Page 22 of Eternally Yours

“Loren!”

I rushed out the door, his angry shouts following me and making my chest heave. The scent of his blood chased me, making my vision fog and my head whirl. I didn’t bother with the elevator. The wait would’ve been intolerable. Pushing through the emergency exit instead, I rushed down the multiple staircases in a flash, the last door exiting to the street.

Familiar faces stopped to greet me, saying their pleasanthellosandhow-are-yous. I shoved past them all, unable to focus on anything besides the intoxicating drumming of their heartbeats. I needed to get out of there before I killed someone. Before I became like that creature in the alley and ripped someone to shreds.

Once far out of the way, I leaned against the pole of a streetlamp and gulped air. The polluted density of it was still fresher than the stifling air inside the building. And right now, I needed it.

“Fuck you, Nic!” My voice blasted down the street as I ran and hid behind a building. Gulping air and trying to compose myself, I attempted to make sense of this new reality.

What was I supposed to do? Go back to Nic’s apartment like nothing happened? Like I wasn’t a total mess? Like I hadn’t fantasized about draining my father dry of all his blood, along with the other residents in that building?

I slid down the wall and sat down on the pavement, cradling my knees as I sobbed. I didn’t ask for this. I wished I’d never taken that coffee break. Or that I’d ignored Nic stumbling in the alley. Or that he’d left me for dead.

Then a growl rumbled in the shadows.

Took me less than a second to recognize that sound and surge to my feet. Deep in the darkness, a pair of wolf-eyes stared at me. Before I could take off running, a black SUV tore down the street, breaking in front of me in a squeal of tires and smoke.

The monster wolf growled again, making me back away slowly, my hands facing out in a non-threatening posture.

“Nice doggy,” I whispered, knowing there was zero niceness in that humongous canine body. This wasn't good. The sound of metal doors swinging open shrieked behind me and the second I glanced over my shoulder, four men leaped out of the SUV and seized me.

Chapter Nine

Nicholas

Icouldn’t believe she’d left. Well, I could sort of understand it with so many new and confusing things happening to her all at once, but what I really couldn’t believe was that she’d managed to sneak past me without making a sound.

Been reborn for centuries and a newbie outsmarted me? That didn’t look good.

I went searching for her through the city, following her pull through the bond when I rounded the corner on my Audi and caught sight of Loren being pulled into an SUV and thrown into the back seat, a black bag covering her head.

What the fuck?

The SUV peeled off, but not before I spotted one of their lab beasts skulking back into the shadows of some alley.

The Order.

Shifting the car into high gear, I raced after the SUV. What the hell did these fuckers want with Loren?

They’d unleashed those monsters on her, which meant someone must’ve witnessed the attack and known I’d taken her back to my place. But she’d been an ordinary human female. There was no way they would’ve guessed I’d sire her. The Order was well aware of our traditions.

Speeding down the city streets, I flew past traffic lights, swerving around pedestrians and avoiding cars crossing at the intersections. Assholes must’ve realized I was on their tail as they picked up their pace. Their wheels screeched loudly as they rounded a corner, nearly careening into a storefront, heightening my panic for Loren’s safety.

Reaching for my glove compartment, I grabbed one of my semi-automatic pistols and lowered my window, firing at the SUV’s wheels. It jerked to dodge the shots, almost tipping over, and I heard Loren’s screams erupt from inside. My chest tightened, an instinct to protect her raging through me.

Dammit. Why the hell did she leave the apartment? I’d warned her it wasn’t safe. But more than being pissed at her, I was angry with myself. But she’d taken so much blood from me. And the truth of it was, I’d loved it. My body hadn’t felt that kind of rest in a long time.

It was the reason the bloodbond was so dangerous. It was a weakness I couldn’t afford. For fuck’s sake, I was chasing down the Order and potentially putting my family in danger, all for a woman I barely knew. As much as I hated everything my family stood for, they were still my blood.

A vicious growl rumbled as something big landed on the roof of my car, its weight denting the metal.

“You’re gonna pay for that, you furry sack of shit!” Pointing my gun out the window and over the roof of the car, I popped off a few shots as the monstrous wolf clawed through the vehicle. Damn thing must’ve taken several rounds yet kept ripping through the roof. Glancing up, all I saw was gray fur and a muzzle full of yellowed teeth snapping through the hole.

In front, the SUV took a sharp turn, sending its tail spinning. It jumped over the curb and onto the sidewalk, almost taking out a group of kids on skateboards.

As the vehicle drove back onto the street, a man popped his head out of the passenger window, an automatic rifle aimed in my direction. He fired. The rounds pelted the street and the front of my car.

The asshole grinned, the sinister smile unmistakable.

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