Her Wild Hero

He tried to shove Kendra out of the way, but he was too late. She went down with one of the snarling creatures on her back, her scream echoing in his ears. All Declan could do was pray she lasted until he got to her. And the other two weren’t going to make that easy.

He’d barely lifted the barrel of his M4 when both creatures hit him like a ton of bricks, sending his weapon and rucksack flying. Declan let his body shift as he went down, cursing that he didn’t have the superlong claws and fangs like other shifters in the DCO. But then again, he probably wouldn’t have known what to do with them if he did. Fortunately, he did know how to use the one shifter ability he’d always depended on—his strength. And he needed that strength now to get the two psycho monsters away from him so he could help Kendra.

He got a hand around one hybrid’s throat while he used his free arm to deflect the creature’s long-ass claws. Or tried to anyway. The beast found his target a couple times, slicing into his chest and shoulder.

Declan bit back a growl and tightened his grip on the hybrid’s throat, squeezing until he felt something squish. He shoved the first attacker away and sent a kick toward the knee of the second one. It didn’t land, but it made the thing skip back a step.

That was the opening Declan needed. He lunged to his feet and darted over to Kendra. His heart lurched. The hybrid was on her back, both hands clawing at her rucksack like a creature possessed. Hunks of the pack and its contents were flying everywhere, but Declan couldn’t tell if the beast’s claws had hit anything vulnerable yet. He threw himself at the hybrid, knocking it off Kendra and sending it tumbling.

Declan came down on top of the creature, hoping to get his arms around it and crush the damn thing to death, but it was too fast. The beast slipped out from under him like it was greased, swiping at him the same maniacal way it had gone at Kendra. The thing worked itself into a rage trying to reach him. Declan desperately wanted to get back to Kendra’s side, but at the moment, it was all he could do to just keep the hybrid from sinking its teeth into him.

He shot a quick glance past his attacker and saw Kendra scrambling backward like a crab in an effort to reach her weapon, where it lay on the ground. He swore as the hybrid whose windpipe he crushed advanced on her. What the hell did it take to put these things down?

Declan couldn’t count on Kendra reaching her weapon in time. He had to get to her.

He roared, gathering himself to charge the frenzied creature in front of him. He’d probably take a shot or two from those razor-sharp claws as he bulled past the thing, but it’d be worth it if it meant saving Kendra’s life.

But then a little voice in the back of his head reminded him that he hadn’t seen the third hybrid in freaking forever.

He turned just as a blur darted toward him.

He caught an arm and twisted, hearing a satisfying crunch as he took down the hybrid. He’d crush every bone in its body if he had to.

But when Declan moved to go in for the killing blow, the hypodermic syringe in the hybrid’s grip froze him in place. As big around as his wrist, it had a four-inch needle with yellow goo dripping from the tip.

What the fuck?

He didn’t have time to consider why the hybrid had just tried to stick him with a needle because the rabid creature he’d been about to charge earlier leaped on him. But instead of going for Declan’s throat, the beast reached for the needle. The three of them went down in a rolling ball of claws, fangs, and muscles as they all fought for control of the syringe.

Declan was so focused on trying to keep whatever was in the needle out of his body, he barely registered the sound when a weapon rattled off three-round bursts right over his head. The hybrid holding the needle flinched, giving Declan the opportunity he needed to get the heel of one hand under the thing’s chin and shove—hard enough to snap its neck and make the back of its head connect with his shoulder blades. He didn’t wait to see what effect that had on the creature. If it survived a neck broken that badly, Declan was beyond screwed.

Ripping the syringe out of the dead hybrid’s hand, he jabbed it into the neck of the other hybrid. He hadn’t really intended to inject the thing. He just wanted that big-ass needle someplace out of the way.

Declan shoved the hybrid away, praying he wasn’t too late to help Kendra. But as he rolled to his feet, he realized she didn’t need his help. She aimed her M4 at the hybrid he’d stuck with the syringe and shot the thing in the head.

He put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay? Did that thing get you?”

Declan didn’t wait for an answer, but instead spun her around to check for himself. Her uniform top was torn in a few places, but the skin underneath appeared beautifully unmarred.

“I’m okay,” she said. “It was close, but you got it off me in time.”

Thank God. Declan was so relieved he felt like hugging her. He probably would have if her eyes hadn’t gone wide with horror. Oh, shit. What now?

“You’re bleeding!” she said.

Declan looked down at the gash on his chest. “It’s just a scratch. He barely got me.”