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“Hang on,” Ryan’s low voice murmured. Strong arms enveloped Vann.

Reality popped into a nauseating vortex.

16

Longest shift in living history. Eryn watched the clock that seemed to move at half its normal speed.

With Vann out of the picture, he’d be safe.

She knew she was outmatched. An ancient and experienced fury against two-thirds of a fury—who had never been in a real fight. If she had more time, she could fully test the dose two level-up.

For now, she was damn strong—and part ice cube—but she felt like she could walk through hell and enjoy the fire. She could smell death, taste it, let it flow through her like heroin, and she knew if she got that last dose, she’d be exactly the monster she was determined to destroy.

No, she needed to strike first, strike fast, and leave no room for error.

Probably immune to poison. Rapid healing, so any wound would need to be instantly debilitating. Lexi could sneak the body in for cremation. Even an immortal badass fury would need a brain to function. If she could penetrate the skull before Tisiphone could react.

Hand sanitizer soaked her hands, drying as she rubbed it in. The empty room across the quad was bustling. One nurse was bringing supplies in, another clearing space.

The room that was always saved for last. A straight shot from the ambulance—for when they hoped the patient had made it even this far.

Solid muscle, Karen’s sleeves were pushed up, her shoelaces tied tight, and she secured her hair back before snapping on gloves in anticipation.

Eryn ran to join her. “Talk to me.”

Karen shook her head gravely as they jogged toward the ambulance entrance. “Trauma, maybe another animal attack. Hiker, like the others. Multiple lacerations.”

“Chopper on the way so we can transport to a trauma center?”

“EMTs say he won’t make it that far.”

Eryn sucked in a breath and nodded. Waiting. She rolled her shoulders and readied for another loss.

Flying like a bat out of hell, the ambulance rounded the corner and slammed to a stop outside the automatic doors.

The back door slammed open. EMTs jumped out ahead of the gurney.

As they carefully and swiftly rolled the patient out of the back, the EMT in front was giving a rapid report. “Unconscious on arrival. Hematemesis times two and bloody sputum, but intubation was successful. Multiple abdominal lacerations. Ribs are… mush.” The EMT was pale as he ran through a laundry list of severe injuries.

Like preparing to jump onto a moving train, Eryn ran with the gurney before it even reached her.

As they merged, she began her visual assessment.

And her heart stopped.

Her body shut down. Death screamed within her. She sobbed to hold it back before she revealed the monster she was.

Blood-soaked everything. All of him.

The bandages couldn’t hold back the tide of blood pouring from him. The sheets were burgundy and dripping. She could hardly see his face through the blood-soaked oxygen mask.

“Vann,” she cried as she ran alongside, but he didn’t stir.

How could he? How was he even alive?

A few glances fired her way as they ran, but even with the entire medical team, even if they had the trauma center, his wounds were fatal.

A miracle he’d made it this far.