Everyoneturned back to me. “Go easy, they’re fragile.”
Earlgave me a grin and twisted his mustache. “It’s on.”
*
Therewas a football field at the high school in Welches. We were still technically onMount Hood but farther away from our homes. One of our wolves worked as a coachfor the school and opened up the locker rooms for us, which had everything weneeded.
Isat on the bleachers looking out onto the game. It was the fourth quarter and thehumans were winning. This was doing exactly what I had intended, boosting morale.Even though we were playing humans against wolves, the two teams were smilingand high-fiving each other after good plays. There was respect growing. We wereshowing them that we were like them. Max, drenched in sweat with a stonyexpression on his face, pulled the wolf team into a huddle. I saw Tara on thesidelines checking him out and it made me smile. Who knew a simple game offootball could make everything screwed up in the world feel so normal.
“Comeon, Max! Make us proud!” I shouted.
Hesmiled and shook his head, embarrassed, as Earl rounded the corner and steppedup onto the bleachers, taking a seat next to me.
“Thiswas a good idea. We should make it a weekly thing.” He winced as he sat downand straightened his leg.
“Youokay?”
Hewaved me off. “Just getting old. Nothing you will have to worry about.”
Ismiled. True, weird, but true. Max made a touchdown and I jumped up clappingand whistling.
AfterI sat back down, Earl leaned into me. “You know, it’s been months since the incidentwith the vampire queen.”
Irubbed my neck. Incident. Yeah, where she bit me in a bid to get pregnant.
“Myguys are getting antsy for action. Raiding the clubs is good, but we want totake her out.” He had the fine lines around his eyes and mouth that told of ahappy life, lots of laughter. I liked Earl. He was a good guy I didn’t want todisappoint him.
Imet his gaze straight on. “You have no idea how bad I want that. I promise wewill get her. We’ve got a new lead. When Kai gets back, we will call a meetingto discuss it.” I placed an arm on his shoulder and he nodded.
Istood again and hollered in excitement as Max scored another touchdown. Earlchuckled, but before I could sit back down, his face froze in horror and hiseyes fixed on my chest. What the …? Suddenly, his hand reached out and pushedme hard. I fell backward and cracked my head on the metal bleachers as a sharppain sliced into my leg. Looking down, I saw at least five red sniper dotsfollowing me. Shit!
“Go!”Earl shouted as I rolled onto my tummy and started to army crawl across thefloor of the metal bench. I was wedged into the small space and extremelyexposed. What the hell was going on? The sound of snapping bullets hurt myears. My head filled with a symphony of chaos, screaming, roaring, wolvesshifting.
‘Kai,I’ve been shot. We’re under attack.’His meeting was in Portland, but the mate bond was strong, so I hoped he’dheard me. Earl groaned behind me and I turned to look back at him. He was slumpedover, flat on the bench floor, red laser dots lined all over his back. Oh,shit! He was human; there was no way he could come back from that. Earl waspack as far as I was concerned.
“No!”I jumped up, ignoring the searing pain in my leg, and threw myself over him asbullets riddled my back instead of his.
Gettingshot is exactly as you think it will be. Hurts like hell and does a good job ofcutting open your insides. I couldn’t breathe; what little breath I could takewas hard and rattled like water in my chest.
Iheard Max roar, “RAIDOS! In the trees!”
Themilitia returned RAIDOS’ fire with gunfire of our own. Then, strong arms werearound me and I felt someone pick me up off of Earl, who was alive and lookingat me like I was a ghost. I didn’t feel pain anymore, just cold. Mist wasleaking out of my skin like air from a balloon with a small hole in it.
Max’sface suddenly came into view. “You’re not allowed to die on me, Aurora!” hescreamed.
Ifelt him rip my shirt off and press something hard to my back. A painful screamtore from my throat as the pressure on my back caused me agony. RAIDOS. Yes, ofcourse they wanted me dead. Vampire baby-making problem solved. Dammit,couldn’t a girl just watch a football game in peace?
Myeyelids were fluttering. It was so cold. How cliché but true, you got supercold when you were dying. I was dying, right? Werewolves regenerated, but wealso died of blood loss. By the looks of Max’s clothes, which were drippingwith my blood, I was a goner. When I thought I couldn’t stay awake any longer,a sudden burst of energy flooded my body.
Kai.
‘I’mcoming! Keep talking to me,’Kai told me but I was too sleepy.
‘Bloodloss.’My thoughts weren’t workingright. More power flooded me. Alpha power. Kai was giving me all that he had.
Ilooked up at Max. His eyes were wild, face streaked with blood. “If I die, youcan be second again,” I joked with a slurred voice.
Hisretort was garbled as he reached out and smacked my face hard, making mydrooping eyelids fly open. I tried. I tried so damn hard to stay awake and keeptalking but in the end, I failed.
