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“This isn't about you and him anymore,” I said, my hands curling into fists. “Whatever vendetta you have, it’s nothing compared to what you’re about to face. You're my enemy now.”
He laughed, the sound bouncing off the cement walls. “Poor, deluded little bastard. You're only as powerful as your clan, but if memory serves, you were banished. No longer an heir. You have no clan, and no power here. You’re nothing more than a would-be alpha from a broken family.”
I could feel the dragon within clawing at the surface, desperate to tear Tomas apart, but I had to maintain control for Mariah's sake. My heart ached to rush forward, to rip her from his arms and hold her close. But if I couldn’t get there fast enough, and he plunged that syringe into her neck…I swallowed.
Focus.
“Your threats don't scare me,” I said, my eyes returning to his, watching him closely and reading his next move. “Now, let her go.”
“Or what?” Tomas said, his grip on Mariah tightening.
“Or you'll face the wrath of not only me but the entire Carey clan.”
Tomas smirked. “Big words, Evan, but can you back them up?” He glanced over my shoulder. “It seems as if you’re here all alone. Meanwhile, I have your mate in my arms." He bent his head, lowering his nose to her neck and breathing deeply. “And such a lovely one she is.”
Mariah shuddered, and I nearly went for Tomas then, but he was grinning wildly at me, his laughter echoing off the walls. “You see, there’s nothing you can do. You’re just as powerless as when you were a kid. How weak you were, standing by and letting your parents get murdered.” Those eyes gleamed with malicious delight. “I knew then you were just as pathetic as your real father, pretending to be such a hot shot, when really you’re just afraid of anyone being stronger.”
My blood boiled with rage, and I took a step toward him, moving on instinct. But Tomas shook his head, gripping the syringe he held at Mariah's neck even tighter. My heart clenched at the sight of her fear-stricken face, and I froze.
“Good boy,” Tomas cooed mockingly.
I snarled in response, my dragon demanding I break free and incinerate him on the spot.
“Where is that pathetic excuse of a father, Evan?” Tomas truly was fixated on Sebastian and this rivalry he’d created in his mind. Obsessed, even.
Just then, Sebastian stepped out of the shadows. “If it’s me you want, Tomas, here I am.” He didn't hesitate when he spoke, unwavering and calm. “Stop using Mariah as a pawn. Let her go.”
“Ah, there you are,” Tomas said, his eyes lighting up. “I'm afraid I can't do that, Sebastian. She is far too valuable now.”
“Think about what you're doing, Tomas,” Sebastian said. "You won't get away with this."
I stared at the two men, locked in a standoff: Tomas’s cold, calculating eyes, Sebastian’s controlled demeanor. If Sebastian could just distract him long enough, maybe I could edge around to the other side, knock the syringe from his hands, and buy enough time to get Mariah out of his clutches.
I shifted my weight carefully, imperceptibly, my eyes glued to Mariah as I eased to the left.
“I already have, Sebastian,” Tomas sneered. “And this time, you won’t come out on top. All you've ever done is take from me. Take and take, always thinking you’re better than me. You still do, don’t you? Well, now I'm going to prove who the better man truly is. I have everything I need right here to rise to the top. No one will be able to stand against me.”
Sebastian raised his hands, palms up, a placating look on his face. “Mariah has nothing to do with this, Tomas. This is between you and me. Let her go.”
But Tomas only laughed, his grip on Mariah tightening as he held the syringe against her neck. “Oh, but she does, Sebastian. She has everything to do with it. She may have just changed the entire shifter world forever. I just need to test one more thing out first. Now seems as good a time as any.”
“No!” I screamed. My dragon surged forth, begging to be released, and I was moving toward them on instinct alone.
Sebastian moved then, too, and with a mighty roar, charged forward. I held my breath, praying that he'd reach Mariah in time, that we could end this nightmare and finally be free of Tomas’s cruelty.
They say that some moments can change your life forever, that time seems to slow down, life flashing before your eyes. The things that truly matter become crystal clear in the span of a nanosecond. This was one of those moments.
Sebastian charged forward, and I was right by his side, ready to die to protect the woman I loved. Then a gunshot rang through the air, leaving my ears ringing, the sounds of everything else muted as time slowed to a crawl. I whipped around to see the gaunt man in a lab coat wielding a gun, his face twisted in malice.
My dragon roared inside me, and I charged at the man without a second thought, tackling him to the floor and knocking the gun from his grasp. He grunted in pain, but that was the least of my concerns as my heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
“You fool!” Tomas bellowed. “What have you done?”
My gaze jerked back to where he stood with Mariah, syringe still in hand. Both of their eyes were trained on the floor, and I followed their horror-stricken gazes, unable to breathe when I saw Sebastian lying motionless on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
Panic seized me, and the disarmed man became an afterthought as I scrambled over to Sebastian, my hands shaking uncontrollably. “No, no, no…this can't be happening,” I muttered under my breath, not believing what I was seeing, praying that somehow this was all just a bad dream.
“Sebastian!” I turned him over so he was lying on his back. A sickening hole marred his chest. I couldn't hide the terror I felt in that moment. “No, Sebastian, please, no, no…”
