Marcus drew in a long breath and shielded his eyes with his forearm. He ran up to one of the three canisters and kicked it through a shattered windowpane.
As James pulled his gas mask over his head, Marcus dashed to the next canister when he began coughing. Maya started after him, but I grabbed her shirt.
“You’re next in line if something happens to him.” Despite her protests, I held my breath and pushed her out of my way, running toward the last canister.
My eyes watered as I approached it. Even with my mouth closed, the poison tried to seep into my pores, my ears,my nostrils. I grabbed the canister and threw it toward my comrades.
Knowing it wouldn’t cross the threshold, I snatched an arrow from my quiver and shot at the canister. My magic guided the arrow through its cap, propelling it and its wolfsbane through the broken glass.
I squeezed my eyes shut trying to quell the burn and dropped to my knees, gasping for air.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Marcus demanded through coughs from beside me. I heard him drop in front of me. “Joanna, are you okay?”
“Joey!” James was choking now. He must’ve taken off his mask. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he exclaimed, as if scolding a hunter. “You don’t have a clear shot, jackass. And if you hit Joey, I’ll end you myself.” His order to me followed right after. “Joanna, come out now!”
“Of course she’s here.” Malik’s voice. “That’s how badly he’s fucked with her head.”
“Shut the hell up, Malik,” I mumbled. I brushed off Marcus’s hands and rose to my feet on my own. I blinked a few times and had to rub my eyes before I could finally keep them open.
Grace appeared at our side, one of her long, jet-black goddess braids unraveling while she spoke. “What are your friends doing, Joey?” she whispered. “Do they think we’ll keep the device for ourselves?”
In that moment, I realized I had no clue what Marcus told his warriors to explain why he’d returned to the compound without me.
“The cloner’s already on its way to the Bureau, Grace,” I said with a small smile.
Grace didn’t give me one in return; instead, her worried gaze flicked between me and her alpha.
I peered through the shattered glass. “I’m coming out, James. Are you going to shoot me?”
James huffed from up ahead.
I nodded at Grace and turned to leave when Marcus suddenly grabbed my arm. “Let go of me,” I grated out.
He searched my eyes for any hint that he could persuade me to stay and found none. With a pitiful sigh, he dropped his hand.
“James, I swear to you. If any of you shoots the Alpha while I am walking toward you, I will kill them and never speak to you again. Do you understand?”
James blew out an annoyed sigh.
Glass crunched beneath my combat boots as I marched forward, keeping my chin high. But I must admit, as I approached the group of hunters, my heart drummed in my ears. These people were my colleagues. We all bore the same hunter’s mark. But I was probably the only one who’d disgraced hers so royally… And now I faced judgement.
I pushed open the double doors and swallowed at the sight of about thirty hunters removing their gas masks and throwing them to the ground. Most of them fought beside us in the warehouse… That stung like hell.
I soon spotted Greg, the asshole with the silver chain, who’d critically injured one of Maya’s warriors that night. And hiding behind a tall Black hunter with a high top was Rebecca, her red hair blowing in the wind as she avoided my gaze.
James stood with both thumbs hooked into the front of his waistband. “Are you hurt?”
“You mean after you sent wolfsbane flying into the building?” I growled.
“I didn’t know you were in there, Joanna.”
With my bow, I gestured toward the crowd. “Dothey knowwhy they’re here?” My eyes darted from one hunter toanother. “You’re here to fight the pack that has only everhelpedus. Did those two explain that part?” I nodded toward James and Malik. “That it’s because of Blackwood and his warriors that the Bureau has a list of all the supporters of the uprising, which they’ll use to take them down?”
A low rumble of whispers dispersed through the crowd.
“Did they admit to you the reason they’re riskingyourlives is because they don’t approve of my fucking the Alpha?” I threw up my hands exaggeratedly. “But can you blame me? I mean ladies, take a good look at him.”
“Joanna,” Marcus warned.
