Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (75 page)

Maybe
they
would
all
die
here,
but
it
wouldn’t
be
because
he
had
given
up.

The
gas
from
the
stun
grenade
was
dispersing
and
through
the
thinning
cloud,
he
could
see
the
soldiers
massing
outside.
Tannis
shot
a
brief
glance
in
his
direction,
her
expression
worried
as
she
took
in
Alex’s
small
figure
clasped
in
his
arms.
“They’re
coming
back.”

Jon
nodded.
He
lowered
Alex
gently
to
the
floor
and
tucked
her
behind
the
relative
safety
of
the
metal
table,
her
back
against
the
wall.
Working
quickly,
he
tugged
the
scorched
material
away
from
the
wound,
and
his
gut
clenched
up
tight.

He
knew
then
that
she
was
beyond
any
medical
help.
There
was
only
one
thing
that
might
save
her
now.
His
mind
veered
away
from
the
option,
but
inside
his
wolf
growled
in
approval.

Alex’s
eyes
blinked
open,
dull
with
pain.
“I’m
sorry,”
she
whispered.

“There’s
nothing
to
be
sorry
for,”
he
said,
his
tone
fierce.
“We’re
getting
out
of
here.
All
of
us.
Just
don’t
give
up.”

A
brief
smile
flickered
across
her
lips.
“My
hero.
You’ll
save
me,
you
always
do.
But
whatever
happens,
I’m
glad
we
came
for
you.”

He
opened
his
mouth
to
answer,
but
Tannis
called
out
a
warning
from
behind,
and
he
pivoted
at
the
urgency
in
her
voice.

“Shit.”

Where
was
his
gun?

He’d
lost
his
pistol
just
before
Alex
was
hit,
and
he
searched
the
floor
as
the
first
laser
shots
blazed
through
into
the
room.
Rico,
Skylar,
and
Tannis
stood
in
a
row,
returning
fire,
but
there
were
too
many
crowding
into
the
open
doorway.
This
time,
as
soon
as
one
was
cut
down,
two
more
took
his
place.

One
man
took
aim
at
Jon,
and
without
thinking,
he
hurled
himself
across
the
room,
his
arm
shifting
as
he
flew.
The
man
went
down
beneath
the
force
of
the
impact,
and
Jon
ripped
his
clawed
hand
across
his
neck,
slicing
open
the
jugular
vein.
Crimson
splashed
the
walls
behind
them,
and
the
heavy
scent
of
blood
mixed
with
the
smell
of
charred
flesh.

He
grabbed
the
man’s
pistol
from
his
limp
fingers
and
whirled
around
as
two
more
came
at
him
from
the
side.
He
kicked
one
in
the
groin,
slashing
the
second’s
throat
out
in
one
fluid
move.
They
both
collapsed
at
his
feet,
and
he
blasted
them
in
the
heads
to
make
sure
they
wouldn’t
be
getting
up
anytime
soon.
Adrenaline
roared
through
his
veins
as
he
stared
around,
searching
for
more
enemies.

“Get
back,
Jon.”

Tannis
spoke
from
behind
him,
and
for
a
moment,
the
words
made
no
sense.
Then
they
filtered
through
the
killing
rage
that
gripped
his
mind.
Shaking
his
head,
he
dived
for
cover
as
Tannis
rolled
another
grenade
out
beyond
the
open
doorway.

The
blast
shook
the
room
and
the
thick
gas
drove
their
attackers
back.
They
had
some
respite
but
he
knew
it
would
be
fleeting.

“That’s
the
last
of
the
grenades,”
Tannis
said,
coughing,
and
holding
her
hand
over
her
nose
as
the
gas
drifted
into
the
room.
She
cast
a
glance
at
Alex,
who
lay
where
he’d
left
her,
her
hand
gripped
to
her
side,
face
pale,
eyes
closed.
“How
is
she?”

He
shook
his
head.
Alex
was
dying,
but
he
wasn’t
about
to
let
that
happen.
Inside,
his
wolf
clawed
at
his
brain,
howling
to
be
free;
he’d
recognized
Alex
as
his
mate
and
would
fight
to
the
death
to
protect
her.
But
they
couldn’t
fight
their
way
out
of
this;
they
were
up
against
too
many—next
time
they
would
be
overrun,
and
that
would
be
the
end.

Somehow,
he
needed
to
convince
their
attackers
that
killing
them
wasn’t
a
good
idea.

This
whole
thing
had
been
set
in
motion,
at
least
partly,
because
the
Collective
believed
Jon
had
information
they
didn’t
want
released
into
the
world.
Could
he
use
that
information
to
save
them
now?

Positioning
himself
to
the
side
of
the
window,
he
peered
out.
He
had
an
idea,
but
unless
he
could
make
them
listen,
he
wasn’t
going
to
get
anywhere.
Out
in
the
courtyard,
a
mass
of
armed
men
filled
the
area,
but
his
gaze
settled
on
a
tall,
cloaked
figure,
standing
perfectly
still
and
alone
in
the
shadows
of
the
building
opposite.