She didn’t have time to aim, so she simply slapped her cheek to the stock and moved the rear of the weapon down until she was staring directly at the oncoming hybrids, then squeezed the trigger.
She discovered the hard way that she was on full auto, but while there was a solid thump-thump-thump against her shoulder, the rifle didn’t jump around too much. Even better, the rounds she fired hit where she’d aimed, and the hybrid in front crashed to the ground.
One of the two remaining hybrids charged her, but his friend slowed long enough for her to get the first one, then shift over to pop the one who was having doubts. Knowing there were only a few rounds left in the magazine, she dropped it and put in a fresh one as she scanned the camp for more hybrids. Thankfully, there weren’t any.
Kendra chambered a round, then spun to point the rifle at Marcus. Maybe she could get a clean shot at the big hybrid and put a quick end to this.
But that hope died quickly. Declan and Marcus were going at each other like a couple of deranged werebeasts, twisting and turning across the ground one moment, clawing and pounding at one another the next. She was too terrified of hitting Declan to even try and take a shot.
She’d seen a lot of shifters—and a lot of hybrids, too—fight, but none of them could match the pure, unbridled rage and violence of what she was seeing now. Declan and Marcus pounded and clawed at each other like something out of a prehistoric movie, growling and roaring at each other so loud the entire jungle had to hear them. She cringed as ribbons of blood hit the ground. Even if Declan lived through the fight, she wasn’t sure he’d survive all the punishment he was taking.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. But there was nothing she could do, except wait and pray she’d get a chance to take a shot.
Kendra was just lifting the weapon to her cheek again when she heard the sounds of fighting on the far side of the camp. That had to be Tate, Brent, and Gavin. Who else would be willing to fight with a whole camp full of hybrids?
She opened her mouth to tell Declan that help was on the way, but he and Marcus smashed right through the side of a building. Crap.
Kendra looked over her shoulder again, wishing someone would come running around one of the buildings right that second. But they didn’t. She was the only help Declan was going to get. She tightened her grip on her weapon and headed for the building and the fight inside.
Kendra got there just in time to see Marcus grab a huge computer monitor and smash it against Declan’s shoulder. Declan barely noticed it. He simply lunged forward and raked his long claws across the hybrid’s chest. Marcus ignored the pain the same way Declan had and brought his fist down on Declan’s shoulder. It was hard to be sure over the growling, but Kendra swore she heard something break.
How long could a shifter, even one as strong as Declan, keep fighting at such a savage pace before he slipped up and let a fatal strike slip through? Kendra didn’t know, and she didn’t want to find out.
She darted behind a heavy desk and got her weapon into position. The time was coming when she was going to have to make a decision. She could keep praying that Declan would be able to end the fight without her getting involved, or take a shot she was uncertain she could make.
Chapter 14
Angelo jumped over a dead hybrid to get to Ivy, intent on making good on his promise to Landon about protecting her, and found Tanner, who was still in the grips of his own hybrid rage, stepping in front of Ivy just as three hybrids advanced on her. Angelo dropped to one knee, raised his M4 to his shoulder, and started taking slow, careful shots at the snarling monsters.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Ivy demanded, squeezing off a three-round burst over Angelo’s head. “Get out of my way!”
“Fall back to the wall!” Angelo yelled over his shoulder. “Tanner and I will give you time to get to safety.”
Ivy kept shooting over his head. “You stupid ass. Landon told you to do this, didn’t he?”
“He never said a word,” Angelo shouted. “Now hurry up and go. Carter’s injured, and Butler and