Page 70 of The Agent and the Outlaw
But I’d been too late. I broke down the door and raced upstairs just in time to see Hugo sink his teeth into Antoine’s neck. Furious, I launched myself at the vampire. He’d met me blow for blow, until I saw Antoine slump to the floor. No.No! He is mine. Mine.
I’d grabbed Hugo and lifted him from the ground. I would tear him limb from limb and spread his insides across the snow.
Antoine wheezed and I turned.No!I couldn’t be too late! Blood leeched from his throat, spilling across the floor. I felt a rising wave of hysteria.
Hugo’s brittle laugh choked out from between my claws as he attempted to free himself from my grasp.
“So much for your happy ending,” he snarled.
Bastard.I squeezed until I heard a crack and black blood oozed down my arm. Hugo’s body slumped to the floor, followed by his severed head.
How’s that for a happy ending, you vile bloodsucker.
As quickly as possible, I shifted back to my human form and crawled over to Antoine.
“Antoine,” I whispered fervently, trying to staunch the flow of blood from his neck. “Antoine, darling, you must hold on, do you hear me? It isn’t your time yet.”
He smiled weakly at me, his heartbeat slow and thready.
“Charlotte,” he murmured. “You were magnificent. You saved me again. You’re always doing that. I don’t deserve it.”
“Hush, Antoine. You must maintain your strength. I’m going to take you to Van Helsing—she’ll put you right. Just hold on a little longer,d’accord?” Tears began to stream down my face, falling onto Antoine’s forehead as I pulled him into my lap.
“I’m sorry for everything,” he said. “Except for kidnapping you. If I hadn’t, I would’ve never met you, my beautiful, infuriating spy.”
I sobbed a laugh, trying desperately to figure out what to do. “You cannot leave me, Antoine. You’ve only just come into my life. We have so much more ahead of us.”
His beautiful emerald eyes began to lose their luster. “Tell me,” he whispered. “Tell me what we would have ahead of us.”
I sniffed and wiped at the tears. “A spring wedding,” I said. “We would have asparagus and poached eggs at the wedding breakfast, andcivet de sanglierfor lunch. You and I would sneak away to make love in a wooded glade, then we would jump on Tartuffe and ride for the first roadside inn we could find. It would be clean and comfortable, with a lovely old innkeeper who would keep the fire stoked and bring us wine and pastries.”
He smiled and gazed up at me. “Perfect. I wish I could stay with you. I love you, Charlotte. More than anything. I love you more than any man has ever loved any werewolf.”
A cry of anguish escaped my throat.
Wait. Any werewolf.A werewolf.I froze.
“Antoine,” I said. “Werewolf!”
He was fading, slipping into unconsciousness, and I shook him awake.
“Antoine, let me scratch you. My werewolf claws—don’t you see? That’s how I was infected! You’ve already been bitten.Please.Please. Let me try. Will you let me try?”
His eyes were unfocused, and his smile was placid, resigned. He was ready to accept the death that I would not. “Anything for you.”
Instantaneously, I transformed.Pain be damned.As soon as my claws formed, I dug them into Antoine’s arm, silently praying and begging his forgiveness. He winced and whimpered, and I changed back to human form just as quickly.
“Do you feel any different?” I asked, shaking him. “Does it feel like you’re changing?”
He looked up at me with a sad smile, closed his eyes, and slipped into unconsciousness.
26
CHARLOTTE
December 31, 1767
Château de Ruisseau Magdelaine
