do you want the man who captured Connor?”

Tiger halted. He swiveled his yellow gaze to Maria, fixing on her. He stared at her for a few more heartbeats, then he dropped Broderick to the floor and stepped over his prostrate form.

“We get him.”

Maria patted Tiger on the arm. Instead of jerking away, Tiger accepted the caress, and then carefully sniffed in her direction. “Mate-claimed,” he said, and looked at Ellison.

Broderick climbed from the kitchen floor, accepting Ronan’s hand up. “What? Oh, you bastard.”

“Challenge me,” Ellison said. “Please. I’m going to need to work off some steam.”

“Later,” Ronan growled. “We need to go.”

“Yeah, I Challenge,” Broderick said. He had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “In front of witnesses. Eat it, Ellison.”

“Fight club,” Ellison said. As the Challenged, it was his right to name time and place. “Tonight.”

Broderick stared. “Are you nuts? We don’t know what will go down today.”

“If we survive, fight club. Done?”

“Shit.” Broderick gave him a nod. “All right. Done.”

Ellison laughed. His fighting blood was up. He was in love, he’d had sex with the most beautiful woman in the world yesterday, and she’d told him she loved him today.

The most beautiful woman in the world started yelling at him in Spanish. Ellison understood only a few words, like idiota, but he laughed again. Maria was fiery, she was courageous, and she was his.

Now to find Bradley, kick his ass, kick Broderick’s ass, and take Maria into his arms tonight.

***

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Pablo said from beside Maria in Ellison’s truck.

“Insurance,” Ellison said, his voice rumbling pleasantly from Maria’s other side as he drove. “In case you decided to go behind us and tell Bradley we were coming.”

“Would I do that?” Pablo sounded innocent.

“You would totally do that.” Ellison grinned across at him, his drawl becoming pronounced. “So you come with us, my friend.”

“And you’re bringing your girlfriend? You Shifters are insane.”

“Yeah, we are,” Ellison said. “No telling what we’ll do next.”

He stepped on the gas of his black pickup, shooting them down the highway past Bastrop and out into the country. A big fire had devastated this area last year, destroying homes in and around the historic little town. Shifters from Austin and the Hill Country Shiftertowns had gone out to help people evacuate and save what they could, though that detail hadn’t been made public.