Samantha

I turned to face the stairs and crouched, ready to jump on top of the three newcomers and sink my claws and teeth in them.

I should be scared but I was too angry to worry about facing three enemies at once. The darn hyenas had hurt my sweet Eric, and badly. It had taken me a lot of willpower to resist the tigress' call for a killing blow against the male I had rendered unconscious in the basement. But if taking a life was what it took to defend myself and Eric, the three shifters would die today.

I bared my teeth and prepared to pounce on the first to make it to the bottom of the stairs. I could see only the outlines of his legs for now in the poor light down here, but as soon as he set foot on the floor I was going to–

"It's us, darlin'."

Hell yeah! My guys had arrived. I nearly collapsed on the floor in relief.

"We heard your roar," Sebastian told me before he stepped further into the basement, gaze shifting to Eric. "Fuck."

Exactly. As much as I hated what the hyenas had done, at least there would be no doubt left in Sebastian now about Eric's innocence. He was the victim here, and if I had stayed in the SUV until after my guys had called the all clear, as instructed by the General, Eric would be dead now.

Amid the fight that had erupted almost immediately after Sebastian, Dean and three pride members had broken into the house, I had shifted and sneaked inside following Eric's scent. Just in time to see a hyena in human form sneaking down to the basement. The asshole must have realized his pack were losing and had decided to kill Eric so that our victory would have been for naught.

Not on my watch.

"Those fuckers," Sebastian snarled as he perused Eric's battered and bloodied body. "To chain a man so as to beat him, instead of face him in a fair fight... I should go back upstairs and pummel them some more."

He must have pummeled them good already, judging by the state of his knuckles. Thankfully, the rest of him appeared to have suffered only minor cuts. The same went for Dean and Rory who were standing at the bottom of the stairs at the moment.

The three of them had stayed in human form, while the other two pride members had shifted before entering the house. Good thing this place was at the edge of town with no one in sight on this hot summer noon, or someone might have complained of indecent shifting.

"All the hyenas are already out cold, Bas," Rory noted. "The house is secured."

I sighed inwardly. We were safe, then.

"Operation Watch the ATMs completed," Dean said with a faint smile, not his usual radiant one, as he took in Eric's state. "Heya, buddy. Ready to get out of here?"

Eric barely managed a nod. It was as if his body had interpreted the news that he was safe now as a signal to start shutting down.

I mewled. We had to free him so he could shift and heal but how? My attempt had only caused him pain, that was why I had roared for help.

"We have the keys," Sebastian said as though he had read my mind. He knelt beside Eric, a key chain in his hand.

"Monica was holding them when Rory cuffed her to some sturdy pipe," Dean explained. "We figured they must be important."

"My sis... She is unhurt?"

I went to give Eric some calming licks on the face while Sebastian was working on the chains. His backstabbing sister would be fine, he should focus on himself now.

Sebastian nodded in reply to Eric's question and unlocked the hellish collar. "You're free, Eric."

Yes! Finally!

I gave Eric one final lick then stepped to the right and licked Sebastian's cheek. He had agreed to help me and had delivered. He had also called Eric by his name instead of the detached 'Omega' or 'panther'.

Sebastian got up from his kneeling position and scratched my chin. "You're welcome, darlin'. But I'll still be expecting a proper kiss once we're home. With tongue."

I chuffed. That could be arranged.

When Dean came over to help, I rubbed against the side of his leg. To reach his face for a lick of gratitude I would need to go up on my back legs, and that might send him crashing down. I was quite heavy when furry.

Dean chuckled and patted my head. "Don't mention it, sweetie... Come on, bud," he extended a hand to Eric, "let's get you on your feet."

My poor Eric shook his head. "I'm really grateful for the rescue, but... I'll need more of your help... I can't move on my own... Can't shift either... Too weak."

My whiskers shook as I issued an angry growl. The assholes must have left him without food, maybe without water as well. If Monica hadn't been forced by her pack to go along with this, she wasn't going to remain unhurt for long.

"No worries," Dean smiled as he knelt beside Eric. "I can carry you. Think of this as your chance to get the princess treatment."

Eric managed a weak smile. "Sounds... good."

"I will carry him," Sebastian declared, surprising all of us.

"You sure, pal?"

"Yes. You would break in two under his weight."

Had I been in human form, I would have smiled. Sebastian might claim whatever he wanted, but I knew why he was doing this. He felt guilty over the crappy things he had said about Eric this morning. The other day, too.

I was starting to believe in what Dean had once told me: Sebastian was a big softie at heart.

"Got it, Bas." Dean's eyes held a glint of amusement. "I'll stay and help the others keep an eye on the unconscious hyenas until the police arrive. Rory, you have the recording?"

The 52-year-old puma detached the small camera from his shirt's pocket and nodded. "I've captured all the evidence we need. Everyone from the hyena pack will be going to prison, be it for attempted robbery or for kidnapping and torture."

I poked the back of Rory's hand with my wet nose.

He gave me a crooked smile. "Everyone except your fated mate, Samantha. I meant what I told you earlier."

I hoped he was right. On the way here he had assured me that the police weren't after Eric. Rory was the only police officer who knew Eric had been on the crime scene of the robbery. The hyenas might claim otherwise but it was their word against mine, Sebastian's, Dean's, and Eric's. Shifters' prints weren't unique like humans' so there was no way to prove Eric had been behind the truck's wheel. So once we testified and showed the judges the recording from today, the entire hyena pack should be toast with the exception of Eric.

I didn't want to think about the justice system now, however. I wanted to get Eric home and take care of him.

No matter how long his recovery took, I would be right beside him.

I wasn't going anywhere.