Page 15 of Veil of Shadows

Within seconds of silencing my troops, something dropped down onto my back. I skidded to a stop and threw myself againsta tree, listening as something snapped. I snarled as I whipped around, but the moving motion blur lunged back at me. That stinky carcass got its arms wrapped around me and I had to do a goddamn barrel death roll just to throw it off.

No matter what, I couldn’t let that fucker’s fangs touch my fur.

Voss,I growled as I reached out in groupthink.We’ve got a rogue vampire. I’m sending the troops back to you to start patrols closer to home.

He immediately reached back out.Where are you?

The vampire lunged for me, moving like lightning around me as I tried to keep up with my eyes.Nine miles northeast of the compound.

I’m coming,he said without hesitation.

I chomped my teeth into the vampire’s arm and tossed it into a tree.No, ready the cave.

The cave?

I jumped through the air and slammed my front paws against the vampire’s chest.Yes, the cave. We need to know what the fuck Delilah’s planning, exactly. Maybe we can get some answers out of this motherfucker.

On it,he practically growled.

The vampire’s fangs reached down to my paws, and I pivoted in a hurry. I raced up the tree, but I felt that bitch’s hand wrap around my ankle. A grin spread across my jowls as I pushed off from the tree’s trunk, flipping myself backward and slamming that rickety tin can against the tree.

I felt its grip fall away from my fur as I circled back around, touching down onto the ground as the vampire crumbled at my feet.

Then, a shadow flew over me before my lieutenants dropped down in front of me. One by one, including Gallagher, who was still limping around. Rhonda stepped on that vampire’s neck asshe changed back into her human form. Gallagher was covered in bruises as he shifted back as well, but he managed to keep the legs of that fucker pinned. And Lieutenant Mac? He stayed in his tan-colored wolf form and sat right on that vampire’s chest, giving me enough time to shift back into my own human form as I stared down at the red-eyed little bitch.

“Well, well, well,” I said, placing my hands on my knees and dipping down, “look at what the cat dragged in.”

“We should rip off its head,” Rhonda hissed.

“I think we should grab its arms and rip it limb from limb,” Gallagher wheezed.

Lieutenant Mac let out a howl of approval, but it was me who shook my head. “No, we keep this one alive.”

Rhonda scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

I shot her a look. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“The hell you going to keep it for?” Gallagher spat. “That fucker damn near snapped all of my ribs at once!”

I shrugged. “Not my fault you let this bastard wrap his arms around you.”

“What!?” Gallagher exclaimed.

The vampire grinned up at me. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“That’s it,” Gallagher snarled as he charged the vampire pinned to the forest floor.

I stepped in front of him, pinning him with a look. “One more step and you’re done for.”

Gallagher bared his teeth to me. “Says who?”

“Gee!” Rhonda barked. “Look at who you’re talking to for a second!”

I tilted my head as the haze of anger finally melted off my lieutenant’s face. He cleared his throat as his arm cradled his stomach, and I couldn’t help but notice that he was crooked from the pain.

“Gallagher,” I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder, “go find Merida. Get yourself checked out and make sure you weren’t bitten.”

“I’d know if I was bitten,” he hissed.

---