A scream echoed through the cavern as the man stumbled back. Liam turned toward the other two, but they were on him. Their teeth snapped as one grasped his neck. Liam clutched the hand as the man tried to rip him away from Sera. He clung to the arm as claws sank deep into his throat.
He seized hold of the man's throat. The man's blood flowed forth beneath his long claws and poured down his arm. The man left jagged tears across his neck as he jerked back. Blinking against the pain suffusing him, Liam drove a fist straight into his nose and knocked him back a few feet.
Behind him, Sera fought to get free, but he couldn't let her out. These men would destroy her if he did. The other man reached behind him and grabbed Sera's arm. Rage tore through him as he swung back with his free arm and forcefully shoved her into the wall. Sera tore free of the grasp.
Her eyes widened as they landed upon the man clinging to Liam. They were going to kill him; she knew it. No matter how fueled he was by fury and love, they were going to kill him. They were too strong and too many. Something tore inside of her, and a primitive force burst free. She launched herself over Liam's back as she swung out ferociously. She caught the one holding him across the lower jaw and sliced him to the bone.
Liam tried to push her back, but she held onto his shoulder, refusing to back down. If he died, then she died, but she was not going down without a fight. Without warning the one holding Liam was ripped away. Sera caught only a glimpse of Mike's twisted face before his back turned. David and Doug were suddenly beside her as they pulled the others away. Jack was holding the throat of the one with the broken arm and shattered nose.
Sera slumped forward; relief flowed through her as Liam straightened. His eyes were still ablaze as they settled on her. A cry of horror escaped as she stretched a hand out to touch his sliced cheek and torn neck. He took her hand, halting her from touching him.
He released her hand, and it fell limply back to her side. His gaze drifted over her; a snarl curved his mouth as his eyes landed on her torn side. His hands convulsed as he turned away. She knew there would be no reaching him, not now.
Sera slumped against the wall; her head bent as she inhaled a shuddery breath. Her whole body hurt. Her fingers clutched at the ragged wound in her side. Blood coated her fingers, but beneath that, she could feel muscle and bone. Nausea and weakness rolled through her as she slid to the ground, tired and drained. Black swarmed across her eyes, but she forced it back as she lifted her head to gaze dully at Liam.
He was holding Beth above the ground. She struggled weakly in his grasp as blood soaked her shirt. His claws dug deep, and he ripped through flesh and sinew as he tore the life from her. He threw her body aside and turned toward his friends. Their gazes held the same bloodlust he felt as they stood over the remains of the men.
"Liam."
Sera's weak voice dimmed the fury in him as he turned toward her. She lifted her blood-coated hands. His heart froze in his chest when her hands fell to her sides, and she slumped to the floor.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"I'll get some towels!" Mike yelled.
Liam barely heard him as he strode across the room with Sera in his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder. Blood seeped through the shirt he had wrapped around her; it now ran down his stomach to wet the edge of his jeans and his skin. Normally, the amount of blood she’d lost wouldn't be a concern, but she was still so new and unsure of her abilities. She could staunch the blood flow on her own, from the inside out, and she had done some of it, but not enough. Her body would do the rest on its own, but Liam wasn't sure if it would happen in time. One thing was for sure, she needed blood, and she needed it now. Unfortunately, although he fed earlier, he was now weak and drained from blood loss himself.
He laid her on the bed and sat beside her as he pulled back the shirt to examine her wounds. Deep claw marks had torn through her flesh to reveal the sharp white of the bone beneath. The marks she’d managed to heal still showed some of the muscle. The wounds in her neck had healed completely, but blood still streaked her skin and wet the collar of her shirt.
"Here."
Liam took the towels Mike offered and pressed them against her side. Sera moaned but remained unconscious. Liam's brow furrowed as Mike hovered anxiously by his side. "She doesn't look so good," he murmured.
"I know that!" Liam retorted. Mike's eyes darted worriedly to him, but he refrained from saying anything else. "She'll be all right as long as we get some blood in her."
Liam brushed her hair back from her brow. Red streaked the ends of it. He desperately hoped it wasn't too late, that she hadn't already slipped past a line he wouldn't be able to cross. He couldn't lose her. The thought tore his heart and soul to shreds. He wouldn't lose her. He couldn't allow it. Blood seeped through the towels to wet his hands again.
"Take these." He gave them to Mike, and he disappeared into the bathroom to get more. Liam examined the wound again. More muscle had formed, but the process seemed to be stalled. He pressed a fresh towel against her side.
"She'll be all right," he whispered.
Mike didn't say anything as he
