Taking his time, Cade rose to his feet. The knife had missed his heart by a good three inches. And it wasn’t even silver.
Amateur hour.
He yanked out the blade. Stared at the bloody metal, then broke it with his tightened fist.
She was running from him now. Running fast into that dark night. Pity. She wouldn’t realize just how much he enjoyed the hunt.
The beast always liked to chase prey.
Cade let the change sweep over him, brutal, hard, as his bones popped and broke, reshaped and elongated. Fur sprang along his skin, and when he opened his mouth to cry out to her, a howl filled the night.
Time to hunt.
***
When Allison heard the long, angry howl, she glanced back even though all her instincts screamed…Keep going. Hurry.
Her savior was her executioner. Allison stumbled away, plunging for the thick shelter of the trees. If she’d known how to hot-wire the motorcycle she would have jumped on it and fled, but, dammit, she didn’t have that skill set.
Her side heaved as she raced through the woods. Her legs burned, but she pushed herself as fast as she could go. There was no safe place for her anymore. No one to trust. Even Elsa had sold her out.
Elsa…the woman who’d come to Allison when she’d stood, crying, over her parents graves in that cold cemetery. Elsa had promised friendship.
But tried to give death.
Lying witch.
Another howl shook the night and she whipped around, following that sound.
Oh, hell. A big, black beast of a wolf charged after her. Too big, freaking huge. And he was running too swiftly.
She lurched to the right, tripped over a fallen log, and hurtled down the hill, spinning again and again and slamming into the earth with each painful turn.
When her body finally stopped hurtling, she was face-down on the ground. Every part of her hurt and…
“Allison.”
Her head jerked up. Elsa stood there. Lying, scheming Elsa. Smiling.
“Guess the werewolf has already started his fun…”
Werewolf. Then she heard it—the thunder of the wolf’s approach as he raced down after her.
“He’s going to rip you apart.” Elsa stood near two twisted, gnarled trees. “And I can’t wait to watch.”
Allison made it to her feet. Nothing felt too broken. Maybe. But she was trapped between a witch and a wolf. A freaking werewolf. She’d heard plenty of stories about the werewolves. Dangerous, more animals than men. And she had to fight one of those beasts? Without a weapon? “You were supposed to help me!” Screw this. She wasn’t standing around to—
Elsa lunged at her. Grabbed her and held on tight. Elsa’s nails sliced into Allison’s arms. “You think you’ll take my power? My life? You won’t,” she gritted, spittle flying. “You won’t take a damn thing from me.” Her nails dug deeper. “But I’ll take everything that you are.”
The wolf snarled, and Allison actually felt the hot stir of his breath behind her.
Elsa twisted her around and shoved Allison back toward the wolf. “Rip the vamp’s throat out.”
“I’m not a vampire!” Couldn’t the chick see that?
And could the wolf even understand her now?
Her breath heaved as she stared at him—at green eyes she’d never be able to forget. No wonder Cade’s teeth had looked so sharp. His teeth, his claws…
All the better to freaking kill me with.
“Rip her apart!” Elsa shouted the words with feverish excitement. “Rip. Her. Apart.”
Allison didn’t move.
The wolf stalked closer. She’d stabbed him. Shoved him—and the guy had hurtled pretty far when she’d hit him back at the cabin. Maybe she could hold him off. Hold them both off, just long enough to—
The wolf leapt forward.
Allison screamed. She couldn’t help it. She wasn’t brave and super kick ass, and she didn’t want to die, she didn’t want—
The wolf pushed her behind his body and faced off against the witch. He’d shoved her back with his powerful paws, and Allison found herself on the ground again.
The wolf was so big that she could barely see around him, and she rose quickly to her knees in order to get a better view.
The witch wasn’t smiling any longer. “What in the hell are you doing?” Elsa screeched.
The wolf glanced back at Allison. His green eyes—glowing, so wild—seemed to see right through her.
Bones began to snap then. To break, to crunch. The sounds were horrific, and Allison wanted to turn away, but she couldn’t.
Watch him. Her legs trembled as she stood.
Fur melted from the wolf’s body. Golden flesh and toned muscles appeared. Naked male. Powerful. Primal.
He rose to his feet, still making sure to keep his body between her and the witch.
“She’s not a vampire yet.” His voice was rougher, harder than before.
Allison bit her lip to keep from speaking. He knew about her infection?
“It doesn’t f**king matter!” Elsa snapped back at him. “Kill her!”
Two against one. Bad odds. Especially when one of those two was a werewolf.
Her mouth had gone desert dry. Her nails dug into her palms, and her body locked as she waited for Cade’s next move.
He spared her a glittering glance over his shoulder. Please. She didn’t speak the word, but she sure thought it and knew the plea had to be reflected in her eyes. Don’t kill me.
Did his head incline? Did she imagine it?
“Kill her!” Elsa yelled.
“No.” Cade’s response. Low but fierce.
And Allison didn’t know who was more shocked.
The wind began to whip around them in heavy bursts that caught Allison’s hair and lifted it into the air.
“I paid you!” Elsa thundered at him. “We had a deal.”
“You paid me to kill a vampire.” The guy was naked and still damn dangerous. “Right now, she’s just a lost human.”
She was a scared-as-hell human who had a bit of hope stirring in her chest.
When she craned her neck, Allison caught sight of the red-faced witch. “She’ll change!” Elsa’s hands were fisted on her hips. “Just a few more days, and she’ll be—”
“Then I’ll see about killing her,” he said with a shrug.
And that simply, her hope faded.
Elsa lunged forward, coming at Allison with a scream. But Cade caught her and tossed her back. “You’re not touching her,” he growled.
Allison shivered at the threat lacing those words.