Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(80)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Touching Lucas once more was all that mattered. Her entire focus had centered on him. She needed him. And she wasn’t dying without telling him the truth.

Because she’d been lying to her wolf. She wouldn’t die with that lie and she wouldn’t let him die without knowing the truth.

Josette lifted Sarah’s arm. Sarah didn’t wince. Didn’t gasp. She just took the wave of pain that came when Josette pulled her up. Josette eased her shoulders under Sarah’s arm and the other woman wrapped her hands around Sarah’s stomach. “Easy . . .” Josette whispered. “Go slow.”

When you didn’t have a lot of time, slow wasn’t really an option.

A chorus of high-pitched howls split the night. She heard the fear in those howls.

Sarah’s head lifted and she saw an explosion of fire light the night. Fire that had come from behind the line of trees to the right. Rafe’s wolves had fled that way, disappearing into the trees. But it looked like those bastards might not have gotten away after all.

A woman walked from the woods. Her dark hair brushed past her shoulders. Her steps were sure, certain, and her fingers curled around a gun. The full moon also revealed that her nails had sharpened into claws and her teeth—vampire.

“Maya!” Josette yelled. “Help me, please!”

Maya’s eyes widened and then she raced forward. “Josie, dammit! Why the hell did you run from me? I lost your scent—it just disappeared and—”

“They’re dying,” Josette said, her soft voice cutting through the fury of Maya’s.

The vampire kept running toward them. The scent of fire came with her. “I don’t see any blood on her.” Maya took her away from Josette. Sarah’s hand slipped into her back pocket, searching . . . there. Her fingers curled around the treasure and she whispered, “Lucas . . .”

“He’s the one with the blood,” Josette said.

“Yeah, that I can smell. The blood and the silver. Not anything else, though, why—”

“Lucas . . .” Sarah dug her nails into the vampire’s arm.

“Ouch! Shit, okay, you want him, you got him.” Maya scooped her up, even though the vamp was smaller than her—gotta love that enhanced vampire strength—and carried her to Lucas. He was on the ground, body twisting, his bones snapping, but he wasn’t shifting. Just . . . trapped. In pain.

Maya eased her onto the ground. “Someone tell me what the hell is happening here. Ah, Rafael’s dead, that’s good. Guess Lucas beat me this time . . .”

Sarah ignored her and reached for Lucas’s hand. His fingers curled around hers.

“When he killed grand-mère, Rafe stole a brew of hell-fire from her,” Josette said. “It burns, fills the air, and the scent covers nearly everything else.”

Lucas’s hand was cold. No, she was cold. Sarah wet her lips. He was close. Everything should be better now. “Need to tell . . .”

The others fell silent. They didn’t matter then anyway. Only he mattered.

His claws were out, but he still had the body of a man. Still had those too light blue eyes.

Her fingers squeezed his. “I . . . lied.” But what else was new, right?

If he were in wolf form, she could think all this instead of struggling to speak. But then, if he were in wolf form, he might have a fighting chance.

“Do something, Josette.” Dane growled. “Dammit, your grandmother was the mambo.”

“And I’m a dead-raiser. I can’t do anything unless he—” She muffled a sob. “You don’t want my help. Trust me.”

Sarah kept her eyes on Lucas. “I made . . . deal . . . with FBI . . .”

Lucas didn’t speak. Maybe he couldn’t. His mouth was blood-red. No, that was blood dripping from his lips.

“Miller . . . w-wanted me to take out Rafe . . .” He’d stopped her outside of LA. Given her orders, even though she didn’t even work for the jerk anymore.

Sarah realized her heart wasn’t beating just right. Far too slow.

“If . . . if I . . . d-did . . . you’d be o-ff . . .” Off the extermination list. His pack would be clear. They wouldn’t be watched. Wouldn’t be targeted for death. But she couldn’t say any of that. Couldn’t.

A growl built in Lucas’s chest.

“Shift!” Dane snarled.

But he had too much silver in him. She knew it.

“Get the silver out!” Maya shouted. “Cut him open and get it out!”

“It shattered,” Josette said. “Exploded on impact. Rafe said it—”

“He’s not dying!” The furious determination was Jordan’s. His claws sliced into Lucas’s chest.

Sarah felt the rip of her own flesh.

Tell him.

“M-mate . . .” He was hers. She’d known it the first time he kissed her. More than a legend. The man who’d offered her protection. Passion. Life. And . . . “Love.” Her chest rattled. “Love . . . Lucas.”

She wouldn’t die without telling him.

He wouldn’t die without knowing.

For him, she’d trade anything, do anything.

And it sure looked like she’d be dying for him.

“Love . . .”

His eyes glittered. Her heart lurched. Lucas’s fingers opened and Marie’s ring, the ring Sarah had kept close, lay nestled between their hands.

Josette gasped. “Grand-mère . . .”

Not ready to give your life for his, are you?

Marie’s voice. The mambo had asked her that and Sarah had been afraid. She wasn’t afraid anymore. “I . . . will . . .”

The ring began to slip from their hands.

Josette dove for them. Her fingers wrapped around theirs, and she held tight. “No!”

Thunder rumbled. A whisper of a thousand voices filled the air. Hands reached for Sarah, cold, greedy hands.

“No!” Josette tightened her hold and heat, fiery heat, exploded in Sarah’s palm. “Death, you can piss off!” Josette screamed. “I’m taking my grand-mère’s power!”

Then an electric current ripped through Sarah’s body. She jerked, heaved, and saw Lucas do the same. But Josette took the hardest hit. She cried out, and her body flew back through the air. Sarah saw her slam into the ground and crumple near Piers.

Then she didn’t see anything else but darkness.

Love . . .

If you were gonna die, Sarah figured there were worse things to die for.

The change poured over Lucas, his blood seemed to boil, his body contorted, and he roared Sarah’s name.