Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(78)
Author: Cynthia Eden

He dies . . . Marie’s voice whispered through her mind. Then you die.

Her eyes flew open. “No!”

Lucas was on the ground, on his hands and knees, trying to push up as the blood poured from his back. Behind him, Rafe had a gun up, aimed, ready to blow that silver bullet into him again.

“Don’t!” Sarah screamed, pushing through the pain and breaking away from Jordan. “Damn you, Rafe, don’t!”

But his fingers squeezed the trigger.

Sarah saw the flash of white behind him. Piers. Running fast. Snarling. Piers!

A red haze of fury rolled back at her.

She’d promised. Said she wouldn’t control—

The hell with that. Lucas’s life was on the line. She’d do anything for him.

“I win, Simone,” Rafe said, lips raised in a half-grin “I win. I’m the legend now.”

Attack, Piers! Take Rafe down!

Piers slammed into Rafe. They fell in a tangle of fur and arms. The gun discharged, but the bullet didn’t hit Lucas.

Sarah started to breathe again.

Then she realized the bullet had struck Piers. The white wolf slumped to the side. His fur began to vanish.

Growls filled the air now. The wolf shifters in Rafe’s pack. They’d been lurking in the shadows but now they sprang forward. Still in the form of men, but with claws out and teeth sharp.

Jordan pushed her behind him and when the first man attacked, he sliced the guy from neck to groin.

“Lucas,” she whispered. He was on his feet now. His wild eyes focused on her.

“You should be dead!” Rafe shoved away from Piers. “You should be f**king dead!” He had his gun pointed at Lucas again.

Lucas turned toward him.

Rafe fired. Once. Twice.

The bullets drove into Lucas’s chest.

He didn’t stumble. Sarah did. She slipped and fell down behind Jordan. He kept fighting. Slicing and clawing and her chest burned. She touched the skin, expecting to see blood. She felt as if she’d been ripped open.

Not me. Lucas.

What had Marie done?

“You’re not killing me . . .” Lucas’s voice rumbled in the night. “But I am taking you . . . to hell, ass**le.” She pushed to her knees. Tried to see—

Rafe fired again. The gun clicked then, the chamber jamming. Yes. Lucas swiped with his claws and cut Rafe’s wrist open. The gun fell from his slack fingers.

Rafe’s eyes flew to her. He saw her on the ground, struggling to rise, and he smiled. “Shift!” He roared the order to his men. “The bitch is weak. She can’t do anything but die!”

Lucas’s head whipped toward her. “Sarah!”

“Shift!” Rafe screamed. “And we kill ’em all!”

“Screw the shift.” Lucas’s claws drove into Rafe’s chest. “You’re f**king dying . . . now.”

But it was too late. The men were already shifting around her. Curses turned to snarls and growls and Jordan fought, taking out three men while they were vulnerable during the change. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. The wolves closed in on Sarah and Jordan.

Chapter 20

The bitch is weak. Rafe’s taunt echoed in her ears. Sarah rose slowly, the fire in her chest and back pulsing and sending waves of nausea through her body.

Not my pain. Not my wound. Though it sure felt like it was.

Jordan slashed with his claws, fighting, struggling for all he was worth. Determined to protect her.

Sarah’s focus narrowed. She stared at the snapping wolves and a slow smile curved her lips. “Guess what, ass**les?” She sucked in a deep breath and tasted blood. “I’m not weak.”

Rafe was still alive. Still fighting with Lucas. Swiping with his claws even as Lucas carved a hole in the bastard’s chest. Some people just weren’t easy to kill.

Some were.

Attack Rafe. She ordered his wolves. Kill.

The wolves around her froze.

“Please tell me you’re doing that,” Jordan said. “Please.”

“I am.” She fought to inhale another deep breath. She was in so much pain she could barely stand on her feet. But she didn’t need physical strength. The Other should start understanding that it wasn’t always about physical power.

Attack Rafe.

The wolves spun away and charged at Lucas and Rafe.

Lucas looked up. She saw his eyes widen.

“Back the hell away, Lucas!” Jordan shouted.

Lucas yanked his claws out of Rafe’s chest. Rafe staggered. Blood dripped from his mouth.

The bastard fell.

The wolves swarmed him, attacking their leader at her command.

Sarah’s eyes closed. Kill him . . . then get the hell out of here. Never come back.

Yelps and whimpers had her eyes opening. Looked like the wolves weren’t going to get the chance to run. Lucas was slicing, clawing them, and Dane was at his side. Taking the wolves out. The ones who weren’t already dead turned tail and ran as fast as they could.

Over. Finally, it was over.

Sarah’s shoulders sagged and the last of her energy slipped away. Jordan ran forward, chasing after the fleeing wolves and she fell, her side slamming into the ground. Lucas.

She was so cold. Her body was shaking and her throat—it seemed like she was drowning. She couldn’t suck in enough air. Couldn’t . . .

Sarah saw Lucas fall. He went down, his knees crashing into the earth. Blood soaked his chest. The burning glow in his eyes began to fade.

Rafe had used silver bullets on him. Had they exploded on impact like the others? Three shots.

“Sarah.” She saw his lips move as he whispered her name, and she wanted to go to him. To touch him. To hold him once more.

But she couldn’t move. Rafe was dead, the coyotes were dead, the rival wolves were running—the nightmare was over.

And she was scared. Because Sarah knew that she couldn’t fight anymore. Lucas couldn’t fight. Her heartbeat was slowing, and even though she didn’t have an injury on her body, she knew she was dying.

He lives . . . you live.

She could taste blood on her tongue and see the precious liquid drip past Lucas’s lips.

He dies . . .

Her hand lifted toward him. Just one more touch.

He stretched out his hands, trying to crawl to her side. But Lucas was too far away.

Her legs weren’t working. That meant his weren’t.

“Lucas?” Jordan grabbed him, hauling him up, and swearing when he saw the full damage to his brother’s body. “It’s all right. You’re going to be fine!”

Such a liar.