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Authors: Kristin Miller
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warrior-like stature. But he could teleport and had nails the size of ice picks.
What was he besides, undeniably, the toughest fighter she’d ever laid eyes on?
Ariana closed her eyes as a flicker of pre-projection sailed through her. As the crack of bone on bone rang through her ears, she couldn’t help but wince and peek at the damage in the hall.
The scene before her had deteriorated quickly.
Dante had the wolf in a headlock. Each time it snapped for Dante’s arm, he nailed it in the muzzle. It clawed. Dante sliced through its paw. It howled. Dante silenced the canine permanently by gouging a handful of his razor-sharp nails into its throat. Dante withdrew his bloody hand and stood upright. The wolf’s body flopped to the ground at his feet.
The cat was on the ground twitching, the obvious victim of the cracking sound she’d heard. Ariana could barely see through the slit in the door, but its head was bashed in pretty bad.
Standing eerily still over the therian carnage, Dante met Ariana’s gaze. The flat line of his lips pressed white. Why was he looking at her that way? With such heated intensity?
“There will be more,” he said. His voice was calm. As if he hadn’t just taken down two beastly therians like it was a walk in Crimson Park. “We need to get you out of here. Come on.”
Two minutes ago, Ariana wasn’t sure if she wanted to kick Dante in the groin or kiss him on his damn irresistible mouth. But things had changed. If his path led out of the black market and away from pissed-off therians, she was on board.
Ariana peeked into the hall before stepping out completely.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Dante reassured her, extending his hand—the one that wasn’t soaked in feline blood.
It was odd to think how much had changed in so little time, but Ariana actually believed him. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he could’ve tossed her into the hall. But he hadn’t. He’d tried to protect her.
Even so . . .
“I can handle myself,” she said, hiking up her robe. She stepped over the cat’s body without his help, but she didn’t make it far.
A high-pitched wail erupted from the floor as jagged feline nails stabbed into Ariana’s right calf. Leg burning something fierce, Ariana screamed and fell forward. Dante spun and caught her before she hit the floor, but he couldn’t pull her free from the cat’s grip. It felt like she’d been ensnared in a bear trap. One serrated, rusty trap that could rip her leg clean off with the slightest movement.
“Get down!”
Two gunshots rang out.
Dante buried Ariana’s head in his chest and used his body as a shield as radiant starbursts lit up the hall. And as the cat fell to the floor a second time, its nails slid out of her flesh.
Tingly and numb from brain to bloodied leg, Ariana looked back. A vamp with flowing blonde hair and emerald eyes stood at the back of the hall, a pistol extended in his hand.
“Leave you alone for a second,” he said, shoving the gun in his waistband, “and look what happens.”
“Ruan, don’t flatter yourself. Another second and I would’ve taken care of business my way.”
Dante lifted the cat’s face into his cold, steely grip and squeezed. The sound of its skull crunching was unlike anything Ariana had ever heard. A stomach-souring munching sound she didn’t want to ever hear again. When Ariana thought it was the most grotesque scene she’d ever witnessed, Dante ripped the cat’s head clean off and tossed it aside.
Silver and decapitation were the only ways to kill a therian, but Ariana had never seen it happen firsthand. Knowing how they died and seeing it happen were two very different things.
“Snap, crackle, pop, my man.” Ruan stalked to their side, staring at the cat’s busted face.
“Well,” Dante said with a shrug. “I asked if they were hungry.”
Chapter Six
T HEY DIDN’T HAVE much time. A minute. Two, tops.
The shifters Juan Carlos sent down to the basement were
What was he besides, undeniably, the toughest fighter she’d ever laid eyes on?
Ariana closed her eyes as a flicker of pre-projection sailed through her. As the crack of bone on bone rang through her ears, she couldn’t help but wince and peek at the damage in the hall.
The scene before her had deteriorated quickly.
Dante had the wolf in a headlock. Each time it snapped for Dante’s arm, he nailed it in the muzzle. It clawed. Dante sliced through its paw. It howled. Dante silenced the canine permanently by gouging a handful of his razor-sharp nails into its throat. Dante withdrew his bloody hand and stood upright. The wolf’s body flopped to the ground at his feet.
The cat was on the ground twitching, the obvious victim of the cracking sound she’d heard. Ariana could barely see through the slit in the door, but its head was bashed in pretty bad.
Standing eerily still over the therian carnage, Dante met Ariana’s gaze. The flat line of his lips pressed white. Why was he looking at her that way? With such heated intensity?
“There will be more,” he said. His voice was calm. As if he hadn’t just taken down two beastly therians like it was a walk in Crimson Park. “We need to get you out of here. Come on.”
Two minutes ago, Ariana wasn’t sure if she wanted to kick Dante in the groin or kiss him on his damn irresistible mouth. But things had changed. If his path led out of the black market and away from pissed-off therians, she was on board.
Ariana peeked into the hall before stepping out completely.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Dante reassured her, extending his hand—the one that wasn’t soaked in feline blood.
It was odd to think how much had changed in so little time, but Ariana actually believed him. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he could’ve tossed her into the hall. But he hadn’t. He’d tried to protect her.
Even so . . .
“I can handle myself,” she said, hiking up her robe. She stepped over the cat’s body without his help, but she didn’t make it far.
A high-pitched wail erupted from the floor as jagged feline nails stabbed into Ariana’s right calf. Leg burning something fierce, Ariana screamed and fell forward. Dante spun and caught her before she hit the floor, but he couldn’t pull her free from the cat’s grip. It felt like she’d been ensnared in a bear trap. One serrated, rusty trap that could rip her leg clean off with the slightest movement.
“Get down!”
Two gunshots rang out.
Dante buried Ariana’s head in his chest and used his body as a shield as radiant starbursts lit up the hall. And as the cat fell to the floor a second time, its nails slid out of her flesh.
Tingly and numb from brain to bloodied leg, Ariana looked back. A vamp with flowing blonde hair and emerald eyes stood at the back of the hall, a pistol extended in his hand.
“Leave you alone for a second,” he said, shoving the gun in his waistband, “and look what happens.”
“Ruan, don’t flatter yourself. Another second and I would’ve taken care of business my way.”
Dante lifted the cat’s face into his cold, steely grip and squeezed. The sound of its skull crunching was unlike anything Ariana had ever heard. A stomach-souring munching sound she didn’t want to ever hear again. When Ariana thought it was the most grotesque scene she’d ever witnessed, Dante ripped the cat’s head clean off and tossed it aside.
Silver and decapitation were the only ways to kill a therian, but Ariana had never seen it happen firsthand. Knowing how they died and seeing it happen were two very different things.
“Snap, crackle, pop, my man.” Ruan stalked to their side, staring at the cat’s busted face.
“Well,” Dante said with a shrug. “I asked if they were hungry.”
Chapter Six
T HEY DIDN’T HAVE much time. A minute. Two, tops.
The shifters Juan Carlos sent down to the basement were
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