AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ridge, we need to go,” Tori prodded.
I nodded, making my way back to the car and the passenger door. Tori had the steering column off and had just bent down to hot-wire it. Our escape from the enemy vampires was becomingmore complicated by the second. All we could do now was hope that luck was on our side.
Luck had obviously fucked off and left us to it, I thought, as the sound of an approaching siren grew louder. We needed to get the hell out of here. The danger was closing in.
Then, there came the sweetest sound I’d ever heard—the rumble of the engine as it roared to life. I quickly glanced at Tori and saw her beaming at me.
“Ridge, watch out!” Kyle’s voice rang through the air, and before I could react, a blur of movement caught my eye.
A pretty girl seemed to appear out of nowhere, her movements so quick and lethal, she had to be a vampire. Snarling, she lunged at Kyle, sending him crashing into a parked car with a sickening crunch. Tori got out of the car she’d started, ready to run towards her brother. Kyle grunted in pain as he slumped against the twisted metal. The girl’s eyes flicked to Tori next, her fangs bared and her body ready for another strike.
“Get back in the car, Tori!” I shouted as I intercepted the vampire just in time, her fangs sinking into my shoulder. A searing pain shot down my arm. A growl escaped my lips, full of anger and agony.
“Ridge!” Tori screamed, her voice shrill with terror.
“Go, now!” I was struggling to fend the vampire off.
Jaxon arrived, obviously alerted by the noise from the street and the distant sirens, his human form a testament to our need for discretion. He tackled the vampire off me, pulling her away from my wounded shoulder. Blood seeped through my shirt, hot and sticky against my skin.
Something felt wrong, and I knew it wasn’t good. “Take care of her, Jaxon,” I said weakly to the older alpha. I gritted my teeth through the pain as I glanced over at Tori. She hesitated, her face a mask of worry, but finally obeyed and climbed into the stolen car.
The other vampire emerged, lips peeled back and eyes cruel. Dean met him head-on, fists flying in a flurry of punches and counterattacks. The fight raged on, each side desperate to prevail. But something didn’t feel right. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other as I heading towards the car to Tori. As I struggled to focus, my vision swayed, and the sounds seemed to distort.
“Ridge, you’re hurt!” Tori cried out from the driver’s seat. Even in all the chaos, she was thinking of me.
“Focus on getting us out of here.” I swayed slightly on my feet as a burning pain spread from my shoulder into my chest. The world around me began to blur, the edges of my vision growing dark.
“Ridge, stay with us!” Dean shouted, his voice fading in and out as if it were coming from underwater.
I tried to respond, but the darkness closed in tighter. The last thing I was aware of before succumbing to unconsciousness was Tori’s desperate plea for me to hold on. As the blackness claimed me, I clung to her voice like a lifeline, a single thread of hope within the storm.
Chapter 33
Tori
“Ridge.” I knelt beside him. His eyes were closed, a sheen of sweat on his pale face. I gently brushed the hair away from his face, trying to assess his condition. There was blood on his shirt, but I couldn’t see where he was bleeding from, so I pulled the fabric away.
That fucking bitch had bit him! If Ridge wasn’t wounded and unconscious, my wolf would have made sure I staked her through the heart. My wolf was in a panic for her mate, not willing to leave his side just yet. The skin around the vampire bite on his shoulder seemed to be sprouting fur, as if that small section of his body was shifting without his consent. Panic bubbled up inside me, and I ripped open his shirt to get a better look. What was happening to him?
The sounds of snarling and growling filled the air as I watched Dean and the male vampire fight, their movements a blur. Adrenaline pumped through my veins like fire. I had no idea how real-life vampires were killed, only what I’d learned about in movies and books. Where the hell could I find a stake, garlic, or holy water when I needed it?
“Get away from him!” Jaxon shouted at the vampire girl he was grappling with, his voice strained from the effort. His face contorted in anger as he tried to keep her from rejoining the fray.
“Dean, what do I do?” I yelled.
He grunted in response, too focused on his own battle to offer any help.
I clenched my fists, feeling useless and terrified. What if we couldn’t stop them? What if someone else got hurt, or worse?
I watched as Dean and the vampire exchanged vicious blows, each trying to land the killing bite on the other’s neck. The sounds of their struggle echoed through the street, punctuated by the sickening crunch of bones and the wet, tearing noises of flesh being ripped open. My stomach churned at the sight, but I couldn’t look away.
“Stay back, Tori,” Jaxon said, his voice ragged as he fought the vampire girl. She snarled at him, her teeth bared and eyes wild with bloodlust.
I knew I should listen to him, and I knew Ridge needed me. But the need to protect my loved ones surged within me, making it nearly impossible to stay still. I checked on Ridge once more, then stood, trusting his shifter healing would take care of him. I had to help the others turn the tide on this vicious pair.
“Jaxon, how do I kill her?” I demanded. He looked at me for a moment, his eyes filled with an odd mix of fear and wonder.
“Go for the heart,” he managed to gasp out before returning his attention to the vampire girl. “You’ll need something sharp. Something that can pierce her chest.”
