“Logan, no!” Kadence shouted.
Elyse’s fingers slid across the door as she tried to keep her rising panic under control while fumbling with the knob. She got the door open a crack, but before she could flee, a heavy weight shoved her against it.
“No!” she screamed as the door slammed shut and a hand entwined in her hair.
Lifting her elbow, she spun and smashed it into Logan’s nose, but it didn’t do any good as his fangs snapped at her. Gone was the calm man she initially met, and in his place was a bloodthirsty demon who would tear out her throat.
She had not survived months with the Savages to die now! She kicked him in the shin, but a mouse would have had more effect against an elephant as he yanked back her hair to expose her throat.
A chair crashed against his back; splinters of wood flew through the air as it shattered. Holding what remained of the chair, Kadence lifted it and bashed it against the back of Logan’s knees. His legs buckled, but he didn’t go completely down as his grip on her hair helped keep him standing.
Simone landed a solid blow against his jaw, knocking his head to the side and loosening his grip on Elyse’s hair. Grasping her hair, Elyse felt it tear free of her scalp as she yanked the rest of it from him. Before he could completely recover, Elyse planted her foot on his chest and shoved him away from the door.
When he lurched for her again, Kadence gripped his arm, and though he had a hundred pounds on her, she dragged him away from the door. Logan thrashed against her hold and broke free as Elyse flung open the door and plunged outside. Her feet thudded against the porch, and she skipped the steps by leaping to the walkway.
Duncan was out of the SUV and coming toward her before she reached it. She skidded to a halt in front of him and tilted her head back to take in the giant. She’d known he was a giant in the SUV, but now he towered over her.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“Logan’s awake!” she exclaimed, her breath pluming in front of him.
Duncan frowned at her before his mouth parted and understanding dawned. “Get in the SUV.”
Placing his hand on her back, he pushed her toward the vehicle and opened the door. Elyse scrambled into the driver’s seat, and he slammed the door behind her. It wouldn’t do any good, but she hit the button to lock all the doors.
“What’s going on?” Saber asked, sounding bored.
“Logan’s awake,” she said.
“That’s not good.”
Elyse turned to face him. “What’s going to happen?”
“He has to feed, and human blood is the only thing that will get him through the rest of the transition.”
“But I’m the only human around.”
“Sucks for you.”
Elyse glared at him, but his gaze was focused on his knife as he wiped it with a cloth. She’d never seen anything like that knife. It had two honed blades that were at least six inches long on each end. The blades had a watery design on them and were joined in the middle by a steel handle with strange etching on it. A silver band stretched over the handle in an arc. From that, an inch-long third point rose from the weapon.
She’d never seen anything so unnerving and beautiful. “Whatisthat thing?”
“This?” When he lifted it, the sun caused the steel to gleam in the light. “It’s a triple-bladed haladie knife made from Damascus steel.”
“It’s… it’s beautiful?”
She couldn’t decide what it was. It was beautiful, but there was also something hideous about it. How many lives had it taken? Her gaze shifted to Saber’s profile as he returned to polishing the weapon. She’d almost preferred to be in the cabin with a ravenous Logan than in this suddenly too small SUV with this pitiless man.
The door of the cabin banged open, and she turned to find Logan charging down the porch stairs. Kadence and Simone followed him out the door, but he was already on the walkway. Blood seeped from his lips and trickled down his chin from where his fangs had sliced through his flesh.
Duncan planted himself in front of the SUV, and when Logan went to the right to dodge him, Duncan seized his shoulder and yanked him back. Logan thrashed in his hold; the animalistic sounds he emitted caused the hair on her nape to rise as he clawed at the air.
The Savages had never been this mindless or terrifying. Hunger was the only emotion in Logan’s fiery eyes as spittle flew from his mouth.
“Interesting,” Saber murmured.
Elyse had an overwhelming urge to punch him. She didn’t see what was so interesting about someone wanting toeather. Logan lunged against Duncan, and the giant stumbled back.
