Releasing the Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Callaghan Clan Book 2) by Meredith Clarke, Ashlee Sinn Page B

looked ahead and probably recognized the same thing I did. Several abandoned buildings that could have been old car lots or shipping facilities. My paws skidded in the fine gravel as I took off toward them.
    “Brennan, wait!” Major called out in a shouted whisper.
    I ignored him. Scarlett was somewhere in there. They wouldn’t have been able to get her much further than that. There hadn’t been enough time. In the very limited moonlight, I charged ahead, her scent growing stronger. I’m coming mate .
    A loud rumble of a roar behind me had me sliding to a stop. I expected to see a large tiger behind me, but Major hadn’t changed and yet had still managed to call up his animal. My bear was confused.
    “Brennan, slow down. We don’t want them to know we’re here yet.” Major jerked his chin toward the building closest to us. “Do you hear them?”
    Swinging my head back around with a grunt, I listened. Heartbeats. Laughter. Screaming. I looked at Major and showed him my teeth.
    “Do you want to change?”
    I shook my giant head.”
    “Okay, then. After you.”
    Like the hunters we were, Major and I stalked toward the northern side of the building. Silent and deadly. I couldn’t wait to tear into the men who took Scarlett.
    They had crossed the line.
    And they were going to pay.

 
    My ribs hurt and the thing that kept poking me in the side wasn’t helping. The muffled sounds of men shouting started to come back into focus along with my eyesight. Where was I? What the hell had happened?
    “Come on, shifter. Change!” A small man with a trucker hat and a camo jacket pushed the metal pole into the cage. He smelled like beer and piss. “Come on. Come on.”
    Wait, cage? I was in a fucking cage?
    My vision snapped into focus when that metal prod hit me again, sending an electrical shock through my system. I screamed, scrambling as far away from him as I could. My bare feet slipped on the concrete floor, my tank top sliding up and exposing my panties.
    The man reached in again, and I cowered. But someone stopped him. “Randy, enough.”
    “But she’s not changing,” Randy whined.
    “It’s because she’s been drugged, dumb ass. It takes a takes a while to wear off. Even on shifters.” This man, a tall and skinny one, wore an Iditarod sweatshirt and chewed on a toothpick. His back woods accent reminded me of places I’d visited in the south.
    “Are you sure she’ll do it, Mikey?”
    Mikey smiled. A cruel grin that cut his face in half. “Oh, she’ll do it.” His eyes traveled to my legs and my nearly exposed breasts.” She’ll do it or we’ll make her do it.”
    “Do what?” I croaked. Who were these guys?
    Two more men that looked like brothers ran over to stare into my cage when I spoke. Their eyes widened in excitement, their scent of arousal making me sick.
    “You’re going to show us your wolf, shifter.” Mikey said that last word in disgust, as though I was an abomination.
    “She’s so pretty,” one of the brothers said.
    I showed him my teeth and let a low growl escape my lips. He dropped his head but the stench of his excitement only intensified.
    “Are you sure she’s a wolf?” the other brother asked Mikey.
    “Oh, I’m sure. She was in the video and she visited Jason’s group earlier tonight with a nice little threat.”
    Jason. Man-bun? That son-of-a-bitch. He had shared the video. Or someone had. And now this group of douchebags thought they could capture a shifter. I’d be sure to change their minds…
    Mikey smiled at me again. “Did you just put it all together?” he asked in a condescending tone.
    I opened my mouth to reply and then felt another jolt of electricity shoot through me when Randy prodded me again. Facing the tiny man, I growled, “I’m going to kill you.”
    He stuck his face between the bars and taunted me. “Go ahead and try.”
    The men all laughed and I had to wonder why they weren’t afraid. Had they not watched that video from our territory? I