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Sophie ran towards the bus they’d left at the edge of the road that led to the hunters’ village. It had taken her and Eden several moments to get everyone rounded up and back on the way to the bus. Somehow they’d managed. They were late, which meant Callum and Xander should be there, but she didn’t see them. Nate, Tess, and Theodore were absent too.
A sickening feeling filled her belly and she swallowed. What if something had gone wrong?
“All right, everyone on the bus,” Eden said as she shoved the doors open.
The shifters began to file in. Sophie kept her eyes peeled, looking to the horizon for signs of her mate.
“I don’t see them either,” Eden said, wrapping her arms around her middle as she searched too.
“What do you think is keeping everyone?” Sophie asked.
“I’m sure its fine,” Eden said, though her voice lacked conviction. She felt it too. Something wasn’t right.
The bombs had detonated as planned. And the fire was burning so hard that Sophie could smell the smoke and see the billowing black cloud from where they were now.
They probably just got held up like you and Eden, she tried to assure herself. It did nothing to help the nausea rumbling in her belly. Her gut said something was wrong.
Headlights flashed around the corner, drawing her from her thoughts. Her hands fisted at her side, loosening when she recognized the driver of the car.
The vehicle came to a stop and all three occupants jumped out.
“Thank goodness,” Eden said, running to her brother to give him a hug. “What took so long? Where are Xander and Callum?”
“The hunters are using the same road we were on to evacuate. It took us a minute to get around them without being detected,” Tess said as she guided Eden to the bus.
“Sophie,” Nate said as he jogged to her. “We need you to come back to the facility.”
She swallowed as her stomach knotted further. “What happened?”
“Xander?” Eden asked.
“He’s fine for the moment. The fires spread too quickly. We need to help them get out of the hospital.” He hesitated before adding, “Callum’s hurt.”
Sophie’s heart lurched and tears pricked her eyes. No. Stay strong. You have to help him.
“Eden, you’re going to ride back with Tess and Theodore. From what we saw, the bigger threat is on the road instead of in the compound. Sophie and I are going back for Xander and Callum,” Nate said.
Sophie didn’t need to be told twice; she sprinted to the SUV and climbed in.
Eden looked like she wanted to protest but simply nodded and allowed the two cats to help her on board. Nate jumped in beside her and had his foot on the accelerator before the door was even shut.
“Do you know how bad he’s hurt?” Sophie asked, already dreading the answer.
“No. Xander said he’s been shot. I have no idea how bad it is.”
Sophie gulped. A gunshot could be severe – deadly. Even worse, the bullets were probably laced with poison that would make Callum gravely ill before killing him. She closed her eyes. Callum had to be okay. Her fingers went to her neck, rubbing the spot where their mark was. Everything was going to work out some way, somehow.
“Callum’s tough. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Sophie nodded. Even if he was okay, they still had to figure out where they were and navigate them out of the building.
As they went over a hill, the hunters’ village came into view. She covered her mouth as she surveyed the damage. Cars drove through fields in a desperate attempt to escape the inferno that was raging through all the buildings. Callum and Xander had done their job – a little too well considering they were still trapped inside. It looked like the entire community would be a total loss. Hopefully they’d taken out some of the hunters’ numbers too.
“Which building?” Nate asked.
“It’s the last one on the end.” She pointed to the three-story building. Flames covered the entire left side of the complex.
She closed her eyes and gripped the door handle tightly. Everything was going to be okay. She needed to believe that just like she needed to stay focused so she could help Callum.
The car rocked as it came to a stop. Nate left the car on and hopped out, glancing around. He put the radio up to his mouth and yelled into it as Sophie joined him.
“Xander where are you?”
“In a hallway on the first floor. It’s like a maze in here.” Xander’s reply was muffled and she had to strain to hear him.
“There should be room numbers. Look at the top of the doorway,” Sophie said over Nate’s shoulder.
“Uh, 121,” Xander said.
Sophie closed her eyes, picturing the complex in her mind. It had been a few years since she’d been here, but she still remembered it like the back of her hand. Once she got her bearings she opened her eyes and nudged Nate, motioning for him to follow her.
She led them around to the back of the building. There was a keypad. Quickly she typed in Lou’s numbers, but nothing happened. She did it again. Nothing. The lights on the door didn’t even flicker red.
“The power could be out. Shit,” Nate said. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He lifted his leg, bent his knee, and kicked at the door. It didn’t budge.
“Let’s try it together,” she said. “Go.”
They kicked the door hard enough to make it shake, but it didn’t open.
“Again,” Nate said.
Sophie grunted as she slammed the heel of her foot against the metal. It moved again, but didn’t open.
“Again,” Nate said as he prepared to try a fourth time.
This time when they hit the entrance it swung open, crashing against the opposite wall. Nate rushed in and she followed behind him.
Smoke filled the hallway, causing her eyes and throat to burn. She coughed in an effort to clear her lungs.
“Use your jacket to cover your mouth,” Nate said as he zipped his jacket up all the way and lifted it up over his nose and mouth.
Sophie followed his lead as she looked up at the room numbers. “We need to turn right at the fork.”
Nate trotted ahead, peering around the corner before motioning her forward. “Stay behind me in case there are hunters lurking in here still. You’re the only doctor we have and as thick as this smoke is...”
Sophie shivered knowing he didn’t need to finish the sentence. Xander and Callum could both be in serious trouble.
The deeper they got into the building, the thicker the smoke. It was dense enough to make her eyes water. Tears slipped down her cheeks and blurred her vision, making it almost impossible to see.
“Which way?” Nate asked as they came to another hallway.
“Left.”
Nate took a step forward and peeked around. “Let’s go.”
“We’re going to go straight at the next hall,” she said. “Then a right at the following.”
Nate guided them in the direction she’d said.
“121 should be on the left,” she said after another moment.
Nate jogged ahead, coming to a stop in front of the door. He opened it, then motioned her forward. Once they were inside, he shut the door behind her.
Callum lay on the floor, motionless. A lump formed in Sophie’s throat, but she forced it down. She dropped to her knees and placed her fingers on his pulse point. A slow thrum met her. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she unzipped his jacket.
Sticky warmth covered his shoulder and the entirety of one side of his belly, and probably his back too. She touched the three holes in his shirt. He’d been shot three times. Twice in the side and once in the shoulder
“How bad is it?” Nate asked.
“Three bullet holes,” she said as she gently moved his jacket back further. “Help me roll him just enough so I can see if the bullets went through.”
Nate and Xander stooped down, placing their hands on their friend as they carefully turned him to the side. Sophie trailed her fingers over his back and let out a breath. It was bad, but not as bad as it could be.
The bullet in his shoulder had gone clean through and so had one in his side. One was still lodged inside him. Fear filled her and she blinked back tears. He shouldn’t be moved, but there wasn’t much of a choice. They couldn’t stay where they were.
“There’s one in him still,” she said, fighting back the hysteria. If that bullet moved it could hit his spine and paralyze him – or worse, nick an artery and cause him to bleed out. I can’t lose you.
“What does that mean?” Nate asked.
“Moving him – dragging him through the building is going to be dangerous. It could cause the bullet to shift,” Sophie said.
Xander cleared his throat. “There’s a room down the hall with a gurney. We just need to move the patient.”
Nate frowned as he looked at his friend. “What are you saying?”
“I know how it sounds—”
Sophie interrupted Xander. “They’re brain dead. The only thing keeping them alive is the machine they are attached to. Get the gurney.”
Both men stood up and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
Sophie looked around the room. They were in a supply room. Everything she would need to treat Callum was in here. At least something was working out.
Jumping to her feet, she began grabbing supplies and setting them on one of the metal counters. She pulled out anything she thought she might need until she had a large pile. Now she just needed to find something to put it all in.
The door clicked open and she turned around, expecting to see Nate and Xander, but it wasn’t them.
“Sophie,” the man said with a smile.
A grin that she knew all too well spread over the man’s face. Chad had been one of the ones to hurt Serena. He’d have had his way with Sophie too if Lou hadn’t protected her.
Her lip curled up in disgust as the man shut the door and locked it.
“Shouldn’t you be running for your life?” she asked as one of her hands went behind her back, fumbling around on the counter for one of the needles or scalpels she’d gotten. Wait! She didn’t need those, she had weapons – claws.
Sophie blew out a breath, keeping her hands behind her back. She flexed her fingers, willing the change to happen while keeping her attention on Chad.
He shrugged, holding up a small cooler. “I came in to grab a few things first.”
“Then get them and go.” Outrage at her own words filled her. This man didn’t deserve to live after everything he’d done. Even a slow painful death would be too good for him. But her hand wasn’t changing like she wanted, and she had no idea if she could defeat him in a fight.
Chad narrowed his eyes at her and for a moment she thought he was going to approach, but instead he turned and went to a refrigerator in the opposite corner of the room. He plucked out several items and placed them in the cooler.
Sophie kept her eyes glued to him, waiting for him to make a move while continuing to wiggle her fingers and will the transition to happen.
“You know...” He turned back to her as he sealed up his cooler and then kicked Callum in the side. “He doesn’t look so good. Do you think you can really patch him up? Even if you can, how in the world are you going to get him out of here?”
“I’m sure I’ll figure it out.” Her fingers curled and the bones finely began to snap. She gritted her teeth against the pain as her fingers reshaped, changing into a tiger’s paw.
Chad grinned, his eyes sliding up and down her from. “Or you could leave him and come with me.”
“Not a chance.”
He took a step toward her. “Ah, come on, Sophie. Don’t be like that. I’ll take care of you.”
“Like you did Serena?” she said as she took a step toward him. He didn’t move. Instead, his smile widened. “Get out,” she said with narrowed eyes.
The hunter set the cooler on a table in the middle of the room and made his way to her. She flexed her shifted paw, ready to strike at the opportune moment.
“It wasn’t really a question,” Chad said, his eyes gleaming as he reached out to touch her. “You’re coming with me.”
She batted his hand away with her paw. “It’s not up for discussion. Get out!”
“Look who’s done a partial shift. I’m impressed, but I don’t think you have it in you, Sophie. You’re a doctor, you don’t take lives.” Chad reached out to grab her arm by the elbow.
Her reflexes kicked in, and she lunged forward, flexing her pointy nails and dragging her paw down Chad’s middle. His clothes tore from her nails, but she hadn’t gone deep enough to penetrate his skin. The hunter sputtered as he wrapped his arms around her upper arm in an attempt to subdue her.
She lifted her knee, striking him in the groin, then threw a hook punch with her un-shifted arm. “Get off me,” she said.
Chad didn’t let go of her arm. If anything, his hold tightened as he pushed her back until her back hit the counter. He pressed himself against her so his putrid breath puffed in her face.
“Such a fighter.” He lifted a finger and trailed it down her cheek. “Just like your big sister.”
Something in her snapped. A scream bubbled up her throat as adrenaline surged through her. She shoved him backwards with all her might, realizing she was much stronger than she thought. Flexing her fingers, she swiped them across Chad’s face. The sharp edges of her nails struck him on his cheekbone, sending a spray of red across her the room.
Chad cursed but she didn’t stop her attack. She swung again, this time catching her claws in his shoulder. Dragging her hand down his body, she watched as his clothes ripped. Angry welts popped up on his skin and blood flowed out of them.
The hunter stumbled backwards, colliding against a table, knocking it over, and landing in a heap on top of the table’s legs.
Sophie glared at him as he wriggled in an attempt to stand. She marched toward him, lifting her leg and then stomping down on his kneecap. Chad howled in pain as he flopped around on the floor.
The door opened again. Sophie swung around, ready to fight, but dropped her paws when she realized whom it was.
“Are you okay?” Nate and Xander asked her at the same time as they took in the room and the still-floundering hunter.
“I will be.” She drew in a breath and let it out, willing her hand to return to normal. The bones broke and reshaped effortlessly. Her eyes fell on Xander’s back. He had exactly what she needed. “Let me have your bag.” She motioned to the bag that was on Xander’s back.
He took it off and handed it to her. She went to the counter and tossed all the supplies she’d pulled out inside.
“Any particular way you want us to get him on here?” Nate asked, opening the door wider to show off the gurney.
“It’s going to take all three of us. I’ll take his legs, one of you his middle, the other his head,” Sophie said as she dropped into a squat and grasped Callum’s ankles.
When all three of them were in position they lifted, carrying Callum to the hall and gently placing him on the bed.
Sophie went back into the room and grabbed the bag. Her eyes went to the cooler. Reaching out, she grabbed the handle. “What’s in here, Chad?” she asked.
He laughed at her, throwing his head back as he cackled.
“We have to go. The smoke’s getting thicker and the fire is spreading,” Xander said. “Are we taking him for questioning?”
“Let him burn,” Sophie said as she held Chad’s gaze. The thought of being anywhere near that monster made her skin crawl. Letting him burn to death wasn’t near a good enough punishment for what he did to Serena, but it would do.
His laughter died and he wiggled once again, trying to stand.
“What about the cooler?” Xander asked. “If it’s important enough for him to come back—”
“We have a team at Sanctuary that can look at it,” Nate said cutting him off. “Let’s get out of here.
Sophie pulled her jacket back up over her mouth. The smoke was thicker than it had been before. Her eyes watered, burning as the smoke surrounded her. She coughed, gagging on the dense blackness that was all around them. Even her coat wasn’t enough to protect her now.
“Get low,” Xander said as he pushed on her shoulders.
She dropped to a squat as he had done. Both Xander and Nate were on their knees with their heads ducked down. She followed their lead and they moved as quickly as possible while walking on their knees through the facility and pulling the gurney with them.
When they turned down the last hall, she had to fight the urge to climb to her feet and run to the open door. It was still dark, but the soon-to-be rising sun had made it easier to see. She hurried along and once outside she stood, moving her jacket back down so she could suck in gulps of air.
“If we put the seats down, we can just lift the gurney into the back of the SUV,” Nate said as he and Xander wheeled Callum toward the car.
“That’d be best,” Sophie said as she opened one of the doors and pulled on the handle to lower the seat. Once both rows of seats were down, Xander and Nate lowered the stretcher and lifted Callum into the back. She climbed in with him and set her supplies to the side.
The car rocked as the other two men hopped in. As the SUV lurched forward, she took out a pair of scissors and began to cut away Callum’s shirt. There was so much blood, and his pulse felt even weaker.
Please be okay. I can’t lose you now when I’ve only just found you.
Tears threatened to fall, but she sniffled instead. Falling apart now would help no one. She had to keep it together so she could save the man she was falling in love with.