Rebecca Zanetti - Consumed

The interior door burst open. Three Kurjans jumped inside, two going for Max. Oh God. They’d breached headquarters. The third grabbed her, swiftly leaping through the gaping outside hole.

Wind bit into her arms. She kicked, shoving the knife in his throat. Blood coated her hand, burning like sparks from a fire.

He dropped her. She stumbled, wildly looking around for a safe place. Screams of the dying penetrated her eardrums.

Her father roared her name.

Turning, Kalin did the same.

A werewolf manacled her by the hair. Pain ripped along her scalp. She tripped, falling to one knee. The beast howled, fangs flashing, eyes morphing to red.

Oh God. He was going to bite her.

Talen started toward her. He’d never make it.

A wisp of sound ripped by her ear as a knife embedded in the werewolf ’s eye. He released her, yowling, turning away. She slowly lifted her gaze. Kalin stood at the edge of the cliff, having thrown the knife.

The leader of the Kurjan military had just saved her life.

Two werewolves stumbled, one falling right into him. They windmilled, Kalin’s eyes widening. Even across the courtyard, the green glint shone bright. He kept her gaze as he went over the cliff.

Max reached her first. Blood covered his torso. Hoisting her around the waist, he ran inside the now open headquarters and down the hall, passing two prone Kurjan bodies. Reaching an elevator, he shoved her inside. “Go to the tenth.”

The door slid shut.

Gasping, her mind reeling, she sagged against the far wall. Kalin had saved her. Then he’d fallen over the cliff. As a Kurjan, he’d be seriously injured but wouldn’t die from that. Guilt swamped her at the relief she felt.

She didn’t want him to die.

“ You’re going to have to go through me to get out-side, Jordan.” Katie settled her stance on the rock floor of the small room, more than prepared to kick him in the face.

“Not a problem.” Energy danced on his skin. Fire lit his eyes.

Somewhere in there was the man she loved. “You go outside, and you lose me. You lose yourself.”

He blinked.

The sounds of battle outside filled the night. Screams, gunfire, more explosions. All under the moon. Terror and the urge to fight had her knocking her shoulders against the metal door. “We just need to last a few more hours.”

The lion shifted beneath his flesh, strong and powerful, fighting so hard.

Hope filled Katie for the first time that night. “You can beat this.”

He exhaled roughly. “I shouldn’t shift. If I shift ...”

She nodded. If he shifted, the animal might take over and heed the moon’s call. She just had to keep him out of the moon.

An explosion blasted the night. Rock fissured. Blasting heat and blinding smoke roiled toward them, throwing Katie hard against the door.

Jordan flew across the room to impact the far wall. He dropped to the rock floor with a sickening thud.

Gasping, heart racing, Katie struggled to breathe. The smoke diminished. A gaping hole remained where the outside wall had been. Shifters, vampires, Kurjans, and werewolves battled hand to hand, using guns and knives in a scene reminiscent of a war movie. All hell had truly broken loose. The ocean spread dark and mysterious into the distance. Light glinted off the dangerous weapons.

Moonlight.

She shook her head, trying to process the scene. The Kurjans were using werewolves. And explosives.

A ruckus sounded in the corridor. Had headquarters been breached?

Another explosion detonated. Sharp rocks pelted from the ceiling and walls. She cried out, flinching as one cut into her neck.

The churning smoke abated, called out to sea.

Brent stood right outside the gaping breach. Tall, furry, blood coating his fangs. His arms swept wide, as if welcoming guests for Christmas dinner. “Kaattieee and Jorrr-daaaan.” He rolled his massive head, mewling softly in the pretty moonlight. “Come outttsiiiide.”

Katie shivered. “Man, you’re creepy.”

Jordan launched off the floor toward the beast.

Panic halting the air in her throat, Katie leaped for Jordan in a tackle that threw them onto the sagging mattress. Pain ripped through her ribs when they met his hips. Rolling away, she grabbed him by the hair and tugged toward the far wall. With a growl of outrage, he yanked his head away and stood.

She reached for his belt loop. His strength outmatched hers by far. She needed to get inside his brain. “The lion is winning, Jordan. Stay the hell away from the courtyard.” Then she turned, forcing a smile. “You want us, Brent? Come on in.”

Scooting in front of Jordan, fear making her shoulders shake, she shoved her butt into his groin in an effort to make him move back.

Brent tilted his head to the side. “Come ouuttt, Kaaa-tiiiieee.”

A sharp jab of her hip into Jordan’s balls made him hiss out a breath. With an irritated snort, he retreated back against the far wall. He cleared his throat. “Come on in, cousin.”

Katie crept to the center where she could intercept either male if they pounced. Deep breaths. She needed deep breaths. Surveying Jordan from the corner of her eye, a roaring filled her ears. The lion leader stood tall, his face pale, sweat along his brow. His shoulders shook. He looked like a junkie needing a fix. Bad.

Brent licked blood off his lips. A Kurjan went flying by behind him, followed by Talen Kayrs, wicked knives flashing. Death rattles echoed from out of sight.

God, she hoped the vampires and shifters were winning.

Air whispered. Brent charged her, both paws slamming into her shoulders. With a cry, she shot a knee to his groin, but he pivoted, blocking her kick.

Jordan tackled Brent around the waist. They went sprawling across the hard rock floor, pebbles flying. Inches away from the opening, the two threw punches almost too fast to track. Jordan nailed Brent between the eyes, and the werewolf slid into the night.

Standing to his full height, blood dripping down his face, Jordan took a step forward.

“No!” Katie grabbed him by his jeans, tugging back.

Dage Kayrs slammed into Jordan, sending all three of them sprawling. Katie landed hard, her shoulder popping.

“Sorry.” The king tugged them to stand. “Kurjans.” He eyed Jordan, turning to view the moon. “Shit.”

“Yeah.” Jordan wiped blood off his chin.

Sharp claws scraped along the jagged hole in the wall. Brent staggered closer, a gash bleeding from above his right eye. Fur matted an ugly red down his monstrous face.

Two werewolves collided with Talen near the cliff’s edge, sending the vampire sprawling. Dage growled and threw a knife at Jordan. “My gun went over the cliff—headquarters breached, need to get to level ten. I’ll try to get back.”

With a battle cry of all battle cries, the king leapt for his brother.

Jordan twirled the knife in his hand. “Come here, cousin.”

Brent smiled. “Neeeed more than a kniiiife.”

Shock, fear, and pain all commingled to freeze Katie in place. The night took on a surreal sensation ... cloudy and confusing.

Brent stalked forward. He feinted toward Jordan and grabbed Katie by the hair. Jerking her before him, he dug claws into her neck.

Pain shot through her nerve endings. The haziness disappeared to be replaced with cold, harsh reality. The beast could decapitate her with little effort. The idea of the babes inside her had her mind scrambling for purchase.

Jordan stiffened, fire lighting his eyes. “Let her go.”

“Go outsiiiiide.” Brent twisted, dragging Katie through the gap into the night. His claws retracted. Blood slid down her throat. Her heels dragged in the dirt and grass.