Page 82 of Lucien

He might scream and cry and beg a little as it happened, but stoicism was overrated, okay?

Luc only glared at him with cold black eyes, seeming to tighten his hold on the other vampire rather than letting go. As he and Jamie made eye contact, Jamie doing his best to share his desperation telepathically if that was what it took, the feral vampire jutted his knee out, catching Luc in the gut with enough force to topple him over.

After that it was once again a blur of limbs and brutish bodies.

Jamie started yelling out names. “Jay! Danny! Roman! You stupid fucking twins! Anybody! Fuckinghelp!”

And then it happened. Luc was on his back, the other vampire tearing into his throat.

Just like Jamie’s vision. Just like hisfuckinguseless vision.

Jay had said beheading or fire were the only surefire ways to kill a vampire, but…how deep could this other vampire tear? Could he get clean through? How big did the hole in Luc’s neck have to be to count as beheading?

Jamie screamed again, directing his rage at the vampire on top of Luc, throwing any rocks he could find with his left arm, his right having lost all control over movement at this point. “Get the fuck off him. Getoffhim!”

He was trying to heave himself onto his feet to throw himself on the fucker’s back when there was another deafening roar, then a third body was delving into the fray.

Roman.

Even through the blur of his tears, Jamie could tell who it was because the dude was still in a fucking suit.

Luc’s old friend, his longtime nemesis, bodily pushed the other vampire off Luc, rolling him away and grappling in his own battle.

And Luc was just…motionless.

Unmoving as the dead, there on the hard ground.

“Luc?” Jamie crept forward, needing to see clearly. “Monster?”

Luc’s neck was one giant, mangled mess. Had his spine been snapped? But Luc couldn’t be dead, right? That didn’t happen. It wasn’tallowedto happen.

Jamie wanted to put Luc’s head in his lap, to protect it from the hard ground, but he was afraid to move it, afraid he’d tear something, break something that couldn’t be repaired. He crouched over Luc’s body instead and started petting his vampire’s dark hair. “Time to wake up, monster. You did so good. I’m so proud of you”—Jamie’s voice broke on the words—“but it’s time to wake up now.”

He was vaguely aware of the others arriving around him, the sounds of the twins helping Roman in the fight. From the corner of one eye, he saw a head torn from a bulky body and tossed down the hillside.

But none of it fully registered until Jamie felt a hand resting gently on his uninjured arm, halting his hand midstroke of Luc’s thick locks.

He looked up, his vision blurry from tears.

Danny.

“Come on, Jamie,” Danny said, his voice gentle. “Time to get up. Luc will heal, I promise. We need to get you to a hospital.” He urged Jamie up with the hand on his arm.

Jamie didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave his vampire there, sprawled on the ground. But Danny’s grip was shockingly strong, and he seemed determined to get Jamie to medical care.

Just as Jamie’s own hand moved away from Luc, his monster’s eyes snapped open.

Jamie’s heart beat for what felt like the first time in minutes.

Luc was awake.

And apparently his monster wanted Jamie to remain by his side, because in the next moment, before Jamie could even register his relief, Luc was grabbing at Jamie’s mangled right arm to pull him closer.

Jamie couldn’t help it. He screamed again, the pain in his arm unbearable.

He tried to choke the cry off as Danny reached back to intervene, Luc snarling at his presence, Roman roaring at Luc for daring to threaten his mate.

All was chaos. Fucking chaos.

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