Free Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement) by Sadie Hart Page B

clamped teeth down across Dade’s thigh. The wolfhound yelped, her lean body whipping around but Lennox let her go, snapping at her face as she slipped out of range.
    Dade went to lunge again when a roar shuddered through the forest. Pine needles skittered over the ground, and a low bellowing growl followed the sound like an aftershock of thunder. Kanon and Tegan both stood at the edge of the clearing. Their bodies locked straight, stiff, their focus solely on Dade.
    Walker caught Dade by the back of her neck, fingers digging into her skin. “Shift.”
    If Dade had thought for a second that she’d be able to take Hennessy’s rank later, she was wrong. Lennox caught the whiff of his power as it rocked through the wolfhound. The brindle dog flinched, whimpering as Dade tucked her tail. Magick shimmered over her and Dade was suddenly crouched under Walker’s grip, her face pink.
    Lennox didn’t give him a chance to command her. Drawing in a slow breath, the dog sank back into her. A tingle of magick washed up her spine and she shook off the change, dusting her jeans off as she rose. One glance to Kanon and Tegan and they’d tucked whatever issue they had with Dade away, arms crossed over their chests, they held themselves in control. Their anger in check. Good.
    “All I got was male and that he had an oil leak.”
    Walker’s lips thinned.
    “If you don’t like it, shift yourself.”
    “Thank you for your time.”
    Dismissed. Damn. Just like that? Had he found something? Lennox fought the urge to glance around the forest. What had she missed? She’d double checked the whole perimeter before coming back to this scent. There’d been nothing.
    Unwilling to let fear show, she tucked her reservations away. They’d come back later. Without Hennessy and his troublesome Hound. “Let’s go then. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
    Practice made her smile polite. Downright pleasant, when she’d have rather he shoved his head up his ass until he choked. Lennox turned towards the pair of men leaning against an old oak at the side of the clearing. “Let’s get out of here then.” She tossed Walker another of her sickly sweet smiles. “Assuming of course, you’ve dropped the charges?”
    “For now.” He shrugged. “Nothing to link them, alibi...”
    So whatever he’d found, he couldn’t pin it on Kanon. That was good enough for her right now. She waved for the boys to follow her and headed for her car.
    Tegan caught her from behind. “Want one of us to drive?”
    Since she’d almost passed out earlier? Probably wise. She tossed him the keys. Half curled up on the back seat, she barely noticed when Kanon joined her. At least until he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her up against him. The effort from all the magick she’d worked caught up to her in a rush and Lennox slumped into his embrace, thankful for the support.
    The car rumbled to life and Tegan backed it down the drive. “Where we going?”
    “Not far. We’re coming back tonight. From a different angle. Hennessy found something and he’s not playing nice.”
    “Nor was his bitch,” Kanon muttered, drawing a soft smile to her face.
    “Big tough lions scared her though.”
    That drew a laugh from both of them. Dade had jumped like a rabbit spurred from her hole. Kanon slid a hand against her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You didn’t even flinch.”
    “I eat men like you for dinner.”
    “Really?” Tegan glanced at her through the rearview mirror, the look in his eyes wicked. “You turn skittish the moment we start flirting.”
    “Shush. Both of you.” She slapped Kanon lightly in the chest, but she didn’t pull away. Ridgeback or not, lions or not, she kind of liked them. In that, they were annoying and wicked as sin sort of appeal.
    Bad boy chic or some shit like that.
    It was a change from her normal style of men. Obedient, good little boys, who ran like hell when she snarled. It was nice. She wondered when the