And that man…Weston…he came and knelt beside her and cradled her head. “You’re one of us now. Your Coven has been compromised, but you have the protection of the Bloodrunner Crew. My father says you’re important. I think you’re important, too.”
She didn’t understand. Didn’t understand any of this. All she understood was the unrelenting pain. “My leg,” she whispered in agony. “Can you open the trap?”
Weston looked at her leg and back to her face. “There’s no trap. You’re okay. That’s just what he wanted you to believe.”
What? No. There was a trap. She had stepped into the metal contraption and felt the teeth going into her skin and snapping her shin bone. She’d felt it. Felt it. Nicole looked down at her leg, and there it was, mangled and bloody, a horrific sight to see.
“There’s nothing there,” Weston said softly with such honesty in his eyes. “You’re going to be okay.”
The pain in her leg started fading away, only to be replaced by a burning in her shoulder. “There’s fire,” she whispered.
Weston scooped her up and carried her through the woods, and no trap or chain stopped her. “See?” he asked. “No trap.”
“No,” she murmured, holding her bloody shoulder. “I mean, there’s fire in my arm.”
Weston sat her on the ground again and looked back at the bear who was pacing between two trees, his eyes on her. “Well, that part is about to get worse.”
“What have you done?” she whispered.
The man smiled, and his eyes turned black. “We gave you a weapon.” He stood smoothly, and as he reached the peak of his stance, his clothes fell into a pile and a massive crow flew up into the trees.
I’m here, something whispered through her. And indeed, something was growing. Warmth was streaming out of her shoulder as she arched her back against the leaf-riddled forest floor. She screamed out at the pain, but her scream changed. It started human but then morphed into something different. Into something other. It turned into the roar of an animal.
The bear in the woods answered her roar and stood on two legs. God, he was so big. So big.
Something was growing inside of her fast. With a grunt, she rolled over and got up onto her hands and knees, and then the popping of her breaking bones filled her head. Nicole gritted her teeth against the agony, but in a few blinding seconds, it was over. Stunned, she sat there frozen on the dry leaves. Chugging breath, she locked eyes with the bear. He was pacing in the woods but then gave her his back, charged away into the shadows.
Every instinct in her told her to follow. Not because some monster vampire was controlling her mind, but because she wanted to. That bear was safety.
She bolted after him, but stumbled hard and hit the earth. Stunned, she righted and looked down at herself. Where her hands should’ve been gripping tufts of grass, only massive paws with long, curved black claws existed.
What the fuck? Nicole backed away, but the paws followed.
This was her. This was her! This was her body!
Filled with shock, she looked back to the woods where the bear had gone.
We gave you a weapon.
If she could smile in this form, she would’ve. She was the weapon now.
Above her, bats filled the air.
Bring it, motherfucker. I’m going to rip your limbs off one by one.
Nicole stood and ran a few steps. When she stayed upright, she ran a few more, faster. Still upright. Okay, body, let’s see what you can do.
She roared again and bolted for the shadows where the bear—Wyatt, Weston had called him—had disappeared. Faster and faster she ran, ducking and dodging trees easily, her night vision allowing her to see every single leaf and limb that reached for her.
Movement above her dragged her attention upward, but it was only a raven and snowy owl coasting the air currents, keeping pace with her.
“What the fuck have you done?” Vlaric’s voice bellowed in her head.
It should not have struck her as funny, but his anger settled the last of Nicole’s fear. “Ha ha, dipshit. I ruined your game.”
A deafening roar sounded through the woods. “I’m going to kill you, bitch.”
“Gotta catch me first.”
Nicole pushed her legs harder because she could see Wyatt up ahead. He was leading her back toward the coven house. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Her entire sense of direction was different in this body. Weston wanted her near the house. She didn’t know why, but her instincts said to trust the raven shifter. If he wanted her dead, he could’ve killed her instead of ordering Wyatt to change her.
Vlaric had the minds of the coven under his control, but he didn’t control the Bloodrunners. Not yet at least, and that told her something important. His power had limits.
A tight ball of bats gathered above her and swooped down to earth toward her. Here we go.
She could see him! She could see him in this body. Could see his monster outline, his wings, his slimy, smooth skin. He was diving at her, but instead of running faster, she bunched her muscles and leapt up into the air at him, wrapped her arms around him, and slammed them both down to earth. She sank her teeth into his arm as his fangs hit her neck. She twisted and slammed him sideways into a tree.
Weston and the owl were divebombing him on the ground, so she took off after the bear again. She was supposed to go to the coven house. Whatever Weston’s
