Page 64 of UNAwere

Before I can even register the word from Briggs’s mouth, those headlights are coming closer, on our side of the road. I sit up, bracing myself for impact, but he swerves the car, and we go flying, screeching across the highway in a full one-eighty. Briggs pulls his arm away from me, where I didn’t notice it braced across my chest as we flew, and spits out one more curse.

‘Karvers,’ he snarls.

I’m breathing hard. ‘What?’

‘Stay here,’ he orders, opening his door.

‘What?’

‘Stay put, Red,’ he growls at me before slamming the door closed.

I lurch towards the back seat, staring through the back window as his shadow stalks towards the other car. His huge form is framed by their headlights, and I can see he’s already Turned. Four wolves are waiting for him.

He stops and seems to say something.

My heart is pounding in my temples, and all I can hear are my quick gasps of breath. The car’s still running, and it seems to be filling with carbon monoxide. A flood of panic rushes through my veins.

I scramble back towards the passenger seat and put one hand on the door.

I stop, watching the Karvers speak to Briggs in the mirror. I’ll only escalate things if I go out there now.

They seem to speak for ages. I’m worried another car is going to come and crash into us, so I reach over and put on the hazards. When I look back, one of the Karvers lunges for Briggs, thrashing their head as they pin him.

I don’t think.

I’m out of the car and Turned before I even know it, racing towards him. Because all I can think of, in this moment, is him. His safety. His heart, the beating life-blood in his veins. It’s mine, and he’s mine, and no one else can touch him.

I launch myself at the Karver attacking him, and tackle her to the road. She lets out a huff, caught off guard, and thrashes beneath me. But I pin her, full of a rage I’ve never felt before. Full of an instinct that tells me only one thing: kill.

I take her jugular between my teeth and rip. Blood sprays. The metallic, sweet taste of her blood fills my mouth, and she stills beneath me.

I turn back to the other three, snarling.

No one has moved. They’ve all watched me kill this female, backs tensed.

And Briggs. He’s staring at me, chest heaving, his golden eyes blown wide open.

Red…

Touch him again, and you’ll end up like her, I hiss at the other Karvers.

One of them, a brown one, snarls, stepping forward. You were the one Lucia had. You are the alliance gift. But you smell like him.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

They laugh at Briggs. That must hurt.

Shut the fuck up, he snarls.

They sniff the air towards me, laughing again. She smells close, too. Let us put you out of your misery and take her off your hands.

I’ll kill you and everyone you know if you touch her, Briggs growls.

They’re extra protective around this time, the other chuckles.

Mm. This ought to be fun, the brown says.

I growl and lunge before they can. Briggs takes on two – the brown and a small tawny one that yelps as soon as he nips his teeth against their hindquarters. I take the other – a grey, with mottled sandy colours through the coat on their chest.