Page 73 of Fastlander Fallen

She was working with speed over Hallie, packing as many of the punctures as she could. She threw another packet of BleedStop at Owen. “Pack it!” she yelled.

He sank down against the wall and poured the packet onto his open stomach. “Beaston will be here soon, Beaston will be here soon,” he chanted. “He won’t let him kill her.”

She didn’t understand his words, and didn’t care. Her focus was on Hallie, whose pupils were getting bigger and bigger. It had to be shock.

“Is she going to make it?” Owen asked.

“Owen, shut the fuck up! Of course she is.” She cupped Hallie’s cheeks. “Look at me. We’re just getting started, do you hear me?” To her horror, her hands were leaving crimson handprints on her cousin’s face.

Hallie nodded. “You’re going to be my maid of honor.”

“Damn right. We got our dresses. You’re going to look so beautiful.” She would shoot her groom dead before he made it to the courthouse, but Hallie didn’t need that stress right now. “Look, the bleeding has already slowed.”

Tears rimmed Hallie’s eyes as she nodded jerkily. “It’s bad.”

“We just need time, baby. Let the bear do her thing.”

“I can’t feel her.”

“She just needs time, and that’s what we’re doing here together, okay?” She held her hand. “We’re buying her time. You’re a badass woman, Hallie. You survived Derek. And now you’re going to be a shifter, and good luck to anyone who fucks with you from here on. That’s your story, do you hear me?”

“Yes.” Hallie nodded. “Yes. I hear you.”

Her eyes were black from her pupils being blown, and her hands were so cold. Fucking Gunner. “Why did he do this to her?” she demanded.

Owen was holding his stomach. “Gunner didn’t do this to her.”

“Who did?”

“Lucia Novak.”

Getting warmer. Chills rippled up her arms as she remembered the spray paint.

She didn’t understand. She didn’t understand!

Hallie’s eyes rolled back in her head. “Nope. Hallie, babe, you have to wake up. You have to keep your eyes open.” She shook her shoulders. “Hallie?” She picked her up and cradled Hallie to her, tears releasing from her eyes to race down her cheeks. “You can’t leave me. Our story isn’t done! Hallie!”

She reared back and slapped her cousin as hard as she could, and a long, low snarl ripped from Hallie as she seized. Her eyes flew open, and she could see the exact moment the bear took her eyes. Her pupils constricted, revealing an unfamiliar, glowing green.

Hallie’s face sank in, and the angles of her face sharpened as she went completely rigid, back arched against the floor.

“You need to go,” Owen said. “Get away from her!”

“Get out,” a woman said from behind Corey.

Corey twisted to find a raven-haired beauty with eyes the color of Hallie’s.

“What have you done?” Owen demanded.

She stepped forward, grabbed Owen, and threw him out of the open door. Corey jerked to her feet. “What are you doing?”

“It has to be this way,” the woman said, tears in her eyes. Lucia? Two other women stood behind her, but Corey didn’t know them.

Lucia told her, “I’m sorry,” and then she shut the door just as something else hit the side of the house and splintered a crack right through the floor.

Another rattling growl escaped Hallie’s body, and Corey started to understand. No. She strode for the door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. No, no, no! She rattled the doorknob and shoved against the door as hard as she could. It didn’t budge.

“Corey?” Hallie whispered in horror. “I think you need to run.”

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