Page 24 of The Manticore's Mate

“Officers are en route. Tell him you’re hanging up.” The dispatcher is just as calm as she was when she answered.

“Okay.” I pretend to push the button and lower the phone so it faces my thigh. “I can’t believe you would jeopardize your job here by helping Derek with his plan. It’s a crazy plan.”

There’s no humor in Brian’s laugh. “This job sucks and Millar pays well for information. He needed someone like Cade, and I gave him the location. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Except betray your friend,” I bite back.

“You know what he is. Why protect that.”

Police sirens blare and grow closer.

Brian’s eyes widen, and he looks at me as if he might kill me before he jumps in his SUV and burns rubber out of the parking lot.

I run as fast as I can to the front of the resort. My side hurts from overexertion, but I push on. Not sure where to go, I head for the woods where I first found Cade. The small clearing is empty. Closing my eyes, I try to feel him. If we’re mates, true mates, shouldn’t I be able to find him?

A spark flashes to life inside me, like a match strike in the darkness. Turning right, I run down the hiking path.

Cade’s voice stops me. “We’re getting pretty far from the resort. We should head back.”

“Oh, just a bit farther. I saw a pretty view up ahead.” Melony’s voice is sweet and full of that helpless damsel act that men always seem to love.

The sound of sirens is loud now.

The shot firing cracks the air almost at the same time as those sirens go silent.

“Got him.” Derek’s voice is triumphant.

Instinct tells me to run to my mate, but I need the police to find us. Drawing in as much air as possible, I start screaming. The sound cuts the silence like a knife. “Here! They shot him! Hurry!”

As soon as the police breach the woods and their radios and heavy stomping reach me, I run toward where I heard Cade.

“Hurry. Follow me.” I keep up my loud yelling, knowing the dense woods might make it difficult for the police to find us.

Derek grabs my arm. “Shut up, Leona!”

I scream as loud as I can.

He slaps me across the face, and I fall to the leafy ground. “Shut up, or you’ll get far worse.

A strong female voice says, “Step away from the woman, sir.”

Once I give the officer’s gun a good hard look, I turn and scramble to my feet, running through the trees. I find Cade lying on the ground with Melony standing over him in just a bra and lace panties.

Her face is twisted in anger. “Why don’t you turn?” She kicks him in the side. “Change into the monster.”

Pushing Melony out of the way hard enough that she stumbles and grabs a tree for support, I kneel next to Cade.

A dart with red feathers at the end sticks out of his arm.

Two police officers barrel through the woods.

I pull the dart out and toss it to the ground. Cupping Cade’s face, I pray he’ll wake up. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

“He was supposed to change. He’s a monster. Why didn’t he want me?” Melony grabs her breasts as if in offering to the unconscious Cade.

An officer holds her arm. “You might want to put your clothes on, ma’am.”

Someone touches my shoulder. “Let me have a look at him.”

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