“Fucking mutt!”
The wolf on my leg jerked hard enough that my knee popped out of joint. The scream this time was not intentional. One more pull like that and I’d lose my leg.
Wrapping my free hand around the neck of the wolf on my shoulder, I sat up and yanked it with me. Its body flipped over and landed on my legs, knocking its buddy off my foot. Then I booted its head with my good leg and scooted back on my ass.
With as much speed as I could, I grabbed my dangling leg and jammed the knee back into the socket with a grind of bone on bone. A hiss of pain escaped me, but at least my leg was mine again. For the moment.
The sound of paws thumping across the sand behind me sent a shiver down my spine. The two wolves in front advanced, their red eyes glowing, their teeth clacking together over and over. I pushed myself to a crouch, my stake gripped in my right hand. What I wouldn’t give for another weapon or two.
“Come on, boys,” I beckoned to them, and they obliged.
A dark furred shape shot between us, tackling the two wolves at the same time. His scent was as clean and pure as theirs was rancid and foul.
“Ivan! Take their heads. It’s the only way.”
I had to trust he could handle them. Because the other wolves hadn’t shown up, and the sound of fighting from the edge of the village was all I needed to know that Rachel was in trouble. Limping, I ran toward the snarling and snapping of teeth, the sound of Rachel cursing out the zombie wolves.
“You fucking bastards!”
Shouldn’t have been funny, but it made me smile for a split second.
I ran over a low hill, and there they were in front of me. Antonio and Rachel were standing back to back, each facing a wolf. There was no sign of the sixth and final wolf. Not good, but I would deal with it after—
Rachel spun away from Antonio, drawing the wolf she faced with her. The werewolf followed like a good doggy, and she caught it under the jaw with her boot, snapping its head back. Before it could even recover, she leapt forward and drove the silver stake through its brain.
“Good girl,” I whispered and made my way down the slope. Antonio...I didn’t really care if he survived or not, but if he fell, the wolf would be at Rachel’s back. I crept up behind the oversized canine and grabbed its tail. It let out a yelp as I reeled it in to me. Climbing onto its back, I clamped my legs around its torso and drove my stake sideways, in through the right ear and out through the left. The wolf slumped under me, blood and that strange green liquid pouring out in a rush of sewage that made me gag.
“Shitty time to have highly tuned senses, isn’t it?” Ivan said from behind me—back in human form. I nodded and stumbled off the wolf’s body.
“There’s one more. I counted six,” I said.
Rachel nodded, her whole body vibrating. “We caught the first one off guard. It’s dead.”
“And those who held the leashes, did anyone see them?” I asked.
Ivan shook his head. “There was no one else, Lea. Just the wolves.”
I blinked and touched the side of my head. I was not seeing things. I couldn’t be. Because if that started…
I swallowed hard, but Antonio spilled my secret.
“If she’s seeing things, she’s more dangerous to us than ever before. Vampires, as they age, grow stronger. But the years they live weigh on them and they slowly lose their minds. Isn’t that right, bloodsucker?”
Fuck, I did not want to have this conversation, certainly not in front of Ivan and Rachel, both of whom were staring me down.
“Partly true, Cazador,” I said, letting myself slump to the sand. “Partly true. With great age, a vampire can lose their mind. But not if they know what they are doing, and I assure you, I know what I am fucking doing.” I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Rachel, walk with me a minute.”
“Do not do it, Rachel. She’s not safe.” Antonio stepped between us, but Ivan dropped a hand on the Cazador’s shoulder and yanked him back.
“Don’t get between them. Ever.”
Madre de Dios, I did not want another reason to like Ivan. But he made it damn hard. Rachel held a hand out to me and helped me up. It worried me that I needed her help. Already I could feel the bites from the wolves coursing through me, like a sickness tightening its hold second by second. Vampires didn’t get sick...I could only imagine what was happening to me.
How long would I be able to remain standing?
“How much of what Antonio said is true?” Rachel asked. “And don’t blow me off. I’d like a real answer.”
I kept a hand on her shoulder, steadying myself as we walked up the slow sloping sand dune and out to where I’d seen the handlers with the wolves. I’d seen them; I knew I had.