I grasp her throat, squeezing tightly enough that it cuts off her scream, and her breathing too. Her head is still now, and her eyes bulge out.
Recognition slams into me.
“Hello, Sarah,” I say. Calm as a fucking cucumber.I’m nailing this.“Long time, no see. If you want to breathe again, might I suggest shutting the fuck up?”
I loosen my grip, and she sucks in a breath and whimpers. “I’m not sure you remember me. I’m Sofia Rivera of the Lunar Eclipse Pack. My brother and my mate came in here, and,” I look around, “they don’t appear to be doing a great job at the rescue mission. You have until I count to five to tell me where they are before I slice your pretty throat out. One. Two. Three—”
“Okay, okay!” she cries out. “They’re in the basement.”
“Keys?”
Her eyes dart around, panicking, as she whimpers and cries. “You’ll kill me if I tell you.”
“Probably.” I agree.
“I didn’t want to be a part of this! But it was help them find more girls or become one of them. I didn’t have a choice! You have to believe me. Please!”
“Where are the keys?”
She lets out a loud sob. Her chest vibrates under me. Her eyes go glassy, and I slap her across the face, interrupting her mindlink. I bury a claw in her neck.
“They won’t get here in time. It would take me less than a second to slice your throat open. Where are the keys?”
“In my pocket,” she sobs. I withdraw my claw from her neck and slide my hands back to check her pockets. Sure enough, there are a bunch of keys there. I give them a little jingle in front of her.
“Please. Please, just let me go,” she begs. “I didn’t have a choice.”
I smile at her and lean in closer before whispering in her ear, “There’s always a choice.” I grasp her neck and sink my extendedclaws into her buttery soft skin. Her eyes widen momentarily before going slack as her life force drains from her.
My claws are slick, hot, and for a fraction of a second, my stomach lurches. This is the first life I’ve ever taken. But I don’t have time to recoil or vomit. I don’t have time for weakness.
She must have called for backup. It’s only a matter of time before they get here.
“Status?” I ask the warriors through mindlink as I push to a stand, pressing a hand to the searing wound in my side.
“No sign of anyone yet,” Mike responds.
“Keep me updated. Target down. Getting the rest of our group out now. Be ready for company.”
I pull up my shirt to check the wound. I’ve never been shot before, but why the hell is this hurting mesobadly? I’m an alpha shifter; it should already be healing. My waist is red and angry outside of where the bullet cut through me. I feel around to the back, and there’s no exit wound.
It’s fine; my wolf will heal me and push out the bullet. I think. Who knows? Shifters usually fight with claws and teeth, not guns. But then I shouldn’t be surprised that these cowards use guns as well as magic to subdue their victims. Nothing should surprise me when it comes to the Keepers.
I don’t have time for this. We need to get out of here. I go to the door and start working through the keys to find the right one. Finally, one engages in the lock mechanism, and I’m able to unlock the door. I swing it open and stand back as two large black wolves barrel out of the door.
Turning to face me, they snarl. Their hackles raised, they crouch back, ready to pounce.
“Yeah, if you could calm the fuck down, I literally just broke you out, assholes.”
“Sofia?” Ryan’s voice cuts through. “Stand down! Stand down!”
The wolves in front of me shift back into their human forms, revealing two muscular Black men I’ve never met. Caleb’s brothers.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ryan asks, pulling me into a hug. His hands move to my shoulders, and he holds me out at arm’s length when I wince. “Are you hurt?”
“That bitch shot me. But—”
“You gotshot?!” Luca roars, shaking the walls. He barrels through the door, shoving past Jackson. His eyes blaze as he reaches for me. Like he has the damn right.
