Bound In Death (Bound #5)(43)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Liam snapped Heath’s neck. “No, you can die.” Because the human had failed him too many times already.

The he glanced around the cabin. He knew what this place was. Alerac’s home for her. Alerac thought to offer the princess a perfect sanctuary.

They wouldn’t have that.

He’d destroy them—he’d destroy everything.

Chapter Ten

The sun blazed down on them as Alerac and Jane crept toward the blue house. Heavy boards covered the windows. There were no cars outside the structure, no vehicles of any sort.

The pack had left their motorcycles a few miles away. They hadn’t wanted to alert Lorcan to their approach. Now they closed in on the house, surrounding it from all sides.

“Where’s Ryan?” Jane whispered as she edged closer to Alerac. She hadn’t caught sight of Ryan or Zoe.

Alerac’s nostrils flared, as if he were pulling in her brother’s scent. “Heading to the right. Dammit, he’s getting too close to the house. He needs to wait!”

Ryan wasn’t going to wait for anyone.

“How many are in the house?” Jane asked. “Can you hear them?”

“I count five.” His gaze locked on the front door. But then he frowned. “Five, but I smell…” His eyes widened. “Back!” Alerac roared.

He grabbed Jane and began running with her.

Just as the blue house exploded.

The blast lifted Jane and Alerac both into the air. It tossed them, and then they slammed down into the hard earth.

She glanced back at the house—only there was no house. Just flames.

“Ryan?” Jane whispered her brother’s name.

Zoe ran from the flames. Her clothes were smoking. Blood dripped from a gash on her forehead.

“Ryan?” Jane jumped to her feet. Alerac tried to stop her, but she wasn’t in the mood to be stopped. “Ryan!”

Zoe grabbed her hands. “I’m sorry. I tried to pull him back—”

No, no, this couldn’t happen. They’d gone there to save Ryan.

She tried desperately to use the mental link that was supposed to be between them.

But Jane’s mind touched nothing.

Then she heard laughter. Sick, twisted laughter that seemed to come from the very flames.

The red and orange flames stretched into the sky. They burned white-hot. She could feel the lance of that heat against her skin.

She yanked free of Zoe’s hold and followed that laughter. It wasn’t coming from the flames, but from the woods that were behind the house.

Lorcan stood there. Arms crossed over his chest. A dead werewolf at his feet. And a pale, scared blond woman at his side.

Though the sun was out, Lorcan certainly didn’t look weak, not in any way.

“Lorcan.” Alerac snarled his name with fury and hate.

Jane could only stare at him. This man—with his perfect looks, his too pale skin, and his icy eyes—he was the one who’d wreaked havoc on her life for so very long.

Alerac charged toward him.

“Make the wolf hurt,” Lorcan ordered.

The blond woman lifted her hand. Then she clenched her fingers into a fist. Alerac fell down, howling as he clawed at his chest.

Alerac’s men—those still alive—were gathering around them. She could hear bones snapping, and Jane knew they were shifting in preparation for an attack.

The blonde’s gaze found Jane’s. I’m sorry. The woman mouthed the words.

“Don’t be,” Jane shouted right back. “Because Lorcan is going to die!”

She wasn’t going to let Alerac be in pain. She wasn’t just going to stand there. Jane leapt forward, feeling her own claws break from her fingertips even as her fangs burned in her mouth.

For his crimes, Lorcan would die. And as for the blonde—you’re his witch, aren’t you?—she’d be joining the vampire in hell.

Lorcan smiled at her. “Want me? Then come get me.”

She was.

She raced toward him, going faster, faster, faster—

And he was waiting. Not even trying to back away. Grinning and waiting for her attack.

The witch still had her hand clenched into a fist. Jane didn’t know what kind of spell the woman was working, but—it ends.

At the last second, right before Jane would have collided with Lorcan, she whirled and took that witch down.

Because I won’t let Alerac suffer.

Jane drove her claws into the woman’s chest. The blond screamed, and her hands opened as she tried to fight Jane.

“You don’t hurt him,” Jane said as she shoved the woman back into the woods. “No one does.”

Then she turned on Lorcan.

That smile was still in place on his face. Wrong expression, jerk. Didn’t he realize this was when he was supposed to be afraid?

There was no more snapping of bones behind her. No more howls. A fast and frantic glance showed her that the wolves had shifted, and they stalked forward quickly, surrounding Lorcan.

No escape.

Alerac rose from the ground. His breath heaved out as he lunged forward and put himself right next to Jane.

This was it. The end.

So why wasn’t Lorcan afraid?

“You think you’re going to take my head?” Lorcan shook the head in question. “You do underestimate me.”

“Your death has been a long time coming,” Alerac told him. “So let’s not wait any more.”

His claws flew up and went right for Lorcan’s throat.

There was still no fear in Lorcan’s eyes.

Alerac sliced his claws across Lorcan’s neck.

And Jane fell to the ground. Blood poured from her neck, from a wound that she shouldn’t have. From a wound that matched Lorcan’s.

Lorcan’s throat was bleeding, but he was still on his feet, and his eyes gleamed with an unholy light.

“Jane? Jane!” Alerac rushed to her.

She tried to put her hand over her neck, to stop the flow of blood.

“Kill him!” Alerac ordered his men. “Do it, now!”

The wolves leapt forward to attack.

One wolf sank his teeth into Lorcan’s forearm.

Jane screamed as phantom teeth tore into her arm.

“What the hell…?” Alerac stared at her wound with desperate eyes. Then he whirled toward the swarming wolves.

Phantom teeth sank into her leg. Tore muscles.

“Stop! Stop the attack!” Alerac bellowed.

The wolves froze.

Jane couldn’t get off the ground. Blood soaked her.

Lorcan was on the ground, too. Covered in just as much blood. His head was turned toward Jane. He was…smiling. Still.