Bound in Death (Bound #5)(55)

“I had bait in that house. They were expendable.”

So cold. Callous.

“I also have men coming from the woods now. I’d say, Alerac, that you have about one minute to get your pack to safety, and then the silver bullets will start flying.” Lorcan’s lips twisted. “Ah, didn’t I tell you? I planned for that stupid human to tell you my location—and to tell you about the so-called cure for Ryan. I needed you here. I needed you to bring me Jane.”

And they had.

“There was no cure,” she said, voice leaden.

“Sure there was,” Lorcan told her, frowning. “Death is the cure. It always is.”

What?

“Now leave Jane here with me, and run while you can.”

Alerac’s head tilted toward the woods. “I don’t smell them.”

“I’ve cloaked their scents. A little trick I learned from a voodoo priestess in Africa.”

Alerac’s teeth snapped together. “Don’t smell ‘em, but I hear ‘em—attack!”

The wolves jumped into motion, even as the thunder of gunfire erupted. Bullets slammed the two wolves who were next to the witch. They howled in pain, and their coats thickened with blood.

The witch sank to the ground, her hands going over her head.

Then a bullet drove into her shoulder.

More bullets. More cries. More blood.

“Enough!” Alerac roared. Then he was hurtling forward. Transforming, shifting, and running toward the woods.

He had to protect his pack.

She had to help him.

Jane ran after him. She spared one final glare for Lorcan.

“I’ll see you again!” he called out.

She chased her werewolf into the woods.

A bullet grazed her arm. I hope you feel that, Lorcan.

Then a man in black charged at her.

She grabbed the gun right out of his hands. With a quick twist, Jane broke those hands. Then she sank her teeth into the guy’s throat.

Alerac’s wolf was growling. Attacking. Taking down men left and right.

And they were just men—not vampires. Men. Mortal men who were in over their heads.

They’d chosen the wrong side in this fight.

Another bullet hit Jane in the back. She dropped her prey. He wasn’t a threat any longer. Not dead, but not about to fight back.

She spun on the new attacker. The bloodlust within her was rising as it never had before.

The man who’d just shot her was taking aim at Alerac now.

No.

She rushed toward him. Before he could fire, her teeth were in his neck.

***

The bastard called Lorcan was getting away. Zoe chased after him, trying to dodge the bullets that were still flying. Silver. She hated silver.

What werewolf didn’t?

Lorcan was rushing into a dilapidated storage building that was about thirty yards away from the remains of the burning house.

She heard the growl of an engine.

No.

When a truck burst from the side of that storage building moments later, Zoe jumped in its path. She had to stop him.

Lorcan was behind the wheel. Smiling at her. He reeved that engine and the vehicle zoomed right at her.

Wait for it. Wait for it. She could do this. She could— Something slammed into Zoe. She went flying, and when she hit the ground again, she found herself staring up at— A dead man.

Ryan glared down at her. Blisters covered his face and neck, and his skin seemed to be white-hot where it touched her. She could actually feel the scorch on her body.

“Got a death wish?” Ryan asked.

“No, that’s you.” She was stronger than she looked. So much stronger. She could have stopped that truck.

Maybe.

Now she pushed him aside. Her stomach was knotting. Her heart racing, and she was happy—no, couldn’t be happy, just relieved, for Jane’s sake—that Ryan was still alive.

Though she didn’t even know how the hell he was walking around. Vamps and fire were supposed to be a deadly combination.

Hell, with that much fire, it should have meant death for anyone.

Zoe jumped to her feet. The truck was vanishing down the road. She started to chase it.

“Don’t. We have something more valuable here.” Ryan grabbed her hands.

Again, his touch seemed to scorch her.

He pointed to the bloody, cowering witch. “Consider her our GPS device.”

The gunfire stopped. Wolves shifted into human form, then transformed almost instantly back into beasts. They were trying to push the silver from their bodies. Trying to heal.

She glanced around, frantic, but only counted one dead—the poor wolf that Lorcan had killed when the house exploded.

Her shoulders sagged. She’d buried too many of her pack mates over the years.

Too many.

Ryan marched toward the witch. He caught the blonde’s arm and jerked her upright.

Her blood soaked her shirt.

“Don’t!” The blonde cried. “I didn’t want to help him! I didn’t have a choice.”

“Bullshit,” Ryan tossed right back at her. “We all have choices. Right now, my choice is—do I let you talk or do I just pick a vein and find the real truth through your blood?”

The vampire was fierce. Zoe had always found tough guys to be a turn-on.

Except when they were about to drink blood. Then…not so much.