The scientist does pulse and eyelids and nods. “Good. I think it’s working.”
Hunter shoves him away and stands. “I need to get out there and…” He sways and grabs the wall.
“Not okay, blinky.”
“I don’t know,” the science guy says. “I don’t understand. Weakness isn’t a side effect, but Loup aren’t vamps, so…”
“I’m fine,” Hunter growls. “Get me to Fee. Now.”
I want to say I don’t take orders from anyone, but it kinda feels redundant considering getting to Fee is what I want too.
I let the fire wink out and grab hold of scientist dude’s collar. “You’re coming with us.”
I hold my hand out to Hunter, and once he has a grip, I focus on Fee and make the jump.
Fee
My fangs sank into Cold Eyes’ face with a satisfying crunch. His scream was a symphony to my ears, and then I set to work tearing him apart.
Uri’s face bloomed in my mind. His eyes filled with regret the moment before and then after…
Rage was a red-hot monster taking over my body, and I succumbed to it, allowing it to drive me. To bathe in hot blood and slide its claws through warm entrails. I tore and I ripped until there was nothing but mush, and then I zeroed in on the next dead-eyed fucker and went in for the kill.
The snarls and howls of my pack echoed around me like a battle song as we allowed our fury to reign.
I was the beast.
I was the Loup.
I was wrath.
Gunshots pierced my side but the pain barely registered before I was healing and the fucker who shot me was dying.
Magic whizzed through the air, lighting up the night and burning holes in the super vamps. I caught the scent of death with a metallic undertone that was less copper more iron to my left. This was their scent. My boot snagged on something. I looked down, and the rage that was fueling me melted.
Uri.
He lay on his side just as he’d fallen. His amber eyes dark and unseeing. My Loup retreated, and I fell to the ground beside him, slipping out of half shift.
Around me, the battle raged, but I didn’t need to look to know we were winning. No. I needed to stay here. Right here with Uri.
I carefully lifted him and dragged him onto my lap. His torso was dark with congealed blood.
His body was cold to the touch.
I stroked his face and ran my fingers through his silken hair. I was going to buzz cut it for him. He’d said I could. I closed my eyes, and his warm laughter rang in my ears. We’d had so little time. Too little, and still, he’d made an imprint on my heart, one that nothing would erase. I just wished…I just wished I’d had the time to tell him…
I opened my eyes and leaned down to kiss him. His lips were ice as I pressed mine to them. Hot tears slipped down my cheek to kiss his.
The pain in my heart was acute, spiraling, never-ending, and it hit me. I loved him. I’d fucking loved him.
Heat kissed my brow. Light. What? I sat back and stared at Uri’s body as it began to glow from the inside out. Wait…wait a second…
He sucked in a sharp breath and then cried out in pain, hands going to his chest as the wound began to knit.
I gripped his face. “Uri? Uri, can you hear me?”
“Fee…” He groaned. “Aw, fuck, that hurts. Back away.”
He slid off my lap and tried to put distance between us. My instinct was to go after him, but I did as he asked and backed away. He was glowing brighter and brighter, and the world around us was cast into darkness, and then the light exploded outward in a shockwave, knocking me onto my ass.
I held up my arm to shield my face as the world dimmed again.
“Fee…” Uri stood a couple of meters away, whole and glorious, shining with an inner light that slowly seeped back into his skin.
“You’re alive.” A sob pinched my throat, and then I was on my feet and running toward him.
He swept me up into his arms and squeezed me tight. I let him for a moment, and then I pulled back, grabbed his face, and peppered it with kisses.
His chuckle warmed my heart and brought fresh tears to my eyes, this time, ones of relief.