Chapter 7
Adare jolted, the adrenaline flooding his system seeming to coagulate in his brain as he looked into the barrel of his own gun. Grace held the weapon high, her face unnaturally pale and the pupils of her eyes all but swallowing up the color of her irises. She looked small and determined against the tree with the wind whipping her hair around wildly and snow covering her from head-to-toe.
“Don’t make me shoot you,” she whispered, her voice shaking even more than her hands. She might just shoot him by accident if she didn’t calm down.
The Kurjans were advancing, and he didn’t have time for this. “Put the weapon down.”
“No.” Regret crossed her face and her shoulders went back. “I’ll try not to hit your brain.”
He turned and fired at a Kurjan who crossed around the burning heap that had been Adare’s SUV. The soldier scrambled back for cover. “Grace? It took us three years to finally find one of the Cyst strongholds.” It was easier to find the Kurjans, but to win this war, they needed to take out the Cyst faction of the Kurjan force. “If they get you, we might never find you.”
She somehow turned even paler, and a thin blue vein showed above her left eyebrow. “Just do your best. I have to do this.”
If she thought he was going to allow her to walk over to the Cyst enemy and disappear, she was crazier then he’d feared.
“It’s the only plan that might work,” Jacqueline hissed, two of her teeth missing.
Benny groaned and one of his bones popped loudly into place. He turned and fired toward the enemy with his good hand. “We’ll never find her again, so no plan there. You guys run up the mountain and get as far as you can. I’ll hold them off.”
Adare quickly calculated the odds. There was only one answer. “Jacki? You have to shift. Take Grace and get to safety.” As a cougar, Jacki would be faster than even the Cysts. He and Benny would fight these bastards as long as they could.
Jacki growled but set her gun down and shrugged out of her heavy jacket.
Adare knew the instant Grace made up her mind. She fired, and he ducked, charging her and securing the gun before he pinned her against the tree with one hand around her neck. The woman had shot at him. Actually aimed for his head.
Benny growled in pain behind him.
“Benny,” Grace gasped, struggling against Adare’s hold.
Adare partially turned to see a wound spurting blood from Benny’s neck. Had Grace’s bullet hit him when Adare ducked? The hybrid’s eyes swirled a deep metallic bronze as he slowly healed the hole, the side of his face still abnormally bumpy.
Grace slapped ineffectually at Adare’s hands. “Benny, I’m so sorry.”
Adare leaned in, fury making his skin burn. “I’ll deal with you later, mate.” He turned and fired with both guns, shielding her with his body.
Jacki moved away as far as she could and her bones cracked as she began to shift. Adare covered Grace with his body as further explosions sounded, pushing him even harder against her. His ears rang, but he partially turned to find Jacki padding their way, her fur a tawny brown against the snow. She opened her mouth to reveal long canines and the gap of two missing teeth. One was already growing back in.
Bullets struck the branches above him, snow rained down, and an icicle cut down his temple. The smell of his own blood centered him.
“Grace, you’re going to have to get on and hold on as hard as you can.” He grabbed her biceps and shook her. “Lean low and make yourself the smallest target possible.”
She shook her head, snow falling on her face. “We have a better chance if we’re all here fighting. Two against that many isn’t a good idea.” She tried to pull away from him and failed, her gloved hands pushing against his chest. “This is my fault, and I’m not leaving you to die because of me.”
“I’m not asking,” he growled. If he knocked her out, she wouldn’t be able to hold on to Jacki. He could just put her onto the moving cougar so she’d have to hold on. But there was a chance the stubborn female would just let herself fall off so she could turn around and sacrifice herself to the Cyst. There was only one other option. He looked over his shoulder. “Benny? You wearing a belt?”
Grace gasped and leaned away from him, not getting far with the tree at her back.
“Yeah.” Benny yanked a huge brown belt from his jeans while shooting simultaneously with his free hand. He tossed it over.
Adare ripped his from his waist. “I’ll knock your ass out and tie you to the cougar if you don’t get on.” He meant every word.
The snow lashed them, while the wind knifed through his coat. The Cyst and Kurjans had fanned out, advancing rapidly, even though Benny kept up a steady barrage of bullets. He hit a Kurjan in the head and the bastard went down hard.
The cougar growled in warning, its canines dropping low. The longer she waited to run, the more exposed she’d be to the Kurjans and their bullets.
Grace continued to struggle against Adare.
Regret filled him. He sighed and then tightened his hold on her neck. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed at his arm with both hands, fighting him. He couldn’t bring himself to knock her out. “I will cut off your air, Grace. I don’t want to, but it’s going to happen. Obey me.”
