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then turned to head toward the stable entrance. But he didn’t walk that way. Far too easy to go inside and face possible attack. Instead, he crept through one of the open windows along the side. Immediately, he caught the scent of the stable’s contents—hay mixed with the remnants of the horses that had lived there long ago.  
    The wood didn’t creak or give way when he climbed on the boards and angled himself into an old tack room. Emma followed him. Side by side, they stole through bales of hay, pausing once in a while to listen. But nothing stirred.
    He didn’t feel fear. Matter of fact, the hunt drove him forward. He wanted to find Liam and crush him with his bare hands. They stopped suddenly as a flock of ravens burst from the rafters and escaped through an opening in the roof.  
    He could faintly hear Em’s rapid heartbeat. Hands shaking, she clutched the gun close, but she remained silent. He pulled up his jeans and gave her the bowie knife strapped to his leg, trading knife for gun. She had more experience with a knife anyway. She ran her finger along the blade and gave him her most sinister grin.  
    ‘Atta girl. He gave her a thumbs-up.
    They coursed through the storage room faster, searching for Liam, but the hidden nooks and crannies revealed nothing. Then out of the shadows, something—or rather someone—leaped out. A rabid wolf with open jaws and savage claws jumped him. Another one brought up the rear and stalked after Emma.  
    But instead of taking on her attacker, she suddenly bolted. What the fuck? Kyle couldn’t go after her with the hulking beast trying to wrestle him to the ground. With a grunt, he used one arm to keep the man’s gapping mouth from his face. Its eyes gazed past him, not seeing him as a man, but rather as a target. He angled himself away from the growing stench of decay and reached for his gun. The wolf slapped his arm after he retrieved it, and the blow knocked the gun loose, flinging it through the air and landing far out of reach.
    Shit . Even worse, the man’s face began to contort as the change flowed over him. His back hunched, creating a macabre form as the wolf tried to burst forth. With a guttural cry, Kyle pulled out a second Glock, a .30, aimed for the werewolf’s throat and fired quickly.  
    Five pops later, the glow in the crazed wolf’s eyes dimmed—the transformation incomplete. With a mighty heave, Kyle shoved the man off his body. He looked to the body lying on the ground and shook his head. What a waste of innocent werewolves. Most of these bastards were relentless now. They didn’t pause to make decisions or choices regarding their actions. They only had one goal: To maim and rip apart anything in their path.
    He spied the gun on the floor and pocketed it. After the scuffle, he expected Em to return. But he hadn’t heard a thing. Not even a cry for help. Had she taken out the other wolf? He retraced his steps and headed in the direction she’d ran, her scent still hanging in the air.
    She had a knife and knew what to do with it. What kind of trouble could she have fallen into?

    On the other side of the stable, Emma sat next to the body of a werewolf she’d taken down. The walls of the empty stall swam in and out of her vision, and the stall door remained open. Nothing blocked her path. Yet she couldn’t rise to find Kyle. She didn’t want him to see her. Not like this. Never like this.
    Get up, Emma. He’s close. Take the knife and kill him.
    No. She refused to touch the discarded weapon.
    She jabbed at the bite with her fingernails, wishing she could draw out the poison, but it was too late. The black tar of Liam’s curse clawed at her mind. The pain from the initial symptoms was much more welcome than the terror of feeling her mind slip away, falling under Liam’s control and losing the love she grasped by the fingertips and tried to hold.
    You don’t need him anymore. I’ll always be there with you.
    She couldn’t ignore it. The