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I glimpsed Hunter in the cluster of writhing bodies. Sky choked out a gasp as the vampiress leapt onto the back of a hulking shifter, piercing her speared fingers straight through the massive body. Her bloody hand exploded outwards from its chest, clutching a still-beating heart, before yanking it backward again. A spray of blood coated the ceiling as the shifter fell, with Hunter riding it down to the ground—a bloody David atop a dying Goliath.
I tugged Sky away before she could see the vampiress bring the bloodied heart to her lips, crushing the organ like an overripe fruit and draining the crimson liquid into her mouth.
“We need to get you out of here.” I propelled Sky towards the exit, already tapping into my mental connection with Dylan who was hovering around somewhere outside.
“But what about the others?” Sky twisted in my grasp, digging her heels in protest. “We can’t just leave them!”
“I’ll be coming back,” I insisted, resorting to lifting her in my arms and carrying her instead. “But right now, you’re my top priority.”
“Jordan!” Sky wriggled in my grasp, watching the battle over my shoulder. “Put me down! We have to help them!”
A roar behind us had me picking up the pace, the shifter from earlier having finally joined the fight. His jaw may have been broken, but he could still do significant damage with those claws.
“He’s seen us.” Sky gasped, still hanging over my shoulder. “Jordan watch out–”
She didn’t get to finish her warning, her words cut short as something sharp and wickedly curved pierced my back.
We went down, Sky taking the brunt of the fall as the shifter barreled into us. I hunched over the woman, releasing a furious roar of my own as the shifter ripped its claws from my back, tearing the wound wider.
Sky paled beneath me as my fangs emerged, and my tongue lengthened in my mouth, becoming more serpent-like and forking at the tip. The last thing I wanted to do was demonstrate a full vampire transformation to the already-terrified woman, but the slice to my back left me little choice. I was losing blood fast and I had only minutes to take out this shifter before my body failed me.
Crouching over Sky, I hissed in agony as my bones cracked and contorted. My limbs stretched and lengthened, becoming sinewy and taut over rippling muscle. My nose flattened, morphing into two slits in my face and heightening my senses. My vision blurred, but I had scent and sound to guide me.
By the time the shifter lunged for another attack, I was ready for it. I lifted one elongated hand to close around the creature’s arm, tearing it clean off with little effort. The shifter howled and backed away as I stood at my full height. The hall was now far too cramped for my form, and my head grazed the ceiling as I loped toward the cowering shifter. Folds of flesh flapped on my back, grotesque wings that ached to be unfolded.
Crouching in a predatory stance, gangly limbs poking out at odd angles, I focused my senses on the shifter and lunged. My fangs closed around its neck in an instant, but I didn’t stop there. I dragged the creature down the hall, my wings exploding open as I pushed through the mass of vampires and shifters. Once I reached the edge of the balcony I launched into the air, propelling my body upwards with the shifter in my jaws.
I could not fly for long with such a heavy burden, but I didn’t need to. Once we were in the air and over the edge of the balcony, I released my hold on the shifter, dropping the howling creature from the top floor. I didn’t stick around to watch his descent.
Back inside, the vampires had managed to take down most of the attackers. Hunter was making short work of the last few stragglers. Unable to hold my form for long, I shifted back and staggered through the apartment in search of Sky, leaving a trail of blood behind me.
I found her still crouched in the hallway, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. I hesitated then, Hunter’s words ringing in my head as I stared at the frightened woman. I had morphed into a monster before her eyes, a real monster.
Swaying on my feet, I took a few steps back and hit the wall behind me. “I would never hurt you.” My voice cracked as I struggled to get the words out, black dots clouding my vision. “I know you probably don’t believe me but it’s true.”
Before I could topple over entirely, Sky leapt to her feet and caught me in her arms. I could hear her heart hammering in her chest as she cradled my head, lowering us both to the ground and wiping blood from my bottom lip.
“I know,” she murmured and I could have sworn I saw tears in her eyes. “I believe you.”
The aftermath of the shifter attack was a bloody one. Many of my coworkers were teary and shaken, others invigorated by the carnage. After having my injury patched up—a painful process involving Vampire magic and a chunk bitten out of Hunter’s mattress, the dark haired vamp pulled me aside.
“This was Jeremy’s handiwork, right?” Hunter kept her voice low, her eyes flicking around the destroyed apartment.
“Most likely.” My eyes followed Sky who oversaw the shredded bodies with a placid stare. “Hunter, I’m really sorry about the mess, I’ll cover the damage–”
“That’s not the issue here.” Hunter cut me off, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. “I’m just glad everyone is all right. But you have to know, we didn’t get them all. One shifter got away.”
My stomach dropped to the floor at the implications of a surviving shifter. “How?”
Hunter tilted her head toward the balcony. “Dylan has checked the grounds. The guy you chucked off the edge is gone.”
That shifter had seen me go out of my way to protect Sky. If he reported back to Jeremy, my cousin’s suspicions would be proven true. If Jeremy suspected that it would shake me, he would go after Sky the first chance he got.
By protecting her as I had, I had inadvertently painted a blaring target on Sky’s back.
Chapter 10
SKY
