“He deserved it,” Indigo said, slouching as she walked slowly over to him. Niamh agreed wholeheartedly. “Are we sure these guys are worth our energy? They started it.”
Jessie, crouched next to him, said, “Aren’t healers supposed to want to fix everyone?”
“I’m not God,” the other woman responded. “God decides who lives or dies, not me. Healing is a job like any other. Sometimes I don’t want to go to work.”
Jessie let out an exasperated sound. “Well, go to work for Austin’s sake, because it’ll reflect poorly on him if he kills any of these people. Plus, we need them against Momar.”
“Fine, ” Indigo replied sullenly, putting one finger on the guy’s shoulder.
“Well?” Austin Steele said to the pack members, kicking a table out of the way. It slid across the ground, knocking over the chairs sitting beside it before smashing against another table by the wall, scattering the people who were sitting there. “I thought you were supposed to come at me as a pack?
Wasn’t that your plan?”
He spread his arms wide again, walking toward the shifters who’d backed James, their faces suddenly drawn and eyes cagey. They held a grudge against Austin Steele, but they’d clearly forgotten the viciousness by which he’d earned his reputation. A reputation he’d doubled down on in O’Briens at the beginning, using his savagery to help the people there. A reputation he was earning again as an alpha of his territory—brutal when it came to protecting those under his leadership.
Now, he was showing these muppets he’d protect his mate against anyone, ever, thinking it was a good idea to go after her.
“You can come to me, or I can go to you,” he growled, his face downturned a bit, his eyes otherworldly. Terrifying. “But whatever happens, you aren’t leaving this building until you face me.”
Three of the more courageous shifters raced forward. They reached him in snarls. Shifters behind them turned into their animals, utter idiots. The last thing they should want was Austin Steele going polar bear. Facing him in his human form, they at least had some kind of a chance.
Austin Steele met all three shifters at the same time, taking a punch while grabbing two throats and bashing the heads that went with them together so hard their skulls cracked.
“Crap,” Ulric said, standing behind Niamh in the corner. Jasper and a few of the gargoyles were there, too, the smaller ones whom the shifters wouldn’t be wary of. Phil hadn’t been allowed in, which had made him very prickly. “They need healing. I’ll drag them over. Jasper, help me.”
“I’m with Indigo. They made their bed,” Jasper said, not budging. “Let ’em rot in it.”
“Take ’em over,” Niamh said, seeing Jessie stand out of her crouch, her expression troubled.
“Otherwise Jessie will pull Austin Steele away, and he’s just getting going.”
“Fine, ” Jasper said, mimicking Indigo. Niamh had to admit, the healer’s reluctance to help certain people was downright hilarious.
Austin Steele punched the third shifter in the sternum, making him suck in a surprised wheeze and clutch his chest. Then he stomped on the backs of the others before Ulric and Jasper could get to them, the resulting cracks so incredibly brutal, before grabbing the paused shifter by the throat and nuts and lifting him above his head. He threw the man at the emerging wolves, knocking them to the side before he sprinted at them, all fists and rage and power and strength. He worked through that crowd like a falling star, ripping and gouging, tearing and pummeling.
Ulric and Jasper jogged into the fray, not at all concerned that Austin Steele would mistake them for enemies. That fact went a long way to show that this alpha’s people weren’t afraid of his anger.
He was in enough control to know whom to attack and whom to leave alone.
The last three standing ran in a blind panic, trying a side door, screaming at Jessie to let them out.
Bruce was one of them.
Austin Steele walked up behind them, blood splattered across his white T-shirt. Niamh reckoned that not an ounce of it was his own. He was breathing heavily but showing no other signs of fatigue.
He’d always kept in great shape, but Ivy House had given him the stamina of youth.
The three shifters turned as though the boogeyman were right behind them, their expressions terrified.
“You two.” He pointed at a man and woman Niamh didn’t know. “I don’t know you, and you weren’t involved in the attack on my mate. If you apologize for joining this half-assed attempt to dominate me, I’ll let you go.”