Page 60 of Wings of Shadow
Alexei shoves me behind him. “Stay back,” he snarls.
In a flash, chaos erupts around us. Fists fly, glass shatters, screams pierce the air. I’m shoved, jostled, struggling to stay upright. Alexei moves like a force of nature, his strikes precise and devastating, but for every man he drops, another takes his place.
Just when it seems the tide might turn against us, he lands a brutal blow to León’s solar plexus, dropping him to his knees. Seizing the moment, he grips my hand and drags me through the roiling crowd.
We’re almost at the door when Alexei stiffens, his body going still.
“Alexei?” My voice wavers. “What’s wrong?”
He turns, and my breath lodges in my throat. His features have shifted, elongated—feral. His eyes glow yellow in the strobe light, and when he opens his mouth, I see fangs where normal teeth should be.
“Mine,” he growls, the word a claim, a threat. “You’re mine!”
Sheer black dread washes over me.
“Alexei, don’t!” I try to back away, but his hand shoots out, gripping my arm with bruising force. He pulls me close, his hot breath fanning across my face as he leans in, fangs bared and ready to claim me.
A single, deafening crack splits the air, cutting through the pulsing music like a knife. My ears ring, the world around me muffled as if I’ve been plunged underwater. The crowd freezes—a tableau of shocked faces illuminated by the strobing lights.
Then, pandemonium.
The bass drops out, replaced by screams and the thunder of hundreds of feet as people scramble for the exits. Bodies press against me from all sides, panic a living entity in the air. The acrid smell of gunpowder stings my nostrils, mixing with the sweat and fear emanating from the fleeing crowd.
Another shot rings out, and the concussion echoes in my chest, my heart stuttering in response. Glass shatters to my left, the tinkling of falling shards barely audible over the chaos. Warm liquid splatters across my face.
Alexei’s grip on my arm loosens, his eyes wide with shock. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but only a gurgle escapes. Then, like a marionette with snapped strings, he crumples to the floor.
I stand frozen, unable to process what I’m seeing.
Alexei lies motionless at my feet, blood pooling around him, his unseeing eyes staring up at me—I can’t breathe. I can’t think. The world tilts and spins.
Suddenly, strong hands grip my shoulders, pushing me against the wall. A blurred face swims into focus before me, lips moving, forming words I can barely hear over the high-pitched ringing in my ears. He shakes me gently, repeating himself until his words finally break through the fog in my mind.
“Are you all right?” The voice seems to come from far away. “Clarissa, can you hear me?”
I stare down in horror to see my pristine white dress now stained bright crimson. My gaze drifts to Alexei’s body, drawn by shock and disbelief. A hand grips my chin, forcefully turning my head away from the gruesome sight.
“Don’t look at him! Look at me, Clarissa. Look at me!”
I blink, focusing on the face before me. Kaisner. His eyes are wild with concern, his jaw clenched tight. When I see the gun holstered under his jacket, realization dawns, cold and horrifying.
“Y-you... you shot him…” I mumble, my body shaking uncontrollably. “You...” I try to take a deep breath, but my lungs refuse me. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision. Panic sets in.
“Clarissa!” Kaisner’s face blurs before me, his voice distant and distorted. “Clarissa, breathe!”
But it’s too late. The world tilts sideways, darkness rushing in to claim me. The last thing I’m aware of is Kaisner’s strong arms catching me as I fall.
Then, blissful nothingness.
28
CLARISSA
Consciousness returns slowly, wading through a thick fog. The first thing I’m aware of is a low murmur that ebbs and flows like distant waves. My eyelids are too heavy to open, so I lie still, letting the sound wash over me.
As my senses gradually sharpen, I begin to distinguish words.
“He was their fucking alpha…” A man’s voice, taut with anger. “Yes, it’s a problem. Make it go away. Fast.”
