The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,105

neck and one in the chest.

Kaota had bullet holes in his throat and shoulder. I reached around and felt an exit wound on his nape. He was gurgling in an attempt to breathe, but the fact that he hadn’t shifted led me to believe that the bullet in his shoulder had found no escape.

When I felt a bump on his back, I knew what had to be done. “Roll over,” I ordered, pushing his arm.

Kaota rolled onto his side, clutching his throat and choking on his own blood. I found his knife on the ground and sliced over the lump, hoping the bullet would magically pop out. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

“This is going to hurt,” I warned him. At first I squeezed his skin, but nothing happened. Then I buckled down and did what needed to be done. Unable to see very well, I used my finger since I didn’t want to stick the blade back in there and cut him worse.

He gave a raspy moan, and I dug fast to get it over with. Once I felt the metal lodged inside him, I quickly dug it out.

“Hurry and shift!” I squeezed his shoulder and scurried backward so his wolf wouldn’t attack me. Kaota shifted and swung his head around.

I lowered my eyes submissively, uncertain if he had the strength to control his animal. The growl intensified, but before I could think about a plan, Lakota was at my side. He pressed himself against me and bared his bloodstained teeth at Kaota. It wasn’t an aggressive gesture to provoke an attack but a warning that I was off-limits. Kaota shifted back to human form, breathing easier.

Dizzy, I leaned against Lakota and put my arm around him. “Lakota, this looks bad. Crow, the Councilman—they’re going to arrest us.”

Lakota suddenly shifted back to human form and stood. He turned away as if assessing the situation. When he looked back and saw me on my knees, he crouched down and cupped my face in his hands. “Are you all right? Mel, are you bleeding?” The urgency in his voice startled me.

I looked down at my hands as the horrifying reality sank in. “They’re going to blame us for this. We’ll get the death penalty for killing an official.”

The higher authority played no games when it came to protecting anyone who fell under their umbrella, either directly or indirectly. Execution was swift and certain once they issued the sentence.

Wearily, he shook his head. “My wolf didn’t kill Jack all the way.”

I glanced over my shoulder at a wounded deer lying on its side. Jack’s breathing was labored, his eyes glassy. He had healed some but not enough to prevent the permanent scars he would carry from Lakota’s savage attack.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Mel. On my word. If he doesn’t confess, I’ll drag a Vampire down here myself to charm the truth out of him. Three of us heard his admission of guilt. His ancestors had an agreement with the tribe, so he has motive. The gas station owner saw them together a few times. Crow was also foolish enough to have kept everything, like a packrat. His compulsion to steal was his downfall. That’s why Jack took him down. Even if Crow didn’t squeal, Jack wouldn’t get the land.”

Still in shock, I asked, “If he knew Crow was going to kill us, why did he come out here and expose himself?”

“Kaota summoned the Council, so he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t risk Robert finding out what was really going on. If I were a betting man, I would say he made a decision to get rid of the last link in the chain that would lead back to him.” Lakota cradled my head in his hands. “We’ll find out soon enough, but it’s over.”

I touched the raw scar on his chest where the knife had gone in, the taste of tears still on my tongue. “You died,” I croaked, my voice as broken as my heart.

Lakota pulled me into his arms. “You brought me back to life.”

Chapter 22

Since we didn’t want to disturb or abandon the scene, Lakota volunteered to head back to the house and call Robert to explain the situation while Kaota and I guarded Jack’s wounded animal, making sure he didn’t escape. After Jack shifted back to human form, Kaota’s wolf sat beside him as a warning not to run.

When the remaining members of the local Shifter Council arrived, they searched Crow’s house and property, collecting every scrap of evidence.