Page 51 of Predator

CHAPTER 15

TRUTH COMES OUT

When the white glow around my hand disappears, it takes all of the blood and gore from stabbing Marie in the chest with it.

Good thing, too. It’s bad enough I just became a damn murderer. To faint at the sight of the blood I caused, to lose my head because my hands were sticky with the stuff because I shoved my claws into her chest… that would’ve been the cherry on the top of this shitty I’ve lost my fucking mind sundae.

And I thought I already had when I turned on Lucas…

Keep going, Fallon. Move on. Don’t stop to think about what happened otherwise you will lose it entirely… and I can’t afford to do that just yet.

Have I hit my limit? Amazingly, every time I think I’m tiptoeing up against it, I’m surprised by how much more I can take. I guess, after being murdered myself, the bar’s kind of high… but killing my grandma?

I swallow roughly, hiding my claws under my cloak as I turn my back on Marie’s body.

Jade. I have to take care of Jade.

She’s still motionless on the table. I can’t tell if it’s because of the control Marie had over her or the silver collar she’s wearing, but since Marie is… gone now, I figure my only shot is to go for the collar.

The second I reach for it, trying to figure out how to remove it, I hiss out a breath. Genius me, I completely forgot that I’m part shifter which means the silver? It burns the crap out of my hand.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. My fingers are on fire from it, but I grit my teeth and yank. The silver is no match for a frantic, panicked shifter with thumbs and it cracks in half.

I toss it as far away from me as I can. Then, flexing my fingers, hoping like hell these amazing healing properties I’m supposed to have kick in and the pain dissipates, I bend down so that I’m at Jade’s side. I don’t want to risk hurting my fingertips any further so I don’t probe her. Instead, I tap her snout with my elbow.

Her eyes blink open. I don’t blame her when her first instinct is to rear back, showing off her fangs as she rumbles, but it’s a little annoying when she sees it’s me and the rumbling lowers in pitch.

Really? I saved her and this is the thanks I get?

For Lucas, I tell myself. She’s part of the pack, and I’m going to do this for Lucas.

“Jade? It’s me. It’s Fallon. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

The rumbling dies down as she gets up on four shaky legs. Her head swivels, checking to see if we’re alone, yelping when her gaze lands on my grandmother’s body.

I refuse to look behind me. “I know,” I tell her, assuming she can understand. “Long story, but the gist of it is that Marie is dead. We gotta get you out of here before anyone else finds out. Can you shift back?”

Jade lowers her muzzle. Her body trembles for a few seconds before she shakes her head, ears flattening against her skull as she whines.

I was afraid of that. Marie’s spell on Jade might’ve broken when my grandmother died, but the silver collar must have really screwed with her. My fingers are still aching, and I don’t know how long it’ll take for all those visible burns around her neck to heal. I’d been afraid it might affect her shift. Looks like I’m right.

Marching her through the manor as a wolf seems like a bad idea. If they had one collar, who’s to say they don’t have two more? No. She has to go, I have to stay, and there’s only one thing I can think to do.

Leaving Jade where she is on the table, I hurry over to the window. A small sigh of relief escapes me when I see that we’re on the first floor. I probably would’ve still insisted on my plan if we were on the second, but this is better.

The window opens easily. Shoving the curtains back, I go over to the table and—before she can react—heft Jade up in my arms.

In her human form, Jade is tiny as hell. Super petite. As a wolf? She’s much bigger, but I instinctively tap into my newfound strength and pick her up. She doesn’t fight me, thank goodness, and stays still even after I shove her bulk through the window and drop her three feet to the ground.

Cats are supposed to land on their feet when they fall. I don’t know if it’s the same for wild wolves, but Jade manages to before stumbling a few steps forward, dropping down to her belly.

Oh, no. That’s not going to work for me.

“Go,” I half yell, half whisper. “Go back to the pack.”

She takes a few tottering steps before looking behind her.

I shoo her. I’m dead fucking serious, too. We might never be bosom buddies, but we’re packmates. She got caught by Marie because of me. The least I can do is rescue her before I go looking for Jeannie.

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