Page 63 of Dance With Death

“Grayson!” protests Holly. “Neither of you touch him.”

Dash edges over and hands the coffee cup to Holly who smiles gratefully. “I’m not sure I should’ve brought you this without asking a nurse,” he tells her.

Ignoring him, Holly takes a sip.

The shifter stands across the bed from me, and I instantly shove my way into his mind. Instead of finding a construct’s void, I hit fear of me and Grayson. Well, at least he’s sensible. Dash winces as I pull apart his thoughts, but they’re garbled like Holly’s, and not through magic, but with shock at seeing Grayson and me.

“How do you know this shifter, Holly?” I demand. “I’ve never met this person before.”

“I don’t remember much about him,” she admits. As Holly’s hand shakes around the cup, Dash gently takes it from her. “But I know he’s a werewolf.”

Dash takes a sharp breath.

“Shifter, Holly; ‘werewolf’ is an offensive term,” I say, fixing my eyes on his wary brown ones. “Who are you? Did you lead me to Holly last night?”

“And lead us into the woods earlier today?” asks Grayson tersely.

“Dashiell. And yes to both.”

Yes.

Anger flashes, and the guy lands on his backside, coffee cup flying from his hand and splattering brown liquid across the carpet and wall. I stride over and look down at him.

“Did you hurt Holly?” I snarl.

“You think I’m dumb enough to say yes?” he retorts then swears at the magical stab into his brain.

“You’re dumb enough to come to the hospital to visit the girl you abducted and attacked,” says Grayson from behind me.

But he’s not stupid enough to move, and I ignore Holly’s protest to stop. “Do you know who I am?”

“Yeah. Violet Blackwood. He’s the Petrescu vamp.”

“Leave him alone!” Holly says weakly. “Dash helped me.”

I look over my shoulder. “How do you know he helped if you can’t remember anything?”

“I remember him attacking the other werewolf.”

“He isn’t a werewolf, Holly,” says Grayson. “Dashiell’s a wolf shifter.”

“Isn’t that a werewolf?” she asks.

Have we not already had this conversation?

“Regardless what definition you wish to give this person, did he attack you?” I ask.

“No. The other werewo… shifter did.” Her hand goes to her chest, and she cringes.

“And I killed him,” says Dashiell flatly, “before he could kill Holly.”

“You just happened to be wandering the woods and came across the attack?” asks Grayson derisively.

“Can I get up now?” Dashiell asks me. “I doubt the nurses would be impressed if they walk in on this.”

“Answer the question.”

He sighs. “No. I followed Sam when he snuck out with Holly. Something felt off.”

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