The hunters flanking him lifted their weapons, the metallic click of safeties being disengaged.
Gael’s fingers brushed against mine, just a fleeting touch, but it reassured me.
I took a shaky breath, the air sharp and cold as it burned my lungs. How the hell were we going to get out of this?
Frustration boiled beneath my skin, raw and bitter. I was so damn sick of being held back by my leg, of feeling like dead weight.
The ache that pulsed through my thigh was a constant reminder of my limitations.
I hated knowing I wasn’t at full strength, that I couldn’t move as fast or fight as hard as I needed to.
I hated that Gael had to factor my weakness into our survival, that he might have to risk his life just to cover for my sluggish pace.
I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms.
I was a hunter. I was supposed to be the one protecting others, not the liability dragging them down. But here I was.
“Stay close,” Gael murmured.
Then, everything exploded.
Gael lunged, a blur of motion. He was on the first hunter before the man could even squeeze the trigger.
A sickening crack echoed as Gael broke his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground.
I ducked low, adrenaline sharpening my focus. I swung my fist into the gut of the second hunter, who came at me.
He grunted, doubling over, but I didn’t have time to finish him off. Declan was already moving, his eyes locked onto me.
I barely dodged his blade, the knife’s edge singing past my ear. I twisted, pain shooting up my leg.
My balance faltered, and Declan’s fist connected with my side, knocking the breath out of me.
I hit the ground hard, leaves and dirt flying up around me.
“Asher!” Gael’s roar split the air, raw and desperate.
I rolled onto my side, gasping, just in time to see Gael grappling with the third hunter.
He moved with lethal grace, but his eyes kept flicking toward me, that distraction slowing him down.
Declan loomed over me, his knife glinting in the pale light filtering through the trees.
“It’s over,” he said, his voice flat.
Panic clawed at my chest.
I scrambled backward, my hands slipping on damp earth. Declan’s arm tensed, the knife poised to strike.
Then Gael was there.
He crashed into Declan, the impact driving them both to the ground. The knife skittered away, lost in the undergrowth.
Gael was on his feet in a heartbeat, his chest heaving, eyes blazing with fury.
Declan lay sprawled at his feet, dazed but alive. Gael bared his fangs at Declan, the temptation to end it clear on his face.
“Gael!” I rasped, struggling to get to my feet. My vision swam. “We need to go.”
