“You mean Taryn didn’t go to the gate, so you couldn’t snatch her and then leave all your friends to keep the rest of us occupied while you drove away with her in the van.”
“Yes, that is what I mean. But I’m an adaptable person. When it became clear I wouldn’t be able to get to your Alpha female, I decided I’d just have to grab another one of you to make her see reason. It was purely by chance that the wolf I managed to catch is you. It’s fitting, really.” He gave Tao a look of reprimand. “You really did let me down, Mr. Lukas. Things didn’t have to be this way.”
A bump in the road jarred the van, and Tao ground his teeth against the pain that jolted him.
“They know I’ve taken you,” Ramón went on. “One wolf saw us leave and tried to give chase. Probably would have caught up to us if their leg hadn’t been lame. I suppose we’re now about to find out just how valuable you are to your pack—or what’s left of it, anyway.” His smile was falsely sympathetic. “Oh, I really am sorry about your pretty raven.”
Tao didn’t correct him. It was better to let the guy think he didn’t need to be on his guard. But he did need to be, because Tao was sensing a lot of things from his mate at that moment—rage, pain, fear, but not panic. Riley knew where he was, he’d bet money on it. “You won’t live through this night.”
Ramón grinned. “Oh, I assure you I will. Sadly, I can’t say the same for you. You’re looking a little worse for wear. Maybe your Alpha will arrive in time to save you. I’m in a good mood, I’ll allow her to heal you before trading places with you.”
“Taryn can’t help your brother. She can’t heal diseases, it’s not—” A bullet sank into Tao’s side. His whole body jerked, and agony rippled through him, snatching the breath from his lungs. The world went dark for a few seconds.
“She can heal my brother and she will. Or both he and you die. That’s the—”
A loud thud shook the van. The tires screeched as the van swerved, jerked, and bounced to a halt—causing Ramón to fall back against the side of the van and grab on to the bench for purchase. The gun clattered to the floor, landing not far from Tao. Adrenaline spiked through him. He lunged for the gun. Missed. Stars burst behind his eyes and his stomach churned, but the adrenaline dimmed the pain. He heard a man scream, wondered if it was the driver.
Ramón dived, reaching out to grab the gun. Tao reared up and slammed his elbow into the bastard’s face, making him stumble back. Ramón’s ass hit the floor of the van with an awkward thump. He kicked at Tao’s face, but Tao seized his ankle and twisted it sharply. Bone snapped and Ramón cried out through his teeth, making Tao’s wolf bare his teeth in a feral grin.
Ramón tried to regain possession of his leg, but Tao kept a tight grip on it. The human pitched forward and made a grab for Tao’s hair, missing by mere inches. Tao bit into his hand, and Ramón snatched it back with a growl of outrage. The smell of the bastard’s blood was almost better than the look of pain on his face.
Cursing, Ramón swerved, kicking out with his good leg. His boot smacked Tao’s head hard.
“Motherfucker,” growled Tao. He tightened his grip on Ramón’s broken ankle until the human screamed. Ramón kicked out with his other leg again, but Tao was ready; he blocked the move with his arm and then slammed his fist into Ramón’s jaw.
The human grunted, snarling. He dove for the gun, knocking Tao on his back as he did so and causing more blinding pain to ripple through Tao. Ramón’s fingers brushed the butt of the gun—
Metal screeched as the doors flew open and light blasted into the van, causing Tao to double-blink. And there was his mate. Naked. A bloody mess. And in an absolute rage.
Ramón turned just as she sprung into the van. He tensed, prepared to launch himself at her, but she moved too fast—crashing into him and sending him sprawling flat on his back.
Seething, Riley wrapped one hand around the human’s throat. She wanted to snap his neck. Instead she held him in place—letting him struggle, letting him try to free himself. She might be female and she might be hurt, but she was still stronger than a human. She let him see that for himself. She could see the moment it sank into this arrogant fucker’s brain that he was being overpowered by a woman.
Ramón reached back, curling his fingers around the butt of his gun. Riley sliced out her talons, letting them dig right through his throat—slashing skin, cutting muscle, and severing arteries. She didn’t look away, watched the life bleed from his eyes. Honestly, she was a little annoyed that it had to end so soon. She’d have enjoyed delivering some additional pain to the asshole.
Satisfied he was dead, Riley wiped her blood-soaked talons on his shirt and sheathed them. She then moved to Tao’s side, breaths sawing in and out of her chest. All the rage and bravado left her in a rush as she took in the bloody sight of him, leaving only soul-deep terror. “Oh God, you’re a mess.”
As Tao stared at his mate’s battered body, he forgot his own pain. “Jesus, baby, so are you.” She was covered in rake marks, bites, and puncture wounds—all were deep and bleeding badly. A clump of blood matted the hair at the side of her head, where he suspected there was a massive wound. What worried him more was the blood pouring out of her ear and nose.
“Tao . . .” Her voice shook. Never—not when her parents died, not when Ethan was shot, not even when Dexter was almost taken—had she felt such an incapacitating fear. It was a living, breathing thing inside her. His face was haggard and pale, his heartbeat was much too damn slow for her liking, and every breath wheezed out of him. There were so many wounds, so much blood, and she had no idea what to do. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“Don’t panic on me, okay, I’ll be all right. Fuck, baby, what did she do to you?” He could smell Shirley on her.
“When she was shot, the bitch dug her talons into my wing to drag me to the ground with her. Hit my head on a branch as we were falling.” It had hurt like a motherfucker. Still did.
Tao tried to sit up, and his own pain came flooding back. He clenched his teeth, waiting for his head to stop spinning. It was like there was a burning-hot balloon inside him that kept on inflating. He gripped her hand, as if she could beat back the darkness creeping around his vision.
“Tao, you have to hold on for me.”
Her fear pierced him worse than any pain. “I’m holding on. Don’t you worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.” He refused to acknowledge just how badly he was hurt, or that a numbness was creeping in; he would think of her—just her. She’d lost too many people; he wouldn’t let her lose another, just as he wouldn’t let death take her from him.
“It’s okay,” she said, voice still shaky, lying beside him. “Taryn will come. The others will be here any second now. They’ve been following me.” She’d only dropped out of the sky to grab the dead raccoon from the road and, in a moment of inspiration, thrown it at the van to spook the driver.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” he asked. Not only was one of them bloodshot, but her pupils were unequally sized.
Riley blinked, looking at him through blurred vision. “Nothing. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”