Page 23 of Eternally Yours

Budrow.

Should’ve known one of the chief lieutenants for the Order would be running this operation. That only meant this was far more serious than I thought. Aiming my pistol at the back wheel of the SUV, I fired, hoping it would slow it down.

The tire blew, sending the SUV into a wild spin.

Fuck.

Biting down on my jaw, I held my breath.

If Loren gets hurt...

The truck slammed into a streetlight, overturning and ripping the pole right out of the sidewalk. Sparks flew as it caught in the power lines overhead, pulling the wires out of the transformers. I hit the brakes and the wheels smoked, the momentum sending the wolf flying off the roof of my car. Jumping out of the driver seat, I fired the remaining two rounds into its chest before it could get back up on its feet. It bucked and squealed, but I knew it wouldn't kill it. Hopefully, it would stun him long enough to buy me a few minutes to get Loren to safety.

As I approached the overturned SUV, I spotted mangled bodies dangling from the truck, the iron tang of human blood making my nostrils flare. Fuck. My body was still hungry for blood and ignoring my instincts took serious effort, but I knew these were Order soldiers, and their blood was tainted with a substance toxic to vampires. These assholes had been meddling in science for centuries, using our kind as lab rats, and they’d found a way to poison us with their fucking blood.

We learned that the hard way.

Searching through the wreckage, I spotted Loren inside the SUV tangled in a mess of ripped leather, deflated airbags, and all sorts of debris. My spine went rigid when she didn’t show signs of movement.

“Loren, can you hear me?”

She moaned and the sound breathed life back into me. Stripping pieces of sharp metal away, I was able to pull her out with ease. Cradling her in my arms, I laid her down on the pavement as I checked her for injuries.

“Hey, there,” I said, pushing matted hair away from her eyes. “You okay?”

“I…I think so.”

Aside from ripped clothing, she looked mostly unscathed. “You gave me quite a scare.”

“What happened?” she asked, sitting up and looking around.

Before I could answer her, a man hollered in pain, drawing our attention. Budrow lay sprawled on the sidewalk, one of his legs bent at an odd angle.

Good. Asshole wasn’t dead.

Yet.

I walked toward his broken body and knelt by the side of his face. “What did you want with her?”

He gurgled saliva as he writhed in pain.

“Tell me and I’ll end your suffering.”

“Go to Hell,” he groaned.

“Why her?”

“You have no idea what you’ve done, pretty boy.” His lips curled into a snarl as his face grew tense with agony. "All of you leeches are going to die.”

I punched him square in his piggish nose. Bones cracked and blood gushed. Was it necessary? No. But the asshole deserved it.

Standing back up, I spat on his face. “You’re gonna regret coming after what’s mine.”

“Nic…” Loren’s trembling voice turned my attention. Body shaking, she stood in the middle of the street, facing off with the wolf.

Shit.

I tried stepping between them, but the growl that erupted from Loren halted me in my tracks. Fangs bared, she growled again, a guttural sound so visceral it made my skin prickle with fear.

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