Page 47 of Moonlighting with the Werewolf

As we neared the dirt road that’d take us to the compound, the trail widened, and I cranked the wheel, taking the sharp right turn at a frowned-upon speed.

A harsh curse punctuated the air as Diego’s head slammed against the backseat window. He’d held onto Elias instead of bracing himself, and I appreciated the hell out of him for it.

“How’s he doing?” I asked, my voice coming out with the hysterical edge that’d carved up my lungs the instant I’d crested the hill and spotted Elias inside the eerie green beam of light of the sigil trap. Blood had oozed from every inch of his peeling flesh, and the cracking of his lips accelerated each time he inhaled more of the thick silver mist that hung within the incandescent snare.

The image superimposed itself over the familiar path in front of me, causing bile to rise up and coat the inside of my throat, and I desperately hoped it wouldn’t be one that haunted me for the rest of my days.

“He’s still losing a lot of blood,” Diego said, “and I can’t hear him breathing anymore, but I think that’s a result of all the noise interference.”

Dust clouded the air behind us as I pushed the speedometer to its limit.

If I’d brought Kerrigan along...I white-knuckled the steering wheel, turning into the tail end of the Jeep as it swerved and fishtailed. I’d reasoned that if she ended up injured, she couldn’t patch up anyone else, and assured myself it was the best way to choose everyone.

But Elias needed those minutes back. The sigil trap had been rigged with a flash bomb loaded with silver, and the kid had been exposed to both for way too long.

If he didn’t make it, his death was on me.

“Goddammit.”I slammed my fist into the dash, unable to keep the lid on my temper. The outburst was also supposed to stifle the blurring of my vision.

It fucking didn’t.

If anyone asked, I’d insist the leaking was due to them nearly being scorched from my skull.

Of all the people, why him?A dangerous route to go down, and shame rose. Every member of my pack was important, but Elias had already been through enough.

The tires squealed as I turned into the compound, and I slammed on the brakes hard enough for my seat belt to leave a mark.

Diego started out of the Jeep with Elias, and I hefted the kid in my arms. I sprinted toward the infirmary, calling Kerrigan’s name the entire time.

She was already in the room, supplies laid out and ready to go. She paled when she saw the two of us, horror widening her eyes. She stretched her fingertips toward my jaw, stopping just short of touching me. “Oh my God, Conall, your skin.”

“I’ll be fine. Just fix Elias.” I lowered him onto the table.

“That’s...? Elias? Can you hear me?” She rapidly blinked her eyelashes, visibly choking back her emotions. Determination overtook her features as she cracked her knuckles and got to work.

The next several minutes were a blur as she yelled out instructions to Sabine. She intubated Elias and handed Sabine the bag to pump, muttering to herself about next steps as she continued chest compressions.

People gathered near the doorway, gasping at the injuries and crying out Elias’s name.

“Get your hands off him,” a shrill voice yelled. Linda, a woman in her fifties who formed committees with too many rules to occupy her time, breached the entrance of the room and shook an accusatory finger at Kerrigan. “She’s the witch. None of this happened before she arrived.”

Sasquatch blocked her path, preventing her from coming any closer. While his interference would typically be enough, Linda lunged to get around him. He snagged her around the middle, using necessary force to remove her from the room.

“Close the door and tell them to go home,” I told Sasquatch. “No one else gets in, got it?” “Yes, sir,” he replied.

As door swung closed, Linda shouted, “Conall, can’t you see that she’s got you under a spell? How can you forsake your people like this?”

A twinge wrenched my chest, the surplus of regret and sorrow too thick for me to find my go-to anger. What a mess I’d made.

I placed my hand on Kerrigan’s shoulder, the rigidness of her posture the only sign the tirade had affected her. Nothing I said would make it better, so I simply squeezed, assuring her I had the utmost faith in her.

“Reaching two minutes,” Sabine said, and Kerrigan requested I grab the stored bag of leftover blood from the tiny medical fridge in the corner.

After applying gel onto the shock paddles, Kerrigan told everyone to stand back. Thebeep,beep,beepcounted down, she hollered, “Clear,” and then the kid’s entire body convulsed.

At the banging on the door window, I turned, ready to light into whoever it was, along with Sasquatch for allowing it.

Gideon’s dirt and tear-streaked face stirred up compassion I hadn’t realized I possessed. I couldn’t hear him, but the word he mouthed was plain enough to read. “Please.”

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