Confusion filled him; he stood for a moment, his attention fixated on the store as the electricity swiftly receded from the air. Julian was kneeling beside him, his brow furrowed as he stared at the store in confusion. He rose slowly from the wreckage of the creature before him. Liam stepped forward, stopping beside Devon as he searched the silent storefront.
There was no sound, no movement that he could see within the interior, but something was wrong. He knew it. He had become so focused on the kill, the thrill of the hunt, the murder and blood. So focused on the release of his anger and frustration, and his desire to feed and appease the demon inside of him, that he had shut himself off to Cassie, shut his mind away from hers. He knew that they had grown so close that there were times that she knew him better than he knew himself. He didn’t want her to even have an inkling of the joy, and pleasure, that he had taken from the death of the things scattered about him.
“Something’s wrong,” Julian said softly, tilting his head as he studied the silent store.
Devon strained to hear anything, but the night remained completely silent, still. Devon’s eyes narrowed as he opened his mind to the night, searching for Cassie’s mind. He came up against a wall of blackness, a dark cloud that left him startled and confused. The wall was thick, heavy. It encompassed her entire mind.
Panic filled him, his hands fisted as he struggled through the wall, pushing at the edges as he tried to make his way through the thick haze. Then her mind gave way. Pain exploded through him, searing into his skull as it slammed wildly against him. The pain was numbing, freezing, completely encompassing as it wrapped through him, over him, into him.
Devon retreated swiftly, before he was sucked into her agony. Retreated before he was trapped within her pain, and unable to escape from the iron tight hold it had over her. He blinked, trying to bring the street into focus as he fought against the lingering remnants of her pain clinging to him. The street snapped back. He cursed loudly, terror pouring through him as he bolted forward, he moved with more speed than he had ever thought possible.
Leaping forward, he turned sideways as he threw himself at one of the boarded windows. Glass shattered inward, the board caved easily against the force of his weight. He plunged into the store. Falling to the floor, he rolled swiftly before leaping back to his feet. Fury exploded through him, encompassing him as his attention was immediately drawn to the two creatures beside Cassie.
At his entrance they had both stopped feeding from her, but her blood still stained their mouths, and the smell of it hung heavy in the air. A fierce snarl of rage ripped from him. Her blood, blood that was only supposed to be tasted by him, had been ripped from her, causing the agony that he had sensed radiating from her.
One of the creatures released her, causing her to stagger slightly forward as it abruptly dropped her arm and spun toward him. Devon stormed forward, a bellow ripping from him as the other one continued to hold her, pulling her along with him as it tried to escape. Cassie tripped, her legs collapsing beneath her as weakness suffused her.
He grabbed hold of the other one that had been feeding from her. His hand encompassed the things face as he slammed it backwards, pounding its skull off the wall until he heard the reassuring sound of it caving in. Devon tossed him easily aside as another window shattered inward. Julian landed inside the store, Liam close on his heels.
Devon paid them no attention as he stormed after the one still trying to drag Cassie with it. He was going to tear the creature limb from limb when he got a hold of it. The creatures red eyes widened before narrowing fiercely upon him. It hauled Cassie against its chest, pulling her up by her arm when her legs proved too weak to support her weight.
A small moan escaped her; Devon could sense the weakness in her, the life just barely thrumming through her veins. Terror and fury motivated him as he leapt forward. The creature’s eyes widened in horror, it tried to keep hold of her as Devon slammed into it, shoving his arm up under its throat. The creature squealed loudly, its red eyes flared as it realized that it was about to be destroyed.
A moan of pain escaped Cassie; she tugged on her arm as the thing continued to cling to her. Devon seized hold of its arm, squeezing down until he heard, and felt the bone snap within his grasp. The creature squealed in pain, it didn’t immediately release Cassie though. Instead it clung to her, spilling her blood as its fingers grasped wildly at her arm. Wrath pounded through Devon, his vision blurred as a fiery haze of red exploded in front of him. He had never been so infuriated, never been this far out of control.
Dropping his arm down, he seized hold of the creature’s throat. Its eyes bulged, a wild cry escaped it as his fingers clenched down, digging into the things throat. With one violent tug, he ripped its throat out. Wild sounds of terror escaped the torn hole of its throat, but Devon ignored it as he shoved the creature aside.
Cassie staggered, nearly falling as its grip on her was finally lost. Devon scooped her easily up, holding her tight against his chest as he turned back to the store. Her hand curled into his shirt, clinging to him as she struggled to lift her head. Panic thrummed through him as he met her dazed, unfocused eyes. He could feel the lingering remnants of pain that clung to her. Her fingers twitched in his shirt, her mouth was pinched tight, and her jaw was clenched.
“Devon,” her voice was a bare whisper.
His eyes flew wildly around the destroyed store. Bodies were scattered about the floor, blood was splayed around the room, wood and glass littered the ground. The creatures that had not been killed outright had fled the room the minute they had arrived. Liam was helping Annabelle back to her feet, her shirt had been torn, and a deep cut marred her delicate face. Though it was deep, it would heal quickly, and would not leave a scar. Luther’s glasses hung askew on his face, his hair was standing straight up as he rose slowly to his feet. He was holding his arm, blood dripped down it, plopping off his fingers onto the floor.
Chris was leaning against the wall, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He appeared uninjured. Melissa however, was unmoving. She was slumped against the wall, her breathing shallow, and her skin unnaturally pale. Blood had pooled beneath her, it poured down her side from the jagged wound that had sliced her. Julian knelt before her, turning her head as he checked for a pulse.
“Annabelle get over here,” he said crisply.
“Hold on,” she mumbled, kneeling beside Dani who was also unmoving upon the floor. “Just knocked out.”
She rose swiftly to her feet and hurried over to where Melissa lay. “Melissa?” Cassie whispered, straining against his hold on her. Fear widened her eyes as clarity began to clear the pain from them. She squirmed slightly, and then collapsed against him; weakness took hold of her body. Her eyes flew wildly to his. “Devon?”