Chapter 34

Oz

The ground rushed toward us at a terrifying speed. I worked the manual override, trying to steady the Pegasus for a less catastrophic landing. The whir of gears and the roar of wind were deafening. Through it all, Stella never cried out. She never whimpered.

The seatbelt held her tight. Her gaze never left mine. I felt more than saw the trust in her eyes. She didn"t doubt me. My heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat a thunderous echo of the adrenaline surging through my veins.

I made a split-second decision. As the ground loomed closer, I shifted into my panther form. My body contorted and expanded. Fur bristled along my spine. Wrapping my body around Stella, I shielded her with every ounce of my being. We braced for impact.

The ground met us with a bone-jarring thud that reverberated through my entire body. The world became a blur of motion and noise as we tumbled. The Pegasus crashed around us, breaking metal and shattering glass.

Everything was still, save for the pounding in my head and the labored breaths escaping my lungs. Stella was nestled against me, her body unharmed against my fur. Relief washed over me, followed swiftly by a surge of protective urgency.

But there was no time to savor our survival. The sound of boots impacting the ground cut through the haze of my disorientation. The vampires were moving in fast. Ken and his men were coming for us.

With a growl rumbling deep in my throat, I shook off the impact. My senses were heightened, each sound and smell acutely clear in the aftermath of the crash. The scent of damp earth and crushed foliage mixed with the more ominous odors of sweat and the iron of blood—the unmistakable signs of our pursuers.

Stella stirred beneath me. Gone was the trust in her eyes. Now there was fear.

"They"re coming."

We were exposed, vulnerable in the wreckage of the Pegasus. The ground beneath my paws was soft. The metallic tang of the gun held by one of Ken"s men cut through the natural smells of the forest.

Seriously? Someone brought a gun to a supernatural fight? Now I was pissed.

Ken"s voice broke through the tense silence. "Set it to stun," he commanded. "We can bleed him and make a fortune off his blood."

My growl made the ground tremble. They were stupider than I figured if they thought they could stun a panther with a human weapon. I was stronger than a natural born animal. There was magic in the blood they planned to make a fortune from.

Stella"s presence behind me was a constant reminder of what was at stake. Like hell they were going to take me. They would have to kill me before I"d leave her unprotected. Pity for them that I wasn"t easy to kill.

I crouched, ready to spring. My muscles coiled like tightly wound springs. Every fiber of my being was focused on the man with the gun. But my canines ached to take a bite out of Ken.

The gunman aimed the weapon at me. His finger tightened on the trigger. I didn"t hesitate. I pounced.

I became a blur of speed and power, hurtling toward him with all the force of my beast. The gun went off, a sharp crack that pierced the air. Stella"s scream echoed through the trees, a sound that cut to my core. I realized my mistake halfway through my pounce.

It wasn"t a human gun. There was magic in the barrel. It smelled the same as the spell the boat witch had cast.

It was going to happen again. I was going to be left paralyzed and powerless.

But somehow I was still moving. I wasn"t stunned. My claws struck home. The gun fell to the ground, along with the hand of its wielder.

One by one, the triumphant smirks fell from the faces of our attackers. A few even took steps back. Ken"s jaw was tight as he regarded me. His glare lifted to Stella.

Stella. She was standing now. Her pristine blouse ripped after our fall from the sky. Her elegant shoulders were on display, as was the bite mark I"d given her.

The bite mark. The tang of her blood on my tongue. That"s why the stun gun and the spell housed inside of it didn"t work on me.

Now it was the taste of adrenaline on my tongue. With a low growl, I lunged into action. The rest of the men surrounding us were armed with fangs and speed. But so was I.

I engaged another attacker, the rush of combat fueling my movements. The man swung at me with a club. I dodged, swift and agile, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. My jaws clamped down on his arm, the force of my bite sending him sprawling to the ground with a cry of pain.

But I was outnumbered, ten to one. For every man I took down, two more took his place. They circled around me, like a pack of hyenas trying to corner a lion, their snarls and hisses the soundtrack to this battle to the death.

I moved like a whirlwind, darting in and out of their reach, always keeping Stella at my back so that no one could pass. Each hit I landed was a message—I was not to be trifled with. And I would not be stolen from.

Stella was mine.

I launched myself at another assailant, taking him down with a powerful swipe of my paw, which was the size of his head. The crunch of bone was a satisfying sound. But the men kept coming, relentless in their pursuit.

The strain of the fight was beginning to take its toll. My muscles screamed along with my victims. My breath came in ragged gasps. But I didn"t relent. I couldn"t. Stella"s safety, our future together, hung in the balance.

It was this divided attention that gave Ken his opening. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him make a beeline for Stella.