Kat considered asking if anyone maybe had a sledgehammer, but her pride wouldn’t let her do that. So she sucked it up, channeled as much magic as her exhausted body would allow, then destroyed the three spell-worked pieces of stone before they reached her.
Her legs turned to complete jelly from manipulating so much magic in her condition, and her insides weren’t far behind. She would have dropped to the floor, but the thought of needing to use more energy she didn’t have to get back up was too exhausting to think about.
The three remaining sims disintegrated, wood flying everywhere, but she was too tired to care. At least until Connor appeared in front of her, concern clear on his face. There was confusion there, too, but she ignored that. The same way she ignored all the other werewolves who were gathering around the two of them. They weren’t important right then.
Connor was so damn gorgeous, it was sinful. Regulation-cut dark-blond hair, hazel eyes, a strong jaw with the perfect amount of scruff, and the sexiest dimples any man could possess. Yes, he looked tired and more than a little bloody. But she knew he was okay—and oh so scrumptious.
Taking a few careful steps forward, Kat threw herself into his arms, dragged his head down, and captured his lips with hers. Connor seemed a bit surprised at first, but he figured out the plan soon enough and started kissing her back. And like she’d always imagined, damn, could the man kiss. And the way he tasted should have been illegal.
Kat wasn’t sure how long they made out, but she was vaguely aware that she was getting a little dizzy. Purely from all the magic she’d been using, of course. Nothing to do with forgetting to breathe.
When she finally pulled back from Connor’s perfectly magical mouth, she couldn’t hide the smile crossing her lips, even though she was definitely starting to swoon now. “I’ve been waiting to do that for nine months, and it was just as good as I imagined.”
“Um, don’t take this the wrong way,” he said slowly, his arms still wrapped around her, “but do I know you?”
A part of Kat was disappointed he didn’t recognize her. But then again, shehadlooked a little different the last time he’d seen her. Taller now, for sure. No tail. And hairstyle definitely different.
“I would certainly think so,” she said with a lazy smile. “It’s not like I let anyone rub my belly, you know.”
When Connor looked even more confused, she decided to cut him a break.
“I’m Kat.”
Her big guy didn’t have a chance to answer as Trevor chose that moment to appear at their side, leaning in close and messing up the moment.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Trevor said, an expression halfway between amused and pissed. “But what the hell were those things, what the hell did you do to them, and how the hell did you know how to do it?”
Kat opened her mouth to answer but then closed it again as everything around her started to get fuzzy. Wow, she really was out of it. Taking a breath, she tried to settle herself, only partially succeeding. Her vision cleared a bit but stayed dim at the edges.
“Those were simulacrum—or sims for short,” she said softly, looking from Trevor to the rest of his pack mates. “Magical constructs that follow simple instructions imbued into them with an empowered token. When I destroyed the stones, I removed the intent and purpose that powered them. As for how I knew how to do that or how I knew how to break through the binding rune outside, it’s simple. I’m a witch.”
She would have said more—a lot more—about how she’d gotten to this point in her life, how she’d ended up at the SWAT compound, and why she’d felt the irresistible need to come save Connor’s life, but unfortunately, at that particular moment, the dizziness decided to make a reappearance. She swayed and slumped into Connor’s arms, her eyes fluttering closed.
Any more answers would have to wait until she had a nap.
Chapter 5
Kat jerked awake as the SUV bounced over a pothole. She felt the arm around her shoulders tighten a little, and for a moment, she thought it was Connor. The disappointment she experienced when she realized it was Rachel who’d been holding her while she slept was enough to almost break her. She blinked, fighting the tears that threatened to well up and run down her cheeks.
Straightening, she pushed her long hair back and looked around groggily. Cooper was driving, but Becker was nowhere to be seen. Connor wasn’t with them, either. After they’d kissed, she naturally assumed he’d ride back to Dallas with them. So much for the romantic reunion she’d been hoping for.
“We’re getting close to the SWAT compound,” Rachel announced softly, as if she could somehow tell how befuddled Kat felt. “You were out cold for the two hours we hung around San Antonio and the entire drive back. We had a paramedic take a look at you and she said you were okay but really exhausted, so we let you sleep. I hope that wasn’t the wrong thing to do?”
Kat shook her head. “No. The paramedic was right. Though I’m dealing with magical exhaustion more than anything physical. But the recovery process is the same. I just need something to eat and drink and a lot of rest. That nap definitely helped.”
She wanted to ask where Connor was and why he hadn’t ridden with them, but wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. Or maybe part of her already did. So, instead, she settled on the next most obvious question.
“How are Zane and Alyssa?” she asked, casually turning to gaze out the side window so she could covertly wipe away a traitorous tear before Rachel could see. “I didn’t get a chance to get a close look at them in the basement, but they seemed like they were in pretty bad shape.”
“STAT arranged for a medical airlift from the parking lot of the condominium. Mike and Becker flew back with them,” Rachel said, her voice heavy with concern. “They’re already at a private hospital in Dallas, but we haven’t heard anything yet. We’re hoping there’s an update on their condition by the time we get back to the compound. Gage has called a pack meeting, by the way. Everyone is going to want to hear your story, I’m sure.”
Kat sighed. She should have expected that, she supposed. But damn, she’d really been hoping to talk to Connor privately before discussing anything with the rest of the Pack. Herstory, as Rachel called it, was going to be hard enough to get through without having an audience. Then again, it wasn’t a given that Connor would even want to talk to her. So maybe having his teammates around for the explanation of why she’d been a cat but wasn’t a feline at the moment might actually be a blessing in disguise.
Rachel fell silent after that, giving Kat some much-needed time to collect herself. Her first instinct was to run away the moment they got to the SWAT compound. Bailing on bad situations had worked for her many times in the past, so why not do it now, too? It would almost certainly be easier than attempting to explain everything. The idea of finally sharing the trauma of what had happened to her with people she’d already come to think of as family should have made her feel better, but it only terrified her more.
Sooner than she would have liked, Cooper pulled into the parking lot of the compound. Kat took a deep breath. If she was going to walk away, now was the time to do it: before she saw Connor again and lost her courage.
But the moment she stepped out of the SUV, Khaki Blake came running out of the training building, a bewildered expression on her face, and Kat knew her chance to escape—if she even wanted to—was gone.
