Page 83 of Moonlight and Mischief
“Get out there,” Ferris growls. The remaining guards throw the door open and join the battle.
“Don’t move,” Sienna growls, taking out her favorite dagger. She looks between her sons and her mate, Ember hovering like a shadow at her shoulder.Ferris approaches the door, his blade raised defensively.
Slate nods, signaling that we cannot wait any longer. As we shift into our wolf forms, the zip-ties slip off.
Sienna lets out a furious shriek, backing away. She bumps into Ember, who looks gleeful at the change of events. She’s always been bloodthirsty. Within seconds, she’s shifted into her black wolf, her hackles raised to make her look larger than her petite form truly is.
Slate moves toward Ferris, his teeth bared. Sienna is mine, but Ember blocks my path. With a growl, I spring. Ember snaps at my shoulder, seeing if she can get me to back down or weaken my attack. Not a chance. We’ve been sparring since we were children. Her black wolf stands no chance against my larger white wolf, and I know how her mind works.
Ember crouches, using her smaller size to get below me. Her teeth close on my ruff, too close to my throat for comfort. My paws push back, propelling me away until I can lower my muzzle and force her to the ground.
Paws on her ribcage, I snarl, keeping my sister growling on her side. My message is clear - stay down.
Slate advances past us toward my father, belly low, lips pulled back to display his teeth. Ferris pulls a gun from a holster at his back. That’s not a wolfsbane gun, it’s real bullets. Fear splinters through me. Slate attempts to leap before Ferris can fire, but even he isn’tfaster than a bullet. Ferris brings the gun up to aim at him.
The shot gouges the concrete beside Slate’s paws. He jolts away, stumbling in his attempt to regain his balance to strike.
Sienna’s unintelligible yells echo in the large space, but Ferris pays her no heed. With a snarl, he adjusts his stance. He won’t miss a second time.
With a sickening thud, a dagger embeds into his chest. His second shot goes wide and hits the back wall.
For a moment, everything is frozen. Seemingly in slow motion, Ferris tips forward, the gun clattering to the ground, before he covers it with his slumped body.
Ember ceases her struggle, letting out a piercing wine. She scrambles out from under my stunned paws, and shifts back, dropping to her knees beside his body. With frantic hands, she pulls out the blade and presses the heel of her palms against the puncture. Crimson seeps between her fingers.
My gaze searches for the aggressor. Slate is already backing Sienna against the benches along the back wall. Her empty hands are raised.
Tentatively, I step toward Ember and Ferris, toward the blade on the concrete floor. It’s Sienna’s. My thoughts are slow.
With the slam of metal door against metal siding, Onyx and Cassia scan the scene, weapons raised. Cassia grabs Sienna’s wrist and twists her around, injecting her with Rowanberry from a syringe to prevent her from shifting before the woman has a chance to react.She lowers Sienna to the ground as the natural drug floods her veins.
Ember screams, her voice breaking. Under her hands, blood pools around our father. Ferris is terribly pale. Shifting back, I reach for the first aid kit that Fisher keeps on a shelf by the door.
Onyx grabs Ember, attempting to inject her as well. She snarls, yanking her arm away. He clenches his jaw, gripping both of her arms behind her. Like lightning, Ember twists and slashes, Sienna’s discarded blade tight in her hand. The dagger swipes along Onyx’s gut, slicing his shirt open at the side where his gear fails to protect him.
He lets out a pained noise but refuses to release her. Cassia catches Ember’s wrist and knocks the knife away before she injects her. Ember thrashes and screams.
Onyx releases her with shaking hands, letting Cassia shove the girl to the ground to subdue her. Red stains his shirt.
I’m torn between helping my murderous father and my friend. Onyx makes the decision for me. “It’s not deep. Don’t worry about me.” He grunts as he sits on the closest chair and hunches over.
Cassia has covered Ember’s body with her discarded dress. With deft movements, she zip-ties the younger girl to a bench and Sienna to her seat before turning to Onyx.
I peel up my father’s shirt to reveal the stab wound. It’s weeping more blood than I’ve ever seen. With trembling hands, I press a bandage over it, hopingI can staunch the flow. His eyes are vacant and his breathing slows.
“Dad.” My voice cracks and self-loathing surges in my stomach like nausea. I shouldn’t care. He’s an enemy, and he would have cut me down right after killing my brother.
Slate crouches beside me. “He’s gone.”
Slowly, I pry my fingers away. I’ve ripped out throats and sliced open enemies without hesitation, but something about seeing the light leave my father’s eyes has shaken me.
“It’s okay,” Slate murmurs, his hands squeezing my shoulders as he steers me away. “There’s nothing you could have done. It hit an artery.”
Forcing a deeper breath into my lungs, I straighten. There are still people that need my help. I can’t stand here and wallow in my shock.
Cassia pulls Onyx’s gear over his head and wipes away the blood.
“Not cool, dude,” Onyx mumbles at Ember, his face pallid.
