behind, I matched him stride for stride as we raced around the building, another benefit of my mating marks and the magic they’d unleashed. I now had supernatural speed, and it felt incredible.
“I know the whistle sequences,” I yelled. We were close enough for me to see the demon flailing at the cage’s dimming lights, the enchanted energy failing.
Zane halted, handing me our last hope. “No closer. Try it from here.”
Three long blasts through a little silver cylinder and it would be over.
Finally, something simple.
***
Chapter 50
The metal felt cool, even comforting, secured in the ring of my lips.
I breathed in and readied myself to blow.
That’s when the mystically-warded enclosure collapsed, right along with David and his men, their magic spent.
Hell on earth had been merely a terrifying theory until the demon erupted from its cell with such force the ground trembled.
The first line of defense went down in its initial rampage; a significant number of our mutant comrades were crushed underneath its massive weight.
The slow motion phenomenon was happening again.
And I was shifting — all over again — without my permission. Zane, seeing my dilemma, grabbed the whistle midair as it flew from my grasp.
Three long blows! I mind-shrieked. My front paws hit the grass with a thud.
I’d had enough of this madness. A feral fury, birthed from every bad and rotten thing that had happened in my life, roared to the surface, providing a dazzling shot of determination and strength.
Instead of fighting it, I surrendered control of my human nature and let the beast in me reign.
I charged through the mass of what remained of my future pack, and plowed into the six-armed ogre.
From faraway, I heard Zane shouting my name, calling for Valamir to transport me out. I wondered why he was wasting his breath when he should have been blowing the damn whistle, but I didn’t bother stopping to find out.
I had a mission to complete.
In a burst of fur and muscle, Zane appeared by my side. He’d shifted into his monstrous seven-foot form, the one I’d despised in the past. Now all I recognized was much-needed power and skill.
Next to him, Valamir materialized, along with Alcuin, Misty, and the two M’s. Connie and Deb, along with Stryder and Rita, joined what would be our final stand.
Using my mental advantage, I sent instructions to everyone at once; and in perfect unison we attacked from every angle, using our personal areas of expertise to our greatest benefit.
Surprised by our onslaught, the beast stumbled, and then rapidly righted itself, only to be knocked back again by Zane and Alcuin. I torpedoed its mind, hoping to hit the off switch like I had with Jazmine and Martin.
Infuriatingly, its mind didn’t respond to my masterful manipulation.
In the midst of my efforts, I diverted my attention, for an instant, and our adversary, aware on some level of my unique capabilities, directed his rage at me.
Without warning, I found myself caught up in tangle of claws, propelled skyward, high over its head. Then I was dropping into its gore-drenched mouth.
Searing pain speared through my neck, and I felt myself drowning in a sea of agony, no longer able to stay afloat or maintain my link to the others. I was back in that suburban swimming pool all over again. Drowning. Dying.
Everything flashed to black, swallowing Zane’s face as I slipped into oblivion.
* * *
The first thing I noticed when my eyes popped open was my mate.
He clutched me to his chest, releasing a sigh of relief. I was nestled between his legs, and we were seated on the ground with a small assembly of familiar faces standing around us.
“Hey, Doll, you did real good.” Alcuin grinned down at me.
“More like superb, possibly exceptional,” Misty added sounding almost cheerful.
More remarkable than Misty’s good cheer was the fact that Zane didn’t bother correcting Alcuin’s doll reference.
Feeling kind of woozy, I clung tighter to Zane, his skin feverish under my hands. His dark hair, a tangled, but still sexy mess, draped over me like a protective curtain that I had to peek through to see the others.
Everything felt right, although I guessed there were still a ton of things still very wrong.
For one, my throat had been ripped open. “My neck,” I moaned, recalling my last moments in the Jaws of Satan. If that wasn’t the devil, what was?
Zane, stroking my hair, murmured, “I had a chance to return your healing favor. You’re quite the trooper.”