Laura frowned in confusion. “But you said—”
“What I said got you where I needed you,” he snapped.
“I told you.” Jessie’s fingernails dug into his arms at her throat. “He’s a lying bastard.” She pulled her lips back from newly exposed fangs and snarled at Braden.
His eyes ignited as her power boosted all that he was, and he grinned down at her. “Oh, that feels sooo nice. You are better than drugs.”
Now that she’d mated Kade, Braden’s spell over her had shattered. Jessie cringed as he trailed his hand over her face and down her body.
“Take your stinking, filthy hands off me,” she hissed.
“I tried doing this the nice way,” Braden growled. His face was human, but his eyes were pure Dire. “But now, we don’t have time for nice.”
“Nice? It was revolting,” Jessie snarled. “You are a monster.” She sank her little claws in as deep as they would go. And sucked energy from him, even as she gave it.
His eyes ignited. He pressed close to her, shoving his hips between her knees.
“You and I will make beautiful babies together,” he growled, and lowered his lips to hers.
Jessie tried to rake her claws across his face. He pinned both wrists with his free hand and deepened his kiss. She forced herself to go limp, as though compliant. But she focused on her feet—on growing her toe claws to lethal blades, long and sharp.
As Braden pushed in on her, Kade’s rage exploded in her brain. Then Zach was there. He blasted the anger to her—and Jessie grabbed what he offered and sent it through her. Straight into Braden.
Not as powerful as a direct strike, but Braden gasped and staggered a half step back. Enough for Jessie to position a leg between them.
At the last millisecond, the Dire read her intent. He started to twist away, but she raked, hard and fast, from his belly to his thigh. With a minor deviation along the way.
Braden shrieked. He yanked her into the air and threw her into the wall.
She hit with terrific impact, driving the breath from her. Braden hunched over, clutching himself with crimson hands. Sucking in a tortured breath, Jessie went at him again, slashing with her claws. He backhanded her into the desk. She skidded across its surface and landed on the other side.
A shrill scream, and Laura was on top of her, reaching for Jessie’s throat with hands sprouting claws. Jessie grabbed the other woman’s wrists, holding them off, but she was fiercely strong.
Laura’s eyes were glowing, her face twisted with rage that bordered on insanity.
“Mine!” she screamed. “He’s mine!”
Bracing herself against the desk, Jessie threw her off. She backed away as Laura exhaled hard and folded in on herself. The blonde woman’s shoulder blades rolled oddly. The beast was breaking free. She was changing.
She wasn’t alone. Braden’s neck and shoulders swelled, the black hair racing across his skin and his teeth dropping from his jaws.
Jessie used the last reserves of his power, lunging at him again, and driving him back against the wall. He viciously clubbed her off him with an arm rippling in new muscle.
She landed, catlike, crouched on the floor. From this angle, her damage was revealed. Five deep slashes ran from belly to groin. The blood ran down his thighs. Braden wouldn’t ever be siring children. It would have more than finished a human. But, as Kade had warned her, it wouldn’t stop a Were. It just made him mad as hell. She had milliseconds before he overpowered her.
Laura tilted her head back and shrieked again. Her teeth had altered, her face lengthening and contorting in agony. Braden ignored her, straightening to take a step toward Jessie.
Zach, I need more,Jessie sent. Hoping he would hear her. Her twenty knives weren’t going to be enough.
Braden snarled at her, his eyes dark with hate.
“Youbitch.” He lunged.
Jessie surged across the room to meet him, arms and fingers extended. As her claws sank into his throat, she reached for Zach.
And he was there.
The blast that came from him scorched her mind, but she channeled it straight through her hands and into Braden.
