Page 34 of Wolf Trap

I grimaced. “Why?”

His voice almost trembled. Lycaon had clambered down and stood peering over Anthony’s shoulder. “Angel’s blood? I must have been lucky, at least that wasn’t in the bullet they shot into me.”

As I looked at Lycaon, his face paled, sweat beaded his forehead. He actually looked like he was going to faint.

Anthony saw and gripped the shifter’s arm. “Easy now. You’re ok.”

Anthony’s eyes darted back to the bullet in his free hand. “Yes, you were. Lucky indeed!”

I couldn’t see a lot, but I could just make out his puzzled expression. “How don’t you know that?”

“Angel’s blood will scorch the insides of anyone other than an angel or a Nephilim. Though, technically Nephilim blood will also roast you from the inside out. So, Lycaon was lucky that there was only liquid silver in the bullet. That said, I can’t believe they left this ammunition intentionally. We should take some and head back. We have the technology to study this.”

I gulped,looking from Lycaon to Anthony. “Can we use it?”

He frowned. “Against Adara?” He twisted back, looking over the ammunition. Sucking on his teeth, he said, “Possibly. You want to do that, slaughter an entire society?”

“No. But what choice do we have?”

“If we took it all, they’ll know. If they come back. But this presents more of a problem than Adara finding out we’ve stolen their weapons.”

It sunk in. I nodded. My heart plummeted. “Oh God, yes. How many angels have they killed to fill their weapons’ supply?”

“Exactly. We should take some. Lucifer will want to know, as will his pious brother and the Nephilim. Adara isn’t just after werewolves and witches. They’ve started a war with Heaven. Come. Take a few bullets.”

I didn’t have my bag, so I tried stuffing a box in my coat pockets. Anthony’s long velvet coat shifted gracefully as he moved. He stuffed a box in each pocket.

With a final glance round with his torch, he nodded, and we made our way to the steps.

His voice full of worry, Lycaon stopped and took one more last glance around the room.

“I don’t think any of us have realised the brevity of this situation. Adara are everywhere, in every country, city… You’re right Anthony, we will have to call a few more in to help. But I don’t think we want an army. We need to keep our numbers small. Hit them fast and quickly.”

Suddenly, we all froze. Footsteps echoed on the floor above, coupled with groaning.

Lycaon grabbed my arm, as Anthony was switching off his phone torch and stuffing it in his back pocket.

In that moment, a roar bellowed upstairs, closer, filling the cellar we were in.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Anthony’s phone rang. Loud.

A familiar tune of a guitar riff from a famous eighties rock band.

He cringed, his shoulders rounding, glancing at me and Lycaon, muttering, “Sorry!”

I flexed my fingers, ready, as Lycaon and Anthony’s claws extended.

Startled, we edged back as a head appeared upside down from the opening at the top of the stair hatch, hair on end. “Initiations over. Time to join the pack!”

Shouting from shock, Anthony ripped back, “Hakon, you bloody imbecile!”

Hakon’s head disappeared, then he leapt down.

“Afternoon all, just as well, ’tis I, otherwise you’d all be dead meat!”

Slapping his back, Anthony shook his head. “Stop quoting eighties vampire films, you old tart.”

“Oh, like your eighties ringtone? Hadn’t you better answer it? Elsa, love, you ok?”

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