The fingers that wrapped around her arm were like a manacle of agony, needles driving into her flesh. She went to her knees with a scream, and she swore hell opened up and loosed demons that howled in fury.
“Coya, come with me. Now.”
Jax. She lifted her head to stare at the Coyote dragging her across the ground, his expression tormented as he lifted her, carried her as fire flashed around her.
“Coya, you’re safe,” he growled.
“Papa ...”
“Cavalier has your father and the doctors. Move. We have to move.” He pushed her through the snow-shrouded evergreens that surrounded the next grotto, dragging her through them, pulling her from the sound of gunfire.
“Ashley ...”
“Taken care of dammit,” he growled. “Hurry, Coya. If you get so much as a scratch, the alpha is taking my throat out. Do you want that?”
He steadied her as she tried to crawl, handicapped by the broken wrist and her own weakness.
“Clear,” he snapped, his arm wrapping around her waist. “Let’s go. We have enforcers just ahead waiting on you.”
He rose, and before they could move, they found themselves facing what Anya knew were not the good Coyotes. She swore she could smell them. A stink like blood and death as they smiled coldly.
“Well, it’s the princely whelp,” one of them sneered. “Move away from her.”
Jax pushed her behind him instead. Anya stumbled against the fence before gripping the back of his coat.
“Let him go,” she cried out. “Leave him alone.”
She couldn’t let Jax be hurt. For whatever reason, the young Breed was more important to Del-Rey than the others. He made Del-Rey laugh. She couldn’t let that be taken from him.
She pushed to the side, sidling away, knowing the Coyotes would follow her. She could hear the shouts, the roars and howls of rage now filling the gardens.
“Coya, no.” Jax held his hand out, trying to push her back. “Dammit, Del-Rey will take my f**king throat out.”
“If there’s a throat left to take out.” The Coyote lifted his weapon. “Good-bye, little prince.”
Anya jumped, pushing at Jax as the shot fired and she felt the flames that suddenly enveloped her body.
Jax screamed out to her. Howls of rage filled her mind as she felt herself go to her knees and the ice inside her seemed to fill her veins.
“Anya!” She heard Del-Rey scream as she looked up.
The two council Coyotes were on the ground, bloody, dead. Del-Rey threw himself to her, sliding in beside her on his knees, his hands reaching for her as she looked down, down, to her side and the blood soaking her shirt.
“Del-Rey?” She blinked back at him, crying, desperate when she saw the pure, startled horror that filled his face. “Smile for me,” she whispered as the lethargy began to sweep over her. “One more time, smile for me.”
Del-Rey caught her. His head tipped back as agony poured from his throat in a vicious, horrible howl. He shook with the grief, the rage as he picked her up, barely aware of Jax screaming out for doctors. Barely aware of anything but the smell of his mate’s blood.
Howls joined his, Coyote howls, ripping through the gardens, echoing through the mountains as he stumbled to his feet, holding her to his chest, and searched desperately for the doctor that had come with them.
“Armani!” he screamed out as he rushed inside the spa.
She was here. They had left her in the protection of the building.
“Del-Rey.” The doctor was there, rushing to his side. “Heli-jet is in the street, hurry.”
By her side were the two Coyote doctors. They were jabbering about inoculations, blood loss and fevers as he jumped into the jet.
“Lay her here.” A carrier was stretched out at his feet. “We have to get her to Medic. I have to stop the bleeding.”