Page 44 of Into the Fire: After

My heart pounded in my chest. I’d done a bit of reading on Heath back when we thought he was the one sending assailants after Taryn. His company, Hydrex, wasn’t a direct competitor to Phoenix or Wainwright. But I prayed there was enough overlap in their fields that Heath may be tempted at the prospect of some good old-fashioned corporate espionage.

It galled me to admit, but Heath was our last resort and final hope.

Silence hung over the line. Seconds ticked away on the phone screen. Three minutes and thirteen seconds had elapsed since Brea had dialed.

Twenty seconds left for him to decide.

If he rejected the offer, we’d be in the car racing that way. If I had to forfeit my life to get them all out, I would. If there was a one in a billion chance I’d succeed, there was no question.

Three minutes, twenty-six seconds.

“Time’s ticking,” Brea said, voice firm. “Ten seconds, take it or leave it.”

Another beat of silence, then a resolute, if slightly indignant, huff sounded over the speaker. “Building on Farrar Ave?” he asked.

“Yes,” Vikki answered aloud.

“There’s a helipad on the roof,” he replied. “Have your people there in forty-six minutes.”

“No,” Brea answered. “We need in thirty.”

“And if you had anyone else who could do this, you wouldn’t have called me,” he sniped. “Forty-six’s what I got for you. Nowyoutake it or leave it.”

She met my eye. I could tell she wasn’t eager to trust this man. Neither was I. But did my distrust of Heath outweigh my desperation to save the rest of my pack? Not by a long shot.

“Terms accepted,” she said.

“Terms accepted,” he echoed. “I’ll call this number when we’re in the air to arrange a meet.” The line went dead.

Eighteen

Taryn

Mybodywasnotmy own.

Every inch of it ached. My pulse pounded behind my eyes, under my fingernails, between my legs. Another cramp gripped my belly, less intense than they had been. Still sucked, though.

It must be close to the end, then. It had to be. I couldn’t survive much longer.

Please, fuck, let it be over soon.

I squeezed my eyes shut as another wave of heat and pain crashed over me, my vagina woefully empty as another spike took me over. The room was fuzzy, blurred, sometimes not even there.

Desperation that was mine rankled through me like loose change.Need knot. Need alpha. Need need need need—

Urgency thatwasn’tmine pulsed through the two throbbing points on either side of my neck.

A bang crashed through my skull like a wrecking ball, pulling a whine out of me. My body jostled, joints firing painfully until I was still again.

More heat enveloped me. The scent of blackberries would’ve been soothing if they didn’t smell rotten and moldy. I looked down toward where my feet should’ve been, but there were no feet. Floor moved below me. But no feet.

I wasflying.

No…not flying. Floating?

Had I actually died? Was I leaving my body?

No. I looked down into my lap, curled my fingers. I could still curl them, so I had to beinthem.