Page 63 of Ash

The man couldn't see his death staring him in the eyes.

Instead, he took a step toward their mate and Ash was barely keeping a hold on himself. He didn't want to terrify his mate anymore than she already was, but that might become an impossible task.

"I'll look at her all I want, you fucking imbecile." The man reached behind him and Ash moved, ignoring logic or thought.

Ash grabbed his mate and pulled her against his larger form.

The sharp report of a gun reached him at the same that he felt pain bite into his back.

Ash took Suzannah down to the ground to protect her and the moment he was sure that she hadn't been struck by a bullet he stood.

Another bullet tore through his flesh, but it didn't stop him.

Ash was on the man before he could pull the trigger again.

He grabbed the man, twisting and wrenching the gun from his grip, tossing it to the side.

As his blood poured from his wounds, Ash reached out, took the man's head in his hands and gave it a twist.

The snap he felt and heard was music to his ears.

And when he looked in the man's eyes, Ash saw nothing but death.

Good.

That's when Ash dropped to his knees and pitched forward onto the grass beside the man.

Ash! Oh, god, Ash!

He was turned onto his back and looked up into Suzannah's face.

That's when he realized that he'd heard her voice in his head, not from her mouth.

"What... How... How do I stop the bleeding?" Suzannah was sobbing over his body. "Ash! How do I help you?"

He looked up at her, basking in the sunlight of her beauty. "Love you, mate."

"No," she glared at him. "That sounds like goodbye and you're not saying goodbye to me, Ash Thomas!"

"Don't..." He managed the words, slowly. "Don't want to scare you."

"What?"

He could tell she was angry, but he felt like he was fading away and couldn't understand why either.

Tell me.

He smiled when he heard her voice in his head.

He was so proud of his mate.

Tell me how to save him. How to save you, too!

Ash was too tired to answer.

She's not asking you, fool.His bear was the angriest he'd ever been.She's asking me.

Help me save you.