Page 103 of Rogue Wolf

Now that Kodiak could fight, Tamaska turned toward the Blood Opal. Amdis was on all fours, patting the ground as he searched for it.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” She rushed forward and kicked him hard in the guts, pushing him over.

He turned and hissed at her. Then rushed at her.

Fear chilled her blood, and her whole body ached as if icicles circulated in her veins. She froze, shocked at his speed.

She shouldn’t be. She’d seen it before, but so close…it scared her. How had she ever thought they could run away?

Then Amdis sprawled on the ground with Kodiak snapping at his face.

Tamaska exhaled, she thought she spied Blood Opal She sprinted around Kodiak and Amdis as they fought. She had to get the gem. She couldn’t let it remain in the vampires’ hands.

It wasn’t there, just a shard of glass reflecting low light.

“Oh no!”

She searched frantically but didn’t see it. Dropping to her knees, Tamaska slowly picked her way across the floor with trembling hands. It had to be there somewhere.

A whimper from Kodiak made her jump. They both fought fiercely, giving their opponent a run for their money.

Hang in there, Kodiak.

The need to feel the Blood Opal in her hands jolted Tamaska into action. She searched for the gem’s cold, solid form as she moved across the floor, hoping her hands would feel anything her eyes missed in the dim lighting.

Tamaska widened her search, moving in larger circles.

“Come on, come on,” she said, glancing over her shoulder to see Kodiak and Amdis still fighting.

Did Amdis take it already? She shuddered at the thought, refusing to believe it.

Her fingers touched something hard and cold, and Tamaska picked it up. The largest piece of the Blood Opal. Stunning even under subpar conditions, it caught enough dim light to show off the amazing shades of red embedded in its pearly reflections. A new lightning-shaped crack carved its way down the middle of the gem and extended into countless branches, some of which led to where a chip had broken away.

She returned to her search, determined to find the other piece she’d seen break off from the gem. Had that shard been the only one?

Tamaska continued, pushing away the sounds of snarling. She couldn’t leave the last piece of opal in the nightclub. If she did, the vampires might be able to use it against her.

She slipped the opal fragment into her pocket, then scanned every millimeter of the floor around the gem’s point of impact.

Behind her, the fight intensified. She had to dive out of the way as the two rolled over each other.

Then, she saw the small piece that had chipped away from the Blood Opal.

Before she could snatch it up, Amdis rushed over to her and pushed her to the ground.

“I can’t let you live, not when you’re destined to do so much more,” said Amdis.

Where was Kodiak? A cry broke as she turned.

Kodiak lay on the ground, unmoving.

“Nooo…” A keening broke from her like her heart shattered.

A slamming door made them both jump.

As Amdis turned Tamaska swallowed her grief and hauled ass up from the ground and kicked the shard from Amdis’ hand.

She picked it up, then turned as the wolves poured into the nightclub. For the first time in her life, her childhood fear didn’t surface, didn’t cripple her. Her time spent with the pack had healed her.

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