Bound in Darkness (Bound #2)(20)

The wolf was clawing to the surface now, determined to be free. “Watch me.”

She didn’t let go. Her hold just tightened more. “I don’t want you dying for me!”

He could think of worse things to die for but… “I won’t be dying tonight.” No matter what Elsa had planned, “And neither will you.” Then, because he had to taste her, just once more, Cade pulled her close. His lips took hers in a hot, deep kiss, and he knew he’d carry her taste with him when he faced the enemies who waited.

The only good vamp is a staked vamp.

Not his motto anymore. But those bastards who’d sided with Elsa? They were begging for death.

He pushed Allison back. The change took him then, hard, brutal, as bones broke and reshaped. He fell to the ground, body contorting, and fur burst along his flesh.

At fourteen, his first change had been a burning agony. Now, he hardly felt the pain at all.

In moments, a wolf stalked the ground, heading toward the house. Allison stayed behind him, following close. He could go in quiet, try to surprise the vamps or—

Or he could just tear them apart.

Cade leapt for the door. His powerful claws slammed into the wood and sent the door crashing inward. Before it had even slammed to the floor, Cade jumped away and swiped out at the vamps who rushed toward him.

One slash across the chest to the dark-haired jerk who attacked with fangs barred. Even as the guy screamed and stumbled back, Cade drove his claws into the chest of the vampire on the right. The red-head’s eyes widened as the claws jerked inside of him, and the scent of the vampire’s fear filled Cade’s nose.

Kill. Destroy.

“Don’t hurt the girl!” The vampire’s bellow seemed to shake the whole house. Cade dropped his prey and saw that a big, blond vampire was rushing down the stairs, with another vamp right on his tail.

Their fangs were out, bloodlust glowing in their eyes but—

A gunshot thundered and a bullet thudded into his flesh. From the red-hot burn, Cade knew he’d taken a silver hit. His head jerked toward the top of the stairs. Elsa smiled at him even as she lifted her weapon once more.

Now he knew where Griggs had picked up his silver bullet ammo. Figured.

Allison screamed even as Cade’s wolf form tore up the stairs. He slashed out and knocked the vampires out of his way. But those vamps, they weren’t going down easy. The blond shoved a knife into Cade’s back.

More f*cking silver.

His body burned.

“No!” Allison’s shout. “Get away from him!”

He felt the vampire jump in surprise. That shift of focus, that second’s hesitation was all that Cade needed. His head twisted, and he sank his fangs into the vampire’s neck.

Another bullet thudded into him. Elsa’s laughter grated in his ears.

Won’t stop. Kill.

Then Allison was there. She punched at the vampires. Swiped with her own claws. “Let him go!”

The vampires didn’t fight her. They fell back—one actually fell off the stairs, and Cade raced toward the witch. She was still smiling, still holding up her gun—

“Cade, no!” Allison’s steps pounded after him.

The witch’s finger tightened around the trigger.

His hind legs shoved down, then pushed him high into the air as he launched toward her. The bullet fired, scraped right by his left-ear, and he slammed into the witch.

His claws sank into her flesh.

She didn’t scream. Just kept laughing.

“Cade, watch out!” Allison’s yell.

But the warning came too late. He’d been too focused on the witch. On the vampires. Their scents had been so strong that he hadn’t noticed—

A knife plunged into his back. The pain had a howl of fury and agony breaking from him. He rolled, swiping with his claws, and Griggs—f*cking bastard Griggs—fell to the ground, dead.

But Cade fell, too. He couldn’t get up. His legs had gone numb, and the shift swept over him again in an uncontrolled rush.

Too much silver. Too much blood.

He tried to find Allison. Saw her being held by the blond vampire. She was struggling in his arms and red tears leaked down her cheeks.

She thinks I’m dying.

Maybe he was.

He still couldn’t get up.

Griggs would never get up.

“Greedy bastard…for the right money, Griggs would always do anything.” Elsa, dripping blood, eased down beside Cade. She had a mirror cradled in her hands, a cracked, blackened mirror. “I knew he’d come back…he just wanted you to be weak enough first. Likes to attack when…his prey is weak.”

Too bad for the bastard…Griggs hadn’t waited long enough. Cade had made sure that prick went to hell first.

“Get away from him!” Allison yelled.

Elsa didn’t look her way. She leaned closer to Cade. He still couldn’t move. That f*cking knife lodged right in the middle of his back. Griggs had driven it in deep, all the way to the bone, and when Cade had spun to kill the human—

I just drove it in deeper. When his back had hit the floor, the hilt had broken off, and the silver blade was lodged deep within him.

“What did you think would happen?” Elsa whispered as she clutched her mirror. “That you’d save her? That you’d get to keep her?”

Forever. He’d wanted a chance, a shot at—