Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(122)

Screams rang out from the back room.

“It’s Dr. Whitman and his daughter,” Della yelled. “Go check on them.” With tears running down her cheeks, the vampire dropped down beside

Chase.

Tears of empathy, of fear, ran down Miranda’s cheeks. Her heart felt like it would explode as she waited to see if Della found Chase alive.

But then she heard it. The voice. Not Dr. Whitman or his daughter. A voice in her head. It’s time. Go through the back. The door’s unlocked.

Run. Now!

Miranda felt her pulse flutter at the base of her neck and on both wrists. How could she leave now when … when …

Everyone is okay. We switched the death darts in their guns with tranquilizers. You have to go, Miranda. Now, or people will die. Your sister,

Perry, and others!

Miranda blinked the tears from her vision. Chase shifted as if coming to. Then Kylie started stirring.

The armadillo wasn’t lying about them just being tranquilized. Which meant he probably wasn’t lying about the others dying.

She did it then. She sped off.

She stopped when she saw Dr. Whitman and his daughter tied together on the floor, squirming to get free. Dr. Whitman’s face was bleeding. “Is

anyone hurt? Cut us loose,” he said.

She almost did, but then the armadillo spoke again. Now!

“I’m sorry,” Miranda told the good doctor and bolted out holding on by the thinnest thread of faith she’d done the right thing.

*

One bullet wasn’t enough to stop a gray wolf. Especially a flesh wound. Perry charged, he buried his teeth into the guy’s face, felt the

flesh tearing, and he tasted blood. The shifter fell to the ground screaming. Perry pushed the gun away with his snout and then turned to see

Burnett.

He was back on his feet. Blood oozed out of his arm, he looked madder than a trapped rabid raccoon. His eyes glowed, his fangs were fully

lowered. It obviously took more than one bullet to stop Burnett as well.

“We got Jax!” someone yelled from inside the house.

Burnett moved in and turned the guy over who had his cheek hanging open, and cuffed him.

“You okay?” Burnett asked.

Perry bobbed his snout up and down. He felt blood ooze from his side and he tasted blood oozing from his jowls. Thankfully that wasn’t his. “

You?” Perry asked.

“Fine.” Burnett pulled up his sleeve. “Barely a scratch. The vest and you saved me.” He inhaled. “Get out of the house before you get more

of that chemical in your system.”

Perry did as told.

There were twelve guards, plus Jax. Three of the guards were dead, four more injuried. Two agents had been shot, and were already being driven

by ambulance to see doctors. Jax, wearing three patches to prevent him from shifting, had been driven away. As Jax had walked past, he’d eyed

Perry in wolf form. He glared, but there didn’t seem to be any recognition.

Perry waited until they took Jax away before turning. Either this bullet wasn’t as bad as the others he’d gotten recently, or he was getting

used to being shot, because it didn’t hurt as bad.

“Good job,” Burnett said to Perry, as they loaded the last of the healthy guards into a van. “You are going to make a fine agent.”

“I’ve been trained by the best,” Perry said.

Burnett almost smiled and watched the vans pull away. “The bullet you took would have gotten me in the head.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“It’s the second time in a week that you’ve saved my life.”

Perry nodded. “You saved mine every day you were there for me when I was in foster care.” Emotion tightened Perry’s voice.

Burnett reached over and gave Perry’s shoulder a squeeze. After a heartfelt second, Burnett spoke again. “If they know something they’ll

tell us.”

“I sure as hell hope so.” Perry imagined Miranda sleeping again. More than he wanted air, he wanted to find her sister, wanted to wipe away

every worry and concern she had. He wanted the whole thing with his parents behind him. He wanted to move forward with his life, with their

life together.

For the first time in his eighteen years, he got a glimpse at his and Miranda’s future. Before, when he couldn’t control his powers, he’d

been scared to imagine it. Now he saw it. Working beside Burnett. Waking up with Miranda every day.

Burnett’s phone rang. “Yeah?” he answered.

Perry couldn’t hear what was being said, but Burnett’s eyes turned neon green, and his fangs started to come out, telling Perry it wasn’t

good.

“Call the office. Every agent is on this now. Set up roadblocks. I’m on my way,” Burnett ground out. He shoved his keys and phone back into

his pocket and locked his car.

“What?” Perry asked.

“Trouble. Follow me!”

“What kind…”

Burnett didn’t answer, he took off in flight. Perry morphed into a falcon, and took after him. Burnett seldom broke the rule of flying during

the day, where he could be seen by humans. This had to be bad.

When Burnett’s speed left Perry behind, he morphed into a prehistoric bird to catch up. Something told him getting spotted was the least of