Two of the creatures peeled off, heading his way. Carter spun around in a half circle, looking for Hadley, trying to follow her scent, but was forced to give up as the two spawn reached him. Instinctively, he reached for the M4 on his back, quickly changing his mind when he saw all the hostages scrambling out of the empty pool and scattering everywhere. There were too many innocent people around to risk using a weapon in here.
He extended his claws, stepping to the left to engage the closest spawn, one of the escapees from Coffield. But his concentration was shattered when Hadley’s voice called out his name, jerking his attention toward the far side of the pool in time to see Strickland dragging her out of the room, terror frozen on her face.
Growling low and deep, Carter leaped forward, slashing his right hand toward the closest spawn, slicing four lines across his chest and driving him back a few steps. Then he kicked out with his right leg, catching the injured skinwalker in the gut, sending him flying backward until he tumbled into the swimming pool.
But those few seconds of distraction left Carter open to the second spawn’s attack, who came at him fast with glazed eyes and jaws open wide. Before Carter could even think about moving, those jaws were clamping down on his right forearm, and teeth that shouldn’t have been that strong were sinking all the way down to the bone.
The pain was beyond anything Carter had ever experienced. It was like his entire arm had been doused in acid. His first instinct was to try and yank his arm out of the spawn’s jaws, but he knew he’d likely lose the limb if he did that.
Resisting the urge to pull away, Carter instead resorted to punching the creature, driving his left fist into the skinwalker’s face over and over until enough bones were broken that the thing was forced to let go. Before the spawn could clamp down on his arm again, Carter slashed out with the claws from his left hand and then his right. The left did more damage since he could barely move his injured right arm. He was still able to tear up the skinwalker’s face and left shoulder severely, hopefully enough to put the creature out of the fight.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened. Instead, the spawn took a step back, shook itself like he was a little dizzy, and then charged forward again, ignoring the bleeding wounds Carter had just inflicted. Having no other choice, Carter reached for the M4 still slung over his back, leveling it at the spawn while clicking off the safety at the same time.
“Stop now or I will fire,” Carter growled, his law enforcement training forcing him to make the statement even if he knew the skinwalker spawn was way too far gone to hear the words or understand them.
Carter put three rounds in the spawn’s chest, causing him to tumble backward until he fell to the floor inches from the edge of the pool. He hated doing it, doubting the escaped con had even known what he was getting into with Strickland.
He started to go after Hadley and Strickland when movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see the spawn he’d shot climbing smoothly to his feet.
Shit.
Three rounds through the chest and the thing wasn’t dead. Maybe they should have asked Kamden for more details on how tough these spawns were.
At a scream from Hadley, Carter jerked his head that way, his omega reminding him that it had been at least a minute since Strickland had dragged her away.
“Carter, go!” Mike shouted from across the room and Carter glanced over to see his three pack mates and Knox fighting the rest of the spawn while Turner and his marshals were busy trying to corral up the hostages. “We got this! Go get your mate!”
Carter turned, berating himself for wasting time while his soul mate was in danger, while at the same time, he feared the consequence of leaving his pack mates behind. But he had to get to Hadley before it was too late.
He’d barely taken a step forward when a heavy weight slammed down onto his shoulders, driving him to the marble floor, strong fingers wrapping around his neck from behind.
Shoving his hands against the floor, Carter managed to roll over, throwing the spawn off him before he choked to death. He scrambled up, realizing the creature who’d landed on him was the one he’d kicked into the empty pool. The creature looked positively rabid, his jaw unhinged and hanging low as he darted forward to sink his oversized teeth into Carter’s bloody arm again.
Carter brought his M4 up, turning it sideways and shoving it forward just in time. The spawn’s teeth slammed closed on the magazine and receiver group, crushing both of them. Giving up on ever using his M4 again, Carter pulled the 9mm from the holster on his hip, putting two rounds in the spawn’s chest before shoving him back over the edge of the pool. Somehow, he doubted the creature would remain down there very long.
Turning his back on the fight still going on around the pool, Carter ran into the wide corridor outside the room, trusting his instincts to lead him in the right direction. If he got turned around in these dark, confusing hallways, it was all over.
Carter hesitated when he passed the open door of some kind of storeroom, his nose assaulted by the smell of chlorine mixed with Hadley’s scent. But while his mate might have been in there before, she wasn’t in there now.
As Carter continued tracking Strickland and Hadley, he heard Knox’s voice over his radio earbud, asking if Gage was close with backup support. “We’re getting overrun here.”
“We’re still fifteen minutes out,” Gage’s voice came back in reply.
Carter hesitated, knowing the next voice over the radio would almost certainly be Mike, telling him to come back to support them.
But it wasn’t Mike’s voice he heard. It was Kat’s.
“Karissa, get in there to help. I can handle things here.”
“I’m on the way,” Karissa said. “I’ll be there in sixty seconds.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Carter took off after Hadley again, following her scent as best he could, hoping his omega continued to work with him until they could find her.
If it wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Stop dragging your feet!” Strickland snarled, yanking Hadley’s arm so hard she was sure he’d dislocate her shoulder. “I intended to take my time with you but if you force my hand, I have no problem treating you like fast food right here in the hallway and walk in your skin until I find someone else just as intriguing. So, don’t push me.”
