I jump at the sound of a bullet ricocheting off the doorknob. The guard throws his weight into the door and after his third attempt, the ladder slips. Esmé pounces on him, thrusting the broom handle into his eye. As the second guard jumps out to grab me, I brace myself and ram into his knees with the ladder. Esmé delivers a swift kick to his head and reaches for his gun. The guard bucks her off, while another seizes her arms.
“Run,” she pleads hoarsely. Dustin ascends the stairs, firing a bullet straight through her temple.
I take flight, sprinting so fast I think my lungs might just catch fire.
Chapter 46
AXE
Sixteen hours of speeding down the coast, and not once did my thoughts stray from her.
As twilight recedes, we abandon the vans a quarter mile out, near the forest edge. With every step, my pulse grows more erratic. But I bring the anger to heel, hammering it down to a state of lethal precision.
On a cool breeze, the scent of my mate at last finds its way to me. My wolf pants eagerly.She’s here she’s here she’s here!
Our ears perk up at sound of a fire alarm. I raise my fist, halting the three assimilated teams. Fuck. There goes the element of surprise.
Making a chopping motion with my right arm, I signal to the others to up the pace. Once again, my wolf stirs, sensing death and decay—a sure indicator that vampires are on the premises. With only an hour at most before sunrise, at this point, they’ll be forced to remain onsite.
We’re forced to halt a second time when we hear a zooming object whoosh above the yard. A drone. One of Qinnu’s warriors cocks his weapon, lining up the shot. I’m there in a flash, swatting down the barrel.
“Disengage,” I bark at him. “The sound will blow our cover.”
“Watch this.” Demi smirks, reaching for her crossbow. When the drone sweeps back around for its second lap, she fires into the line of orbit, obliterating the device.
On my cue, the teams spring into action. Chris and Jabir take off first. Then Demi and Dominik, who will infiltrate the second floor. Qinnu’s men shift into wolf form, breaking off to hold the outer barrier while my squad storms through the main level entrance with a line of foot soldiers.
I hold my position as my men hurl bricks through the glass. Then we charge. Only one guard holds the main line, who fires straight at me. Taking the hit in the chest, I tumble and roll onto my side as my partner tackles him and ends him with a single slice of his blade.
To my surprise, three cloaked men burst through the ceiling panels and descend. I pull myself up, using the heel of my gun to lay into them. But not quickly enough to deflect their pointed silver throwing stars. Two of them sink into my comrades’ arms, momentarily disarming them.
I tilt my rifle to the ceiling, where another yellow-eyed vampire hangs overhead, bringing him down with a thud. Claws rake down my cheek as his partner wrestles me to the ground, latching onto my weapon. With a snarl, I smack my helmet into his nose and ram him into the desk, pinning him there as I empty a mag of silver into his stomach.
The sharpshooter pulls the serrated star from his arm and throws it in the direction of the retreater. Whizzing past, it finds the target, sticking him in the back of the neck. But the bloodsucker doesn’t let up. Together, we pursue him through the hall. As he flees, more reinforcements burst out of the entryway. The pull of my trigger eliminates them before they have a chance to draw their own guns.
Just as another vampire turns the corner, a Silverback wolf bursts through the window, latching onto the creature. His jawssink deep into his neck, shaking him back and forth like a ragdoll. The vampire thrusts his throwing star into the beast’s nose, emitting a nasty snarl. But the wolf doesn’t spit him out. He holds him steady, long enough for me to jam a silver dagger into his chest.
“Where is your master?” I roar.
Vessa
Locating a window nearby, I bolt into the next examination room, swearing under my breath because it’s mostly empty. I’m faced with two inconvenient options. Dart back into the hallway or wiggle this window open. Below, I can see the balcony attached to the dining hall.
A series ofbangsring out.
I’ll have to risk the drop. Adrenaline taking over, I raise my heels and open the latch, stepping lightly as I swing myself over the barrier.
When my feet touch down on the wrought-iron surface, I peer into the cafeteria, keeping my eyes open for the possibility of a more tactical weapon. But I only spot the bodies of several girls, laid face down. My heart sinks when I find the familiar shoulder birthmark belonging to Fawn.
Oh, Gods. Not her, too.
Nimbly, I tiptoe over to check and see if she’s still breathing. My hand brushes her cold cheek. She’s gone. Before I can stifle a sob, I jump back at the commencement of rapid gunfire on the floor below. Those are big guns. Assault rifles.
I can’t let myself linger here. Picking up the pace, I dart into the kitchen. Only to have my feet swept out from underneath me.
One of the heavyset guards slips his knee between my thighs, pinning me down. Tearing the handkerchief away, he stuffs it into my mouth, unbothered by my pounding fists. I kick and writhe with all my strength, but he doesn’t budge. He’s practically the size of Axe.
Axe! Where are you?
