The only thing keeping my rage in check was the urgent need to get Ethan out of there. After Kat removed all the tubes and the sedatives that kept him comatose, he barely stirred. It would take time for him to wake fully, but what mattered was he was finally safe.
Both Zack and Kieran supported Ethan, draping his arms over their shoulders. As we prepared to leave, I couldn’t help but touch Ethan’s face, feeling the thick stubble that matched his dark hair. The sight of him nearly broke my composure.
“Alright, let’s get out of here,” I said, pulling away from Ethan, my expression undoubtedly pained. If I stayed any longer, the anger from seeing what they’d done to him might make me lose control. I turned and led the way out of the room.
We moved more slowly with Ethan, but the pace kept us quiet. We navigated through the top floor, avoiding a gaping hole that exposed us to the street below.
As we walked through the living room towards the back door, something made me stop. Kat, beside me, halted too, while Eve kept watch at the rear, ensuring the guards were still unconscious.
“What’s wrong?” Kieran asked, scanning the room.
There were six of us, but I felt a seventh presence. I blinked at the unconscious guards on the floor. There should have been three.
Everything slowed as the third guard appeared. He was so close, I felt his rough arm wrap around my shoulders and his nails dig into my skin. My pulse thundered with the realization of our precarious situation.
Kieran froze, his eyes fixed on the guard holding me. Zack, concerned, took Ethan’s full weight so Kieran could step forward. A growl escaped Kieran’s lips, and I knew the guard saw it as a challenge.
Before I could tell Kieran to act, Eve moved, but the guard tightened his grip, his nails piercing my skin. Blood trickled down my neck.
“Don’t even think about it!” the guard snarled, squeezing harder.
Eve lowered her arms and head, her action not entirely futile. The guard’s grip tightened, his fingers on my throat, making physical contact.
I had sworn not to use my soul-devouring abilities again, but desperation pushed me to try. If I failed, it would be my life. Feeling his soul’s warmth through the contact, I fought my instinct to take it all at once, instead, carefully siphoning his strength.
Kieran, inching closer, stopped at my mental command. The guard wobbled, feeling the drain.
“What are you doing to me?” he rasped. I tore open the barrier, inhaling his soul’s strength in one pull. My body swelled with power, and I unleashed it in a blast, sending the guard flying.
Free from his grip, I should have been able to breathe, but my hands found the blood at my throat. Kieran caught me as I began to fall, pressing on the wound.
Everything blurred. Zack and Eve hovered over me, while Kieran tried to stop the bleeding, telling me I would heal. Kat took my face in her hands, grounding me. All the sounds and smells hit me at once.
Eve muttered to herself, shaking her head. Kieran, frantic, tried to reassure me, knowing I had used all my energy. I had nothing left to give.
“Heal yourself!” Kat shouted in my face, her shrill voice piercing my ears. I understood what she was saying, but I couldn’t force myself to respond. I couldn’t feed from her-I wasn’t sure I could stop if I started. She cursed, then slapped me, not hard, but enough to snap me out of my daze. I blinked, feeling numb and detached.
“Feed off my soul and heal yourself, Sophia!” she demanded.
Kieran’s eyes darted to Kat, desperate. He knew my soul-eating abilities wouldn’t work on him or Ethan-we were parts of the same soul. Feeding on them would be like feeding on myself.
“Don’t you dare,” Zack snarled, charging forward, his eyes flashing dangerously at Kat. But she ignored him.
“Do it!” she shouted, her voice cracking as she shook me again.
“No.” Zack’s voice was firm as he looked at me, his eyes bright and furious. “Take what you need from me, Sophia. Just leave me alive.”
My magic lashed out, sinking its claws into Zack as soon as he offered. It was as if it had been waiting for this, driven by the adrenaline and our will to survive.
Zack stiffened, discomfort evident on his face. His skin paled, and he swayed before collapsing to his knees. Kat backed away, her fingers trembling. Her eyes hardened as she made her decision to distance herself further.
Warmth flooded me, chasing away the cold and fog at the edges of my vision. I felt the wound in my neck knitting together, fueled by Zack’s life force. When I was healed, I severed the connection, though my instincts screamed to drain him dry. I was healed but far from full strength.
As I stopped feeding and our eyes locked, I realized I had just exposed my secret to one of the most dangerous people in the werewolf world. Carlos Caddel knew I was a soul-eater, and now Maverick Billford son knew too.
“We need to get out of here,” Zack grumbled, forcing himself to stand. He wobbled, and I noticed Kat’s eyes flicking over his shaking frame. “If he’s really called backup, they’ll be here soon.”
Somehow, we managed to escape the house, trekking through the small patch of forest to the sedan we’d parked earlier. Zack sat in the passenger seat, while Ethan was between Kat and me. Eve was in the back, nodding to the music blasting through her headphones.
I wanted to ask Zack about her, but none of us were in a talking mood. I kept a close eye on Zack. His skin, initially sickly, had regained some color within half an hour. He was still weak, rubbing his temples, but it seemed as long as I didn’t drain someone entirely, they could survive.
“I bet that’s the backup the guard mentioned,” Kieran said, nodding towards the highway. Six black SUVs sped by in a uniform line. I leaned my head against Ethan’s shoulder, grateful for the tinted windows.
In the chaos, I had forgotten we weren’t supposed to leave the hotel, or rescue Ethan from Maverick Billford. We had to keep our actions secret and hide Ethan in the suite. With help from his white wolf allies, Zack got us back to the suite undetected. He reluctantly revealed he had friends among the hotel staff, explaining our backdoor entrance.
Kieran had just helped Ethan inside when Zack gave me a long, dissecting look. He ignored Kat, but he couldn’t forget what happened. Their bond had strengthened through these events.
“My father already suspects you might be a soul-eater. Once he knows for sure, he will stop at nothing to own you.” He grimaced, turning to leave. Hesitating, he sighed quietly. “If things go bad tomorrow, you need an escape plan.”
Torn between two worlds, bred in the shadows, Zack Billford turned and vanished down the hall.