“Rhys!”Sydni’s scream cuts through the chaos. She’s still off the side of the boat, but I can’t afford to look her way. My focus stays locked on him as I weave side to side, narrowly avoiding his heavy swings.
When his fist comes right for my chest, I grab it and direct it outward. My forehead meets his, and a swift kick to his shin sends him down to his opposite knee with a groan.
Looking up at me, he roars out, “There is no fucking point in this! She will get what she wants, regardless if it’s now or in a hundred years!”
I throw another punch straight at his face, but he jerks back, diving right off the swim deck. My eyes widen in shock as I rush to the side of the boat. “Syd?!” I shout, scanning the water frantically. When I don’t see them, panic surges, and I dart to the opposite side of the boat.
That’s when I spot them—circling around toward the back, right where that Shifter had disappeared into the water.
“Be careful! He’s back in the water!”
Brice looks up at me; he has his hands on Sydni, and she looks disheveled. Her arms are flapping around like a fish out of water and it dawns on me.
Oh my Gods,can she not swim?!
I don’t see a shark—or its Mundane form—but just as Brice pulls Sydni to the back of the boat, a cascade of water crashes across the deck. Before I can react, a force like a speeding semi slams into my side, crushing me against the boat’s railing. The impact is so brutal that I’m embedded into the hollow structure, shards of it piercing deep into my shoulder.
I hiss in pain, but there’s no time to process it. Half a goddamn shark looms above me, its massive jaws stretching wide, ready to snap shut. Instinct kicks in. My hands shoot up, catching both sets of its jaws just as they’re about to clamp down over my head.
“NO! KAIRHYSE!” Sydni screams.
Its teeth pierce right through my hands, and I try to kick at its legs, but the sleek floor against my bare skin makes it difficult to get a good grip on my position.
“Alaric, where are you?!” Brice bellows, and the sound of feet crossing the deck are light—definitely not that of the Fallen. They are gentle, bare, and move with haste.
Just as my hand begins to tear and his jaw prepares to snap shut, the pressure suddenly stops.
“Get…” Her voice cuts through the bedlam. A chill rolls over me, and strength surges through my arms. “Off of him.”
The Shifter staggers back, his massive great white form rippling as it begins to shift into his Mundane body. My gaze snaps to the right, whereXera stands. Her eyes are completely blacked out, locked unrelentingly on the male.
“Xeraphine.” He releases a heavy sigh. “You’ll just piss her off more.”
My girl drops her head to the side, the upturn of her lip as she snarls at him makes my body heat rise. “Good.” When she steps to him, he recoils. “Don’t run, because if I catch you a second time, I’ll make your death slow. So… agonizingly slow… so do us both a favor… and die quickly now.”
I can’t tear my eyes away from her. The Amoro around her pulses with an intensity I’ve never seen before. It’s like a cloud of black smoke, thick and alive, swirling in an orbit around her body.
“Chase…” Her voice sharpens as she raises her hand, and I hear him let out a low, pained groan. “Get on your knees.” Her tone drops as the aura around her stretches out, crawling through the air toward the Shifter.
I follow its path, watching as his knees begin to tremble—just as Brice charges at him. The Shifter barely flinches, catching the Werewolf with a swift elbow to the nose. Blood sprays as he stumbles back from the hit.
Without hesitation, Chase pivots on his heel and hurls himself overboard.
I jerk my gaze back to Xeraphine. She’s staring down at her trembling hands, then out toward the water where the Shifter disappeared. There’s a pause—a beat where her intentions are as clear as the fury in her eyes. She’s going to go after him. It’s what she does. A hunter, just like me. Driven by vengeance.
Groaning, I shut my eyes and press a hand to my knee. I’m healing, but far slower than I would’ve weeks ago. Pain radiates through me, and just as I steady myself, preparing to follow her, warm hands cup my face.
My girl is now kneeling in front of me, fingers trembling as they shift across my face. “Kai?”
Releasing a breath, I move my hand to the side of her neck. “Little demon.”
Tears stream down her face as she throws herself against me, her lips crashing into mine with desperate force. Her broken sob vibrates against my mouth, and I tighten my arm around her waist, holding her as close as possible. I don’t care about the shards of this damn ship still lodged in my back. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to stop feeling her body meld into mine, like we’re becoming one.
The world around us fades, and I couldn’t care less who’s watching. Her frantic kisses crash into mine, equally as fierce as my own.
The sound of approaching, quick and gentle, footsteps yank my focus. Without a doubt it’s Sydni. My chest aches with the thought of letting mygirl go, but I will for her best friend.
Xera pulls away just as dark blue hair fills my vision. Sydni slams into her arms, trembling with raw emotion. Xera’s arm wraps around her princess, holding her tight as Sydni’s sobs intensify, filling the space between us.
