Page 30 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal

“Give me the phone,” Nora said.

I started to hand it over.

She started rolling down her window.

I pulled back, but she caught my arm.Before she could yank the phone away, I flicked my wrist, tossing the phone to Christian in the back seat.

“Nora,” Blake rumbled.

“Her wolf has control,” Christian said.“She’s protecting her mate.”

Several loud, heavy beats of silence passed.When Blake finally spoke again, his words were as hard and commanding as any pack alpha.“Do not let her enter the compound.”

Chapter Nine

Thecarjoltedtoa stop in front of the decoy house, just inches away from hitting one of the three black SUVs parked next to the small porch.Before my seat belt released its protective lock across my chest, Nora was already out of the car.

“Nora, wait!”I shoved open my door and hurried after her.

Still in human form, Nora slid across the hood of the middle SUV.My navigation over the hood was far less smooth, and when I awkwardly landed on the other side, she had a grip on the door lever.

Locked.

That wouldn’t stop her for long.

She snapped the handle off.Kicked open the door—

—and a snarling wolf rammed into her side.

She shifted before she hit the ground, and Blake’s wolf lunged at her with a vicious growl.

Nora snapped at him, turned back toward the open door, and leaped toward it.

Another werewolf, this one dark gray, met her in the air.They both collided into the wall.

I backed against the SUV, trying to stay out of the way.The vehicle rocked hard when a third wolf landed on it.Hackles raised, he watched Nora and the gray wolf become a savage, snarling tangle of fur and fangs.

I wanted to stop it, but I didn’t move, afraid I might draw their attention.The treaty prevented a sane paranorm from deliberately killing me, but blood and violence triggered a werewolf’s primal instincts.I could end up collateral damage.

“Kennedy.”Christian’s call was almost drowned out by the growls.He was slowly, cautiously, approaching from the rear of the SUV.I inched his way—

Nora and the gray slammed into the passenger door inches away from me, rocking the vehicle, breaking half its windows, and leaving a single massive, crushed-metal dent in the frame.

I met Christian’s eyes.He held out his hand, made a motion to hurry, but my gaze landed on Blake.What the hell was he doing?He could stop this, but he wasn’t even trying.His huge wolf blocked the entrance to the house, watching the fight with no sign he would intervene.

“Do something, Blake,” I hissed.His golden eyes remained locked on the fight.If I’d had a rock in my hand, I would have launched it at his head.

His gaze flickered my way, just briefly.

The SUV rocked again.This time, it was the wolf on the hood, launching itself into the fight.Nora yelped when his teeth sank into her shoulder.She ripped free and then slashed her claws across his muzzle.

Two against one now.Screw this.I freed a chaos orb from my bracelet, started to throw it.Then stopped.What if I dosed them and Satine decided to make an appearance?It would be easy for an Aged vampire to kill four disoriented werewolves.

Christian risked a dash to my side.He closed his hand over mine.“Blake won’t let them kill her.Let’s go.”

I shook my head.“Not without Nora.”

“Kennedy—”