J. Tyler - Primal Law

Special thanks to:

My family, especially my children and my parents, for their unwavering support through an extremely difficult year. We made it, and were all stronger for it. I love you.

The FoxesTracy Garrett, Suzanne Ferrell, Addison Fox, Jane Graves, Julie Benson, Lorraine Heath, Sandy Blair, Alice Burton, and Kay Thomas. I dont know what Id do without you, and Im not about to find out! Bring on the wine!

My agent, Roberta Brownmy cheerleader, friend, and rock. I cant wait to see what fun surprises tomorrow brings for us.

My editor, Tracy Bernstein, for supporting and encouraging me when my personal life got really tough. Youre a diamond who allows your authors to shine, and Im grateful for you.

My publicist, Erin Galloway, for your infectious enthusiasm and all the hard work you do.

Jaxon Law crouched behind a Dumpster at the rear of the old brick building, wishing hed worn gloves to protect his hands. And not just because of the stinking garbage overflowing from the top to litter the pavement around him.

Gloves would have shielded him from the stain of the past, in the most literal sense. If he could stand wearing them, but he couldnt. They were too hot, made his hands sweat.

Too bad, because there was a time and place to utilize his RetroCog gift and this wasnt it. None of the Alpha Pack team, including himself, could afford a single distraction tonight. Something wasnt right. A strange heaviness weighted the air, the sky an eerie yellow-green at midnight. A warning of wickedness. Of evil.

Weve got no business being here, he muttered, eyes fixed on the building.

Beside him, Zander Cole gave a quiet huff in the darkness. Tell that to Terry. He thinks were indestructible fucking superheroesor at least hes convinced he is.

His best friend paused and Jaxon glanced over to see those strange onyx eyes glittering, body tense. Got any vibes?

Im just a Healer, man, remember? The only woo-woo shit Im getting is the common sense lets get the fuck out of here kind.

Zan was much more than just a Healer, but now wasnt the time to argue the point. Every instinct Jax possessed, both human and wolf, was screaming at him to turn and run. Fast and far, no stopping until hed put this godforsaken placeand the reality of what hed becomefar behind him. He wouldnt, of course. Like his Pack brothers, he simply wasnt made to do anything but stand and fight. Protect the unsuspecting world of humans from horrors they never dreamed could possibly exist.

Even at the cost of his own death, if necessary. But all his life hed been protecting those who couldnt defend themselves, so the prospect of dying didnt bother him too much and it wasnt what urged him to flee now. It was the inescapable fact that hed graduated from battling human monsters to real ones, and the team rarely knew what type of slavering beast lurked behind door number three. It was the awful anticipation, and then the sinking in his gut when they encountered yet another deadly creature they had no idea how to defeat.

Sort of like playing Russian roulette with a loaded pistol.

Bullets, knives, and bombs were pretty straightforwarda soldier knows what to expect and whos wielding them. Fangs, claws, and flesh-eating venom? Not so much. Those types of weapons sorta got left out of the manual.

But over the past five years, theyd learned, and fast. Do or die.

Ryon Hunter, the teams Telepath and Channeler, pushed the order into their heads. Terry says go!

They converged on the building from all sidesJax, Zan, Ryon, Terry, Aric, Micah, Jonas, Ari, and Phoenix, or Nix, as they called him. Soon theyd learn whether their source was accurate. If so, a human family was being held captive by a coven of vampires, used as food and slave labor. They were probably terrified out of their wits, running out of hope that help would arrive in time.

Sidling up to the wall, Jax wrapped a towel around his fist to muffle the sound of the window breaking. He cleared the jagged edges; then he and Zan entered through it, letting their eyes adjust to the gloom. They didnt need flashlightstheir animal halves saw perfectly well in the dark.

They listened, but there was no sound. The storage room they were standing in was dirty, piled with boxes and other junk. From the stale smell, nobody had used this place in a long while. The bad feeling between his shoulder blades increased.

This isnt right, he whispered to Zan. I dont think theres anyone here.

Lets keep looking.

He wanted to run. But if there was any chance innocent lives could be saved, they had to check every inch.

A few minutes later, the team met in the large, open area of the building. None of them had found a trace of anyone, living or otherwise. And in their business, otherwise didnt necessarily mean deadbut perhaps worse than dead.

Theres not a single fucking soul here, Terry snapped. Their boss was pissed. What a goddamned waste of time.

We need to leave, Jax said, glancing around. Ive got a bad vibe.

The boss snorted. Yeah? Right, like theres

A crack sounded and Terry made a soft noise, dark wetness blooming on his chest. His eyes widened in surprise, and then he crumpled to the dirty floor.

Get down! Jax yelled.

He and his friends dove for cover, but there was precious little to be found. Jax crawled toward a pile of palettes, but a searing pain in his back drove him to his stomach. The burn spread outward, encompassing his torso, his limbs. The heat fried his muscles, and then seemed to numb his entire body.

Silver. Oh, God.

Silver! Theyre using . . . He tried to shout the warning, but as he rolled to his back, the words died in his throat. There was movement in the rafters of the building. Dozens of dark shapes taking flight.

The things swooped down, and he saw huge creatures. Leathery and black, with gaping jaws full of jagged teeth. Not demons or vampires. Not ghouls. Nothing hed ever seen in the five years since theyd been dropped headfirst into Psycholand.

He tried to scramble backward, to shift into his wolf, but could do nothing but watch in horror as the things converged on his teammates. His best friends and brothers. Teeth ripped into flesh, the screams of the dying tearing out his heart.

A thud shook the floor and one of the beasts galloped to him on all fours, yellow eyes gleaming with malice, saliva dripping from its maw in a sticky stream to the floor. Jaxs pulse pounded in his throat, and terror froze him to the bone.

Then the beast grabbed his right leg in its huge mouth and clamped down, crushing bone and muscle. Jaxs scream joined his brothers as the thing shook him like a dog with a bone. He had to do something. Anything. He concentrated on his right hand. Just that. Sweat poured down his face as his fingernails shifted into claws.

Surging forward, he slit the beasts throat. It fell backward, clutching its gullet in a futile attempt to stop the flow. And then fell dead, twitching.

All around him, his comrades were fighting a losing battle. Some of the beasts were dead, but not nearly enough of them. He had to help. Had to get to them.

Across the space, near the opposite wall, Aric sent balls of fire at the remaining beasts, helping to turn the tide, Jax hoped. But the fire was spreading, the boxes and palettes going up like the dry tinder they were.