Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(20)

Well, crap. Careful had just gone out the window.

She started down.

When she got past one cluster of trees, she saw the blond girl, probably no more than fifteen, surrounded by weres. Oddly, their scents weren’t very strong, so maybe not full weres. Which would mean they may not have full strength, either.

“I called the cops, you idiots, and they’re coming,” the girl screamed, sounding brave, but the shakiness in her voice gave her away.

Della counted four of them. Confident, or almost confident, she could handle all four—depending on just how much lunar strength they had—she headed down. Feeling her eyes grow hot, and her front teeth lengthen, she landed to the right of their little circle.

They knew when she’d landed, or probably a second before, because they turned away from the girl to face her. No doubt their dislike of vampires made her the more attractive victim. These were not the boys she’d seen earlier. She couldn’t be positive if they were the ones she’d halfway smelled at the jewelry store. But they were still being bad boys.

In the corner of her eye, Della saw the girl running away and felt some relief that she wouldn’t have to worry about her.

“Sorry to intrude,” she smarted off while assessing her situation. She knew she’d be fine if she could just keep her distance, and their attention, without them getting their dirty paws on her. She tuned her ears to listen to the girl, judging her distance. When the girl got to freedom, or arrived in a public place where the weres wouldn’t attack, she could simply fly out of there and leave these rogue dogs grounded without even breaking a nail. Then she’d call Burnett.

Such a good plan. And one that would have worked if her ears hadn’t been so tuned in to the girl that she missed the two weres who’d come up behind her. Each grabbed an arm.

Definitely half weres, because their scents weren’t that strong either.

Oh, shit. She felt a fist slam into her ribs and she gasped for air. She had one moment of concern that it might not just be a nail that she broke. Not that she was going to make it easy on them … or let them win.

She was just going to have to open up another can of whoop ass.

“Oh, so ya’ll wanna fight, do ya? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

Yanking out of one of the dog’s clutches, she coldcocked the other who came up to confront her. He dropped to the ground.

Another rushed in front of her, his fist drawn. She kicked that bastard right in the gonads. He yelped like a young pup.

Then she used the creep still holding on to her as a bowling pin to down the two others coming at her.

She was preparing to fly when two others jumped her from behind.

Damn. She swung a fist.

Damn. She started kicking.

Damn. She took a hard punch to her stomach.

*

Chase landed to the side of the strip center, still decorated with yellow crime scene tape. He drew in a deep breath. The tiniest bit of were scent lingered but not nearly enough to be able to identify it as one he’d gotten earlier. Looking north toward Della’s house, the temptation bit. Bit hard.

Had Burnett told Della about him?

Was she thrilled, nonchalant, pissed?

Damn, he wanted to see her.

He almost took off toward her house, but heard Burnett’s warning. You said you wanted to earn my respect. So start earning it by listening.

Pushing his desire aside, he took off, but once airborne he saw two police cars, lights flashing, driving down a street—a street that led to the park.

Thinking it might have something to do with the weres, and feeling a bit bad he hadn’t checked things out earlier that night, Chase shot forward, hoping to get a peek of what trouble transpired before the cops arrived.

From his not-so-good vantage point, he spotted and smelled the trouble. Weres. Definitely weres, or at least part weres. A group of them. He thought he counted six—no, eight—all going against one. He inhaled and instantly knew a couple of those guys were the same ones he’d come across earlier. Another deep breath and his nose picked up the scent of a vampire. The victim, maybe? Then the scent exploded in his brain, and went right to his heart. The air in his chest froze.

“Friggin’ hell!” he seethed, and prayed he wasn’t too late.





Chapter Nine

A few feet from the struggle, Chase saw Della was still standing. Bleeding, but standing. And the smell of his bondmate’s blood made him thirsty for more blood. With a growl that came from his soul, he tossed them away from Della two at a time. Their bodies landed among the trees, one even getting caught on the limbs of a pine.

Still caught up in the chaos of the fight, Della clipped him in the jaw. It hurt like hell, but he didn’t budge. “It’s me.” Chase tried to reach for her but she backed away, fist still swinging.

All of a sudden, recognition hit her expression. “I thought—” Her breath caught and she wiped a hand over her lip and smeared blood across her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” he asked, air still trapped in his chest, fury still making his blood burn and his eyes bright.

“I could have taken care of it myself,” she snapped.

The fact that she still had her pride intact told him she was okay. “Yeah, but I didn’t want you to have all the fun.” Sirens filled the night and blue lights flashed through the trees. The sounds of cars screeching to a halt at the park’s edge echoed.