Page 102 of Rogue Wolf

Tears burned her eyes as she grappled with him. All she wanted was him dead and Kodiak safe. This time, she aimed at his groin, not knowing if that would affect the bloodsucker, but she did it anyway.

The Opal had been so close to becoming hers once again. “You can’t have it, stupid bitch. And now we’re bonded!”

Bonded? She felt nothing but hate for him, certainly not a bond. Unless…unless it had to do with who had the damned opal.

“Give up or they’ll kill him.”

“No, you won’t.” She kicked him again, hard and tried to turn to get the opal.

He grabbed a kicking leg, his cold fingers digging deep. “Do you know me?”

“No,” she said, “and I don’t want to. And you won’t hurt him because you know I won’t help.”

“I. Don’t. Need. Your. Help.” He grabbed higher.

She put all her strength into her next kick and sent him stumbling back.

Kodiak moaned but she couldn’t do a thing until she got the opal, and she wasn’t about to give up, not when the opal was literally within reach.

The vampire grabbed her again. Something snapped inside her, releasing fierce energy. Strength flooded her as she kicked at Amdis.

No way would she let him use her blood or turn her. She’d rather die. And she couldn’t let him hurt Kodiak any further. She’d kill this bastard and drink his blood if she had to to save Kodiak.

“You can’t win this,” hissed Amdis as his fangs elongated, prepared to bite.

“No, you can’t.” She freed herself from his grip and skittered backwards, before jumping to her feet.

But a glance at Kodiak cost her dearly. Amdis rushed her, and his hands wrapped around her neck before she could defend herself.

“We already touched remember? You’re mine. It’s a weaker link than I’d have liked but it’ll do. You should have listened to your dog and stayed away.” He didn’t look at Kodiak as he directed his next words to him. “I’m doing you a favor by taking her.”

Tamaska turned to face Amdis. “Asshole.”

His dark eyes sent sharp, cold chills coursing through her like icicles.

She forced herself to relax, even though it went against her instincts. Tamaska had to escape with the gem and Kodiak, no matter what.

“You’re not going anywhere,” said Amdis. His hands relaxed around her neck, enough to give her the chance she needed. She threw her arms up, flicking his hands away while diving into a squat.

Then she swung a leg out and swept it around Amdis. It connected with the back of his knees, forcing a reflex that sent him crashing to the floor. His head landed hard with a sickening crack.

Scrambling to her feet, Tamaska moved toward the Blood Opal. Then, the sight of Kodiak changed her mind. He was up, barely, and he had managed to get the net off and tried to fight the vampires.

Tamaska rushed to Kodiak instead of the opal. He was already bruised and battered with new scrapes and bruises and he swayed, his two vampire attackers clearly taking sick pleasure in hurting him. They circled him, striking him harder and harder in turns, tormenting him. Even as he tried to fight.

The silver reflection around his wrists caught her attention. The chain tethered him to one of the vampires.

Tamaska grabbed the chain. Small and delicate, it didn’t seem nearly enough to bind Kodiak. But it had still rendered him weak, unable to properly defend himself.

It had no effect on her. Surprised, she tugged at the astonishingly strong chain. The vampire holding it stumbled towards her, the unexpected force unbalancing him.

A well-executed kick to the vampire’s guts sent him doubling over, and he dropped the chain. Moving faster than she thought possible, Tamaska unwrapped the chain from Kodiak’s wrists and pulled it off him.

His demeanor changed immediately. He stood up, no longer vulnerable, and flexed his arms. He was still weak but he seemed to get stronger by the second.

He growled as another change occurred within him, and Tamaska stepped back fascinated she’d never seen him change and she couldn’t move for those moments, chain in her hands.

Within seconds, a wolf stood before her, eyes ablaze with anger, his majestic ochre pelt bristling. Kodiak spun, leapt gracefully into the air, landed on one of the vampires, and tore it apart through its unsettling screams.

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