“Dante will heal us…”I promised my wolf.
A great breath expanded Vanessa’s chest as I peeked back at her, and a shrilled sound exploded from her throat. The cut-up, bat shriek extended from her mouth in waves, trembling in the air like a war call, until I could see it swaying with her sonar power. The shifters whimpered, many dropping to the ground and writhing in agony.
Stabbing pain coursed through my head, pressure building and making me dizzy until my eardrums burst from the acute attack, blood dripping from my ears just like it did from the Hunters’. Still, my hold on Debbie’s intensified, knowing that above all, I had to shield her.
Kellan fell to his knees, hands trembling while he tried and failed to save himself—blood seeped from between his fingers freely until his eyes rolled back. He crumbled onto the street, his form convulsing while I tried with every ounce of strength that I had to hold on to my sanity.
Shadows rushed from the alley corners and crooks the next second, swirling, and growing in response to the silent command until Dante materialized out of them. D landed between the Hunters and me next.
The guys were here.
The sight of them brought the breath back to my lungs, ending Vanessa’s call.
Unfortunately for us, some of the Hunters jumped back to their feet, now free from the Vampire shriek. Levon, Jeter, and Everett shook their heads to clear them, barking at D like they were rabid animals before they sprang to attack.
The bright sunlight above us dimmed abruptly when D’s arms opened wide, and then he slammed his hands together. What seemed like a ring of light exploded from him, blowing Levon, Jeter, and Everett back. The Hunters didn’t get up again.
Had he really done that? I tried to focus my sight, but it just blurred even more, nausea stirring my stomach. That couldn’t be right. Surely, I was seeing things.
Turning, D ran towards his sister’s side, and I quickly realized that Dante was kneeling before me—apparently calling to me.
He gently cradled my face, his hands dripping with my blood when he pulled them back, and barely contained, simmering fury mixed with agony swirled within his bottomless eyes. He tried to speak to me, but his voice couldn’t reach me.
At that moment, I recognized that I, too, had collapsed to the ground—with Debbie still in my arms. Slowly blinking, I glanced down at the sweet woman. She had fainted, but her ears were fine, no blood to be found. I, however, wasn’t so lucky.
I tried to get up, but the Dark Witch stopped me, his face spinning before my gaze. My entire body felt numb and achingly weak, as though I’d been hit by a massive fist, and all energy had been stolen from me.
Vanessa’s power was far worse than I could have imagined.
Threatening darkness unexpectedly engulfed Dante’s eyes and he whirled around to reveal Ivara jumping toward us, ready for the kill. She had no idea what she had done. A wave of shadows surged from his palm, passing over her wolf form like flameless fire. Her eyes widened in terror as the wave overcame her being, leaving nothing but dwindling ashes in the wind—not a scream to be heard.
She was justgonefrom this earth.Did he really kill her?
Gasping, I glanced at the Dark Witch and tried to make sense of what my struggling senses had witnessed.
“I got you, Cuore mio…”Dante’s sensual voice somehow echoed inside my mind, his gentle touch returning.
His familiar and comforting darkness swaddled my being, soothing every inch of me and reminding me I was safe with him.
“I knew you would,” I replied, lost in his once again green eyes—or at least I tried, because I couldn’t even hear my voice.
Glancing over his shoulder, he spoke to someone, and Ralf rushed towards us. Carefully picking up Debbie, he took her into the diner before D joined us, seeming as distraught as Dante was with the sight of me. He carried a seriously injured Vanessa, who fought to stay conscious while she looked at me, her pained expression saying she was overwhelmed with guilt.
“It was not your fault…” I murmured.
Without hesitation, Dante gently lifted me into his arms, securing me against his strong chest. His delicious scent filtered into my nose, the heat of his body seeping into me through his clothes. Part of me wished the suit was gone, and I couldn’t even blame my wolf for it, because I wanted to press my cheek to his bare chest and feel him skin-to-skin as badly as she did.
Still, right now, she was hurting from the attack too.
“I can certainly arrange that.”Dante’s voice assured in my mind, and he smirked down at me, gaze pained, right before my eyes fell closed against my will.
The warmth of Dante’s chest sinfully radiated into my cheek when lucidity returned to me. His strong arms cradled me, his body flushing against mine and making my wolf melt inside me—she had a massive crush on the Dark Witch, even if he wasn’t a Wolf Shifter. I would have thought she’d be the expert in mating,but I didn’t even care anymore because I couldn’t deny that I wanted him too.
Slowly, I opened my eyes to find the room completely shrouded in darkness. “Please tell me I didn’t pass out for long.”
A feeling akin to torture captured Dante’s gaze and his chest tightened under my cheek. “It’s been almost four days.”
I forced myself to take a calming breath with the memory of the attack, tilting my head to look up at him. “How did they find me?”
