Then she froze, her gaze shifting behind him and honey eyes widening in horror. The whisper from her lips was eerily calm, making the hairs at the back of his neck stand up.
“Run.”
He turned around just in time to see a bear shifter charging towards him, eyes even more violent and crazed than the rogue.
He’d just found the killer.
CHAPTER FOUR
Too many things were running in Sophia’s mind, and she absorbed them all in the span of a second.
The man stalking her was not a stalker, but in fact a savior – one who thought the vampire was out to get her. Sweet.
Said man was not human, but a shifter. A very strong one.
Cute vampire guy was a coward who ran away – oh, and he obviously hated witches.
Shifter also didn’t really like witches, but was more tolerant of them (based on his expression, anyway).
Rogue vampire monster was oh-so-dead and still seeping blood beside her.
Rogue shifter bear was headed their way – and it looked angry.
It was going to attack savior shifter.
Most important one: savior shifter was not attacking it back. Savior shifter was talking to it.
Sophia was trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible as she hurriedly tried to heal her wounds – a very hard task when she was trying to calm her nerves and mask her presence at the same time as the healing. Damn it, that rogue caught her unaware. She was caught unaware, because she was too busy getting herself distracted by some arrogant, alpha shifter who wouldn’t just leave her alone.
She chanted a healing spell as quietly as she could under her breath, trying to keep her hands steady and movements minimal. An inch of wound temporarily closed up, to be salved later when she got home.
Savior guy evaded the bear, cursing the air blue before lowering his voice to a deep, soothing tone. It sent shivers down her spine, distracting her for a while.
“Hey, buddy, don’t you remember me? Best pal ever. Can you shift back, like, right now? We can have a beer and laugh about this la – shit!”
The bear lunged again, movements too fast to be natural for a creature of that size. It almost caught savior guy, but he managed to dodge again.
“Damn you! You’re better than this!”
Just shift! Her mind screamed. Shift and attack!
Another inch of her wound closed.
“Buddy! Fight it! You’ve got to fight this, and we can both move on!”
The bear roared, then lunged again. Savior guy made a move to evade again, but the bear was not as stupid as it seemed as it anticipated the move and attacked in that direction. There was a horrible sound as savior guy flew up and back, landing on the wall – hard. Then he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Her last inch of wound closed up.
And Sophia didn’t waste any time.
She stood up, letting go of her mask and letting the bear scent her presence and her blood. She even turned it up a notch by doing something better – or worse, depending how you looked at it.
She yelled.
“Hey, idiot! I’m right here! Come get me! Come eat me!”
The bear paused, then swivelled its head in her direction. She had a moment to see its red eyes glowing, saliva dripping with some strange yellow pus before it shifted its body towards her.
Then Sophia dropped all thoughts as she ran like hell.
*****
The bear was catching up to her. She was a fast runner, of course, from trying to survive supernatural encounters her whole life – but the bear was simply faster.
Definitely meaner.
Which meant she had to use another tactic in this so-called chase.
As if on cue, Sophia spotted a turn in the dark, a perfect blind curve. Feeling reckless, inwardly cursing herself for not listening to Ted in the first place, Sophia took the turn and ran as fast as she could. Savior guy was safe and far away now, and she had to save herself, too. She heard the chilling growl behind her coming closer, the bear hard at her heels.
Then she abruptly stopped and used her one hundred percent energy to conceal her presence.
Her sudden disappearance – sight and smell – halted the bear's mad charge as it stopped beside her and growled again. Sophia found herself staring at unseeing eyes, pools of red that glinted in what little light there was in the empty streets.
It was a magnificent creature, the size of a grizzly, but pure black in color. Its fur was rough, limbs huge, with dark claws as long as the rogue vampire's – perhaps even longer. Those claws were poised on the ground, muscles tense as it readied itself to pounce at the slightest movement. Its mouth was pulled back, sharp, yellow teeth showing.
Sophia was standing just a step away, fear vibrating in her core – knowledge that if she so much as breathed, she was going to be dead.
Calm. Please keep calm.
The bear swivelled its head to its right, then left. Then, to its front as it stood on its hind legs and sniffed the air. Once. Twice.
Sweat slicked down from Sophia's forehead, trickling down her nose. A tingling sensation came, and she inwardly screamed.
Don't think about it.
The bear almost took a step her way, but paused at the last second, as if unsure.
Her nose tickled.
After a few seconds, the bear stepped back on all of its legs, deciding there was nothing to see at the spot he'd been looking at. She willed it to go away, not with magic, but by screaming it in her mind over and over.
Her nose itched.
The bear was almost leaving. Almost.
Sophia sneezed. Her mask dropped.
And she knew as the bear looked back at her and into her eyes that she was going to die.
Her survival instincts still kicked in as they screamed at her to move. But there was nowhere to go or hide fast enough. The bear stood on its hind legs again, growling madly. Its claws moved to swipe.
Sophia closed her eyes, her body trembling.
There was a loud crashing sound, as something got knocked. Not her.
“Don't just stand there, damn it!”
Shocked, Sophia opened her eyes. Savior guy was back, wrestling with the bear and trying to keep it away. He didn't look like a regular man now, and she found herself staring in fascination at his broad, muscled back filled with dark scales like she'd never seen before. The scales extended to his hands, where claws as large as the bear's were out, then down to his ass, thighs, feet. His feet were surrounded by sharp, black talons, gripping the ground when needed before leaping at the bear in inhumane speed.
A roar came from the man's lips, primitive and chilling. She couldn't see any fur, and in her experience, most shifters were with fur, even when only partially shifted.
What kind of creature was he?
Even just partially shifted, he gave the bear as good as he got, never once allowing it to go near her as they continued fighting in the night. Her instincts were telling her to run again, but she stayed firmly in place and got herself ready to assist if necessary.
After a few minutes, it was clear that the bear had the upper hand as scratches filled savior guy's body. Right. Assist. From afar. It wasn't like she could stand between them with what little spells she had.
Savior guy threw the bear off, and the pavement shook.
“Shift fully,” she instructed in the interval. “Shift and finish it!”
Shock filled her as he responded with a growl. “Can't.” It was a barely audible sound.
“Why not?”
“Too. Big.”
That, she heard clearly.
Not only a unique shifter, but a powerful one. Only powerful ones could speak when they were no longer human.
Sophia watched as the guy kept repeatedly throwing the bear and the bear kept coming. It was a sickening thing to watch, but she couldn't seem to look away. One particular swipe from the bear seemed to really hit deep as the guy roared in agony and anger. Then his claws got a swip
e in, and her heart swelled with hope as the bear went down with a whine.
Then her heart leapt in her throat as the bear charged again, jumping straight from the ground to the guy's back.
A deafening roar filled the street and everything happened too fast right after. In two blinks, the bear and guy charged each other at once, claws out as they prepared to rip each other apart. The bear got a few in, then the guy aimed for the throat. Then the stomach.
All roaring died.
Sophia watched as the bear's stomach was slashed open and his entrails dripped out. It fell to the ground once more, dead. Feeling sick, Sophia leaned on the wall and tried to get her bearings.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Savior guy looked at her once before dropping unconscious to the ground, soaked in blood.
*****
Of course – of course – she couldn't leave him alone. They couldn't stay out on the streets either, where she wasn't sure it was safe and any rogue vampire or shifter could come any minute to attack again. Just because she suspected the bear didn't mean he was the only killer – a fact she knew John would have reminded her of had he been there.
And speaking of John, she was given the job to clean up. So she was going to clean it all up.
But first things first.
The guy was now back in human form and still unconscious, and she could only drag him so far. And she needed to help him with his wounds, fast. Sophia did the next best thing by dragging him to the nearest enclosed area – a slow, grueling task that fought against time as he was too heavy and she barely had the strength to pull him. A quick, strength-amplifying spell did the trick – barely – and finally she was able to drag him without breaking her arms in the process. Said spell lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to get the job done.
The nearest enclosed area was an empty warehouse, and Sophia made quick work by using another spell to start his healing process as she went back out to clean up as tasked. She cleaned up the blood tracks quickly, heart beating at the eerie silence of the city.
The bear had more blood than the rogue vampire and was nearer, so she worked on that first, careful not to step on the remains as she cleaned up all the blood and put another spell to conceal the bear. Once that was done, she retraced her steps until she found the rogue vampire – still dead, thank goodness – and made quick work of that. It lasted only minutes, as this was her specialty as a witch – cleaning, concealing and healing. Everything undercover.
It was only when she was back at the warehouse and completely surrounded it with yet another concealing spell that she finally took out her phone, her hands shaking in weariness.
One of John's more vicious sentinels answered. She gave him directions on where to pick up the dead and hung up before he could ask too many questions.
Then Sophia turned her focus to the savior guy as she knelt beside his unconscious form.
A quick look at his opened wounds told her that her spell wasn't working. With a frown, Sophia realized that while he was healing, he wasn't healing as fast as he was losing blood – a sign that the bear had poison in its system, which it passed on to this guy when it attacked. Shifters weren't as effective in their healing process when they were poisoned.
Or dying.
Hurriedly, smoothly, she did the healing spell again, watching this time and waiting for his skin to heal inch by inch, just like hers did earlier.
It didn't.
Her healing techniques usually worked, even with poison. Sophia panicked at the implication. This wasn't just some powerful shifter in front of her.
This was the powerful shifter – one of the clan leaders, whose power couldn't be penetrated by her measly spell. And he was dying.
Her breath whooshed out.
“Okay, Soph. Think.”
Her mind raced as she tried to push down her emotions.
If she left him dead, there would be a political war when the shifters linked her to the scene, and her connection was linked to the vampires she was working for. If she didn't leave him dead, it would be all over shifter world news and the vampires would eventually get wind of the story that she helped a clan leader live – a thing that was very, very dangerous for her. John may be her employer, and one of the few vampires she could count on to bail her if needed, but in the end, he was the leader and his loyalties were tied with their kind.
Damn it. This couldn't be happening to her.
Something warm hit her fingers, and Sophia broke out of her reverie as she realized his blood was still seeping out. If she didn't do anything soon, he was going to die in her hands.
The guy who saved her.
A soft, painful groan made her look at his face. His eyes were open and gazing at hers. Something warmer and more solid touched her fingers – his large, rough hand, gripping hers in contact. The sensation jarred her, making her hand shake again.
Emerald eyes met hers steadily, darkening in pain as he whispered one single word.
“Go.”
Then he closed his eyes and lost consciousness again.
Guilt overwhelmed her as she remembered her thoughts of abandoning him just a few seconds ago. God, what an idiot she truly was.
But not for long.
Decision made, she recalled what John said to her when she was a kid – and one of the reasons he'd kept her at his side at all times. Insurance, he'd said.
Well, tonight she was going to use up that insurance – for the enemy.
A quick look around and she spotted an empty bottle of wine in the corner. She quickly wiped it with the remaining clean area from her dress and banged it on a nearby stone, shattering it to pieces.
“Damn it!”
Utterly useless.
Looking for alternatives, she had no choice but to pat his bloody body and stain her hands with his blood until she found what she was looking for – a sharp object. His dagger was a silver one, defying myths that shifters couldn't touch them; silver, meant to injure any creature if need be.
With one last, steadying breath, Sophia closed her eyes.
Then she touched the dagger to her wrist until blood flowed out.
*****
The ritual took an hour. More.
At first he wouldn't drink – too unconscious to do so – and she had to use whatever force necessary to get him awake again, even for just a second. She tried a spell, a pat, a shout, and as a last resort, used her hand to slap his face as hard as she could.
That worked and he woke up with a start, eyes blurry and closing again. She made a move to slap him again, using the same amount of force as earlier.
His hand closed over her wrist, stopping the impact.
“Stop.”
“What's your name?” she asked quickly.
His thumb brushed her palm, and she jerked at the contact, sensing his heart through the connection.
Dying.
“Robbie.”
Names made healing more powerful.
His mouth closed, and Sophia knew it was her last chance.
She shoved her wrist in his mouth, her heart thundering as she felt him suck at her blood in an instant.
“I heal thee, Robbie.”
The sensation made her arm tingle, a slow trickle that spread through every single part of her skin. Soon her body was singing in joy, in ecstasy – in utter rapture – as it felt pleasure unlike any she'd ever felt before, rendering her immobile. Then he stopped sucking, and pleasure died down as the tingling stopped.
Then the pain started – as slow a trickle as the pleasure earlier, building up until it encompassed her whole being with fire. Fire, then ash.
Sophia screamed and blacked out.
When she woke up later, much later, they were still in the warehouse and he was still unconscious. A quick touch of his hand – that intimate connection – made her sense that his heart was beating steadier now. Her mind screamed in joy. A quick look at his body told her that he was slowly healing, too. She stood up.
A jolt of pain seared her again and Sophia blacked out once more.
When she woke up later, he was still unconscious and slowly healing. Sunrise lay in the horizon, dawn clearing from her view up the warehouse vents.
And her phone was ringing.
Still lying on her side, Sophia picked it up and answered.
“Where are you?”
John. Not worried, but tense.
“I'm...”
He would know if she lied.
“...on my way home. I just needed to double check and make sure everything was clean.”
Silence.
“Is everything okay, Sophia?”
No concern. Just plain business. Her voice attempted to tremble, and she ruthlessly controlled it.
“Everything is fine, John.”
Silence.
“Very well. Come here when you're done and we will discuss your payment.”
The line disconnected.
Tired, muscles still aching, Sophia stood up. She had to move now. She looked one last time at the guy – Robbie – and with dismay, found that he still wasn't completely healed. He wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He still needed assistance, and she couldn't give it to him anymore.
Her mind raced.
But maybe someone else could.
A quick dial on her phone gave her a familiar voice who answered on the second ring.
“Ted, I need a favor. Call shifter headquarters. Tell them one of their buddies need help. Make the call anonymous.”
She barked the address at him.
Ted's worried voice responded after a few shocked seconds.
“Jesus. Soph, what happened?”
“I can't discuss it right now.”
“What have you gotten yourself into?”
“Just do it and don't tell anyone. Please, Ted.”
The last few seconds of silence made her fear that he would balk and she made a mistake in trusting him. She tensed.
Finally, the voice on the other line sighed.
“Okay. I'll do it.”
“Don't tell anyone.”
“Shit, no. I don't have a death wish.”
“Thank God for that,” she muttered.
“Stay safe, Soph.”
When the line disconnected, her knees threatened to wobble. She held still and whooshed out a long breath.
Dragon: The Clan Legacy Series Page 3
