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One of the vampires crouches beside me, the one who’s been holding me, Samuel. His fingers tangle in my hair as he jerks me from the ground only to slam his fist into my face and send me crashing back.

Blood spurts from my nose and I watch in horror as both men’s eyes glow crimson. Their gazes lock on the trail of blood running down my face.

“Hold her down,” Samuel orders.

I scramble to my feet, but with only one functioning arm, my movements are sluggish and Elliot easily overpowers me. He takes my bad arm and with a quick jerk pulls it out of socket.

I scream but his hand muffles the sound. His crimson gaze meets mine as I writhe on the ground and a broad smile spreads across his too perfect face exposing twin fangs.

My stomach drops.This can’t be happening.

I reach for my wolf again, desperate for her strength. Claws tip the fingers of my still good hand and I slash them across his face. He howls in pain, stumbling back as blackish blood drips down his cheek. I lunge to my feet and stagger away from them, hugging my broken arm to my side. “Get the hell away from me!”

In a blur one of the vampires is behind me, one hand tangled in my hair and the other gripping my chin from behind. He leans into me, his nose grazing the column of my neck. “Why would we do a thing like that?” I struggle in his grip. “Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. One little twist and this pretty neck of yours will break in two. Tell me,” he pauses and everything in me screams to get away. “Can a wolf heal a broken neck?” He knows we can’t.

Both vampires laugh. The one behind me leans forward again and sinks his fangs into the column of my neck. I growl and jerk away from him, shoving my elbow into his chest as hard as I can as the smell of my own blood assaults my senses.

He releases me, but my momentum only pushes me into the arms of the other vampire—Elliot. I take advantage of it and slam my clawed hand into his chest, sinking my fingers deep into his skin and between bone. He hisses and grips my still good shoulder, squeezing until the bones grind against themself. White hot pain flashes through me as bone crunches beneath his grip. My mind blanks, unable to think past the burning agony, but I manage to tighten my fist around a vital organ in his chest, my claws piercing his heart before losing all sensation in my hand. He freezes, his hold loosening on my shoulder as wide crimson eyes meet mine.

He swallows, a very human gesture that lets me know I’ve struck gold.

A smile curls the edges of my mouth. “Not so tough now, are you?” I grit out.

He bares his teeth, but his body is locked in place, refusing to move so much as an inch for fear I’ll tear his heart out.

“What the—” I don’t bother to turn around.

“Tell him not to come any closer.”

He says nothing so I let my body sway backwards. He reaches for me, wrapping both hands around my biceps to hold me in place as panicked eyes flint over my shoulder. “Stay there,” his voice is strained and I take pleasure in knowing I have him by the balls.

My mind races through a million different scenarios. I need to get away but I now have two useless arms and I don’t know how long my grip will hold on the vampire’s heart.

If I kill the vamp in front of me, the one behind me will return the favor. But if I release him, they’ll probably still kill me.

I need to shift if I have any chance of healing my injuries enough to, at the very least, protect myself, but no way will either of these two give me enough time to shift to wolf and then back again.

Shit.

I meet the vampire’s stare for a split second before catching myself and turning my gaze to the corner of his mouth. “Why me?” I demand.

Thankfully he doesn’t bother to pretend he doesn’t know what I’m asking. “Because we can. You’re …” he wheezes. “Unprotected. Free game.”

I look over my shoulder at the vampire standing a few feet behind me. “Come over here. Keep your distance but I want you in my line of sight.”

His jaw clenches but he does as I’ve instructed and shifts to my right letting me finally get a good look at the two. Both have dark brown hair and aristocratic features. The one with my hand buried in his chest wears his hair shoulder length and tied back at his nape. The other wears his hair shorter, barely long enough for the ends to curl around his ears, and both are dressed like arrogant assholes in button down black dress shirts and black slacks.

“So let me get this straight. You two decided it was open season on a seventeen-year-old girl because she doesn’t belong to a Pack. Is that right?”

Neither answers.

I pull back and the first vampire hisses, clutching me to his chest so tight I flinch. “Let go or I’ll drag my hand down through your sternum taking your black heart with it.”

He loosens his hold and I tilt my head back, noting the ashen quality to his skin. “So, what’s the plan, asshole? Because the way I see it, I can’t very well let go.”

“Release me and we’ll leave. No one has to die today. You have my word.”

I laugh.Right, because I believe that.