Page 141 of Hunt Me Down

“Shift, Jude.” Her arms wrapped around him. Held tight. “Shift!”

His heart rate kicked up but his head fell forward.

She held him tighter.

A growl built in his throat.

“Get an ambulance!” Zane ordered.

The thunder of footsteps on the stairs as Dee ran for help.

If he didn’t shift...

Soft, thick fur brushed against her skin.

Her eyes squeezed shut.

The crack of bones tormented her ears. Her hold never lessened. “Fight.”

Faster, faster—his heartbeat thudded in a double-time beat.

Her eyes opened. She saw white fur and the long, lean body of the tiger.

“Sonofabitch!” Zane’s cry. “I knew the bastard wouldn’t go down easy.”

No, not easy. Not her Jude. He bucked against her, his body trembling. The shape of the tiger began to fade.

Be enough.Enough to let him live.

Moments passed. The tiger disappeared, leaving the broken man in his place.

“Jude?”

He slowly raised his head and stared at her with confusion clouding his eyes. “Erin?”

Her smile felt like it was going to break her face. Too big. Too wide. Too—ah, screw it. Erin kissed him. And he kissed her back. Moved his lips, his tongue.

He was back.

She pulled away just a few inches. “Don’t ever do that to me again, tiger.” Not too late. For once, finally, not too late.

His mouth hitched into a half-smile. “Trust me, not...part of my...plans.”

Her hands roved over his back. She could still feel the wounds, but they weren’t as deep. The blood flow had eased. The shift had done its job.

Jude wouldn’t die on her.

“You’re one tough asshole, shifter.” Zane whistled. “For a minute, I thought you were a corpse.”

Jude winced. He was naked, his muscles rippling as he moved. “For a...minute there, I did...too.”

So had she.

Dee’s shoes pounded down the stairs. “Help’s coming, just tell him to hold on?—”

Erin glanced back at her in time to see the human stumble to a stop. Dee blinked twice, then smiled. “Shifter.”

If he hadn’t been, he would be dead.

---