us slowly, sniffing the air and growling fiercely. He was healing at an alarming rate. He was massively injured, and my self-examination was aiding his recovery time. I couldn’t risk a drop and change now, and I had no idea if my body would force a shift on me, but I had no choice but to continue fighting and hope I could beat him before he killed me.
“Didn’t think I could kick your ass, did you?” I growled. “You should’ve thought of that the first time. Now it’s time to come and get it.” I didn’t wait for him to respond. I lunged at him quick as lightning, my arms locking around his neck before he could register his surprise. I went for the kill. He struggled hard as I yanked him up, my elbow cocked under his muzzle, his bulky head forced back against my shoulder with no wiggle room.
I wrenched back, dragging him with me as I pivoted on the floor, my new claws digging into the floorboards to stabilize me. I spun hard, gaining momentum. My strength amazed me. There was no way I should be this strong. Manhandling the weight of this werewolf didn’t even register.
In one clean motion, I twisted his neck and flung him straight at the brick wall my apartment shared with the outside. He crashed into it like a wrecking ball. The bricks held as several pops rang out and he fell to the floor.
“Good riddance,” I snarled. More like gurgled. My hand went to my neck, still surprised by how I sounded.
My head turned toward the noise a second before my door exploded inward.
James, my father’s second, barreled into my apartment, his eyes glowing amber. “What in the bloody hell’s going on?” His accent was thick, and it echoed off my walls like a shot, making me quiver. He was a very strong wolf, even in human form.
I stared stupidly at him.
Then I turned and pointed a clawed finger at the mass still lying inert on the floor.
James reached the fallen wolf in three steps, putting a hand into his fur, searching for life. “Neck’s broken. No pulse.”
I spun around to face the door as my brother shot into the room, followed closely by Nick and Danny.
Tyler came to a screeching halt in front of me, his eyebrows at his hairline, his mouth open. “What the —”
Nick pulled up just short of plowing right into him, but steadied himself quickly. He locked eyes on me.
Danny stopped beside Tyler’s left shoulder, covering his mouth in a gesture he usually used when he was trying hard to stop himself from uttering something completely vulgar.
Everyone was motionless for a few seconds.
Then Danny dropped his hand and uttered one single word in a thunderstruck whisper. “Lycan.”
I had no idea what was happening. The adrenaline still pumped through my veins like a raging river, but very slowly my body eased itself back to normal. My teeth and nails receded and my muscles softened. When I found my voice, it sounded normal again. “What’s the matter with you guys?” I asked. “Shut the damn door before my whole floor knows what’s going on! We need to clean this up. Yes, I didn’t finish my shift, so the hell what? You can stare at me all you want later! Let’s get moving before the cops arrive.”
Nobody moved.
I stared at Nick, who still looked confused. “Get out to the hallway! There was enough screaming and banging in here to raise the goddamn dead. You’re going to have to use your gift quickly before there’s a herd of people clamoring on my doorstep.”
He continued to stare at me with a dumb look on his face.
“Now, Nick!” I yelled. “Go!”
He shook himself and turned on his heel, darting back into the hallway. Voices were already gathering. Maybe they weren’t sure which apartment it was coming from. That would be a miracle.
It felt like the fight had gone on for hours, but in actuality it had only been about five minutes at the most. If the police weren’t here in the next five, it really would be a miracle.
I turned to Danny. “Danny, if you haven’t already guessed, there’s a breach in your security. No way this guy should’ve gotten through, unless he was somehow spelled. Now get the hell out there and help Nick while we cover our tracks. If the cops show, we’re screwed. We’re going to need time to get him”—I pointed to the dead wolf—“out of here as soon as possible.”
Danny’s face broke into a wide grin. “Will do. I’ll get to the bottom of it, and whoever’s responsible for letting him in will pay in full, I assure you.” He ducked into the hallway.
James still crouched next to the dead wolf, who was now in the process of changing back into his human form. When wolves died, they reverted back to their humanness. It was an adaptation insurance policy.
Tyler was the only other person left in the room.
He stared at me. “Cut it out,” I accused. “You’re freaking me out.”
He took a step toward me. “It can’t be.” His voice tinged with fear. “Jess, this just can’t be possible.”
“Tyler.” You’re pissing me off, I said inside his head. Out loud I continued, “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. But if you haven’t noticed, we’re kind of in the middle of a crisis here.” I gestured angrily toward the dead body, and then to the hallway. There were twice as many voices out there as before.
He still didn’t move.
“Okay, fine,” I said, crossing my arms across my chest. Thank goodness my shirt was still in one piece, even though it had ripped in a few places. “You want to label me a freak because I didn’t finish my shift? Fine, I’m a freak. But, honestly, it’s a damn good thing I didn’t have to drop to change, or I’d likely be dead right now. Then all your gruesome death visions of me would’ve been accurate, and my bloody, broken body would’ve haunted your dreams forever. Do you really think Furry Joe over there would’ve waited patiently for me to finish my shift? There was no time!”
“Jess, that’s not—”
“Tyler!” I yelled. I was finished with this conversation. “We can talk about this later. If we don’t get this body out of here before Ray arrives, he will bring the entire police force down on our heads. If he finds a dead man in my apartment—I go to jail. Period. We cannot kill the entire police force!”
Tyler physically shook himself and walked over to the body. He crouched beside James and asked, “Do you recognize him?”
“No.” James took in a deep breath, mouth open, nostrils flared. “His scent doesn’t register at all, so I know I’ve never met him face-to-face either.”
My cell phone rang.
It was on the floor in the corner, where my purse had been flung when I’d been attacked. I was surprised it was still intact. I walked over and punched the talk button without looking at the number.
I knew exactly who it was.
“Jessica!” my father roared into the phone. I pulled it several feet away from my eardrum. “What in the hell is going on? Your wolf called to mine for a second time tonight, and you cut me off again! Goddammit! I can’t help you if you keep doing that!” His anger was palpable. It sent a searing, physical wave into the room and attacked my emotions on so many levels.
James’s face was inscrutable. Tyler looked away. They both went back to figuring out how to get the mystery man off the floor, ignoring my conversation completely.
I paced away, back into my bedroom. “I’m sorry, Dad. Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on. I didn’t mean to block you again. It’s nothing I’m doing on purpose. I don’t feel a trigger from you or anything. If I did, I would’ve answered right away.”
“Jessica, just tell me what’s going on down there,” he said, forcibly trying to calm himself. “I’m trying to keep you safe, and it seems I’ve missed the godforsaken mark entirely. This can’t keep happening. I feel you, I know something’s wrong, and I can’t figure out what’s going on. It’s maddening.”
“Dad, my secret is out. There’s no slipping under the radar anymore. Someone knows. There was a rogue waiting for me when I got home. I was careless, thinking about other … things”—there was no way I was going into that—“and I wasn’t paying attention. I have no idea how he got in. It must’ve been the balcony, because I didn’t smell him in the hall. It was a mistake thinking I could fly undetected for even one day.” I sat down on my bed, feeling defeated.
“We made a grave mistake,” my father said. “I made a mis-take when I sent you home. I should’ve listened to my gut. I knew it was going to be risky no matter what we did, but I should’ve kept you here, where I could’ve
