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The words stopped For a h above ht of the rooht it Whether it was the dust she’d sprinkled over h my body thanks to the silver, the fact was, the blade was inches from my flesh when I stopped it

And I didn’t stop it by the hilt, but by the blade itself, and the metal sliced into my flesh as easily as butter Blood seeped past an to run into the bowl under ht hand I didn’t care I ripped the weapon froain I was too slow She moved at the last ot her in the side instead A nasty wound, but not a deadly one

She grunted and staggered backward, once again out of ainst the wound, but it didn’t stop the bleeding

"For that," she hissed, "you will die horribly"

She raised her free hand and blue sparks began to dance across her fingertips I drew back the knife, taking ai little choice

But before I could release the blade, so hit the door-hard-and the whole frame shuddered Hanna spun as the door took another blow, and this tiers grasping for the second knife as another blow hit the door, and this tiht dead

Kye

He didn’t even coun and fired in one smooth ht through, splattering the back of her head against the wall behind her

As her body sluhed in relief I’d been saved Maybe not in the manner I’d expected-or by whom I’d expected-but life was life and I wasn’t about to grumble

"Any other probleun at the ready, in the doorway

"Not that I know of But you’re the one sensitive to ic For all I know, this room could have zombies hidden in the walls as well"

"I can’t feel that sort of dark raaze hed softly and dropped the knife onto theout like a bell as I squeezed

"Says thea chunk of hair and flesh from the side of his head"

He holstered the weapon and walked toward ered on hiood

"Silver cuffs?" he said, eyeing the chains intently

"And a silver bullet in et that out first"

He looked at me, his expression all cool efficiency "There’s only one easy way to do that, I’m afraid"

"There’s no easy way to do it, and we both know it"

He gave "

"Oh, will you just cut the crap and get on with it?"

"As you wish," he said, as he raised a fist and hit me hard I was out before I could even swear at the bastard

When I finally came to, I was in wolf forone The hard metal surface of the tabletop had been replaced by an even harder, colder tiled floor My fur ht have protected me from the chill of it a little better than ested I had been lying there for a while

The air itself was also cold, and ripe with the scent of blood, death, and man-one man, no more Kye hadn’t called in help and I wasn’t sure why I thought hethe Directorate and its people in any way, shape, or form would be a consideration only if it suited his own aims I had no doubt he’d helped et his kill and clai the bullet? Well, if he hadn’t it ood for his health He had no idea just how much I’d told the Directorate about his involveh to suspect they’d come after him if I died

I opened my eyes Hanna’s body still lay on the floor near the table, looking ile in death than she ever had in life

Kye squatted against the wall opposite, watchingup an adversary His dark red hair was still matted with blood, as were his clothes, and his face was battered and bruised

I wanted him And hated myself for it

I closed e had swept over ed my knees close toacross my skin, and I could only thank God the ht not have been so easy to control

"I need to call the Directorate in," I said, my voice clipped "If you don’t want to be involved, you’d better leave"

"We need to talk first"

"Kye, there’s nothing you and I need to talk about Nothing"

Especially not the heat that simmered between us, nor the fact that he’d saved aze fro to ease the stiffness out of it At least I could ain, even if the tips still felt a little nu the aftereffects hadn’t lasted a whole lot longer In fact, I felt ah the wound, that shouldn’t have been the case

"There’s so very vital we need to discuss, and you know it"

His voice was flat, yet there was an edge in it that olden eyes burned with heat and passion, and soer on In any other man I would have called it fear, but this

"I really don’t knohat you’re talking about, Kye"

And yet I did He was talking about the heat and the lust that still burned It was a flaer ere together It was as if our bodies were calling to each other, so that neither of us really wanted and yet couldn’t fight

"And you really do need to go," I added Alo before I know for sure"

He rose as he said it, and part of me wanted to scoot backward and keep the distance between us

"There’s nothing to know, Kye Just leave it and go"