She frantically looked for an escape. The other trees were too far away to safely transfer. Some primates were known for jumping from branch to branch but she wasn’t willing to risk falling to her death. Her hand shook slightly as she aimed the gun at the man drawing closer.

“I’ll shoot you. Stop!”

He climbed to the other side of the wide trunk, out of sight. She shifted forward, trying to keep him in view. Thick branches protected him. She glanced around again, praying help would arrive.

It was as if Shadow heard her silent plea. He suddenly rushed out of the foliage behind the two on the ground. She watched in utter amazement as he grabbed both mercenaries by the backs of their necks, lifted, and threw them. One hit the dirt under the three while the second one wasn’t so lucky. He slammed into the trunk. The enraged Species wasn’t done.

He tore their weapons off them, flinging them into the river. The man in the dirt put up a struggle but one punch from Shadow kept him down. The one who’d hit the trunk recovered a lot slower. Shadow’s head snapped up and their gazes caught and held for an instant before he looked at the third one in the tree. He howled.

Startled, Bob lost his hold on the tree and fell about ten feet into thick bushes. Shadow went after him, dragged the groaning man out by his boot and disarmed him. Guns and knives were tossed into the river. Beauty watched in rapt fascination as Shadow centered himself in the middle of the three mercenaries.

“You thought you could take her from me? Fight me. You are cowards for going after a small female. Lie there whimpering as you die. I. Don’t. Care. I’ll attack either way.”

Beauty kept silent despite being tempted to warn the humans that fighting an enraged Species would be stupid. Shadow clearly wanted to beat on them and they complied when they attacked. Of course he left them with no choice, his threat to kill them as loud as his snarled words. They probably thought their three-to-one odds boded well against Shadow but he’d made certain they could only fight with their bodies. She lowered the gun, afraid it would accidently discharge and hit Shadow.

Her gaze ran over Shadow. He wasn’t bleeding much. His arms and face had scratches but nothing serious that she could spot from her high perch. He moved as if he were unharmed as he dodged a fist aimed at his face and threw his own. She picked up a slight crunching noise before Bob screamed, stumbling back as blood poured from his smashed nose and mouth, landing hard on his ass.

Shadow’s foot shot out as the leader of the mercenaries tried to come at him. The scream that came out of Dillon was horrifying when the heel slammed into his groin area. Beauty winced as the injured mercenary just dropped, rolling into a ball. Shadow wasn’t fighting nice but he was inflicting pain. He showed no sympathy for his opponents. They had tried to kill two Species and had come to return her to a hellish existence.

The third man hesitated before he launched himself at Shadow’s back. Shadow must have sensed it though and dodged, bent a little, and the guy landed in the dirt instead. Shadow came down on his torso, knees first, probably breaking his ribs in the process. Fists pummeled the human as the Species nailed him. Beauty glanced away but then forced her attention back. She wasn’t weak stomached. Not anymore.

Bob tried to crawl to the river, probably attempting to escape. Shadow rose from his bloodied opponent and stomped on the back of Bob’s leg. A snarl tore from his mouth as the fallen man screamed in agony, suffering a broken leg to match his nose. Shadow reached down, fisted his hair and said something she couldn’t hear. Bob sobbed, begging for his life, but Shadow just slammed his head down hard into the earth.

“Beauty?” Shadow’s head snapped upward. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay.” Her voice came out shaky.

“Come down here. Can you do that or do you need me to climb to you?”

“I can do it.” Her hands trembled slightly as she shoved the gun back into her waistband and began the descent. It was tougher than climbing up had been. It might have just seemed that way since blind panic no longer gripped her so she did it more slowly.

Shadow held utterly still until she reached the lowest branch and then both his arms rose. She bent forward enough for him to grip her hips. She braced her arms on his shoulders and fell into him. She had absolute trust he’d catch her and he did.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her so tightly it was hard to breathe. She didn’t complain about that or him refusing to put her on her feet. They’d survived and he’d come after her. She’d been sure it wouldn’t end so well.

“Look at me, love,” he rasped.

She pulled her head back enough to see his face. Small cuts had left one cheek bloody, probably from flying glass inside the cabin when it had been torn apart by bullets. A gash was on his forehead was no longer bleeding, but blood smeared back into his hairline. One arm released her waist and his big hand gently touched her cheek.

“Ouch!” She flinched away.

Rage narrowed his eyes. “Who did this to you?”

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” she promised. She’d been hit before, lots of times. It wasn’t anything serious. Now wasn’t the time to mention that though. It would only incense Shadow to be reminded of the past abuse she’d suffered.

“Who struck you? Which one? Point him out.” His voice came out animalistic and scary.

“I shot him in the thigh and ran away from him.”

He studied the men on the ground before he eased her down and jerked his head in the direction she’d come from. “Go. You shouldn’t see this.”