Page 42 of Chaos Claimed

The narrow beam illuminated the empty lobby, casting long, creeping shadows on the walls. A soft skittering sound came from behind the counter, like something with claws was moving around on the tiles.

Percy’s heart thundered as he slowly directed the light toward the noise. Two glowing eyes stared at him from the darkness—eyes that were definitely not human.

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the air. Percy stumbled backward, pulse racing. He needed to get out of there, fast. But as he turned to run toward the bathroom, he found himself face to face with the silhouette of a tall, looming figure blocking the hallway, features obscured by shadow.

The creature behind the counter let out a shrill, inhuman shriek and began to emerge from its hiding place.

Percy was trapped, with nowhere to run and no sign of Santiago. As the dark forms closed in on him from both sides, he knew this was not going to end well.

A low, menacing snarl echoed from somewhere in the shadows. The silhouetted man spun around as the noise drew closer. A monstrous creature with glowing amber eyes emerged from the darkness, towering over Percy at over eight feet tall. Percy’s heart nearly failed. “Please be Santiago’s lycanthrope,” Percy whispered to himself. Thick, slate-gray fur covered tightly over stretched muscles. Its elongated snout opened just enough to display sharp, lethal teeth.

Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. Percy stepped back, his limbs trembling as the beast growled at the stranger.

“Santiago?” Percy’s voice was barely audible. “Is that you?”

The amber eyes locked onto him. “Yes.”

Oh fuck! It could talk!

The sound of clicking claws intensified, and then—three of them? Were those hyenas? Shit! They emerged from the hallway, charging straight at Santiago.

Percy quickly turned around, frantically searching for something to defend himself with. He grabbed the back of a chair, ready to become a lion tamer if one of those creatures came at him.

The lycanthrope twisted sideways, flinging one hyena away, while the other two sank their sharp teeth into Santiago’s limbs. Percy struggled with his phone, quickly sending an SOS message to Elijah and sharing his location right before his phone was knocked from his hands.

“You’re Jacob’s boy.” The guy smirked at him. Percy noticed a crisscross scar above his left eye, but it was the menacing look in his gaze that was truly terrifying.

Percy opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

The guy laughed. An edge of cruelty coated the sound, slick and heavy, tainted with a disturbing menace Percy couldn’t unhear. “I guess this could be quite frightening for a human.” He took a step closer, his tone venomous. “It’s the same reaction your father had right before I gutted him.”

The stranger extended a hand toward him, “Santiago and I have unfinished business. Maybe he’ll cooperate if I use you as an incentive.”

Oh, hell no. Percy lifted the chair, wielding it as a barrier while he retreated. The way the stranger’s lips curled as he laughed made it clear he wasn’t hiding his pleasure. He was feeding on Percy’s fear.

He and Santiago had clearly been followed, this lunatic using the back door of the restaurant to sneak inside so they could ambush Santiago.

Suddenly, something inside of Percy snapped. The scream came out like a storm, loud and feral, tumbling over itself as if it couldn’t stop. He swung the chair wildly, hitting other tables, with one leg getting stuck under an edge. Yet, Percy continued to swing, determined not to let his fear fuel someone’s insanity.

The guy shouted and yanked his hand back when Percy struck him, his eyes glowing the same kind of amber.

Percy kept moving, through his terror, and in spite of it. He refused to be a victim ever again! Memories of the shed where he had been trapped and nearly died flooded his mind. His mother was in the hospital, bearing lifelong internal scars, yet she was determined to overcome her ordeal.

If she could rise above her suffering, then Percy could too. He wasn’t magically fearless, but he was done being powerless.

The man yanked the chair away from him and flung it aside, sending it skidding across the room until it struck the wall. Percy whirled around, seizing anything within reach—pans piled on a table, glass bowls—and began throwing them, but they missed the stranger as he continued to move forward.

“You got more fight in you than your father had.” Each laugh came with a hitch, like he couldn’t believe how much he was enjoying himself.

Beyond him, through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, Percy noticed a vast sea of shimmering headlights, and caught the distant rumble of thunder. The cavalry had arrived. He just had to hold out a few more minutes.

A hyena hurtled past them, crashing into a wall with a resounding thud, followed by a deep snort. The lycanthrope loomed behind Percy, its amber eyes glowing threateningly at the stranger. “Rico,” Santiago growled, his voice rough and gravelly.

Rico’s grin was crooked and sharp, paired with a gaze so steady it felt like a trap snapping shut. He had no way out. The pack began to fill the entrance, wolf shifters who were ready to defend them.

A short, startled cry erupted from Percy when Rico shifted into a hyena, shot around Santiago, and bolted for the hallway. Men went after him, but Percy knew it was no use. Rico was gone.

One of the pack members—Tomas, if Percy remembered correctly—returned, shaking his head. “The hyena escaped out the back door. Owners were knocked out, but they’re alive.”

Strong arms circled Percy from behind, and he knew it was Santiago, in his human form. When he turned, Percy’s brows shot up. His mate was completely naked!

“You fought like a warrior,” he said with a wide grin. “I couldn’t be prouder of you, cariño.” He kissed Percy like he mattered, drawing cheers and whistles from the men. “I love you.”

“You’re naked,” Percy murmured, feeling as though he’d regained a part of himself. He cradled Santiago’s handsome face in his hands and smiled. “I love you too.”

Although Jacob was now dead, the loss was bittersweet. While he felt a sense of relief that his mother wouldn’t have to worry about his father showing up anymore, it was still painful to lose the man who had once been a good father. “Get me out of here. I’ve decided I’ll make a sandwich at home. Ahora llévame a cazar queso.” Now take me cheese hunting.

Santiago nuzzled Percy despite countless eyes watching them. “Whatever my baby desires.”

THE END