The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,56

turning to Vaughn. “Stop it! You’re killing them both!”

The Plague Doctor surely heard him, but he said nothing, his hand outstretched as the other two ghouls writhed on the floor.

Andrew fired three rounds into Vaughn’s back, but it didn’t even seem to phase him.

Ronnie eyed the machete on the floor and dropped his gun to lunge for it. That got Vaughn’s attention. Before Ronnie could get to his feet, the Plague Doctor was on him, his hand wrapped around his throat. Ronnie gasped for air as those hands closed around his neck, leaving deep indentations. It was the panic and tightness in his chest that overwhelmed him most, memories he’d kept locked away in the back of his mind for years choosing the most inopportune time to surface.

He forced them back again, straining against the other ghoul until the tip of the machete was against Vaughn’s throat. Colt and Peter were both still crippled in agony, so it was clear multitasking was no problem for him.

Ronnie kept pushing with all his insufficient strength until the blade dug into the ghoul’s paper-thin skin and a trickle of black blood ran down the edge and onto Ronnie’s cheek. Andrew appeared behind Vaughn and grabbed the handle of the blade along with the tip, pulling back hard enough that it dug into his palm.

The moment the other ghoul’s grip loosened, Ronnie gasped for breath. Vaughn spun around, slicing deeper into his own neck as he threw Andrew across the room. The human hit the wall like a rag doll and went limp as he slid to the floor.

Ronnie snatched the blade once more, and with his heart pounding like a drum, he swung out at the same moment Vaughn rushed him. Time seemed to speed up once more as the Plague Doctor’s expression shifted to one of surprise. Not the kind of surprise he’d expect for someone who’d just had a blade run through his neck, but more like he’d just heard a bit of news he wasn’t expecting.

To be fair, Ronnie couldn’t believe it either. Even though the handle of the machete was still tight in his grasp and he could see the clean line running all the way across Vaughn’s neck, he couldn’t believe he’d actually done it.

All at once, Vaughn collapsed to his knees and his head dropped off his body, hitting the floor with a sickly wet thump. Ronnie stared in disbelief, frozen no matter how hard he tried to regain control of his body. Was this some delayed effect of the Plague Doctor’s power, or merely shock?

The sound of movement behind him was enough to jolt him out of his trance. He turned to find Peter getting to his feet, still staggered but faring better than Colt, who seemed only half-conscious.

Ronnie tightened his grip on the machete as he stared the other ghoul down, feeling like a complete coward for trembling in the presence of someone who looked like a child, even if he was a twenty-six-year-old monster in there. Colt wasn’t getting up anytime soon, and while Ronnie could hear Andrew beginning to rouse with a pained groan, he knew he was on his own.

Well, at least he’d go down fighting. That had to count for something, right?

“How interesting,” Peter breathed, his eyes dancing with curiosity as they searched Ronnie, as if they’d only just met each other. “I certainly didn’t see that coming.”

“That makes two of us.” Ronnie’s voice sounded a lot steadier than he’d expected. Given the state of his mind and the way his hand was trembling as it clutched the machete’s grip, he was surprised he was able to form a coherent sentence.

His mother always had said he’d be a smartass ‘til the very end. It looked like that was something else she was right about.

“I’m not going to kill you. Not yet, at least,” Peter said in that lilting, musical voice of his. “Consider it thanks for saving my life.”

“That wasn’t my intention,” Ronnie said before he could stop himself.

Peter smirked. “When my brother wakes, tell him we’ll meet again soon.”

Ronnie was just pumped up enough on adrenaline to be tempted to run after him and try his luck again, but he remembered Colt needed him. The alpha was still clutching his head, muttering something unintelligible. Ronnie struggled to drag Colt’s head and shoulders into his lap.

Ronnie looked up at Andrew, who was finally coming around. “Get Jason. I’ll stay with him.”

The DA nodded, stumbling past them into the hall.

“Colt?” Ronnie cried,