Page 139 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

This wasn’t fucking happening.

Not now.

“Jill?” Chris said hoarsely as he dropped to his knees next to him and placed Emma down on her feet before he reached over and wrapped his trembling hand around hers.

“What do you want to do with her?” came the question that had Logan looking up to find Kale holding Elizabeth by the back of her neck.

“Logan, please!” Elizabeth begged, tears rolling down her face as her beautiful blue eyes pleaded with him, taking him back to that moment in the alley when he would have given anything to save her.

Over the years, he’d thought of all the things that he should have done, the things that he should have said, and of all the things that he would have happily given up for another moment just to be with her and now…

“Tear her fucking throat out,” Logan said, focusing back on his angel as Kale dragged Elizabeth out of the room.

“No!” Elizabeth screamed as Logan raised his arm and bit into his wrist.

“What the hell are you doing? Your blood will kill her!” Chris said, moving to stop Logan when he moved to press his wrist against Jill’s lips.

“Saving her,” Logan said, placing his wrist against her lips. “Come on, Angel,” he whispered, gently caressing her cheek as he waited for her to swallow his blood only to feel his stomach drop when his blood spilled over her lips and ran down her face seconds later.

“Dad?” Shane said, drawing his attention to find his son stumbling towards them, his terrified gaze locked on Jill as Logan ran his eyes over him, taking in everything from his sweat-slicked hair matted against his head to his pale complexion and the grey sweatpants hanging off his hips and wondered just how much fucking pain he was in from being forced to shift back that quickly during his first shift.

“What’s wrong with Mommy?” Caleb mumbled sadly as Kale walked back into the foyer behind him, making Logan swallow hard as he glanced past Caleb and-

“He left as soon as his mating mark disappeared,” Shane said, letting him know that Elizabeth was really dead this time.

“I can’t make out her scent over yours,” Kale said, frowning as he knelt down on the floor next to Shane. “What is she?”

“My mate,” Logan said, watching as more blood ran down her face.

“Mommy?” Emma mumbled sadly as she knelt down next to him and, after a slight hesitation, she reached over and gently shook Jill’s arm.

“Dad, do something,” Shane said, taking Jill’s hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze as he reached over and brushed her damp hair out of her face while Logan gently wiped the blood running down her face away.

“Mommy, wake up,” Caleb mumbled sadly around a sniffle as he placed his small hands on Jill’s shoulder and shook her.

“Do something!” Shane screamed when Jill didn’t respond while Logan knelt there, trying not to fucking panic.

He couldn’t lose her.

“Angel,” Logan said as his gaze landed on the knife sticking out of her chest and-

“She should have turned to ash the moment the knife pierced her heart,” Logan said as he looked up and met Kale’s curious gaze.

“Yes, she should have,” Kale said as his gaze flickered to Chris.

Without a word, Chris reached inside his vest and pulled out a small metallic tube and a syringe. “How do you want to do this?” Chris asked as he made quick work of ripping open the package for the syringe.

“It’s in her heart,” Kale said, reaching over to gently move Jill’s damp shirt away from the blade. “We’re gonna have to go deep.”

“What’s that?” Shane asked when Chris opened the tube as the scent of blood reached Logan. Knowing that Chris would never do anything to hurt Jill, Logan focused back on his angel.

“Something that’s going to help your mother,” Chris said as his gaze flickered to Shane. “What’s your name?”

“Shane,” he said hollowly as he frantically wiped away the tears running down his face.

“Shane, I’m going to need you to grab your little brother and sister and bring them to that room behind me,” Chris said as he placed the syringe in the metallic tube and drew out blood.

“I’m not leaving her,” Shane said, shaking his head stubbornly.

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