Wolf's Hunger (Mafia Monsters #5) - Atlas Rose Page 0,1

glanced behind us, searching the traffic for my Wolves.

Red and blue lights flashed in the distance. But I didn’t care about them, not in this moment. Agony savaged me like my own terrifying beast. This was all my fault. All because they came for me.

A tortured sound tore free as I wrung my hands, twisting my fingers until the knuckles turned white.

All. My. Goddamn. Fault.

My body whipped sideways as Phantom raced around a minivan, leaving a scowling woman in our wake, until the howl of the sirens closed in. She braked hard, pulling over to the side.

They all did.

Until we were left racing to the other side of the river with almost every Crown City law enforcement officer nipping at our heels. The Camaro gave a cough…then a splutter, before we lost speed.

“Fuck!” Phantom punched the steering wheel.

I swallowed a whimper, watching the speedometer drop like my stomach.

This was it…

Christ, this was it. I lowered my hand to my gun and drew it free with a trembling hand. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure they can run. I’ll make sure they--

“Put your fucking gun away, Carina,” Phantom growled and pulled his phone free. “I have a bigger weapon in mind.”

He pressed the button…and the phone was answered in a heartbeat. “Mojin…we’re in trouble. The bridge…the entire fucking city is after us and the Camaro’s about to die. Yeah…yeah, and brother…I owe you.”

He hung up, glanced at me in the rear-view mirror once more. “Hold on, Carina. Just hold the fuck on.”

I opened my mouth to ask why? But the word never left my lips. I was slammed to the seat as agony roared through my chest. Darkness claimed the city, swallowing the sparkle of stars and swept the remnants of the storm away.

The bridge lights darkened around me like a candle snuffed out by the wind and darkness descended. Like a beast…like an Unseelie.

I slammed my hands against the seat, spearing my nails into the stitching as that sickening green glow howled to life in my chest. Below us, a towering midnight wave rose, cresting before it slammed into the port with a defining boom! A scream tore from me, searing all the way to my soul as we plunged into darkness.

Tires howled all around us. All I could see was Phantom and Church, their faces a mixture of horror and determination as we skidded sideways and jolted to a stop. They were out of the car in an instant, tearing the doors open, screaming at me.

But I couldn’t hear a thing, only the frantic thundering of my heart…until Phantom was there, pulling me from the back seat and into his arms. I gripped my gun as that burning in my chest pushed deeper.

“I can run!” I roared.

He lowered my feet to the ground and grabbed my hand, scanning the absolute darkness with the shine of those silver eyes. “Then run!”

A howl tore through the blackness, and the thunder of my heart met the stampede of paws. They were a blur tearing past me…two Wolves I knew in an instant. I barely glimpsed the thick, amber-colored fur on one of the beasts, and the shimmering midnight black on the other. Vitold. Arran.

My heart leaped at the sight of them. Jesus, they were alive. Thank God…thank God.

“Come on, Carina!” Phantom barked.

I drove the heels of my boots into the asphalt and lunged after them. We ran through the unnatural night and raced toward the far end of the bridge. Shots rang out, but they never found us, neither did anything else. The glow ached and pulsed in my chest, driving that endless dark away. Phantom’s hand around mine anchored me as the two Wolves paced beside me and Church raced ahead, his long legs striding out.

Something red shimmered in the distance, two glowing crimson eyes. I lifted my gun, pointing as that blood-red glare grew bolder and the rear end of an Escalade came into view. The Unseelie was there, striding toward us from the choking night, the glint of a Sig Sauer in each hand.

He took one look at me and the Wolves. “Keys are in the ignition. I’ll give you a head start.”

“Thanks, brother,” Phantom dropped my hand and strode toward him, grabbing him in a man-hug. “I won’t forget this.”

“Good. So get gone, already.” Mojin glanced toward me. “They won’t wait forever.”

The doors to the Escalade were opened as sickening howls shattered the night. Through the window of one of the back doors, Arran lifted his head and looked