Pack Hunter by Crissy Smith Page A

headed his own unit in the Army and why Clint was one of the top hunters in the world. They worked well as a team.
    Gage’s chuckle drew Clint’s attention.
    “From the looks on your faces, I take it you’re good with being bait?” the Alpha asked.
    Clint and Kurt both nodded.
    “Of course,” Kurt responded easily.
    “Crazy ass bastards,” Austin murmured under his breath. Everyone chuckled.
    “Colt’s going to try to keep us appraised as best he can, but he can’t blow his cover. So unless your life is threatened he won’t step in. You will be on your own,” Tony told them.
    Tony drew out his phone and clicked a couple of buttons before he handed it over to Kurt. Kurt took a quick look then passed the phone to Clint. Clint glanced down.
    “That’s Colt,” Tony told them. “So at least you’ll know who he is.”
    The picture was of a young attractive man sitting at a table with a mug of beer in front of him. The man was smiling into the camera, obviously happy with life.
    Clint handed the phone back to Tony, who took it and glanced back at the picture. The soft expression on Tony’s face drew his attention. Clint recognised the look. He’d seen it plenty of times. Maybe not on his own face but on others.
    Tony was in love with Colt.
    He wondered if Colt knew or if he felt the same way. Being gay wasn’t anything that bothered Clint and he knew Kurt would feel the same.
    Kurt’s brother Kenny was in a relationship with another man and they both respected the hell out of Todd—the shifter that Dan Carter had kidnapped in Riverwood.
    “As much as we want to get to Dan Carter, we need to treat Perry Costa as a threat. He’s obviously in charge here,” Austin added to the conversation. “Colt’s never even met Carter. But Carter’s son Bruce is coming down with Colt’s group, so that is going to put a lot of heavy power in one place. They have to be planning something big.”
    Silence fell.
    “There’s more,” Alpha Babcock stated as he joined them.
    Gage stood and offered his seat to the Council Alpha, but Alpha Babcock waved him back down.
    “I’m on my way to a meeting with the other Council members. I just wanted to let you know that I just received a call from one of my guards in town. About fifteen minutes ago, the Church members started to show up in town.”
    “How many members?” Gage asked.
    “Around thirty or so,” Alpha Babcock answered. “And they are carrying protest signs.”
    “They’re staging a protest in a town where they don’t even live?” Clint inquired.
    The Council Alpha nodded. “Yes, and the publicity is a concern. That’s why a meeting has been called.”
    Tony stood. He walked over to the large bay window. “What exactly are they hoping to do?”
    No one had an answer for him.
    Alpha Babcock cleared his throat. “I’ll give you a call later.”
    Austin stood and went over to Tony. He placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder and spoke to the other man quietly.
    “It could be just a way for us to give in. Bring in the protesters and cause bad publicity for us until we agree to meet with them,” Clint offered.
    “But if they really want the two shifters that we brought up here, why would they want the attention? They can’t pull anything off if we’re being watched. It just puts their own mission more in the open,” Kurt argued.
    “That’s what I can’t get a handle on. When Perry Costa first appeared, he mentioned the two men we have in custody. But when he sent Colt and the others here, he didn’t mention them. Just wanted you and Kurt captured,” Gage said with a growl of frustration.
    Tony and Austin walked back over and joined them.
    “You okay?” Clint gently asked Tony. He didn’t want to pry but hoped Tony knew if he needed anything Clint would help.
    Tony nodded and offered his a small smile. “It’s maddening. We worked so hard to make sure that when we went public that we were treated properly. We have the government behind us. Have