AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 18
“No!” Shannon screamed.
When she’d seen the giant snakeman lunging toward her with its dripping fangs, her heart had filled with terror. All that changed, however, when she saw those fangs bury themselves into Tanner’s arm. Every instinct for self-preservation disappeared, replaced by a blazing, red-hot rage that seemed to sweep throughout her entire body like a prairie-fire.
Though she’d not known him long, she already counted Tanner McBain among her friends.
And nobody hurt her friends.
Nobody.
With the loudest roar she could muster, Shannon lashed out, driving both of her fists into what she reckoned must be the weakest part of the snakeman’s body—its eyes.
The monster instantly released its bite on the alpha’s arm and drew back with an angry hiss. It reared up on its long tail, clutching its wounded eyes, and Shannon’s stomach crawled at the sight. It was the most abominable thing she had ever seen, the head and torso of a giant man affixed to an enormous serpentine tail covered in brown, diamond-patterned scales.
A forked tongue flickered out of the creature’s hissing mouth, and Shannon knew it was tasting air, searching for her scent so it could pay her back for what she’d done.
She also knew, from what her father had told her, that the snakeman had extra senses ordinary humans did not possess. Heat sensing pits on either side of its face allowed it to detect living things even in total darkness, and the sensitive nerves of its tail could pick up and home in on even the slightest of vibrations.
The thing didn’t need its eyes to see.
Shannon reached for her pistol, only to discover it had dropped out of its holster when she’d fallen from the saddle.
She frantically searched the dirt around her for the weapon, but it was already too late; the snakeman was diving for her again, fangs bared.
Three shots boomed in quick succession.
The first round took the snakeman straight through the chest, the second through the neck, all but separating its head from its shoulders. The third obliterated its head completely.
The creature collapsed with a thud at Shannon’s feet, blood draining out of its wounds. Behind, its tail continued to writhe and twitch like a separate, still-living entity.
“Miss Duffy! Are you okay?”
A powerful hand seized her arm, and Logan Summerhill was there kneeling beside her, his smoking rifle clutched in his other hand, his dark eyes searching her body for signs of harm.
“I’m fine,” she said. “But Tanner—”
Her throat seized, unable to complete the sentence. She turned and looked where the alpha cowboy had collapsed beside her. His eyes were closed and his body was motionless in the dust. Twin streaks of blood ran from his punctured arm.
In a flash, Logan was crouching beside his fallen comrade. He placed his fingers on Tanner’s neck, searching for a pulse. Shannon felt tears behind her eyes.
“Is he…?”
“He’s alive,” Logan said. “But just barely. If he was a beta, he wouldn’t be.”
Shannon touched Tanner’s arm. “I’ll suck the venom out.”
“No,” Logan said, lifting a hand to stop her. “That won’t work. It’s already gotten into his system. What he needs now is a chance to rest so his body can fight the venom—but first we need to get the hell away from here.”
“You think there may be more snakemen?”
“Maybe. Actually, it’s snakewomenI’m worried about. That one was a male. There’s a good chance he’s got a mate nearby, and if she sees what I’ve done to her husband she probably won’t be too happy with us. Now come on, help me get Tanner on his feet.”
Shannon didn’t feel as if her meager strength would be much help, but she didn’t dare question what Logan said. There was something deep within the alpha’s dominant voice that compelled her to obey—and despite the extremity of the situation, there was something deep inside herself that fluttered with arousal at the idea of obeying him.
She moved around to Tanner’s other side, and together, she and Logan helped the wounded alpha to his feet. To her amazement, he was actually able to stand, though his eyes remained closed and his face looked sickly and pale.
“Tanner!” Shannon exclaimed. “Tanner, are you okay?”
