Broken Curse

19

I almost ran into his back but managed to plant my feet without falling over. What’s wrong?

This. He moved aside, and the stench of foreign wolves slammed into my nose. Our clothes were strewn all over the floor, and all of the drawers were open.

Aren’t we glad that the witches didn’t stay with us? This had been my fear, and unfortunately, it’d been a valid one.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Aidan entered the room and began picking the clothes up from the floor. I expected this.

Expecting it and seeing it are two different things. Beth breezed past me and began gathering her clothing.

Was everyone’s room ransacked? I used our link to check in on the others. Hopefully, it was just ours.

Yes. Hostility laced Gabby’s words. Our clothes are everywhere.

Ours too, Ada confirmed. We’re grabbing as much of our stuff as possible.

Thankfully, Amethyst took the map, so there was nothing incriminating left behind. Well, other than kidnapping the alpha’s daughter. Let’s hurry. They could be here any second.

You don’t have to tell us that, Gabby snapped.

Anger filled my body, and I wanted to go into their room and put her in her place, but our lives were more important.

We’ll be ready in a couple minutes, Honor linked without being a smart ass.

Needing to help Aidan and Beth, I gathered items off the floor, sorting them between hers and ours. It only took minutes to get everything together.

Right as we’d finished, someone pounded on the hotel door. The scent of an unknown shifter floated through the cracks around the door.

They’re here. I took in another deep breath. There are two of them.

Are they really going to attack us in a hotel full of humans? Beth zipped her bag on the bed. That’s crazy.

That’s why they’re outside our room. Aidan scanned the room. There’s no way out but through that door.

Knuckles pounded on the door again.

We’ll have to answer. There was no getting around it. Are you guys ready? We need assistance.

What’s going on? Remus asked.

We have two shifters. I stepped toward the door. “Just one minute.” Come help us when you hear the door open. If we don’t get out of here quickly, it’ll give the others time to show up.

Our chance to escape was quickly dwindling.

Let me open the door. Aidan placed our bag on the bed and went straight to the door. He flipped the latch so the door would only open a smidgen. “Who is it?”

Someone kicked the door so hard it broke the latch and slammed against the wall.

“You have something of ours.” A tall, greasy-haired man entered the room, followed by a younger, more well-groomed man.

“We do?” The less suspicious we acted, the better. “I’m not sure what you mean.” I faced the room. “It’s just the three of us here.”

“You wouldn’t by chance know where a certain female pack member is?” The greasy-haired man perused the room, and his sights landed back on us.

None of us answered. He’d smell a lie if we did.

“Well, it’s obvious that she’s not in this room.” Aidan lifted his chin, meeting the gross guy’s eyes dead-on. “So … that should give you our answer.”

The younger guy stepped toward me and touched my arm. “It’d be sad to ruin that gorgeous face of yours.”

I wanted to flinch away, but that was the exact reaction he desired. “You expect to walk in here and threaten us without proof?” The answer was obvious, but we had a game to play. The longer we did, the more time the enemy wolves had to get into position.

In a flash, the guy fisted my hair and yanked my head back. “You look even hotter like this.” His arousal saturated the air.

“Get away from my mate,” Aidan threatened.

“Or what?” The young guy smirked and lowered his nose to my neck.

That’s all I needed. I rammed my knee into his crotch, and he sagged against me with a groan.

“What the hell?” the greaser asked and hurried over to me, but Aidan slammed him into the wall.

Aidan reared back and punched the guy in the face over and over again.

I dropped the younger man to the ground, letting him whither in agony on the dirty carpet.

Beth kicked the guy in the ribs several times. “Never touch my bestie like that.”

He clutched his side with one hand and grabbed his balls with the other, like that would do him any favors.

Remus busted into the room right as Greaser pushed Aidan off him. Remus ran over and grabbed Greaser’s arms, tugging them behind his back.

We had to get out of here and fast. I raised my elbow and brought it down hard on the pervert’s head, knocking him out.

“Damn.” Beth glanced from me to the guy on the ground. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Maybe you should follow her lead,” Remus groaned as he struggled to keep the guy’s hands locked in his grip.

“Noted.” Aidan swung his fist right in Greaser’s upper jaw, and he slumped against Remus.

“About time.” Remus let go of the guy, and he hit the ground with a thud. “Let’s go.” He spun on his heel and headed out to where the other shifters waited in the hallway.

Aidan grabbed our bag and Beth’s.

Aw, look at who’s being all gentlemanly. Beth smacked my arm. You’re getting him trained.

Maybe this whole pack link thing was a bad idea. Aidan shifted the bags’ straps on his shoulder. Now I have to deal with her smack talk mentally?

You love it. Beth pointed at him. Don’t lie.

I held back a smile since we didn’t have time for this. It’s time. I turned my back on them and headed out into the hallway.

All five of them were on high alert, surveying the area for threats.

We should take the elevators. If more shifters came here, they’d likely take the stairs, hoping to find us faster. They’d expect us to do the same thing when we left. Humans could be there with us, protecting us.

Okay. Sunny pressed the down button, which she’d been standing next to.

Logan connected with us. How much longer are you guys going to be?

We’re on our way down now. We ran into a few snags. That was a simple way of putting it.

You’ve got ten more snags heading your way then, Logan said with alarm. I saw them before they got to the car and dived in the middle row. The dark windows hid us back there.

And they didn’t look too hard in this one because I hid in the footwell. Ivory’s voice shook a little. They smelled you all and hauled ass to the hotel.