head slightly. “Bullet did too much damage, close to my heart. If I shift, the stress on the wound could kill me quicker than a shift can start to heal me. Now run!” He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
I never considered leaving him. My hands reached around him and somehow I found the strength to lift him enough to drag him with me. There was no way I would be fast enough to get him to safety.
But I tried. Oh, God, did I try.
I was trying to reach a fallen log, hoping if I hid Alec behind it I could lead David away from him. Because I bloody knew who had shot my mate. But I was about ten feet away when my time ran out.
David’s nasty voice came from behind me and told me to stop. I gently lowered Alec to the ground.
“How did you find me?” Not that I really cared, but every minute I dragged this out gave me time to figure out how to save my mates.
“I flagged your car. It was spotted in the ditch by a local. The police didn’t find anything when they looked, but they made a report with the license plate number on it,” David said. “I had to plan for a while then I started scouting the area. Found you the day before yesterday.”
The fucking car had only been there for about two hours while Samuel and Alec had healed me that night. My fists clenched in frustration at our bad luck.
“Why? What did Tony do to you?”
The bastard goddamned laughed at me. “It’s his own damn fault. He had to get all noble when he caught me fucking that underage hooker behind the diner.”
I closed my eyes for a moment as I finally understood. Tony tried to help a kid and it cost him his life. A tarnished knight to the very end.
“Turn around, Becca.” David’s snarl came from behind me.
“Why? So the last thing I see is your ugly face?” I didn’t see a damn thing that would work as a weapon.
“Well it is easier to frame you for killing both your boyfriends if you die from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
“That’s your play?” I asked incredulously as I searched for something—anything—to use against him. “That for some reason I went on a murderous rampage?” Then his words hit me.
Both.
Samuel! Nononono!
“I only see one boyfriend here.” I gritted my teeth against the ball of terror in my stomach. He’s lying! Alec would’ve known if Samuel was hurt…was dead. Wouldn’t he?
There was still so much I didn’t understand about them and the familiar bond.
“Well, the other one was all alone and defenseless. He didn’t have much of a chance, went down pretty easy.” David’s malicious voice was a bit closer now.
I had spent weeks with Samuel now and he was many things. Teasing. Gentle. Passionate. Sexy.
Snarky, bitter and withdrawn.
And I laughed out loud with relief.
“What’s so funny?” David was closer and I hoped he would keep walking towards me if I didn’t turn around.
Maybe I could take him by surprise if he was close enough.
“You haven’t done anything to Samuel.” I chuckled again as I shifted to the balls of my feet. “Because if there is one thing I know about my mate—my Samuel is never easy.” Then I smiled as I felt the world go still.
And he is here!
He stepped through the thick branches, into the clearing, and I gasped as I saw this wasn’t the man I had spent the last few weeks with.
This Samuel was so much different that a chill went through me.
His eyes were gold fire and his face was much sharper with a feral beauty that I had never seen before. Then he looked at me and I saw a glimpse of my lover. “Becca, take care of Alec.”
David sputtered behind me as I looked down at Alec. “I have the gun. I give the orders.”
But I could feel the fear in his voice.
I dropped to my knees next to Alec, pressing my fingers to his throat as I looked to Samuel. I let a small cry of relief as I felt the thready pulse. “He’s alive, but he’s badly hurt.”
“I can heal him,” Samuel said to me, looking at Alec before his gaze caressed me as
Robert J. Sawyer, Stefan Bolz, Ann Christy, Samuel Peralta, Rysa Walker, Lucas Bale, Anthony Vicino, Ernie Lindsey, Carol Davis, Tracy Banghart, Michael Holden, Daniel Arthur Smith, Ernie Luis, Erik Wecks