Page 176 of My Undead Love Life

She lunged again anyway.

His second shot struck her forehead, and her body collapsed into the snow.

Branches snapped above us as bullets tore through them. Wood splintered. Snow rained down from the canopy.

Keith fired again.

A man with a revolver jerked backward and dropped.

“To your right!” Mad barked.

Luck pivoted and fired toward someone trying to circle behind us. The shot missed as the stranger raised his rifle. I saw the barrel swing toward Oxi.

“No!” I tried to push up, but Keith shoved me flat again. His M-4 cracked beside my ear.

The man fell before he could pull the trigger.

The last woman ran toward me and Keith. Her face was twisted with rage, hatchet raised over her shoulder.

Mad was too far left, and Keith was changing his angle.

I reached for my katana, but it had fallen several feet away.

Oxi stepped into her path and drove his sword through her chest.

She stopped so suddenly her boots slid beneath her. “How?” Blood spewed from her mouth.

“You touched the woman we love.” Oxi pulled the blade free, and she folded into the snow.

My breath came too quickly beneath Keith’s weight. Snow drifted down from the branches, landing on our coats, weapons, hair, and open eyes.

Seven bodies lay scattered across the path. Fresh red blood spread beneath them, soaking into the snow in wide, uneven stains.

It was over…almost as fast as it had begun.

Keith pushed himself off me and dropped to his knees beside me. His mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear him at first. My ears were ringing too loudly.

My gaze stayed fixed on the tall man. The man I had killed. He had collapsed on his side several feet away. One hand remained pressed to his throat. Blood had seeped between his fingers before his heart stopped pumping it. His eyes were wide open.

“Look at me, wildflower.” Keith’s voice broke through the ringing.

I blinked and dragged my gaze toward him. His blue eyes moved frantically over my face, neck, coat, and arms. One gloved hand cradled the side of my head while the other checked my shoulder where the man had grabbed me.

“I’m okay,” I said quickly.

Oxi appeared beside him, dropping into a crouch. Blood marked the blade in his hand and streaked one sleeve, but he didn’t seem to notice. “You sure, snowfire?”

I nodded. “I’m not hurt.”

Luck crouched on Keith’s other side. His face was pale. His pistol remained clutched in his hand, muzzle pointed toward the ground. “Slayer,” he whispered. “You don’t look okay.”

“I’m okay.”

Oxi’s gaze dropped to my hands. “Your hands are shaking.”

I looked down. A thin tremor ran through my fingers. Blood coated my glove and had frozen in dark streaks near my wrist. The shaking worsened once I noticed it. “I’m fine,” I insisted.

Keith caught my wrist gently but firmly. His thumb pressed against my pulse as if he needed to feel it for himself. “Hey,” he murmured. “Breathe.”