He’s almost to me when the assailant strikes. Des intercepts the guy before he can reach me, and they collide in a tangle of fists and snarls. Des is quick to retaliate, slamming his fist into the man’s face with shapeshifter strength, but he doesn’t go down. Instead the man laughs, a familiar harsh and grating sound right before he whirls and lunges for me.
I jerk back, my reaction all wrong as fear overwhelms me. Des catches him around the middle, throwing him to the side. He slams into the diner’s exterior brick wall and then he rolls to his feet in a crouch, crimson eyes stare back at us.
I swallow and inch closer toward Desmond. The vampire tracks my movements, his lips pulling back to expose his fangs.
“Samuel,” I whisper and he smiles.
“You’re making a stupid mistake,” Des snarls, drawing the vampire’s attention to him.
Samuel straightens to his full height. “You’re the one interfering, wolf,” he sneers. “Best run along. This one doesn’t belong to you.” He exhales a dramatic sigh. “I would hate for you to be hurt during the hunt but,” he smiles, “reparations can always be made.”
The threat is clear, but Des doesn’t back down. “I’m only going to warn you once—”
Another vampire appears as if from the shadows to flank the first one. “You were saying?” Samuel taunts.
Another two appear behind us and suddenly we’re surrounded. Shit.
Des growls, a deep rumble in his chest that fills the silence. He flicks his gaze toward me, eyes like liquid mercury. I know what he’s silently asking and I nod in answer, preparing myself for what I know will be a hard fought battle. I swallow down my fear and call my wolf forward. Her sharpened vision fills my eyes and my wolf’s claws pierce my fingertips.
“Ah, are we going to shift?” Samuel asks, canting his head to the side. “I much prefer this form than the hybrid beast you were when we first met but,” a curl of his upper lip exposes his fangs, “I did enjoy forcing your shift. Tell me, how’s your back feel?”
Desmond’s lips move, his words whisper soft for my ears only. “You can hold a warrior form?”
I nod.
“Take it the first chance you get.”
I reach for the saber on my back, pulling the blade free as Des whips a simple dagger out. Will it be enough?
The vampires all smile like our weapons are useless against them. I force my mind to remain calm. Steady. Usually a vampire up against a shapeshifter is a done deal regardless of breed. Vampires are fast and there are only a few ways to kill them. Destroy the heart, decapitation, and fire are about it. Whereas with a shifter, all you have to do is deliver enough damage that the Lycanthropy virus in our systems can’t keep up. Silver is our kryptonite but it isn’t necessary to take us down.
Four against two isn’t helping our odds.
I know Des is thinking the same thing when our eyes connect once more, silent communication passing between us right before he whirls on the two vampires behind us and I charge forward to face off with the two in front.
Samuel lunges toward me inhumanly quick. I barely avoid his outstretched hands, relying on my shifter speed to twist out of reach at the last possible second. I swing my sword, grazing the back of his arm as he flies past me. Dammit. Instinct has me spinning to my right in time to meet the second vampire’s strike. Crimson eyes stare into mine with hatred as he reaches for my throat. For a second, my mind screams in panic before I shove the emotions aside. Adrenaline punches through me like an electric rush through my bloodstream and as one curled hand wraps around my throat, I sink my blade into the vampire’s stomach.
I refuse to be weak and give in to my fears. Not this time.
He stills, eyes wide and I use his surprise to my advantage as I drag my blade upward, angling for the heart. Before it can connect, Samuel sinks his fangs into my shoulder from behind. I scream. My muscles spasm and I fight the urge to wrench away knowing I have to take care of the vamp on my sword. I won’t get lucky like this again.
Fighting through the burning pain, I ignore the scent of my own blood as he feeds from me. “I hope I taste like shit,” I scream as I force my blade higher, knowing vampires don’t typically like the taste of our blood.
I cut through muscle, hitting bone and drag my blade the final few inches to the vampire’s heart. At the last second, he grasps my blade, blood dripping through his fingers as the enchanted steel slices into his hands, but it’s not enough to halt my momentum. The blade slices through his organs like warm butter.
The crimson of his eyes dims and his legs give out. My saber slides free as he falls to the pavement and I whirl on Samuel at my back. His fangs tear free from my shoulder, and I snarl as pain spears into me.
Facing him now, my breaths are labored, my neck slick with dripping blood, but I ready my saber for his next attack. His lips curl into a smile and he uses his thumb to wipe the trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. With his gaze on mine he brings his blood coated finger to his mouth and sucks on it provocatively. He moans.
“Mmm… an acquired taste but one I happen to enjoy.”
I shudder and tighten my grip. Chancing a look, I flick my gaze toward Des. He’s
