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It was the best he was going to get. Dante steeled himself and began to push through the crowd. He could hear Kaja’s bark. She was on the edge of the throng, moving toward Cara. He began to shove people aside. The ogre was roaring, making the tents shake and the air smell fetid and rank. The big creature reached down and picked up a tent by the large pole that held the center up. He tossed it toward the field. There was a scream, this one smaller and weaker. Dante watched in horror as the ogre picked up a small brownie who had been hiding in the now defunct tent. He lifted the brownie’s delicate body and tossed it into his mouth. In a second, the brownie was gone, lost to the ogre’s never-ending hunger.
Kaja broke free from the crowd and raced toward Cara. The little gnome seemed frozen in terror, looking up at the monstrous form above her. Kaja’s sleek body was utterly graceful as she moved toward the gnome. The ogre looked down, and his hand reached out to grab Cara, but just before he caught her between his thumb and forefinger, Kaja struck. Her body forced Cara’s out of the way, and the two of them went tumbling to the left of the ogre.
Dante needed a plan and quick. He knew he’d been right when he’d told Meg that the ogre was hard to kill. A single bullet wouldn’t get through all that muscle. It would, however, piss the creature off, and then he would go straight down the ogre’s gullet. Dante pressed past the last of the fleeing Fae.
The ogre now stood above his wife. Kaja had placed herself in front of the gnome. Even from his position, Dante could see Kaja’s sharp white teeth were bared, her body utterly rigid. She was prepared for attack, but Dante couldn’t see how his small wife was going to take down the mountainous ogre.
Her head turned slightly, and those arctic eyes found his. Though her stance didn’t change, there was a softening in her face. Her eyes ate at him, the plea in those blue orbs so apparent Dante suddenly wished he could hide.
What did she want from him? He wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t a warrior. He was only a man, and his greatest talent was being able to give a woman multiple orgasms. And he liked it that way, damn it. He didn’t want to be Beck Finn. He just wanted to have fun.
But now he wasn’t just a man. He was a husband. And he couldn’t fail her.
Running on pure instinct, Dante took off. He felt the claws in his hands pop through his fingertips. He shoved the gun in his pants pocket. He couldn’t use it from a distance. He needed to be close. There was really only one place where the cold iron bullet would work fast enough to save them all.
But it was going to be a bitch to get that close.
The ogre threw his head back and let loose a mighty shout as his foot came up. Kaja moved back, Cara staying behind her. The ogre’s foot came down, and Dante feared the ground would open up, but it gave him his shot. He leapt onto the ogre’s calf, digging in with his claws, using those primal gifts the way a mountain climber used an axe.
He heard Kaja barking. When he looked down, he saw her darting up to bite the hell out of the ogre’s toe. She came back with a bit of flesh in her mouth.
“Kaja, you do not eat that!” he yelled as he climbed. “You have no idea where he’s been!”
She would need a full round of antibiotics, but she’d done her job. She’d distracted the giant. The ogre didn’t try to brush Dante away. He was far too busy attempting to kill Dante’s consort.
Dante held on for dear life as the ogre brought his foot down again. Kaja darted in between and around that massive foot, her quickness keeping her alive. Dante found a foothold on the back of the ogre’s knee and moved up to his thigh.
The smell was really what got to him. He couldn’t breathe this close to the damn thing. He pulled himself using sheer upper-body strength. At least he’d always been vain enough to work out, though now he would definitely spend more time on chin-ups.
“You stay alive, Kaja! Do you hear me?” He was climbing up an ogre’s ass for her. He really wanted the chance to kill her himself. Gods, he hoped the damn thing didn’t have gas, but it was far better than having to crawl too close to the monster’s junk.
Dante cursed the entire way up the ogre’s backside. The ogre, massive as he was, moved somewhat slowly. It aided him in his climb. The ogre twisted and turned, trying to find Kaja. He roared when Kaja’s teeth bit into his flesh. It was a perfect distraction. The monster didn’t seem to care that there was a vampire climbing up his back.
But he was about to. Dante made his way to the back of the ogre’s neck. He wouldn’t be able to hide now. He had to get to the ogre’s vulnerable spot and take his shot. One shot straight through the eye and into the dumb asshole’s dim brain.
That was all he had to do. No problem.
He was going to spank his consort. If he lived.
Dante climbed onto the ogre’s skull and found a nice piece of thick, scraggly hair. Luckily, the ogre hadn’t bothered with a comb-over. What hair the beast had was long and went every way possible. Dante felt a little sick looking at how high he was. If he fell, it would be very painful, though not for long since he would be flatter than one of the pancakes Meg liked to eat. The minute he hit the ground, the ogre would crush him.
He wound his hand around the chosen piece of the ogre’s hair just in time to tumble off the creature’s head. A huge hand came out to swat at Dante, just brushing past him. With his free hand, Dante pulled the gun. He was swinging for the ogre’s face.
Fetid breath, as rough as any strong wind, blew from the ogre’s mouth, making Dante gag. But he held it together.
One shot. One shot to live. One shot to save his wife.
At least it was a big damn target.
Dante pulled the trigger as he passed by the ogre’s eyes, the black pupil a huge target. He swung by the second eye, but already the ogre was faltering.
Those eyes flared, a trickle of blood flowing from the injured one. The ogre made a terrible sound that blew back Dante’s hair. Then the light fled in the ogre’s eyes, and the monster was falling to the ground below.
And Dante was falling with him.
Fuck.
The ogre hit the ground with a resounding thud. Dante hit it with barely a whisper compared to the ogre’s, but it felt like he’d broken every damn bone in his body. The air rushed from his lungs, and he struggled to take in a breath. He noticed Cara running to Rhys. At least the little gnomes were safe.
