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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

T he howl shattered the silence. It wasn’t a warning but a cry of death.

My blood turned to ice, and Ryker’s fear constricted my lungs.

“The vampires have moved.” Reid headed to the front door. “And they’re cloaked. We’re shifting and getting ready to fight.”

Sun chased after him, but I grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward me.

“No,” I snapped. “Tell your people to get in the damn cars and go. Remember what happened to my pack when we did that.”

Her forehead creased. “Reid, she’s right. This isn’t about being cowards, it’s about survival.”

I blinked, completely taken aback that she’d agreed with me that easily.

“Fine. That means your ass needs to be in a vehicle now ,” he snarled.

Adara groaned, her fingers curling around the edge of the blanket like she could sense the storm rising around us.

“Xander,” Ryker barked. “Get Adara to the SUV. Move.”

“I’ve got her,” he said, lifting her gently like she was made of glass.

I turned to Bruce. “You need to tell your pack to leave your territory too. I don’t know if they’re already attacking them or not, but if not—they will be soon.”

“Fuck, this is about vengeance.” Bruce’s irises glowed. “I’m on it.”

A crash echoed outside—glass shattering, metal groaning.

“Windows.” Briar swore under her breath. “They’re getting inside our house.”

“I’ll slow them down,” Cassi offered, already lifting her hands and muttering under her breath.

“Everyone out,” Ryker barked. “Follow the plan. Don’t split up. Don’t stop. Just drive.”

Briar nodded and headed for the front with keys in hand. Kendric threw open the front door, and I caught sight of blood smeared across the porch like a warning sign.

It wasn’t just a smear. It was deliberate.

A paw print, dragged from the middle of the railing down. Then a trail leading down the steps.

My stomach twisted as I stepped closer.

I didn’t recognize the scent at first—too much copper and fear—but the closer I got, the more it settled in my bones.

It was wolf and not foreign, belonging to one of Reid’s pack members.

The vampires wanted us to know they’d broken through, killed someone who’d tried to run, and left their blood like a calling card.

They were sending a message—they were here for us.

I staggered back as shadows bloomed around the porch, faint tendrils of them edging into my vision. I could feel them and smell that faint shifter scent, the pressure sliding against my skin like invisible fingers trying to push me out.

Dammit, Ember. Get your ass back in the house, Ryker linked, grabbing me from behind and tugging me back just as another window crashed upstairs.

Another tragic howl rang into the darkening skies. They had numbers and were coming in fast. Staying here is a fucking death sentence.

Gage cursed. Kendric spun and was headed back inside when a shadow sped toward him.

I reached for my weapon but came up empty handed as Kendric’s leg got swiped from underneath him. He fell, and a shadow dragged him to the porch steps.

Kendric’s face twisted in agony as Gage held up a gun and shot. The shadow jerked back and released its hold as more jumped toward the porch.

Cold slithered across my spine, this time coming from the back of the house. We were surrounded.

They’re behind us too. We have to leave now, I linked.

Hovering next to me, Ryker tensed, ready to protect me at any moment.

Kendric crawled toward us, and Briar handed me her gun.

No— I started.

You can see them, she said. I can’t. It’s better for you to be armed.

She made sense, but I hated for my sister not to have a way to protect herself.

I ran forward, gun lifted, and started firing.

Dammit, Ember. Ryker’s feet pounded to catch up. I swear you want to die and take me with you.

A shadow launched from the dark and slammed Kendric flat on the porch. Bones cracked, and I fired. The vampire jolted off his back, but another took its place, claws dragging across Kendric’s side. Blood bloomed, and his roar of pain twisted something deep inside me.

I fired again, the gunshot cracking through the night like thunder. The vampire dropped, and another came from the left, but Ryker couldn’t see them.

Two are coming from the left side of the porch, I linked, pointing in their direction. And one’s coming from the right.

Gage fired left without hesitation, and a shriek split the air as something heavy hit the ground.

Ryker’s hand gripped my elbow. How can we get you out of here?

A black shadow blurred to my right, and I immediately knew its target. Duck!

Ryker dropped to his knees as I fired over his shoulder. The vampire collided with the rail of the porch, tearing through wood like paper.

I immediately aimed left and took out the two shadows that were almost on top of Kendric.

The one shadow from the right’s body twisted, writhing with rage, before Kendric flipped over and unsheathed a knife then slammed it where it was clear something had landed.

It didn't stop the shadow, but it bought me the second I needed to shoot it in the head.

I spun around and heard shadows from the very back of the house. They’re coming through the house. We’ve got to move.

Xander barreled toward me with Adara limp in his arms.

Kendric stood on the porch, one hand pressed to his ribs where blood leaked through torn fabric. Cassi kept muttering spells under her breath, and a windstorm suddenly rushed the shadows that were trying to attack us.

Another window exploded, but this time in the kitchen. Gage and Briar shrieked as shards rained down. A cloaked vampire dove toward Gage from above.

I shouted, but it was too late.

The vampire landed hard. Gage went down under its weight, slamming to the floor with a grunt. His gun skittered across the tile.

“Get off him!” Briar’s voice cracked. She grabbed a kitchen knife off the island and slammed it down, but missed the enemy.

The shadow moved toward her, and I fired, hitting it in the chest.

It shrieked as visible blood poured to the floor, leaving Gage coughing and clutching his ribs.

“You all need to get the hell out of here before I can’t hold them off any longer,” Cassi shouted.

Ryker grabbed my arm again. Where are the enemies we’re going to face when running out?

They’re being pushed back, so we have a hole right in the center of the shadows if we can move now.

Briar screamed.

I whipped around in time to see a shadow latch onto her back and yank her toward the bedrooms.

My heart pounded as I fired, aiming for what I hoped was right between its eyes. Four other shadows were now in the living room behind us, and I aimed at each one. Go down the front steps and stay right in the center of the walkway. Now.

She hit the floor face down. The vampire screeched and retreated, but not before it raked its claws across her back. Blood welled instantly.

Xander and Kendric took off out front, slowed from injuries and carrying an unconscious witch.

I rushed to my sister, feeling Ryker’s frustration peaking. However, he knew better than to ask me to leave Briar behind. Desperate, I helped her stumble to her feet.

“You all need to go ,” Cassi grunted, sweat beading on her forehead.

I didn’t argue. Ryker pushed forward, and Gage, Ryker, Briar, and I sprinted for the SUV. Cassi ran behind us, and I noticed the wind was slowing.

Outside, the cold hit me like a wave.

They were everywhere. Unseen but pressing in. And we were out of time.

Three on our left, I linked, and Gage didn’t hesitate. He turned mid-stride and fired. Since he couldn’t see them, he hit only one, but the shadow thudded into the grass.

As I fired at the other two, Kendric stumbled with blood soaking his shirt. Briar ducked under his good arm and hauled him forward.

I covered their retreat, firing at a blur that surged for their backs. The bullet found its mark, causing blood to spray back upon my face and chest.

Xander sprinted past me, Adara flopping against his chest. Every few steps, he dipped, making his route more unpredictable. Still, the shadows had to know what our plan was.

Cassi continued to spell the wind, though it was dying down to a trickle. When Xander and Adara caught up to Briar and Kendric at the SUV, I fired at shadows until my clip was empty.

Here, take mine. Gage handed me his rifle, and I shot at every shadow that got too close to us.

“Cassi, drop the wind. It’s already almost fizzled out,” Ryker ordered. “We may need your help here in a bit.”

Briar threw open the back door, and Xander, Kendric, and Adara went to the very back. There was only enough room for seven people, but we’d make eight work, even if one of us had to lie in the floor bed.

I ran out of bullets.

Get into the passenger seat now, Ryker linked to me and pushed me in through the driver’s side. My hip banged against the steering wheel, but I crawled over as Briar and Cassi climbed into the back and slammed the door.

Ryker jumped into the driver’s seat just as a shadow grabbed his arm. I had no bullets to use, so I threw the gun at the shadow. It made its mark but then bounced off the shadow and hit Ryker in the neck.

Pain shot through him as he shoved the shadow away and slammed the door shut. Within a second, he had the SUV running, but shadows had surrounded us.

The rearview mirror went black, and my pulse spiked.

“They’ve boxed us in,” I rasped.

Ryker threw the gear shift into reverse anyway. “Hold on.”

Tires screamed as he punched the gas. The bumper smashed a body I couldn’t see; bone crunched, metal dented, and the whole frame shuddered. The engine roared but refused to climb the mound caught behind the tires.

Shit. We were pinned between cloaked vamps and the woods.

Go forward! I pointed to a narrow gap between the trees. There! My heart hammered against my ribs as I felt Ryker's desperate determination surge through our bond.

Ryker slammed the SUV into drive and turned the steering wheel hard. The tires spun and finally found traction, lurching forward. Claws scraped against metal as we hurtled toward the tree line.

Loud thuds came from on top of the SUV.

"They're on the roof!" Briar shouted.

A fist punched through the ceiling, and a shadow hand came through. Gage removed his knife and squatted on his feet from his place in between the mid-row captain seats. He swiped aimlessly, trying to hit something.

The vampire removed its hand, but before I could tell Gage to stop, the hand came through again, opening the hole wider as another arm went through.

It was enough for Gage to sever two of the shadow’s fingers, spraying himself, Cassi, and Briar with blood.

A shadow landed on the hood, and the windshield cracked.

Take a sharp right at the tree. It was the only way I could see the shadow falling off.

Ryker floored the accelerator. The SUV lurched forward just as the shadow gouged deep furrows into the windshield. Cassi screamed as Ryker took a hard left and the shadow figure tumbled off.

Just when I thought maybe we’d gotten away from them, another crash came from above. Gage drove his knife upward just as something black covered the hole in the roof, and a high-pitched shriek pierced the air.

Briar's voice broke through the chaos. "Is that the main road ahead?"

I squinted through the fractured windshield, warmth exploding in my chest for the first time since we'd fled the house. The narrow dirt path was widening, the trees thinning, and the night sky mere minutes away.

"Almost there," Ryker confirmed, knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Two minutes, maybe less."

We barreled toward safety. My eyes darted between the road ahead and the shadows that seemed to be receding. Were they giving up? It felt too easy.

A subtle shift in the air made my skin prickle. "Ryker—"

The explosion was deafening. The SUV swerved violently as both passenger-side tires blew, sending us into a wild skid.

Metal groaned as we lurched sideways and slammed into a tree. The impact threw me against my door, pain exploding through my shoulder. Glass rained down as the windshield spider-webbed completely.

"Everyone okay?” Ryker barked, trying to start the car again.

Moans and curses answered from the back. The engine sputtered, died, then caught as Ryker cranked the ignition. We inched forward on the rims, metal bumping over dirt.

"We can make it," he growled, determination flooding our bond.

A shadow dropped onto the hood with enough force to dent the metal. The engine made a sickening grinding noise then went silent. Ryker tried the ignition again—nothing.

"Dammit, we’re going to have to run on foot," he snarled, slamming his palm against the wheel.

Cold terror swept through me as shadows converged on us from all directions, materializing out of the darkness like smoke taking form. With all the pressure on me, I couldn’t breathe.

“We’ve gotta run while we still can,” I screamed, fumbling for the door handle. "They’ll be here in seconds!"

The SUV doors flew open as we scrambled into the night. Ryker dragged me out his side by my arm, his grip bruising. Cassi tumbled from the back door and hit the ground hard with a cry.

Kendric couldn't even stand. Blood pooled beneath him as Briar tried to haul him up.

"We can't outrun them like this," Gage panted, back pressed against the SUV, gaze darting around wildly. "How many are there?”

Xander held Adara's limp form, his face twisted with desperation. "Which way do we run?"

There wasn’t a good answer. These fuckers were everywhere.

"They've surrounded us," I gasped, turning in a slow circle as the cold pressed in from all sides. My lungs burned, each breath harder than the last. "Ryker, there are at least twenty."

The shadows moved in perfect synchronization, tightening their circle with predatory patience. They knew we were trapped.

Kendric collapsed against the SUV, and Briar screamed, pressing her hands over the wound in his side.

“He needs stitches now .” My sister's voice cracked, and something inside me shattered.

We weren't all going to make it out of this. The vampire queen would win after all.