Ruby by Ashlynn Monroe Page B

coursed through him. He’d failed her.
    * * * *
    Sol caught the bastard. He chased the bastard, but it was soon clear that the he’d never be able to catch up. He’d been forced to get creative. Lucky for him he wasn’t afraid of heights. When he’d landed on the coward, the man had died quickly, but Sol found himself too far from Ruby and Isser. He heard his brother’s cry for help. Every second he experienced his brother’s despair and his woman’s fear was the longest second of his life. He had to get back
    “Isser! Isser! No! Don’t…let…him…take…me…”
    Ruby’s erratic thoughts made his heart skip a beat. He could feel her slipping away. Isser was gone. He couldn’t feel him as he normally could. His brother was either unconscious or dead. Someone was taking his—their—mate.
    “Hold on, Ruby.”
    “Sol? Hurry, please, Isser is hurt. The man who hired you has me. Please.”
    “I’m coming!”
    Never in his life had he pushed himself and his wolf so far. He dodged trees and terrain hazards as if they had no power to hurt him. He wasn’t about to take his time when the two people he loved most could die.
    Despair nibbled at his gut, making him sure he would fail, but then he saw the ships. Renewed by the sight, he ran as hard as he could.
    “Sol!” Ruby screamed. He saw she was caught between tiger and woman. Isser lay on the ground. He was transforming between wolf and human. If they didn’t stop what was happening to him, he’d die. Anger gave Sol a burst of adrenaline.
    He didn’t even slow down as he lunged and tackled the bastard hard. Ruby stumbled away, but Sol didn’t take time to check on her. The growl that came out of him was a distorted “son of a bitch.” He pinned the man to the ground. Lilymann tried to reach his weapon, but it had rolled when he’d dropped it.
    The growl of a tiger told Sol his woman was full-on predator again. He salivated as he looked at the man.
    “Should I kill him?” Sol sent Ruby the thought.
    “Mine! Let me!” Ruby’s telepathy was weak, but there was no mistaking what she wanted. The wannabe pimp looked like he was going to piss his pants. Unarmed and alone he had no bravado left. Isser had no problem killing the man, but he knew Ruby deserved to be the one if that was what she really wanted.
    “Can you live with your vengeance? I’ve taken my share of lives, for less reason than this. The man deserves death. Do you want to be the one?”
    “Yes.”
    Her courage pleased him. A deep and very real pride surfaced. His mate was made for him and Isser. A bounty hunter’s woman couldn’t be soft and forgiving, or she’d die. Ruby was tough. There was beauty in her strength.
    “He’s yours,” Sol thought.
    Ruby snarled. He let the man go. For a moment Lilymann just stared at them mutely before he took off running toward the transport. Ruby was on him in a second. She ripped out the bastard’s throat without hesitation. Then she collapsed beside the body. The big cat lay panting. Sol felt her confusion and the overwhelming sense of emptiness. She had her justice, yet she found no joy in it. He could relate. He left her alone. Their bond gave him the clarity to see that she needed time to come to terms with this new side of herself.
    Sol stood, in human form once more, and turned. Isser lay very still. Sol was next to his brother with only a few powerful strides. He rolled him over. The uncontrolled shifting had stopped. He just hoped it had happened before permanent damage had been done. He lay in a state that was half-wolf, half-human. Sol shook him. Isser moaned. A delicate bit of hope fluttered in Sol’s chest. “Come back to me, my brother,” Sol whispered. “You’re too mean and ugly to die. Open your eyes.”
    Nothing.
    “Come back to us, Isser. Please don’t die on us. We’ve only just found our woman. She needs us—both. Please open your eyes.”
    Sol waited. He’d thought the plea as hard as he could at his brother. If