Page 11 of The Tracker's Revenge
Rosalina trained her gun on Bertram’s chest and squeezed the trigger five times in succession. The deafening cracks reverberated through the house. The pixie screamed. The bullets hit their target. The vampire twitched with each impact, but unlike the hybrid, he didn’t go down. He was immune to wolfsbane, after all. Maybe we needed rhabo bullets. Now, that was a thought! Instead, he rushed Rosalina, snatched the weapon from her hand, and threw it across the room, where it crashed against the wall and disappeared behind the sofa.
Just as he pushed Rosalina out of the way and sent her sprawling on top of the love seat, I shifted into my wolf form, more smoothly than I ever had. Almost as fluidly as Eric, I was on all fours, my claws and fangs unsheathing, my muscles tripling in size, my clothes ripping and sliding off my back. Within the same breath, I went for Bertram’s ankle, my mouth wide open, my sharp teeth ready to separate him from his right foot.
Except my legs got tangled in my clothes, and I came short, my jaw snapping inches from him, my teeth capturing only a section of his pants and tearing loudly.
Damn my stupid clothes!
This had never happened, and it would never happen to Eric, not with the shifter ring he wore. More than ever, I wanted one of my own.
Bertram wasted no time and grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, sinking his huge claws in. I fought in vain, trying to twist out of his grip as he lifted me off the floor like a defenseless puppy dog. I growled and struggled, my forelegs wheeling uselessly. He was too big and strong.
“Look,” he snarled, his eyes flashing, his face a grotesque mask of violence and death, “can you...?”
More shots rang out. Bertram blinked and twitched as they struck his back. Rosalina had found her second gun and was at it again. Then there was a crash and the sound of shattering glass as Eric broke through a window and landed inside, looking so pissed I almost felt sorry for the vampire.
Just as Eric prepared to attack, a deafening roar filled the tiny house, making the portraits on the wall go askew.
Eyes widening in surprise, Bertram let go of me and turned toward the sound. As soon as my front paws hit the floor, I pivoted, also facing the sound.
Holy shit!
The hybrid was back on his feet, his huge clawed feet raking at the floor as if he were an angry bull, the wound between his eyebrows completely healed.
What the hell?
I backed away several steps, unable to believe my eyes.
The beast’s face was disfigured in rage. We had pissed him off. Royally. Growling, he lashed out, going from Bertram, who happened to be the closest target. The creature was at least a head taller than the vampire and twice as thick. They clashed like two giants. The hybrid sunk his teeth into Bertram’s shoulder as if he were a chew toy.
I was still petrified with shock when Eric shouted a command.
“Let’s get out of here!”
I glanced back and found him throwing open the door. He was back in his human form and fully clothed thanks to his shifter ring. He urgently waved a hand. I stared at Rosalina, letting her know to go first. She started to run, then suddenly pivoted back, reached behind the love seat, and pulled the terrified pixie out of her hiding place. Pushing her along, Rosalina ran behind her.
I was about to follow when I remembered something critical. The remaining elixir vial was still in my jacket pocket. Heart hammering, I double-backed, snatched the tattered thing in my mouth, and ran out of the house, never looking back, ignoring the crashing sounds and snarls that disturbed the peace of the heavenly suburbia.
Rosalina pushed the petite woman inside the backseat of the car, while Eric jumped into the driver seat, and I leaped through the open window and into the passenger seat.
Eric started the engine, stepped on the gas, and we tore out of there like hell on wheels. Rosalina pulled out her phone and called 911, giving them Liliana’s address and reporting the sighting of a dreadful creature. Nothing else.
As we made our escape, I noticed a dark SUV parked on the other side of the road, the same one I’d noticed in the rearview mirror on our way to Aaron’s house.
Damn that vampire! I hope his pissed-off hybrid tears him apart.
He deserved a dose of his own medicine.
