Warrior (Relentless #4)(10)

Enraged, I struck at him again. This time my blade sliced through muscle and bone, severing his left arm just below the shoulder. He screamed and grabbed his stump.

I risked another look over my shoulder, and my heart lodged into my throat. Eli had escaped the werewolf, and he was halfway up the fire escape with Sara still in his clutches. The werewolf was climbing after them, but he was too slow. He’d never catch them in time.

My Mori needed no urging, and it sent fresh waves of strength through me. I moved and my blade was at the vampire’s throat before he knew what had hit him. His head flew into the brick wall as his body crumpled.

I spun to the fire escape before the body hit the pavement.

God, no.

Eli and Sara were only feet from the roof, with the werewolf too far below to catch them. In another second, Eli would reach for the roof, taking her with him.

Without thinking, I pulled a knife from my harness and threw it at the vampire.

Eli screamed and stopped climbing. He reached for the silver knife buried deep in his side, but he couldn’t get to it while holding Sara and the ladder.

I drew out a second blade, prepared to throw it.

The vampire’s eyes fell on me and moved to the werewolf advancing on him. Determination crossed his face as he abandoned the knife and grabbed the ladder rung above his head.

I pulled back my arm, but stopped mid-throw when Sara reached down and yanked the knife from the vampire’s side. What is she doing? I thought, a second before she plunged the blade into his shoulder.

Pride surged in me. She was a fighter.

The vampire screamed and almost lost his grip on her. She dangled precariously three stories above the ground.

I’ve got you. I raised my throwing arm again and stopped. Sara’s body was shielding most of Eli’s, and with them struggling, I could too easily hit her instead.

Her eyes met mine, and I saw the raw fear and resolve on her face.

“Do it!” she screamed. Her voice broke. “Nikolas…please.”

Hearing her speak my name felt like she had reached her hand into my chest and squeezed my heart. I couldn’t look away from her as I released the knife.

The vampire cried out as the blade found its mark in his other shoulder. Struggling frantically, he snarled at Sara.

Then he released her.





Chapter 3





I dropped my sword and cradled my arms to soften the impact of her fall. My arms closed around her, and I held her against my chest as I breathed hard to maintain my cool. The feel of her soft body against mine awoke something other than protectiveness inside me. In that moment, I didn’t want to ever let her go.

A low growl nearby reminded me we were not alone. One of the werewolves crept closer to me. The other had shifted back to his human form and was racing down the fire escape.

“Sara!” the dark-haired boy yelled before his bare feet hit the ground. He ran to us and held out his arms for her. “Is she…?”

I made no move to hand her over to him. “She passed out, but she’s okay.”

The boy let out a harsh breath. “I don’t know how to thank you.” He reached for her again. “You can give her to me.”

The affectionate way he looked at her made me want to crush her to my chest. There was no way I was handing my…orphan over to a naked male, even if he was her friend.

“You might want to get dressed before she wakes up,” I suggested dryly.

“Shit!” The boy and his friend ran to the mouth of the alley. I heard them talking in hushed voices as they pulled on their clothes.

I studied the dark lashes and pale skin of the girl in my arms, and breathed in her scent that was a mix of sunshine and spring rain. Never had I found those scents overly appealing, but on her the combination was alluring and sweet at the same time. My eyes moved over her lips, and I had to resist the sudden urge to taste them.

She looked so young and innocent, and I would have given anything to have shielded her from the evil she’d faced tonight. She’d been incredibly brave, but I worried about how she would be affected by all of this when she woke up.

The attack wasn’t the only thing she’d have to cope with. Her lack of fighting skills proved she was no warrior, or even a trainee. She was an orphan, and she was in for an even bigger shock when she learned the truth about what she was.

I still had no idea how she had survived this long on her own. I’d need to call for someone who had experience dealing with orphans and helping them acclimate to their new life. Paulette worked with the most difficult cases. I’d call her.

“I’ll take her now.” The dark-haired boy approached me slowly as if he half expected me to run away with her.

I reluctantly placed her in his outstretched arms, and then I cursed myself for the sudden rush of sentimentality. I should be off tracking down that vampire, not standing here acting like a lovesick boy.

“Thank you again,” her friend said thickly. He held her like she was a porcelain doll that might break if handled too roughly. I got the impression that none of them knew what she really was.

And none of them had any business being here. What was the pack thinking, allowing their pups, and what they obviously believed to be a human girl, out at night with vampires roaming the city?

I was furious at them and at myself for letting the vampire get away. I snatched up my sword and sheathed it, then reached for the fire escape. Silver wounds slowed a vampire down, but a mature vampire could still cover ground quickly.