Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(45)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Her heart slammed into her chest. Could it be possible?

“No.” Bastion’s order. “I won’t allow you to—”

He’d been her friend once. Her confidant. But now . . . “Sorry, Bastion, but I don’t take orders from you anymore.”

“We had to do a transfusion on her, she was human.” Cody was talking fast. Rushing out his words in a jumble. “But Tanner . . . he can just drink the blood. The panther drinks blood and it gives him power.”

Okay, the drinking blood part definitely had her stomach clenching, but she’d done that bit with the vampire. She could do it for Tanner.

No, she would do it for Tanner. “Cut me,” she told Cody.

But a blast of powerful wind slammed into the demon and tossed him a good ten feet. The knife fell from his fingers.

“This isn’t the way—” Bastion began.

“Screw the way,” Marna snapped back at him and dove for the knife. She grabbed it, sliced open her lower arm, and forced the blood to Tanner’s lips.

“Wh-what?” Bastion’s stunned voice. “You can’t do this!”

Watch me.

Tanner tried to turn away from her. “N-no, won’t . . . take—”

“You’ll take everything I want to give.” Her voice hardened. “And you will live.” She didn’t want to stare down at his chest. She’d glimpsed the twisted mess before, and she wouldn’t look again.

Too much pain.

“Make him take it!” Cody yelled.

She was. Tanner’s mouth slowly opened beneath the pressure of her hand. She felt the lick of his tongue on her flesh.

Don’t think about what he’s doing. She’d forced herself not to feel, not to move, when Riley had fed from her. She could do the same now.

Only . . .

Not Riley.

Tanner’s mouth felt different. His eyes opened as he took her blood and his gaze seemed to burn right through her. She could actually see him getting stronger with every second that passed.

It was working. Cody had been right. Tanner would survive. This was all he needed. He’d—

Bastion grabbed her and yanked her back. His hold was fierce, punishing.

Painful. But Bastion had never hurt her before. He’d—

“You dare to give your blood to him? To try and save him?” Disgust tightened his tone. He lifted her up as his hands clenched around her upper arms with bruising strength. “First you f**k him, and now you feed him?”

Horror filling her, Marna tried to break free, but there was no give in his arms. He shook her, and her head snapped back.

“You let him touch you—”

“She did a lot more than that.” Tanner’s voice. Only it wasn’t weak or trembling. Strong. Determined. Furious.

He was back.

Bastion’s eyes widened, and he glanced to the left just in time to get a hard punch to the face. Bones crunched, and Bastion fell back, freeing her.

Tanner reached for her instantly. His chest was still bloody. The flesh and muscles were torn, but he was on his feet—naked, muscled—and lines of fury marked his face. Fury that was directed at Bastion.

Tanner’s fingers slid over Marna’s arms and rubbed lightly over the marks that Bastion had left on her.

And Bastion—he was raising his hand to his nose and touching the blood that dripped down his face. “Wh-what—”

“What you’re feeling?” Tanner said, and a growl built in his throat. “That’s pain. Better get used to it. ’Cause there’s a whole lot more coming.”

Bastion’s hand dropped. Clenched into a fist. His wings spread out behind him. “You aren’t the first to teach me of pain.”

Tanner’s claws flashed out. “I can see you now, bastard.”

And how could he?

Tanner lifted his claws. Pointed right at Bastion. “If you don’t haul your winged ass out of here, I’ll be the last one to teach you.”

Angels didn’t fear much in the mortal world. Why should they? Weapons forged from mortal men couldn’t kill an angel. But a shifter’s claws weren’t a mortal weapon.

Claws like Tanner’s had taken her wings away. Those same claws could easily kill Bastion.

“This isn’t over.” Bastion’s vow. His gaze wasn’t on Tanner, but on Marna. “Not even close.” Then his wings swept back, and he flew high up into the air.

Marna spun back to Tanner. “How—”

“Nothing’s stronger than angel blood,” Cody said and winced as he hobbled toward them. “Hell, I could use some of it right now.” His wounds had started to close—enhanced demon healing—but he was still dripping blood.

“No. ” Tanner’s instant snarl.

Cody held up his hands. “Easy there, bro. You need to rein in that beast.”

Tanner’s eyes were blazing. She’d never seen them so bright. “I . . . can’t.”

As he stepped closer to her, his face a heavy mask of fury and need, Marna realized that the danger wasn’t over.

Russell Marchand raced through the woods with his claws still out and his fangs bared.

That f**kin’ well hadn’t gone according to plan.

The pretty little police captain had told them that it would be an easy grab. A helpless angel. One lone shifter. They should have been able to take them out, no problem.

Then they could have cashed in on all that sweet angel blood. Drained her dry until nearly nothing was left and tossed the remains of her body to the highest bidder.

No one had said anything about the angel fighting back. Or about Tanner Chance getting so crazy when she was threatened.

Tanner. The captain hadn’t told him they were going after Tanner.

He remembered that guy. Back in the day, they’d run in the same pack together. Tanner had been wild. Always ready for the hunt. Now he was gonna act like some white knight?

Fuckin’ traitor. That’s all Tanner was. He’d turned his back on the pack. Fought ’em all. Why?

Because one night they’d decided to have some fun with that demon half-brother of his. Even though he had panther blood, the demon couldn’t shift. So what good had he been to the pack?

Stripping off some of Cody’s flesh while he screamed had seemed like a good way to pass the night.

Then Tanner had found them. And gone wild. Just like he had tonight. Just like the guy’s old man used to do. Nothing like the fury of the panther. Nothing like it in the whole world. The panther would strike down everyone and everything in his path until that bloodlust was gone.