Moon Shifter 02 - Primal Possession

if he got hit, he’d be weaker and these humans would have a better chance of gaining ground against them. Hell, they’d managed to catch them off guard. Something that wasn’t going to happen again.
    When the shooting suddenly stopped, Liam pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic pistol from the back of his pants. He didn’t like to open fire on anyone, especially in the middle of a housing area, but these assholes deserved what they got. He slowly stood up and grasped the bottom of the curtain. Moving it to the side a fraction of an inch, he peered out. One guy wearing a black mask was hunkered down beside a car with no wheels. Looked like he was reloading.
    Liam couldn’t see the other two but had no doubt they were there. It was possible one of the men had rounded to the back of the house, but he hadn’t heard the door open or scented anyone.
    There were about twenty yards between him and the guy and it was a crappy angle. But he had to take the shot.
    Without waiting, he aimed and fired. After Liam let off a burst of gunfire, the man cried out as he flew back into the dirt. Liam smiled as the man howled and clutched his shoulder.
    As Liam started to duck back down, a sharp pain ripped through his arm. Biting back a cry, he slid down the lower cabinets and clutched his upper arm.
    “You all right?” Jayce asked.
    “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Got hit, though.”
    “Well, you hit one of those douches too.”
    Jayce cursed. “I can’t see the others…. Wait…” He fired off a couple shots.
    Liam heard another startled cry followed by a string of curses. Sounded like he’d hit another one. That left one more guy.
    The sirens in the distance were a lot closer now. Close enough for anyone in the trailer park to hear. Liam tore open one of the drawers and grabbed a rag. As he wrapped it around his arm, Jayce hurried into the room.
    He opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a bottle of bleach. “Those guys heard the sirens. They’re on the run, but we don’t have much time.” Jayce poured the bleach on the small stream of blood forming around Liam’s feet.
    Liam was careful not to wipe his gloved, blood-covered hand on anything as he stood. A brief wave of nausea bubbled up, but he shook his head. Getting out of there was more important than anything. He could dispose of his clothes later. “We can leave through the back woods and double back to the truck.”
    “I’ll meet you by the back door.” Jayce flipped open a lighter and set the kitchen curtains on fire.
    Liam started to protest but knew it wouldn’t matter. Even if they had a chance to come back, the cops would have combed over the place. Better to destroy all evidence that they’d been there. Holding on to his arm in an attempt to keep any more blood from leaking through the makeshift bandage, he headed to the back.
    He checked outside. No one was waiting to ambush them. “We’re clear.”
    When he heard Jayce close behind, he hurried out the door and sprinted for the woods. The sirens were so loud now it would be a miracle if the cops didn’t see them. Hedidn’t risk a backward glance as he ran. His inner wolf howled at him, begging him to shift to his animal form, but that would leave his clothes and gun behind as evidence—not to mention it would give away what they were.
    Once they’d made it into the thick cover of trees, they both paused and turned around. Thick, orange flames licked into the sky and a few cops surrounded the home. When one of them turned and looked in the direction of the woods, he and Jayce both started running.
    Liam wasn’t hurt too badly, but by the scorching sting traveling down his arm, he knew the bullet had been lined or tipped with silver. The skin around the wound had turned slightly gray. Whoever had shot at them knew what they were and obviously weren’t afraid to go after them in a semipublic area.
    Whatever these assholes had planned, it wasn’t good and it only reinforced Liam’s need to convince December to move to the ranch with him. At least temporarily. He wanted her safe and under his protection.
    First he had to clean his wound. If he’d been shot by regular bullets, he’d have already started healing. Since this one had silver on it, he needed to get it out quickly.
    He grunted from the spreading pain as they ran. He could feel it in his shoulder now and the agony wasn’t letting up. It was getting worse.
    “You okay?” Jayce asked.
    “Yeah. We’ve got