Replica(75)

Ivan was in a tangled mess with two werewolves. Even Calvin was in a fight with a werewolf, although I still didn’t trust him.

Another werewolf bounded for me, and I stood my ground as I aimed and shot. The werewolf fell, its body skidding to a halt at my feet.

Lea was in her own messy situation. I tried to see if I could take a shot at one of her attackers, but they were too close to her, not to mention their movements were too jerky to allow me a clean shot.

“Rachel!” Antonio shouted. “Behind you!”

I crouched and spun on the balls of my feet, staring up into the face of a snarling werewolf. I grabbed the knife from my boot with my left hand and swung it up, slashing the creature’s throat. While I knew that wouldn’t kill it, the wound might slow it down. I gagged as the smell of rotting flesh filled my nose. Its claw was in a downward arc toward my face.

Then there was a blur of movement behind me, and someone tackled the beast to the ground. I gaped in shock when I realized it was Calvin.

Had he really just saved me?

I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Another werewolf was already charging toward me. I picked up my gun, forcing my nerves into submission after my close call, and squeezed.

Nothing.

My heart rate increasing, I squeezed again. Still nothing.

“I’m out of bullets!” In a desperate move that was probably foolish as hell, I threw my silver blade for the werewolf’s head, using every ounce of strength I had.

Unbelievably, the blade jammed in its eye socket and the creature fell into a heap, my blade buried somewhere underneath it.

Calvin ripped off the jaw of the werewolf he’d knocked off me, then reached deep into its head through its mouth and pulled out something I was fairly certain was the werewolf’s brain.

He turned his cold eyes on me.

I stood, tossing my now-useless gun aside as I edged toward the werewolf I’d just killed. It was then I realized we were a good twenty feet away from the others, all of whom were busy in battles of their own. We were next to a transport truck I hadn’t noticed before. “Get away from me, Calvin.”

“I just saved your life.”

And while that was undeniably true, the glint in his eyes told me he had an ulterior motive. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to say thank you?”

He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Probably not. Death by werewolf would have been better.”

“What the hell do you want?”

“You stole her from me.”

“Who? Lea?” His non-answer was enough. “Are you shitting me? We’re doing this now? Here?”

He continued to advance and I edged closer to the werewolf I’d killed. I had to retrieve my blade. “Here and now is perfect.” He was ten feet away, stalking toward me like the perfect predator.

“It didn’t take you long to adapt to becoming a vampire.” I rolled the creature over with the toe of my boot, keeping my eyes on Calvin as I squatted and pulled my blade free.

His grin was more genuine. “I’ve watched the best for decades.”

He slid to the side when I stood, blocking me from the others, driving me toward the truck. “What do you want from me, Calvin? I’m sorry you became a vampire. I’m even sorrier if you blame me for it after you begged me to kill you to keep it from happening.”

“No,” he said earnestly. “I was wrong. Today has been a revelation to me. Turns out becoming a vampire was the best thing that ever happened to me. I wasted so many years blaming Lea for being what she was, when in truth, she’s beautiful in every way.”

“You love her.”

“Yes, more than you could possibly understand. We would be the perfect match, the perfect mates.”

I wanted to ask him why he’d treated her like shit for years if he really loved her so much. “Ivan might have a thing or two to say about that.”

He scoffed. “She could never love him. He’s a dalliance. A distraction after losing me. But now I’m here and I’m hers.”

“So go get her. Help her fight off the werewolves instead of acting like an angsty middle-schooler with a crush. Do you want me to ask her if she wants to go steady with you?”

“No. I want you dead.”

I felt so, so stupid. How had I not seen this? The trap. His real plan. We were behind the truck now, hidden from the others’ view.

“You feel threatened by me.”

“Not feel, Rachel. I am. You have a bond with her that will prevent me from being her true partner.”

I lifted my hands in surrender. “Hey, whatever you’re thinking is off-base. I don’t swing that way.”

He moved closer and I held the blade in a defensive stance.