Chapter Twenty
Jamie stared down at the man she loved. Her breath caught in her throat, and she wondered if she might pass out from lack of oxygen.
Tears streamed down her eyes, and she realized that the low moan she was hearing was her own sobs meshed into one.
Aaron held onto her, and she fought to get away from him.
He let go, and she dropped to the floor next to Lucan.
When she rolled the hybrid over, she expected to see blood everywhere. Instead she found him breathing, but slightly pale. A small dart lay embedded in his chest. She yanked it out.
“Oh, thank God,” she whispered, and pressed her face against his chest.
His breaths came in short bursts, and his heart hammered hard in his chest.
“He’s alive,” Aaron said over her. “If you want to call him that.”
She sat up, her hand slipping in to Lucan’s, and glared at the son of a bitch.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” she spat out.
Aaron laughed at her as he continued to circle. “I primed him for control, with something special. He’s of two minds now,” he said. “Mine and his. Only his mind is dormant for the moment.”
Jamie looked back down at Lucan. His face twitched, and she watched as beads of sweat formed on his head.
“I’d back up if I were you,” Aaron said.
Jamie gripped Lucan’s hand tighter. There was no way in hell she was moving away from him so Aaron could do whatever he wanted.
Lucan’s bright yellow eyes opened wide. The light there made her own eyes hurt, and she was forced to shield them.
The hybrid arched his body. His hand tightened around her own before he fell back to the floor. His amber eyes stared around the room.
“Lucan?” Jamie said.
His eyes shot to hers and narrowed. The grip on her hand tightened the longer he stared at her. She tried to pull away, but he only gripped her tighter.
“Lucan, it’s me.”
Aaron laughed. “He can’t hear you,” he said. “He’s all animal now and will only listen to my words.”
She looked over at the evil man. “Stop him,” she said, and stood, yanking her hand away.
Lucan stood as well. He stalked her as she moved away from him.
“No.” Aaron’s words echoed in the room.
Lucan moved with purpose now. He gripped her arm and shoved her hard against the wall.
“Lucan, it’s me,” she whispered.
Tears leaked out of her eyes as she stared into the dead eyes of the man she loved.
“He won’t stop,” Aaron said from next to her ear. “You’re going to have to take him out before he takes you out.” She heard him take a few steps and then return to her side. He placed something cold and metal in her hands. “This isn’t a dart gun. A good shot should do it, especially to the head. If he doesn’t stop, just keep shooting until he does.”
“No,” Jamie said.
“Kill him,” he said. “You have no choice. He’ll kill you otherwise.”
“No,” Jamie said with force.
Lucan put his hands against her throat and slowly squeezed. She gagged and coughed as she struggled for breath.
“Kill him!” Aaron shouted. “Don’t die for this filthy animal.”
Jamie stared at Lucan, the man she loved, the man she would do anything for. If she didn’t kill him, she’d die.
“You’re stronger than this!” Aaron practically screamed. “Kill him.”
Jamie looked over to where the man was standing. His eyes bulged, and his face was red. His fists were clenched in rage.
“No,” she rasped out.
Bang!
The gun jerked hard in her hand as she fired it. She hadn’t been able to aim, but it didn’t matter. Aaron was close enough that it hit the first time.
Blood bloomed on his stomach, and he clutched it.
“You bitch,” he said, and fell backward onto the floor.
All the people in the room collapsed with the fall of Aaron, as if they were somehow directly connected.
The fingers at her neck loosened for just a moment. She turned to stare at the man in front of her.
“I know you’re in there,” she said with force. “Fight, damn it. Fight for control. You’re stronger than that piece of shit.”
Lucan pulled away from her. He tossed his head back and forth before staring at her again.
“Shoot me,” he growled. “Kill me while I’m still in control.”
Jamie shook her head. “No.”
She stepped forward, and he growled loudly, a feral sort of sound that made her heart race with fear. She took another step toward him.
“Shoot me!” he roared.
“Not a fucking chance!” she shouted back.
Before Lucan could run or think or anything, Jamie rushed into his arms, her own wrapping firmly around him.
“I’m not running from you,” she whispered.
For a moment, Jamie wasn’t certain if he was going to just kill her anyway until his large arms wrapped around her gently.
“Well, isn’t that sweet?”
They both turned and found Aaron leaning against a desk. Blood dripped on the floor around him. He had another gun in his hand, a pistol and not a dart gun.
“Now you can both die together I guess,” Aaron said with a snarl.
Five loud bangs filled the room. Aaron jerked with each bullet that pierced his chest.
“Guess again, you prick,” Nikon said, panting. “That’s for Alair, and all the other people you’ve hurt.”
Aaron collapsed to the floor. His eyes remained open, but he was dead.
Lucan watched, his body still tense from whatever had been injected into him. The urge to kill was so overwhelming that he had to fight for control.
Something clinked in the back of the room. It was the woman from earlier, the black-haired woman from the alley.
“Run,” she yelled.
Several explosions rocked the building, and the room erupted in flames before he could even think to respond. Debris collapsed on the woman, crushing her.
Lucan growled, and he shook his head. His first thought was to get Jamie and the people there safe before the whole building went down in flames. The urge to kill remained, but he was able to push it aside for the moment and concentrate on the immediate danger to others.
They didn’t even have to speak. Lucan threw Jamie over his shoulder and grabbed another woman on his way out. He tossed them some distance from the building and raced back into the flames. Nikon followed with two other people.
The hybrids raced back into the building over and over, each time pulling out an unconscious person.
Lucan stepped out of the building and collapsed on the ground. The burns from the fire were nothing in comparison to the flame growing inside him feeing the beast and telling it to destroy those around him.
“Kill me,” he shouted to Nikon over the roar of the fire. “She can’t do it, so you have to.”
“No,” Jamie screamed. “I won’t let you.”
Lucan stared at her from his spot on the ground. “I don’t want my last act to be killing you.” He looked to Nikon. “Please kill me.”
Nikon nodded. He could hear Jamie scream and lowered his head. There was no way he could let her look into his eyes as he died.
Instead of a bullet, Nikon slammed the butt of a gun into the back of his head. Lucan’s world spun as he sprawled out on the ground and rolled over to stare at his friend.
“Sorry, man,” Nikon said as he stood over him. The hybrid slammed a fist directly into his face, and then again.
The darkness claimed Lucan.