Saved by Wolves (Shifters Meet Their Mate Book 1) by Elena Hunter

neck, ignoring him. “It might work,” he said. “Thank you for the suggestion.” Sniffing the air again, he picked up on Kirra’s trail and took off.
    A strange grating sound rang in Marcus’s ears, and he realized he was grinding his teeth so hard they were in danger of cracking. He kicked at a rotten log, sending chunks of wood and moss flying, then chased after Jackson.
    ***
    H er scent grew sharper, fresher, with each passing minute. They were right behind her. Without speaking, they picked up their pace, closing the gap. 
    Marcus cupped his hands around his mouth, about to call her name, when Jackson skidded to a halt and held up a hand, taking a deep breath. His head snapped to the right, and he followed whatever he’d scented, fishing around in the thick underbrush. Two minutes later, he reappeared, a familiar looking pack in his hands and a grim look on his face.
    “That’s Kirra’s,” Marcus said. Cold fingers danced down his spine. “She never would have left it behind.”
    “No, she wouldn’t have.” Jackson looped an arm through one of its straps and set off again, determination in his stride. Determination and maybe a hint of fear. That worried Marcus more than anything else. He’d never seen Jackson worried about anything. Ever. 
    Cursing and grunting came from ahead and to the left, and a feminine scream rent the air, cutting off abruptly. Ice spiked through his veins.
    “Kirra,” Jackson said grimly, adjusting course and tearing through the underbrush.
    Marcus stayed on his heels. The trees were thinning, and in a few more seconds, they’d be out of the woods and exposed. He reached out and grabbed Jackson’s shoulder to pull him to a halt.
    Jackson snarled, lips drawn back to expose lengthening canines. His hands were already shifting into paws tipped with wicked claws, and his eyes were wild. He was losing control of his Wolf.
    “I smell Cats,” Marcus said. “Two of them. If they’ve got her, we need to be smart about this. Going in without a plan might get her hurt... or worse.” The scream, full of panic and fury, still echoed in his head, and he wanted nothing more than to let his Wolf take over and join Jackson in defending what was his. His rational side knew that wasn’t the best plan, however. 
    “Lash and Monroe,” Jackson said, tearing off his sweatpants and boots. 
    Marcus inhaled and sorted out the incoming information. He’d recognized Lash’s scent, but Monroe’s was new to him. “Bobcat?” he asked.
    “Cheetah.”
    Ah. Fast, but not a heavy hitter. They could work with that. And if they had Kirra, they were likely in their human forms, so even better.
    ***
    T he sight that greeted Marcus as he edged out of the woods made his blood boil. Lash had an arm hooked around Kirra’s chest and was carting her up a short, steep hill. From the way her head dangled and her feet dragged across the ground, it was clear she was unconscious. A lanky man—Monroe, he guessed—trailed after them, twitching his head from side to side with every step. At least one of them knew they were where they didn’t belong.
    “Let her go, Lash,” Marcus yelled. Jackson had faded into the woods to his right, and Marcus knew his job was to distract the Cats and keep their attention on him long enough to give Jackson time to work his way behind them. As long as the wind didn’t change direction and bring his scent to the Cats, Jackson would have the element of surprise.
    Monroe whipped around, crouching close to the ground. In comparison, Lash barely reacted. He adjusted his grip on Kirra, placing an arm around her neck and bracing her in front of him while he turned. Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned, raising one hand to her forehead.
    “This is none of your business, Marcus,” Lash said, backing up the crest of the hill one step at a time. “Take my advice and leave. Forget you ever met this one. She’s not worth dying for.”
    If she wasn’t worth it, why was Lash so