Getting out of Thaddeus’ grip, I run over to them and see that Miranda has been shot in the stomach. Lisa’s hands pressure the wound as she bleeds out on the floor.
“No, no, no!” I scream, dropping to the floor. This is my fault. Orion comes over, trying to pull me to my feet, but I grip onto Miranda, refusing to let go.
“No! Please help her,” I tell him, but he continues to try to pry my finger from her arm. Thaddeus growls loudly as he walks over and grips me, ripping me away from her. I try to fight him off as he drags me away, kicking and screaming. “Please, please help her!”
“No. You did this. I warned you not to run. Ryland and Orion warned you not to run!” Thaddeus screams in my face.
“Please, Thaddeus! Help her. I will do what you want, but please don’t let my friend die because of me.”
Thaddeus growls, and is about to pull me away when Ryland speaks. “He helps her, you let him mark you.”
“What?” I say, looking over my shoulder.
“Your friend is about to die; choose, Evelyn,” he says, and Thaddeus shakes me, making me look at him.
“What’s it going to be? Choose.”
“Evelyn, please,” Lisa cries out to me.
I nod. “Please help her,” I beg, and Thaddeus lets me go. He turns around and walks over to her. Following him over, I see Lisa jump back, moving out of his way. I watch as he bites into his wrist and places it over her mouth.
Thaddeus pulls his hand away, then shoves his finger into the bullet hole, and I scream, rushing over. “You’re killing her!” Miranda groans in pain.
“Move. I am helping her. She won’t heal with the bullet still in her,” he growls, right as Orion pulls me back.
He drops the bullet to the ground and lifts her shirt. The bullet hole closes before my eyes, and Miranda takes a deep breath like she has been underwater for a while. Her eyes snap open, and she crawls away from him in fear, though he just saved her. Thaddeus growls at her, stands up, and yanks me from Orion.
“Wait! Stop!” I call out to him as he pulls me toward the door. Thaddeus growls again, tosses me over his shoulder, and completely ignores my screams and attempts to kick him.
I won’t stop fighting him. I need to go back to my friends. Then, I feel his hand come down on my ass. The slap is stinging, and I feel his handprint bruising.
“Enough, Evelyn, we need to leave,” he growls, as he finally places me back on the ground and grabs my wrist.
Looking around, I gasp.
The entire street is in ruins; a car is even impaled on a light pole. Bodies are strewn everywhere; the road is split down the middle, and buildings are on fire and torn to pieces. It looks like a hurricane has swept through the city, destroying everything in its path.
Then suddenly, I see Orion grab me. The sound of wind rushes around me, and I struggle to breathe from the pressure. Everything moves by in a blur of destruction. I feel myself becoming dizzy from the motion and am on the verge of passing out when he suddenly stops, knocking what little air was in my lungs out of me. Orion places me on my feet, and I collapse, the ground rushing towards me as my body goes limp.
“Shit,” Orion yells, scooping me up in his arms.
He places me on something soft, and as soon as my body touches it, I lurch forward, throwing up. Orion jumps back, and I barely miss him. He pulls my hair from my face. My ears ring loudly. Something cold touches my face, and my eyes snap open as I flop back onto what they placed me on. When the dizziness subsides, I find we are back in the apartment. Ryland is cleaning the floor beside me with a towel.
Thaddeus comes into my line of vision and glares down at me. “Grab her. Ryland, grab the bags in the room with me.” Orion scoops me up and starts walking. The motion makes my stomach turn, and the dizziness returns before I am placed on leather, and I realize I am in a car. Orion then leaves, and I slide onto my side before I feel hands grip my shoulders, making my eyes open, and I see Thaddeus sit beside me, placing my head on his lap. Hearing car doors close, I feel the car start. Thaddeus brushes my hair out of my face, and I feel myself slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness.
Evelyn
Waking up, I feel fingers run down my spine, making me shiver, and my eyes fly open. Sitting up, I find I am in a room, and the person touching me is Thaddeus. He watches me as I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
The room I am in is huge and has arched windows looking out into the darkness. Shaking my head, I try to remember the last thing that happened. All I remember is Miranda getting shot and the sensation of moving fast. I feel a draft brush across my skin from the open window, making me look down to see I only have my jeans and a bra on.
“Where is my shirt?” I ask, my voice trembling as confusion sets in.
“You threw up at the apartment,” Thaddeus tells me, and I vaguely remember. I tug the surrounding blanket, covering myself from his watchful eyes.
“How did you get the burn on your back?” he asks, looking at my exposed shoulder.
I often forget it is there, and looking down, I can make out the charred edges of flesh that wrap over my shoulder to the back of my neck. “Where am I?” I ask, ignoring his question.
Thaddeus doesn’t answer, and when the door suddenly opens, Ryland and Orion walk in.
“Sleeping beauty awakes,” Ryland mocks. I roll my eyes at him as I tug the blanket over my shoulder, covering myself completely. Their eyes watch every move I make.
Orion sits on the end of the bed, kicks off his shoes, and lies down. As I get out of bed, I scoot to the edge of it and look around. I can see a bathroom through the door near the windows. Ryland and Orion stepped in through this door, so I guess that leads to the rest of the place. There are antique-looking wardrobes along one wall and a huge four-poster bed that can easily fit five or six people.
“Can I borrow a shirt, please?” I ask, looking at them.
Ryland pulls his off, handing it to me. I scrunch my nose up but take it from him.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply