Deslen’s jaguar shook his head as if waking from a nightmare and leapt toward the black wolf's side just as she tried to kick him off.
Nick.
The wolf was Nick. He was here.
He’d saved Deslen. He’d savedmy mate.
Something cracked open inside, panic, relief, joy, confusion, all knotted together so tightly I couldn’t pick them apart. No time to try. I pushed it all down and focused on the monster in front of us.
“We can take this bitch.” I gave a humorless laugh, ready to take on the world.
Claws burst from my fingertips with a satisfying sting. “I’m Nova Rossey. I don’t need help killing my enemies.” Glancing back at Zeth and Conrad with a wink, I added, “But I’m a generous boss, so I’ll let you two assist.”
Their matching grins erased any lingering doubt.
“Whatever you say, Boss,” they chimed in unison, then their heads snapped in each other's direction to glare at one another.
“Help me! Help me, p-please! It’s Donnie. That’s Donnie!” Jeremy thrashed and wailed on the stretcher. Annoyed at the sound of his screams, I kicked the stretcher aside, rolling him out of our way. He had a kid to get back to, so he should be out of immediate danger.
The creature roared, making the earth tremble beneath us, and I looked back at it, realizing what he’d meant. This thing wasDonnie. Examining his form, I realized he was too far gone to help. The best I could do was end his suffering and make it quick.
So, I charged.
The beast was focused on me, and when one meaty hand swiped out at me, I ducked under its swing, extending my claws as I carved deep gashes into its side. Hot blood sprayed across myface, and I made sure to keep my mouth closed. I did not want to look like this by morning.
Zeth fired two sharp pops. Each bullet slammed into the thing’s chest, making it stagger.
Conrad vaulted onto its arm and scrambled up by digging his claws into its hide. Its other arm rose to swat him off, but I buried my claws into its thigh, wrenching it downward.
The monster collapsed onto its knees with a roar that shook the lights. Conrad tore into its neck, ripping flesh in handfuls. Zeth emptied every shot straight into the center of its chest, and I saw his head loll.
We were winning.
Looking back, Deslen and Nick were tearing the mage apart while Conrad, Zeth, and I had this monstrosity on its knees. Victory was seconds away. All I needed now was the doctor?—
A scream ripped through the space—”Watch out!—then everything flipped.
My body slammed to the ground, skull cracking against the floor so hard I was swamped by blurred vision and dizziness. Something heavy crushed me, pinning me in place.
“You’re going to pay for that,” the doctor snarled above me. Spittle hit my cheek. “For ruiningeverything.”
My head slowly knit itself back together, my vision clearing just in time to see his raised hand holding a syringe glinting with green liquid, aimed toward me.
“Noooo!” a voice roared out from behind, one I knew even if it hurt to admit it.
A body jumped onto me, acting as a shield. Nick.
My chest thumped, warm hope spreading, then time fractured. Moments passed before my eyes like hours.
The doctor’s face took on a crazed look. His hand plunged the needle down, sinking the syringe into Nick’s back.
My eyes flew open, a scream caught in my throat as cold dread took over.
The green substance surged into him. His body jerked on top of me violently. His head snapped back in an unnatural arc, eyes rolling up until only white showed, then the gold color I loved so damn much bled into a sickly, glowing green.
His pupils drowned in a neon glow. The spark behind them dimmed, swallowed whole, and the flickering bond—our bond—twisted. Tightened. Like it was trying to rip itself free from me.
A massive black paw swiped out, backhanding the laughing doctor across the room. The sound of his head cracking against the ground woke me up.
