Page 19 of Twisted Desire
Thirteen
Ethan twisted sideways to dodge what would’ve been a lethal blow. He howled in pain when one of the hunter’s fists connected with his jaw. Pretty certain the bone snapped, he grunted and spun to land his own blow. The force of his hit knocked his opponent to the ground, giving him the precious seconds he needed to shift back to his animal form.
He was tired of fucking around and playing games. He was also more than tired of people trying to kill him. All he wanted to do was run back to Twisted Tail and beg for Cam’s forgiveness. There had to be a way out of the godforsaken situation that he was in.
He should’ve listened to Calder’s advice, but he’d been too damn stubborn. Too proud to ask for help when he needed it the most. What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and change all the mistakes that he’d made. But wasn’t that what most people wanted? A chance to undo a few of their bad decisions?
“Get your head in the fucking game, and keep it there. Now is not the time for regrets. You can think about all the things you would’ve done differently later,” his wolf barked at him as he lunged for the attacker closest to him.
Screams filled the air as his wolf bit down on the man’s stomach. His teeth tore through the soft fatty flesh like a hot knife through butter. His wolf dance backward, away from the dying man, spilling the man’s entrails on the ground for all those around him to see.
Ethan shifted back to human form, and staggered. His wounds not healing as fast as he’d like. He had lost too much blood in the last few battles. His majik nearly depleted, he needed to find a safe spot to recharge, and regain his strength.
Ethan glanced down at his attacker. A vicious snarl formed on his face. “I’d like to see you heal that, motherfucker!”
The distinct sound of a firing pin being released and slamming into a shell reached Ethan’s ears just as a bullet slammed into his chest, knocking him to the ground. A ringing sounded in his ears. In his mind, his wolf stumbled to the ground.
He summoned his wolf to take control, wanting to shift so he could heal the worst of his wounds. The only answer from his wolf was a nearly inaudible huff.
It dawned on him that the bullet must have been silver. No other type of bullet would have had such a lethal impact on his wolf.
Pain radiated through his chest, blood bubbled from his mouth. He wished for the umpteenth time that he would’ve handled things differently.
***
“Ethan!” Cam shouted as she watched him drop to the ground. Undiluted power flowed through her body. The overwhelming need to protect her mate surged through her. She screamed in agony at the thought of losing him.
Dark and twisted desires slammed into Cam’s mind, terrifying her. Never before had she imagined violence on such a grand or gruesome scale. She wanted those who had hurt her mate to pay—with their lives. Wanting them to feel the pain that Ethan felt as he lay there on the ground, bleeding, she envisioned each of his attackers dropping to the ground, and writhing in pain before turning to ash.
Before she knew how she did it, or what had actually happened, the sky above her turned gray. Thick, ugly clouds swirled above her. Tendrils of a smoky mist flew from her fingertips, and headed straight for Ethan’s enemies. She gasped in disbelief at the dark majik that she’d unintentionally unleashed.
“Stay back!” Calder shouted at Wyatt and Callie.
“What the hell is that?” Wyatt asked, his voice filled with shock.
They watched as Cam’s misty tendrils reached the men who’d been hunting Ethan. To their astonishment, the tendrils wrapped around each of the men like a glove, smothering them. The men dropped to the ground instantly—just as Cam’s twisted desire had played out in her mind.
The men struggled around on the ground for a few seconds. Screams of agony tore from their mouths. Callie and Cam looked on, horrified by the events that were unfolding.
One by one, the screams faded away.
Total silence.
No one said a word. They held their breath; afraid that any sudden movement would shift the deadly mist in their direction.
They let out a collective sigh when the bodies turned to ash and the mist dissipated.
“Someone please explain to me what the fuck just happened?” Callie shouted.
“Later! We have to get to Ethan.” Calder charged forward cautiously, making sure none of Cam’s deadly mist still loomed in the area.
Cam was the first to reach Ethan. “Oh God! Ethan. Can you hear me?”
His body cold, his eyes staring off into the distance. She feared that he was already gone, that she was too late.
She searched frantically for a pulse. Fresh tears streamed down her face, sobs tore from her throat.
“He’s still alive! I can feel his pulse. It’s weak—barely there. I don’t know how long he can hold out.”
