here? What’s wrong?”
He shoved himself over to roll onto his back. Every breath tore from his throat and made him grimace. “Rylie,” Abel gasped. “Cain—”
Seth crunched through the snow to them. “Your timing sucks, man,” he said, grabbing Abel’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Abel gripped Seth’s shoulders and stared in his face. “Cain is coming.”
A gunshot split the air, and someone in the gazebo screamed.
T HIRTEEN
Until Death
Seth released Abel and whirled, drawing a handgun from inside his tuxedo.
It was chaos in the gazebo. Guns fired, people shouted, and Rylie couldn’t see what was happening. From the number of weapons firing, there had to be a lot of enemies—but through the tumult of bodies, it was impossible to tell who was attacking who.
“Stay here,” Seth said, launching up the hill again.
Rylie choked on a sudden surge of bile, clapping her hand to her mouth.
“You okay?” Abel asked, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. His touch was warm and familiar. Her wolf was dizzyingly happy to see him alive, and Rylie found herself leaning into his shoulder.
“I thought you were gone,” she whispered once she was certain that she could speak without vomiting.
He cupped her face in his hand. “I would never leave you behind, Rylie. You’re my pack. My mate.”
Seth’s shout echoed over the hill. Rylie’s head jerked up, and her wolf senses focused on him instantly.
He was firing from the hip at a moving target. A blur darting over the hill.
Cain.
Nerves swamped Rylie, and she gripped her stomach with a groan. “Abel…”
“I know,” he said.
She stared at him. “You know?”
He covered her hand with his, and warmth spread through the gentle curve of her belly. For a moment, Rylie heard nothing—no shouts, no gunfire, no chaos. The world was reduced to the place just below her navel, and the feeling of Abel’s skin.
“How can you already know?” she asked. “I haven’t even told Seth yet.”
Amusement flicked through Abel’s eyes. “Cain told me. You can’t fight like this—we have to get you out of here.”
She nodded mutely, and he pulled her down the hill, tripping on her long skirts as they ran. Rylie grabbed fistfuls of the material and hiked it to her knees, but running was still too hard.
They left the gazebo behind them quickly, but not quickly enough. When Rylie glanced behind, she saw three of the black-clad Union men separate from the others.
Bullets pinged into the snow around them, sending up white puffs.
“The Apple,” Rylie gasped. “They’re coming for us!”
Abel growled. “They can’t have you.”
Even though it looked like he had totally exhausted his strength in running, he still wrapped an arm around her and pulled her out of the way just in time for another smattering of bullets to hit the ground.
He scooped her off the ground, skirts and all, and ran faster.
Rylie gave a cry of surprise. “Wait—”
“Shut up,” Abel said, hauling her down the road toward the remnants of the barn.
There wasn’t much of the building left, but there were two half-walls, and it was enough to shelter them. Abel jumped behind it. Bullets smacked into the other side, making the wood crack.
He set her down on the dry ground.
“What are we going to do?” Rylie asked. “We can’t leave them behind! What about Gwyn, and Seth, and…?”
“Seth’s fine,” Abel said, glancing around the corner before facing her again. “Change me.”
“What?”
“You can’t wolf out. You’ll lose the baby. But you’re still Alpha—so change me .”
Rylie reached out a shaking hand and brushed Abel’s forehead. She focused all of her energy on him, and her wolf gladly rose to meet his.
It was easy to draw out his beast with the adrenaline roaring through her, and he changed in a rush of fur.
Seconds later, a massive black beast stood over her. He was the size of a small horse, and a thousand times more imposing.
Rylie smoothed her hand
He shoved himself over to roll onto his back. Every breath tore from his throat and made him grimace. “Rylie,” Abel gasped. “Cain—”
Seth crunched through the snow to them. “Your timing sucks, man,” he said, grabbing Abel’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Abel gripped Seth’s shoulders and stared in his face. “Cain is coming.”
A gunshot split the air, and someone in the gazebo screamed.
T HIRTEEN
Until Death
Seth released Abel and whirled, drawing a handgun from inside his tuxedo.
It was chaos in the gazebo. Guns fired, people shouted, and Rylie couldn’t see what was happening. From the number of weapons firing, there had to be a lot of enemies—but through the tumult of bodies, it was impossible to tell who was attacking who.
“Stay here,” Seth said, launching up the hill again.
Rylie choked on a sudden surge of bile, clapping her hand to her mouth.
“You okay?” Abel asked, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. His touch was warm and familiar. Her wolf was dizzyingly happy to see him alive, and Rylie found herself leaning into his shoulder.
“I thought you were gone,” she whispered once she was certain that she could speak without vomiting.
He cupped her face in his hand. “I would never leave you behind, Rylie. You’re my pack. My mate.”
Seth’s shout echoed over the hill. Rylie’s head jerked up, and her wolf senses focused on him instantly.
He was firing from the hip at a moving target. A blur darting over the hill.
Cain.
Nerves swamped Rylie, and she gripped her stomach with a groan. “Abel…”
“I know,” he said.
She stared at him. “You know?”
He covered her hand with his, and warmth spread through the gentle curve of her belly. For a moment, Rylie heard nothing—no shouts, no gunfire, no chaos. The world was reduced to the place just below her navel, and the feeling of Abel’s skin.
“How can you already know?” she asked. “I haven’t even told Seth yet.”
Amusement flicked through Abel’s eyes. “Cain told me. You can’t fight like this—we have to get you out of here.”
She nodded mutely, and he pulled her down the hill, tripping on her long skirts as they ran. Rylie grabbed fistfuls of the material and hiked it to her knees, but running was still too hard.
They left the gazebo behind them quickly, but not quickly enough. When Rylie glanced behind, she saw three of the black-clad Union men separate from the others.
Bullets pinged into the snow around them, sending up white puffs.
“The Apple,” Rylie gasped. “They’re coming for us!”
Abel growled. “They can’t have you.”
Even though it looked like he had totally exhausted his strength in running, he still wrapped an arm around her and pulled her out of the way just in time for another smattering of bullets to hit the ground.
He scooped her off the ground, skirts and all, and ran faster.
Rylie gave a cry of surprise. “Wait—”
“Shut up,” Abel said, hauling her down the road toward the remnants of the barn.
There wasn’t much of the building left, but there were two half-walls, and it was enough to shelter them. Abel jumped behind it. Bullets smacked into the other side, making the wood crack.
He set her down on the dry ground.
“What are we going to do?” Rylie asked. “We can’t leave them behind! What about Gwyn, and Seth, and…?”
“Seth’s fine,” Abel said, glancing around the corner before facing her again. “Change me.”
“What?”
“You can’t wolf out. You’ll lose the baby. But you’re still Alpha—so change me .”
Rylie reached out a shaking hand and brushed Abel’s forehead. She focused all of her energy on him, and her wolf gladly rose to meet his.
It was easy to draw out his beast with the adrenaline roaring through her, and he changed in a rush of fur.
Seconds later, a massive black beast stood over her. He was the size of a small horse, and a thousand times more imposing.
Rylie smoothed her hand
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