Immortal Danger (Night Watch 0.5)

Pity. It looked like she'd be dying, for good this time, very soon.

A sharp growl snapped her attention back to the alpha. No sign of a man. Only the beast remained.

Her death was in his eyes.

So this was the way it was gonna end for her.

Another f**king alley.

Her finger tightened on the trigger.

She wasn't going out without a fight.

Maya fired and the pack closed in.

He caught her scent on the wind. Roses. Woman.

Blood.

Death.

Adam slammed on the brakes, bringing the SUV to a jarring halt.

Maya. He called to her, using their blood link.

Silence. A silence too heavy, too unnatural.

Fear iced his veins.

He shouldn't have left her. She'd risked so much for him, and he'd f**king left her.

Adam's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. The open window drew in her scent.

And the stench of the wolves.

"U-uncle A-Adam?" Cammie, too small, too scared, sat huddled beside him, her body shaking.

Maya had saved his niece, and in return, he'd left Maya to die.

Adam jerked the gearshift into reverse. "Hold on, baby."

He followed her scent, followed the snarls and the howls that screamed in the night.

Found a pack of wolves circling her still body.

Fire burned in his gut.

Not dead. Not yet.

Not his Maya.

His.

Adam turned off the SUV. Killed the lights. The wolves hadn't noticed him yet; they were too intent on their killing frenzy.

The bastards had no idea what a true frenzy was, but he'd show them.

"Lock the doors, Cammie. Then close your eyes and keep 'em closed until I get back." She wouldn't need to see what he'd do. The kid shouldn't have that memory.

He kissed her, a quick, hard kiss on her forehead. Then he climbed out of the vehicle.

He watched Cammie lock the doors. Tears filled her eyes. He stared at her, waiting.

Her lashes lowered.

Good.

Adam turned away from the SUV, stalked toward the wolves, and let the fire rage inside.

Time to free the beast.

Her gun was empty. She'd managed to take five of the bastards down. But her gun was empty.

Her knife had lodged in the back of one of the wolves. Her claws had ripped open another.

She swallowed, tasted blood, and stared up at the circle of teeth and muzzles around her. Pain had almost numbed her body now. A good thing, really, because she wouldn't feel it as much when they ripped into her.

"N-no." A faint whisper. A plea. Not hers. She would never beg. Never.

The kid's voice. Barely audible over the pack's rumbles.

"H-hel…ped m-me…S-save…h-her…"

Nice try, kid. But no way were those guys going to listen to him.

Maya looked up at the alpha and forced her nearly numb lips to raise into a f**k-you smile. Then she sent one final message to the man she'd never see again.

Good-bye, Adam.

Good-bye, Adam.

Her voice, only in his mind. Weak. Final.

Hell, no.

He ran into the alley. "Get away from her!" He roared. His teeth were sharpening and he could taste fire rising in his throat.

The wolves jerked. Glanced back at him with fury in their glowing eyes.

But they didn't move from their positions, and the leader-he knew the bastard with the torn ear was the leader-lowered his head and brushed his mouth over Maya's face.

" Get away from her!" The alley shook this time from the force of his rage.

Two of the wolves stumbled back. The others turned to him now, the growls quieting in their throats.

The alpha took a step toward him, a snarl on his lips.

Adam raised his arms. Let the change begin to sweep over him. "I'm going to burn you," he promised as the scales began to form over his flesh. His fingers lengthened, became deadly talons.

"Burn the flesh off your bones and make you scream! "

Whimpers. More wolves backed away. White-hot power burst through him. He felt the wings rip from his back, shredding his clothes and growing, stretching-

The alpha held his ground.

The others huddled against the alley's walls.

Maya lay on the ground. Not moving, but still breathing. Still living.

He wouldn't be able to say the same thing about the wolves in a few moments.

A smile twisted his lips, revealing the teeth that were growing ever longer, stronger.

The alpha lunged for him.

Still in half-human form, Adam caught the wolf around the neck with one hand and threw him back ten feet.

"You don't know who you're f**king with," he said, his voice deeper, rougher as the fire worked its way up his throat.

A boy crawled forward from the darkness. Some kid covered in grime and blood with eyes that looked too big. He crouched over Maya.

The alpha climbed to his feet.

"L-Lucas." The kid's voice. Weak. "H-help…h-her…"

The wolf's head cocked toward her. His body tensed. Then he leapt-

Placing his body between Maya and Adam.

"Give her to me," Adam ordered, fighting to stay human for just a few more moments. When the change took him fully, hell would come. Fire. Death. The rage he felt was too strong. Too hot.

The wolves would all burn.

Everything would burn.

Monster. Devil.

Maya had thought she was the evil one-she had no idea just how damn evil he could be.

The alpha growled.

" Give her to me or I'll burn your pack to ashes!" He was ready. Smoke drifted from his nose.

Hold on, stay human until she's safe. Don't hurt her.

The wolf's head lowered toward the ground.

Submission.

Adam ran forward. His wings flapped in the air in powerful bursts behind him. Not fully formed, not yet.

Soon.

He grabbed Maya, slicing her arms with his talons and scales as he picked her up and pressed her to his chest.

Her heart stuttered against him.

No!

"Let me help you."

Adam's head jerked up.

A man stood where the wolf had been. Naked. Muscled. Head still bowed in submission. "Let me help you both, Wyvern."

"Don't so much as move!" Adam snapped. The dragon was too close to the surface.

The woman in his arms was his only link to control. If she died, that link would shatter.

Using a talon, he slashed a line across his chest. Forced her mouth to him. She had to drink. If she took his blood, if he could just get her to drink –then she'd be all right.

Don't leave me, Maya. I need you.

More than he'd realized.

Her lips were still against him. Soft lips.

Cold.

"Drink!" His snarl screamed into the night. Drink. The plea whispered through his mind, hers.

Her body trembled and her lips parted. The blood trickled into her mouth. She moaned, shifted her head, and her teeth sank into his chest.