Jared's POV
Everything stopped.
The figures in the trees hesitated, their predatory energy momentarily stilled. Even the man clutching his bleeding shoulder straightened, eyes narrowing at the new arrival.
I turned, muscles coiled, ready for another fight—only to freeze at the sight of the man stepping into the headlights' glow.
Tall. Dark clothing. Not one of them.
But not one of us, either.
His face was mostly shadowed, but what little I could see wasn't comforting. Sharp features. Eyes that gleamed like steel. And an expression that said he was in control, even in the midst of this chaos.
The man with the gunshot wound cursed under his breath. "Dammit, Kai, this isn't your fight."
Kai.
Not Xaden. Not one of their pack, then. But not necessarily a friend.
Kai's gaze flickered between them and me before landing on Zina, who was still pressed against the SUV, breathing hard. Then to Asher, who had stopped running, frozen a few feet away.
