Pain exploded in my chest as the bullet struck me. The force of the impact spun me around. As I fell, my head struck a hitching post, and the world faded away.
“CeeCee. Wake up. Wake the fuck up,” a determined male voice shouted.
“Father?” I opened my eyes and swiped at the blood running down my face. Huge bolts of lightning crackled around me. “Father?” I pushed myself upright and sucked in an agonized breath. Damn, my chest hurt. I blinked as funny black spots danced in my vision.
“CeeCee,” the harsh voice bellowed in my head.
“Jake?”
“What happened?”
“Someone shot me.”
Jake exclaimed, “Shot you? How badly are you hurt?”
“I’ll live. My vest stopped the bullet.” Where was my father? A stomach clenching jolt of shock hit me when I noticed the Chupacabra standing over his bloody form. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, “Noooo! Get away from him. Get away.”
“The Chupacabra’s there?”
Ignoring him, I pulled my pistol and emptied an entire clip into it.
The bullets bounced off the Chupacabra’s hide. It let out a deep, guttural growl and padded toward me.
“Bullets won’t kill it,” Jake snapped.
“No shit, Sherlock.” I instinctively drew on the storm’s power and allowed it to rage around me. “C’mon. Get away from my father.” I put another clip in and shot it in the eye.
A hideous, screeching cry broke from it and it shook its head violently.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
The incredulous note in Jake’s voice would have been amusing under different circumstances. “The only one dying is the monster.”
“How do you plan on killing it?”
“Shaman magic.” I broke our link and chanted, “Esse quidam dixerunt.” A sheet of electric flames set the clouds aglow and dozens of lightning bolts struck the monster, incinerating it. Tendrils of smoke rose from the blackened earth.
A wave of exhaustion rolled over me and those funny black spots were back in my vision. I struggled to get to my feet. “Don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.”
Strong arms wrapped around me. “Easy. He’s still alive.”
A yelp broke from me. Where had Jake come from? Why was he wearing body armor? Had they been spying on us? “My father needs help.”
“Uncle Saul’s checking on him.”
I blinked to clear my vision. Huh? The General was running a healing wand over Father.
A grim look on his face, General Jones instructed, “Take care of the girl’s injuries. Elder Tsosie’s critical.” The General picked Father up and teleported.
“Where’s he taking my father?”
“To our ship. It has a top-notch sick bay,” Jake answered.
I let out a shuddering breath. “I can’t lose him too.”
“You won’t. Shrek’s the best medic in the galaxy.”
Brilliant hues of lightning sizzled around us.
“That’s one hell of a light show.” There was a touch of awe in Jake’s voice.
I quieted the storm. “The weather’s funny out here.”
“Kinda strange it only happens when a shaman’s around.”
“Go figure.” I grimaced. My head was killing me, and my badly bruised chest made breathing difficult.
Jake sniffed my head.
“What are you doing?”
“You don’t smell like a Navajo,” Jake replied, turning me to face him.
A cold thread of dread snaked up my back. “Well, I am a Navajo.”
“Let’s do a taste test.” Jake licked the blood off my face.
I squirmed wildly. “Stop it! I’m not a fucking lollipop.”
“Lucy, you’ve got some ’splaining to do. You’re not Navajo at all.” Jake took another lick. “I’ll be damned. You’re Dragos. Which explains how you can talk to the dead.”
“You can’t know that by licking my blood.”
Jake shrugged. “It’s a Coletti thing. How did a Dragos female end up in the middle of nowhere?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’m all ears,” Jake said.
“Some other time. The murderer is going to get away if we don’t go after him now.” I struggled to break his grip. Damn he was strong.
“Easy. You’re in no shape to go hunting.” Jake tapped his warrior’s bracelet. “Looks like you have a concussion, along with that gash on your head and a badly bruised sternum.”
Arrrgh. The ass wasn’t listening to me. “The sniper was the Chupacabra’s partner,” I practically shouted.
“It’s actually a Testavorr. They were thought to be extinct,” Jake said.
“Well they aren’t. Let go of me.”
“Not a chance. I’ve decided to keep you.”
“What?” A bolt of lightning struck the ground a short distance away.
Jake hastily added, “As a partner. You’re a good cop.”
“I’m overwhelmed by your praise. Let me go or I’ll use my freeze ray on you again,” I bluffed.
Jake laughed. “If you could, you would have already. You have two choices. I take you back to our ship and have Shrek heal you or you can drink my blood. Which will have you in fighting shape within a couple of minutes. A word of warning. We saw you incinerate the Testavorr. If I take you back to the ship, my uncle will lock you up until the Overlord decides what to do with you. What’s it gonna be?”
Crap. I was screwed either way. “You can’t possibly want me as a mate.”
Jake shot back, “Who said I did? Partners, remember?”
The sneaky bastard was up to something. “I thought when a woman took a Coletti warrior’s blood it started the bonding process.”
“Nah, that’s a rumor started by our enemies,” Jake responded.
I looked at his aura. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” There was a devilish gleam in his eyes.
“I can tell when someone’s fibbing.”
“Handy talent for a cop,” Jake said.
“Isn’t it.”
“What’s it gonna be. Me or the ship?”
“The murderer’s getting away or don’t you care?”
“Tick tock. Time’s running out.”
I knew without a doubt, if I didn’t choose him, I’d end up in the brig. “You.”
“Good decision.” Jake bit his arm and held it out. “Drink up.”
I looked at the badly bleeding wound in horror. “That’s gotta hurt.”
“You’re wasting time. Drink. Now.”
With a grimace of distaste, I sucked down some of his warm, coppery blood. Ewww. Gross. My stomach heaved. “I can’t.”
“Suck it up, buttercup. Do you want to bring that asshole to justice or not?”
The image of my seriously injured father flashed across my mind. “I want
