Page 43 of Claiming Xan (Shifters of Greymercy #7)

XAN

Of course I had to work on Valentine’s Day—it was one of The Candy Jar’s best-selling times of the year—but I found I didn’t mind it as much now that TJ was gone.

After Roger had looked over the security footage and found that I hadn’t been lying, TJ had been fired on the spot.

I’d been asked if I wanted to press charges, but honestly?

I just wanted TJ out of my life. Never having to work with him again?

To not deal with the daily harassment? That was enough for me.

Of course, there was always the possibility that TJ might come after me, turn into a stalker or something, but after how bad River messed him up? I was pretty sure I was safe. Plus, I had my trusty pink can of mace, in case of emergency.

After my shift, I used my discount to buy a couple of bags of my favorite candies—malted milk balls, pecan turtles, maple nut clusters—as well as a giant solid chocolate heart, and had Angie package them all up nice and cute in a shiny red bag.

I wanted to surprise River.

“Good luck!” Angie called after me, but I wasn’t done yet.

I drove to the sex shop and bought some flavored lubes and a couple of different sex toys, since Dr. Armand said we probably shouldn’t have penetrative sex until after the baby was born, but I was still horny as hell. So I was getting inventive.

With my items tucked inside a discreet black plastic bag, I tossed everything onto the passenger seat and headed home.

I turned into our long gravel drive and approached the house when all of a sudden, a dark blur shot across my line of vision. Was that a wolf? I slammed on my brakes, and I could’ve sworn I felt a thump.

Shit! Did I just hit someone?

I slammed the car into park and jumped out, rushing around to the front of the vehicle. My stomach churned with nausea. I was terrified that I’d see one of my packmates trapped beneath my wheel or something…

But there was no one there. No body, no blood, nothing. I frowned and knelt down to inspect further.

The car door slammed behind me and I jumped nearly out of my skin. Yelping softly, I spun around—and my blood turned to ice in my veins.

There stood Sky, his blue-and-brown eyes half-wild and a knife gripped in one hand. His warnings came flooding into my mind all at once as he took a staggered step towards me. Oh no…

“Sky?” I was proud of my voice for staying so strong. I raised my hands in front of me, my palms outstretched. “Put the knife down. We can talk about this.”

He sneered at me, his lip curled. “Your beguilement won’t work on me, snake,” he growled. “You might’ve turned my brother with your silver tongue, but I won’t fall victim to your lies.”

“Sky…” I backed up slowly, keeping my hands up. “Please. Don’t. I don’t know what I did to make you so angry with me, but I?—”

“YOU TOOK RIVER! YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME!” he shouted, lunging forwards, the knife swinging dangerously close. I stumbled backwards. I could smell the bitter tinge of alcohol on his breath.

Fuck. Where was River? Could I scream? Could I run? Would I even get very far? Or would Sky plunge that blade right into my stomach the minute I faltered?

“Sky—”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!” he snapped. “You took everything from me. Don’t you understand that? River was the only thing I had left, and now I don’t even have him.”

His expression contorted, pain and anger twisting on his face in a way that made me almost feel bad for him.

Almost.

He shook his head slowly, his fingers tightening around the handle of the knife. “He might hate me now, but I can’t sit back and let this happen,” he murmured, his voice low. “If I can’t have River, no one can.”

Our eyes met, and I knew—if I didn’t run, he was going to kill me. With a keening scream, I spun around and bolted in the direction of the house, my boots clomping through too-deep snow.

Behind me, Sky shouted. I didn’t dare look back. Panic climbing up my throat, I screamed again, but I didn’t make it. The sound of paws thudding behind me, followed by a vicious snarl, told me that this was over before it’d began.

“NO!” I cried as Sky struck me from behind, knocking me to the ground so hard that the wind was punched from me.

I kicked blindly at him, shrieking at the top of my lungs, but that shriek turned to one of pain when Sky sank his fangs into my stomach. He bit through my blue coat, jerking his head back and forth, growling viciously the entire time.

I beat on his head with both fists. White hot pain blistered through me, followed by sheer panic. Sky wasn’t letting go. He was going to gut me. He might’ve succeeded already, had my winter coat not been so big and bulky.

“RIVER!” I screamed. “HELP!”

As if summoned by my cries like an angel from Heaven—or a hound from Hell—River came barreling towards us. He full-on bodied Sky, knocking him off of me with a snarl of fury. Sky turned to his brother and a fight erupted, but I didn’t—couldn’t—focus.

Instead, I stared up at the blue, blue sky. I gasped through the pain, gripping at my belly with tears streaming down my face as blood soaked my clothes and the snow.

I let out a broken sob. My baby…