He flips me the bird but answers the phone with a curt, “What?”
There’s shouting on the other line and I freeze, focusing on the call to pick up what she’s saying. One of the many perks to heightened senses.
“Address?” Des bites out. “Lock yourselves in a fucking bathroom if you have to, got it? Do not fucking engage with a vampire.”
He snarls. “Dammit. Why can’t you lis—Fuck. Put Zheng on the phone.”
More shouting.
She must have given Zheng the phone because now Des is listening, eyes molten gold with his wolf at the forefront as he runs his hands over his tightly braided hair, his fingers flexing as though he wishes he could tear it out. “We’re on our way.” Desmond ends the calls and turns to Rafael with rage in his eyes. “Follow me. The cars will be faster and call your pops on the way. You heard the address?”
He nods.
“What’s going on?” I heard bits and pieces but there was so much shouting and snarling that I didn’t pick up on what started all this.
His jaw ticks. “Isa thinks she found one of the vamps who attacked her, and Zheng is beating the shit out of him as we speak. We need to go. He can’t take on a vampire on his own, and I don’t want the girls getting involved.”
Rafael is already moving. Isa has proven she can take care of herself, but like Des and I, he’s not willing to take any chances. Not where his mate is concerned.Fuck.Is Jo okay?
We peel out of the Compound parking lot, taking the corner so fucking fast I have to grab the oh-shit handle, but I don’t tell Rafael to slow down. His girl is in trouble and there isn’t a mountain on this planet he wouldn’t try to move for her. He calls his dad’s number, snarling out the situation and relaying the address to Jo’s house.
It’s a fifteen-minute drive, but we make it in close to five, and before the car is even off, Rafael is jumping from the front seat and barreling straight for the front door, his body already mid shift, Desmond and I close behind. We’re Pack. And none of us fight alone.
53
Jo
Something is seriously wrong here, and it has everything to do with Diego. “Uhh…we’re going to get back to our movie.” I grab Isa’s arm and half drag her toward the hallway, hoping everyone else will follow. Once we’re alone I’ll ask her what is going on. Her skin is so pale it’s virtually translucent. I’m afraid she might pass out, or hell, shift.
All of a sudden Isa digs in her heels and pulls her arm away from me, her spine straightening. “It’s you,” she says, with a snarl. Diego ignores her, his attention back on the blood bag in his hand. “It was you,” she repeats, this time louder, and he snaps his head toward her.
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” he tells her, but even I know it’s a lie. He’s not bothering to hide his smile or the heated look in his gaze as he eyes her up and down like his next meal. What is wrong with him?
“What’s going on?” I ask KeAnna, but she looks just as confused as I do.
“Isa?” Zheng questions, stepping closer to her and wrapping one arm protectively around her waist. “What’s wrong?”
She points at Diego, her attention still wholly focused on him. “It was you. You were one of the vamps who attacked me. Who tried to…” She chokes on her words as angry tears run down her face. “It was you.” Zheng stiffens beside her and almost in slow motion turns to face Diego. He tucks Isa behind his back and faces off with my mother’s boyfriend, a furious expression washing over his face. “Meiying, call Rafael.”
“Wha—”
“Now. Tell him to call our Alpha and get here. Now, Meiying,” he growls.
Meiying pulls out her phone and starts calling, but it goes to voicemail so she tries again. And again.
“You sick sonovabitch,” Zheng growls, taking a step forward. “You attacked a seventeen-year-old girl for nothing. Why?”
Diego doesn’t even try to deny whatever it is they’re accusing him of. He holds himself eerily still, his blood-red gaze lasered in on Zheng. “She was a lone wolf. Free game.”
My stomach drops.
Zheng launches himself at Diego, his clothes tear as his body morphs into that of a giant Siberian tiger and the two crash to the floor.
“Oh, my God,” KeAnna gasps beside me.
I take a step forward, but have no clue what to do. Do I intervene? Zheng is on top of Diego, paws slamming into Diego’s face, and the vicious slice of claws leaves a trail of blood in their wake. But Diego isn’t defenseless and manages to throw Zheng off him with inhuman strength. I push the rest of the girls back as both men climb to their feet. Diego on two and Zheng on all fours. He’s beautiful. Graceful even despite his size. He stalks back and forth, his gaze trained on Diego as though waiting for the other man to pounce.Blood is matted in his fur and he’s panting heavily.
Blood runs from Diego’s nose and the corner of his mouth. Some of it his own and some what he’s managed to bleed from Zheng. He’s smiling, eyes dark red and a manic expression on his face. He licks his lips and waves at Zheng as if to say “come on.”
