Page 49 of Moonlight & Mayhem

Moon knew the second Mayhem moved that she had made a mistake. She should never have said the words out loud. Christmas is going to die. Mayhem was already running before Moon could grab him, ignoring the stitches in his side, the poison in his blood, and the fact that shifting again could kill him.

“Mayhem!” He didn’t stop—of course he didn’t. Moon swore and ran after him.

Tempest was right behind her. “How sure are you?” her Prez demanded.

“I don’t know,” Moon admitted.

“That’s not good enough,” Tempest hissed.

“I know what I saw.” Another explosion shook the clubhouse, and the walls trembled. Something crashed in the main room behind them, followed by a chorus of shouts. Moon nearly lost her footing, but Tempest caught her arm.

“Move,” her Prez shouted. They reached the back hallway just as smoke began curling beneath the door leading toward the lot.

Mayhem grabbed the handle, and Moon slapped his hand away. “No.”

He stared at her. “Chris is out there.”

“So is fire,” she reminded. “Move,” she ordered.

“You move.” His eyes flashed wolf, and Moon’s did too.

Tempest shoved between them. “Both of you, shut the hell up.” She grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and looked at Moon. “You stay behind me.” Moon opened her mouth, and Tempest pointed at her. “Do not make me pull rank on you right now.”

Moon closed her mouth as Mayhem muttered, “Good luck with that.”

Tempest glared at him. “You’re not exempt from her order.” The rear door opened, and heat rolled inside. Moon lifted an arm across her face. The back lot had become chaos. One of the storage sheds was on fire. Flames climbed the wooden frame and reached toward the black sky, painting everything orange. Two motorcycles lay on their sides near the fence, one burning. Smoke rolled across the pavement.

Dark Chaos women rushed between buildings, carrying extinguishers and dragging hoses. Silverfang brothers had shifted and were moving along the perimeter to protect them. Moon searched desperately, shouting her VP’s name. “Chris!” There was no answer, and her wolf clawed against her skin. “Christmas!”

Mayhem pointed toward the far side of the lot. “There!” Moon followed his hand. Chrome was on his knees beside the fence, and Chris lay beneath him, not moving. The vision slammed back into Moon—snow, blood, and Chris crying. The shadowed man behind her said: She’s going to die.

“No.” Moon ran towards Chris.

“Moon!” Tempest shouted. She ignored her. This was what she did—she healed, and she saved people. Christmas was one of hers, and she’d do whatever she had to do to save her sister.

Moon dropped beside Chrome. “What happened?”

His face was covered in blood. It wasn’t his but Chris’s. “She was thrown when the second blast hit.”

“Move,” Moon ordered. Chrome didn’t, and Moon shoved his shoulder. “Chrome, move!” His eyes snapped to hers, and for the first time since Moon had met the Silverfang Enforcer, he looked scared—actually scared.

“She’s not breathing,” he said.

Moon’s heart dropped. “Move,” she shouted again. This time, he did. Moon immediately put two fingers to Chris’s neck, feeling for a pulse, but found none. Damn it.” She tilted Chris’s head back. “Tempest,” she shouted. Her Prez was there seconds later. Moon began compressions. “One, two, three⁠—”

“What do you need?” Tempest asked.

“Medical bag,” Moon ordered. Mayhem was already moving, running back to the clinic for her bag. Moon kept counting. Chris’s chest rose and fell beneath Moon’s hands, but there was no response.

Chrome crouched beside them. “Chris.”

Moon ignored him. “Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen⁠—”

“Christmas,” Chrome said. Again.

Moon snapped, “Chrome, shut up.” He looked at her. “I need to be able to hear,” she said.

“Hear what?” he asked.