“He seems to think you are aware that you two are not serious, but I am not so sure,” Arlo went on. “So in case you believe you have some prior claim to him, I wished to make it clear that it is no longer just you he is dating.”
“So, essentially, this is you pissing all over your territory?” Disappointing. I’d thought better of him. Then again, Ryder had acted similarly.
Arlo spluttered. “That is not what this is.”
“Oh come on, there’s no real reason for you to brag—and you are bragging—that you slept with Coop unless you’re hoping to get some sort of reaction out of me. You don’t want to share him, so you’re hoping I’ll be so upset that I cut my losses and walk away.” Which made me think of something Derek had once said … ‘He wants Coop for himself, so he did what he could to edge me out of the picture.’
Arlo flushed. “I am not bragging. Nor am I attempting to manipulate you. I just wanted to ensure that you knew where you stood.”
“Why? What’s it to you? And why bother considering, as you yourself pointed out, that what I have with Coop isn’t serious?”
Arlo defensively notched up his chin but didn’t answer.
“He won’t like that you were the one to tell me, you know. He would have wanted to do that himself. You best have a decent apology ready, because he won’t …” I trailed off as a godawful screech came from not too far away. Then there was another. And another. And another. Each was louder than the one before.
I looked to my left just in time to see a swarm of various birds—toucans, hornbills, vultures, parrots—come flying toward The Hollow. Flying far too fast. “Oh, fuck.”
They swooped down, heading right for the residents. Some people screamed and ran for safety while others stood still and braced themselves to fight. My girls came running toward me just as I sprinted toward them, intending for us to fight as a unit.
My heart jumped into my throat when a vulture made a beeline for Cassie. Shit, no. I leapt and began to shift shape mid-air, just as I’d practiced many times in the training arena. So often I’d been too slow, and I’d worried that I’d fuck up if I ever needed to do this during battle.
I hadn’t needed to worry.
I was in my jaguar form as I crashed into the vulture and took it to the ground. Alora was at my side in an instant, and she snapped the bird’s neck.
Lifting my head, I shook it hard. The oddest sound seemed to hum in the air. There was no way to properly describe it but—
Fuck. I sidestepped the toucan that dived at me. Again, Alora and I worked together to take it out. And then we disabled another infected bird, and then another. The whole time, sheer mayhem ensued. Many of the legion’s squads were hunting in the rainforests, but the other squads were quick to join mine and fight.
Birds screeched and nosedived. People cried out and fell to the ground. Voices yelled orders and urged the injured to rise. Lightning cracked in the sky and—
Lightning. Jared was here, which meant his mate was likely nearby. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a huge bubble of energy seemed to shoot out of the centre of The Hollow. It expanded fast until it encompassed the centre of the gated community, keeping the birds contained and away from the buildings wherein most residents were hiding. Sam’s shield.
I looked at where the bubble had originated. Yes, Sam and Jared were there. My gut twisted as I saw Ryder stood with them. I wasn’t sure how much combat training he’d received, but I doubted his gift would be much help against these animals, so it was good that he was with the Grand High Pair—they could keep him safe better than anyone else.
His eyes locked with mine, and he gave me a look that said, Stay alive. I intended to.
Shrieking like banshees, the birds outside the forcefield of energy battered at its walls to no avail. I also heard roars and hissing, and I realised that more animals had come. They must have struggled to bypass the gates and were now stuck outside the shield. I didn’t doubt that the squads out there would have heard the cacophony of shrieks and come to investigate; they would take the animals out.
The birds who were trapped inside the shield continued to mindlessly attack. Vampires fought back, filling the night air with telekinetic strikes, psionic blasts, whips of lightning, poisonous darts, bursts of flame, and other notable ‘weapons.’
The birds weren’t deterred. Nothing stopped them coming for us—not the danger, not the pain, not that they were outnumbered, not panic at being trapped within the shield. All they wanted was blood.