The feline bucked with a roar of agony as pricks of pain stabbed its head, flanks, neck, legs, and paws. The shards sank deep, one even went down its ear. The larger pieces were wedged into the feline’s skin, but there was nothing the demon could do to pull them out. Blood soaked its—
A psychic blow to its spine made its legs crumple, and the feline landed on its stomach. Then Eric was straddling its back, pummeling it with fists that felt like slabs of granite, driving the pieces of glass deeper—so deep some scraped bone and pierced organs.
“Fucking, fucking, fucking bitch!” He yanked out a large chunk of glass from the feline’s paw, making it roar. “She was mine.” He stabbed the glass deep into the feline’s neck. Roughly pulled it out. Stabbed it again. And again. And again. And again.
Curling his arm around the feline’s head, he wrenched it back and pressed the sharp piece of glass to its throat. “She wanted to slit this right open, you know. That’s how she wanted you to die, so that’s what’s gonna happen.”
The feline roared fire into his face. Screaming, he dropped the glass and fell back. The demon righted itself, turned—
Eric was snatched from the floor by some unseen force and flung at the wall. A familiar guttural growl split the air just as a large hellhound launched its body at Eric, its veins glowing as if filled with liquid fire.
Breaths sawing in and out of its body, scratching at its dry throat, the feline watched with grim satisfaction as its mate mauled and mangled the other male, chomping through bone, digging out organs, and tearing off limbs. It butchered Eric just as it had butchered Lockwood, even stripping the skin from his face.
Then, chest heaving, muscles quivering, the hellhound turned to the feline, who only stared right back at it. Tiny red embers danced around the hound’s body as it stalked toward the feline, sniffing and rumbling.
“We need to get the glass out,” Knox said.
“I can do it with my telekinesis,” said Levi. “But it’s gonna hurt the hellcat, so Tanner’s hound had best make sure its mate doesn’t go for my throat.”
Then it was like a vacuum was aimed at the feline, ripping every bit of glass right out of its body. It roared, legs trembling. And then the hound was there, licking the feline’s wounds.
“Sorry, but it’s just plain weird seeing a hellhound tend to a hellcat like that,” stated Levi. “Plain. Weird.”
“Hopefully Devon can explain what happened here later,” said Knox. “First, we’d better call in some people to clean this place up. And someone needs to check on Finn—he seems to be out cold, and he’s in a bad state.”
*
It was the feel of fingers playing with her hair that woke her. Lying flat on her stomach, Devon forced her heavy eyelids open. Tanner was sitting beside her on the mattress, toying with the ends of the clump of curls in his hand.
As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked down at her. A warm, lazy smile softened his mouth. “Hey, kitten. Nice to see you awake.” He bent over and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple.
“Hey,” she breathed. It was all she managed to get out. God, she was dog-tired. She could only guess that he’d brought her to bed, since she didn’t remember much after shifting back to her own form. The mix of psychic exhaustion, blood loss, and the adrenaline crash had knocked her clean out.
“Brought you coffee. Think you’ve got enough energy to sit up and drink it?”
“No,” she pretty much grunted. Okay, fine, she just didn’t want to get up yet. “But I can prop myself up on my elbows.” Devon went to push herself upwards, but then she winced as she felt the pull of several injuries.
Tanner softly cursed. “You need to move slow or you might reopen some of those wounds. It pisses me off that I can only heal injuries I inflict.”
Devon carefully propped herself up on her elbows and then gratefully took the mug he handed her. She took a sip and almost groaned with happiness. He made damn good coffee. After a few more sips, she asked, “Was I out a while?”
“Six hours straight,” he replied, lying on his side and planting his elbow on the pillow. “You started fussing a few minutes ago—you always do that about ten minutes before you wake up.”
“You watch me sleep?”
“Sometimes.” He slid his hand up her bare spine and hooked it around her nape. “You purr in your sleep. It’s cute. I like it.”
She grunted again and took another sip of her drink. He didn’t natter away while she finished her coffee; he gave her a few minutes to shake off her usual morning mood. But he also didn’t give her any space. He burrowed closer, tracing her skin with his fingers, snaking his hands over her, and pressing kisses here and here—careful never to touch her injuries.
Normally, she’d grumpily bat his hand away until she’d had a chance to properly wake. Today, she allowed it, because she sensed he needed this. Needed to touch her and reassure himself that she was fine.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
She frowned at the dumb, gruffly spoken apology. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I should have gotten here sooner,” Tanner insisted, feeling his chest tighten as he remembered the state her feline had been in when he arrived—patches of her fur were soaked in blood, her unique eyes were dull with pain, and pieces of glass were sticking out of her like porcupine quills. “I would if I could have done.” He told her what happened at the hotel, and her face paled.
“You were almost blown up by a bomb?”
He massaged her nape and soothed, “I’m here, I’m fine, same as you.”
“That’s not the point. You could have fucking died. Shit.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “You have no idea how horrible it was to be unable to reach you when I knew you were in danger.” The guilt, panic, and fear hadn’t yet left him. It was only the sight of her there—alive and well—that kept him calm.
“You’d have felt that I was in danger sooner if it wasn’t for Leticia’s incantor-friend. She used magick on me and Finn …” Devon’s eyes widened. “Shit, how is he?”
Hesitating to answer, Tanner stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, kitten, it’s not looking good. Eric savaged him. But Finn has doctors from his lair working on him. Spencer promised to keep me updated.”
She swallowed. “I should have helped him instead of toying with Leticia. I didn’t realize Eric was that strong—I thought Finn could take him.”
“Of course you’d assume that—Finn’s a goddamn Prime, for God’s sake. Don’t be stupidly feeling guilty.” He took the empty mug from her hands and set it on the nightstand. “Want to tell me what happened earlier?” he asked, skimming his hand down her arm. “You don’t have to yet if you don’t feel like talking about it.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, Finn came to visit …”
Tanner listened intently as she gave him the full story. His stomach twisted tighter and tighter with each word she spoke. “Fuck.” He pressed his lips to her head, exhaling hard out of his nose. “Should’ve stayed with you.”
She grabbed his wrist. “No, you shouldn’t have. You’re a sentinel, it’s your—”