Page 66 of Cold Foot Komodo

Her body jerked with each push on her chest, and Katrina was yelling at her.

“Let me,” he said in a voice he didn’t even recognize.

Katrina stood and screamed a curse at the house as he pressed his lips to Sasha’s and pushed air from his lungs into hers. Numbly, Reed did the compressions on her chest, but he could feel her growing colder.

A sob racked him as he plugged her nose and breathed into her lungs again. Farrah had done it. She lay dead in the woods, but she’d done what she’d come here to do.

She’d ruined them.

She’d had nothing to lose, so she’d ruined them.

Everything Reed touched turned to ash.

The other shoe had dropped.

“Come on, baby,” he pleaded, doing the compressions on her chest again.

“Bring her,” Wreck said, stretching his hand out to them.

“You have nothing left,” Kade said. “It’ll kill you.”

A soft growling sound emanated from Timber’s pacing bear.

The snow crunched under Wreck’s head as he shook it. “She’s my sister. I’ve never had one of those.”

Reed ran his hand over her open eyes to close them, and then picked up Sasha’s body, knelt down beside Wreck, and just rocked her body, pressing his face against her neck. She already smelled different. Her back was wet, and his heart was shattering. He hugged her as close to him as he could.

A crackling sensation washed over his skin, burning him alive, but he didn’t care. He wanted to go with her.

“Let her go!” Katrina yelled, but her words were muffled.

He wouldn’t.

“Let. Her. Go.” Katrina’s voice was closer now.

He couldn’t.

Reed’s skin was melted to Sasha’s. It hurt so bad. It was agony as he burned, and when he opened his eyes, everything was in shades of green. It was Wreck’s healing fire, but it felt like death.

A tugging sensation filled his chest. He watched a tiny tornado of mist reach from his chest toward Sasha’s, and solidify as it plunged into her. Sasha’s back arched as she burned up in the green fire. Her skin melted away, and healed, melted and healed. His was doing the same, and someone was yelling in agony. Was it him?

And then it was done. The fire disappeared and he fell backward, holding the woman he loved. He hit the snow hard. Sasha was facing him, her hair flung across the snow, her full lips parted slightly. Behind her, the Crew was gathered around Wreck’s still body. There was chaos. There were orders being thrown about. Timber’s bear was going insane. King was Changing.

But that’s not what captured his attention.

It was a soft sound that filled his mind.Bum-bum. Bum-bum. Bum-bum.

Every cell in his body felt like it was on fire as he reached for Sasha. He pressed his hand to her chest. There. There she was.

He reached up and brushed his knuckle against her cheek.

Be okay. Please be okay.

And then he smelled it—fur.

And then he heard it—a growl deep in her chest.

The smile that stretched his face was agonizing. Every inch of his skin felt like it was crackling.

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