Bitter Blood (BBi)

Chapter 18: The Deadliest Bite

Chapter Eighteen
The Deadliest Bite

We run back out the front door, Avery just ahead of me. My two knives are being held in each one of my hands, though I don't really know how I'm supposed to hold them and make it look like I know what I'm doing. So I just clench my fist around the hilt and hold them up in front of me.

Standing draped in a coat, shivering under the cold is Maylin. The left side of the coat she's wearing is stained with a dark patch and droplets of blood can be seen in the dirt on the ground beneath her.

"You need to go to the hospital," I say when we reach her. I gesture to her injured side, but she only shakes her head.

"It's nearly healed. The bleeding stopped ages ago." She says, pulling the coat closer.

She looks to the side and I follow her gaze. Jennifer has returned to human form and stands in a pair of lose jeans and a dark blue top that's too big for her. She's hovering over a figure in the dirt, whose scurrying backwards as fast as she can with her injured leg lying stiff in front of her. Her lacy skirt has been sliced into shreds, her hair in dark tangles around her face. Her two companions lay completely still on either side of her. She looks like she put up quite a fight, but it's a fight she's lost.

"Killing me won't change anything!" She spits, glaring up at the others as they close in around her. "They're all coming after her! She'll be dead before the next full moon!"

Avery grabs me and pulls me against her just in time for me to hear an enraged snarl and a wet, slick noise that sends my insides curling. I bury my face in her shoulder and squeeze my eyes closed.

A minute later, we break apart as the others retreat back to us. Jeremy's completely naked, but at least he has the decency to cover himself. But he doesn't deny himself the pleasure of winking at me before darting into the car in search of spare clothing.

"Is it over?" I ask.

Rhys shakes his head. "There's a gang of wolves headed in our direction. We have about two minutes before they get here."

The word 'gang' leaves it open to question just how many wolves that really means. Three? Eight? A dozen? If that's right, then our own odds aren't looking too good.

"What are we going to do?" Micah asks, who's moved over to curl a steady arm around Maylin’s waist.

"Get Parker out of here." Jennifer says, flicking her gaze over to me. "It's obvious they're after her now."

"But why?" Avery asks. “Why are they after her?”

"That's what I'd like to know." She says. "But I guess considering none of us have the answer, we're just going to have to hold on until we can figure it out."

"Avery, you take Parker-" Rhys begins.

"I'm not going anywhere." Avery declares. "This is my home and I'm not going to let a bunch of strangers destroy it."

Rhys opens his mouth to argue, but Maylin cuts him off.

"I'll take her." She says, pushing off the car and away from Micah. "I'm still healing. It's best if I do it."

“Alright," Rhys nods. "Take her down to the basement and stay there until one of us tells you it’s safe."

Maylin nods and looks over at me, waiting for me to join her. I quickly pull Avery into a hug.

"Don't get killed." I whisper to her.

She laughs and pulls back. "Trust me, I don't plan on it."