"Gag
e!" I yell, needing him to back the hell away from it before I freak out more.
"You might want to go grab me some help," he says without looking, keeping his attention focused on the beast who seems to be alone. Dear God, let it be alone.
Chaz vaporizes, but my feet are cemented to the ground.
Howls break free as two lycans join us, but they're friendly lycans—well, sort of. One of them is Amy after all. But Amy starts yelping and whimpering when her eyes lock on the beast in front of us, and the male lycan snarls, sniffing the air as he stares in her direction.
He paws at the ground, and I swear that fucker smiles. Amy rolls to the ground and bows her head, seeming submissive. Now is so not the time for her to be a coward. Where is the bitch-from-hell side of her when you need it?
Sierra rushes to be in front of her, snarling and pawing the ground as she paces in warning, turning her body but never her head. They resemble wolves right now—hairless, huge, crazy, orange-eyed wolves with a thirst for bloodshed.
Kane's arms are suddenly around me, pulling me behind him before he releases me and shields me.
"Oh fuck," he says just as the rest join us, night stalker eyes beaming from Deke and Zee, glittery trails following Chaz, and Dice's aura beaming his incubus promise—not that it's a very intimidating promise.
"What?" I ask, trying to peer around him to assess the scene.
"Get out of here, Alyssa. Now," he orders, taking a step toward the rest of the group, ready to fight.
"No. What the hell is going on?"
He shakes his head, just as Zee tries to start pulling Amy away. I gasp when she contorts and shifts back to her naked human form.
"It's him—Amy's sire. Go. Go now," he says again, just as he joins Deke and Zee in a sudden attack.
Chapter 13
Taken
I don't know what to do. My heart won't stop pounding, and I'm scared to throw any power for fear of hitting Zee or Deke. It wouldn't hurt Kane, but I don't want to hurt the other two.
Yelps and roars escape the blurry scenery, and Sierra charges in to join them. Chaz swoops in to scoop up the naked girl who has passed out. They vanish from sight as he takes her away.
Amy's sire came to claim her, forcing her into submission. But how did he find her? And why now? Of all the times, why now?
Gage materializes beside me, and wraps his arms around me, threatening to haul me away, but I shock the hell out of him with a blast of power before he can vaporize us.
"Alyssa," he growls, chastising me only after he sees I haven't lost it.
Where's my crazy powerful, badass bitch self when I need her?
I'm not sitting back this time. I'm not letting everyone else fight while I sit on the sidelines. I'm strong enough to help, damn it.
Kane and the others are tossed back, and Sierra lets out a yelp of pain as the beast chomps on her much smaller side, drawing blood and terror.
"Sierra!" Deke yells, only to be met by almost the same fate.
Zee dives on Deke, knocking him to the ground before the monster can reach him, and Kane throws a blast of power that knocks the beast off his feet. Gage does the same, and the two of them continue to hit him over and over, but it does no good. He's too strong.
He charges Kane, but as he does, that darkness within me stirs, inviting in the crazy, the powerful, and the badass. Finally.
My scream goes out like an eerie, powerful echo, honing in on the lycan, and drawing the beast's attention. He stumbles to a halt, seeming to roar out in pain as blood creeps free from his eyes and ears. He staggers, as if he's drunk, and groans deep from his throat, until he collapses to the ground, unconscious before he even hits the earth.
My high leaves as quickly as it came, and I look around at all the faces questioning what the hell just happened. I look down at my hands, confused about what power I just used. All I did was scream. Why did I scream?
"A banshee's scream? How can she—"