Reece, in his wolf form, got close to her and started tugging on her with his teeth and then butting into her with his head. She managed to get up to her feet and take a few stumbling steps that eventually turned into a pace that was half stumble, half run. Her legs barely seemed able to hold her weight, but she kept moving through sheer force of will.
Hugh jumped into the back seat of Briana's car, still in his wolf form, while Reece stayed with Delainey the whole time, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to see if her wall of fire had fallen and the wolves were coming after them. The flames were already beginning to die down, shrinking from a wall to scattered patches of fire on the pavement.
He nipped at her heels and pushed her with his nose into the bed of the truck and then hopped up beside her. His paws scrabbled against the metal bed as he pulled himself in, and he immediately positioned himself between Delainey and the warehouse, still on guard.
Delainey closed the back of the hitch of the truck and then banged on the windows. "Go, go, get us out of here!" She pounded her fist against the glass hard enough to make it rattle. Javi took off with Briana following close behind. Tires squealed against asphalt as both vehicles peeled out of the parking lot, leaving rubber marks and the smell of burning brake pads in their wake.
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Javi pulledCole's truck into the parking lot of a small park on the edge of the Hobson University campus.
Neutral territory.
And close to home, which was probably the true reason that Briana had chosen it, since her car had led them there.
Delainey jumped out of the back of the truck. Reece followed after her, still in his wolfie form, and Elise realized he probably needed clothes to change into.
Cole, Nico, Javi, and Aya got out of the car and joined the others who were waiting by two park benches.
Hugh and Reece were both in their wolf forms. While Javi and Cole looked human, the werewolves took one park bench with Reece and Hugh lying on the ground at their feet. The witches took the other.
Elise wasn't sure where she was supposed to go. She and Nico stood between the two park benches, and she didn't want to let go of his hand.
But Serena was in pretty bad shape. Elise rushed to her sister and started pumping healing magic right into her.
"What happened?" Elise asked.
Serena just groaned, in too much pain to talk.
"The damned witch threw herself in front of Hugh instead of letting him take a hit that would have been a minor scratch," Cole said.
Serena groaned again, and then she croaked out her retort. "You can't trust a werewolf not to die at the most inopportune moment."
A smile tugged at Elise’s lips. Her magic had found the worst of the damage to Serena, and it was painful but not complex. After a few minutes, her coven sister was sitting up straight and rolling her head from side to side as she shrugged off the worst of her injuries.
Elise checked on Briana, Aya, and Delainey. Other than a few scratches and a twisted ankle that Briana had been hiding, the witches were all good.
Elise looked over at the wolves. "Do any of you need me to—?" She made a gesture with her hand that she hoped communicated what she meant.
Reece bared his teeth, and Elise was thankful that he was in his wolf form and couldn't speak right now.
"We're good," Cole said.
Nico glared at him.
Cole cleared his throat. "Thank you for offering," he added.
"You're welcome," Elise said, and tried not to feel really awkward.
Cole took his seat with his werewolves, and Elise went right back to standing next to Nico.
Was this how it was going to be from now on, with them stuck in between two worlds, and metaphorically unsure of which lunch table they were supposed to sit at?
She hoped not, but what was she supposed to do?
"Dawson said this wasn't his op," Cole said. "He's usually a little more careful than this, so I'm inclined to believe him."
