Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2)(106)

"It's a werewolf thing," he said. "Our body temperatures run hotter."

"What time is it?"

"After midnight," he answered.

She remembered her mom who must be panicking by now. Then feeling too exhausted to think, Kylie closed her eyes and leaned closer into his chest, careful not to move her shoulder.

He shifted her into his lap. His warmth surrounded her. She felt him moving a hand through her hair. "You've got something in your hair," he said.

"Probably concrete, from when I ... came through the wall," she said.

"What wall?" he asked.

She recalled he'd been unconscious then. Did he even know she'd healed him?

"That one." She nodded. "He put it back together, though."

"I think I hit you harder than I thought."

She didn't have the strength to argue. "So tired."

"Rest." He pulled her closer. "Soon," he whispered.

Was he saying that it would be over soon? God, she hoped so.

"Kylie. It's time."

Lucas's words stirred her awake some time later.

She felt Lucas jump up with her in his arms and she became instantly alert. Loud noises came from behind the wall and, in one easy leap, he had them against the back of the room, away from the noise. Before she could insist Lucas put her down, the front wall collapsed and Burnett and several other FRU personnel hurtled though the cascading concrete.

Burnett rushed forward. "Is she okay?"

"Fine," she said, embarrassed that Lucas held her like a child. "Put me down."

"Her shoulder," Lucas said. "I think it's broken. My fault. I did it ... accidentally."

"I'm fine." She went to move her shoulder to prove her point, and winced.

"They're here!" someone screamed from down the hall. Lucas, Burnett, and the other men ran through the rubble that had once been a wall. She stood alone in the cloud of dust their hasty departure had created. The sound of men fighting in the distance reached her ears. Feeling useless, she started to follow, hoping her strength would return, but she hadn't taken one step when she felt the rush of air move past her. The young, evil-eyed rogue stopped beside her and before Kylie could do more than scream, he had her in his arms. Forgetting about her shoulder, she struggled. Pain exploded in her arm, but she continued to fight. But his hold was strong, and her own strength spent. "No!" the deep rumble of Lucas's voice filled her ears. "Put her down," Lucas demanded.

"She's mine," the rogue hissed.

"Over my dead body," Lucas roared, and his eyes deepened to a burnt orange.

"That will be my pleasure," the vampire roared back, his gray eyes now glowing red.

Realizing her opportunity, Kylie jabbed the palm of her hand into the rogue's throat. He dropped her, and she had no more than hit the ground when she saw Lucas attack. The sound of fist pounding into bone filled the room. In horror, she watched as Lucas was thrown across the room.

She felt her own strength returning, but before she got to her feet, Lucas was back, holding the vampire by the throat. The sound coming from the vampire's throat left Kylie with no doubt that Lucas's hold was crushing his airway.

"Drop him!" The voice of the old vampire filled the room and made the air heavy. "Drop him or she dies."

While Kylie could see no one, she felt a hand close around her throat. She clawed at the invisible force that choked her and tried to pull air into her lungs. None came.

She saw Lucas's gaze shoot to her. Dark sparkles started filling her vision, and right before everything went black, she saw Lucas drop the rogue, who then disappeared. No wind, no air. Obviously the old man's magic had taken him away.

Still attempting to gasp air into her lungs, she collapsed to her knees. Lucas pulled her up.

Burnett suddenly appeared at their side.

"He came back for her," Lucas said.

"We need to get her away," Burnett said, and reached out and took her in his arms. "The FRU are following them."

"I'm going with them," Lucas said.

"No," Kylie said, forcing the words out of her bruised throat. But she wasn't in the room anymore. The wind hit her face so fast she couldn't breathe. Burnett readjusted her, and buried her face against his chest, a chest that wasn't near as warm or comforting as the one she'd just been sleeping against.

When he came to a stop outside a single-story building, Kylie raised her head. "Where are we?" She touched her neck.

"A clinic," he said, and moved her hand to check her neck.

"I'm fine. Put me down."

"Not yet. You might be fine, but Holiday would have my ass if I didn't have a doctor check you out."

She remembered Lucas. "You should have stopped Lucas from going after the rogues..."

"Couldn't have stopped him," he said. "Werewolves are too damn stubborn. But Lucas can take care of himself."

"He got captured," she said.

"Only to get inside to you," he said.

The realization made her gut clench. "He could have been killed."

"He wasn't." The lights came on in the building and Burnett moved in.

Kylie read the sign on the door as he carried her inside: PROTECT YOUR PETS AGAINST HEARTWORMS. "Wait. You're taking me to a vet?"