In pure panic, I fisted his hair and yanked his face back to mine. I did the one thing I knew would give him pause. Lifting my own head, I flicked my tongue over one of his extended fangs, and he physically jerked against me. Knowing it would feel like a sensual caress, I sucked lightly on his long, sharp fang, gently running my tongue up and down it.
Hearing his breathing hitch, I took the opportunity given. I heaved, jerking him to the side and flipping us so that I was now pressing down on him, blocking his body — somewhat — from the broken window and any Com who might appear there. I kept my grip tight on his hair as I lifted my head away.
The blood staining his face did nothing to hide his expression.
Shock.
Perfect. Exactly what I had wanted. He was no longer furious.
“Antonio is an Elder.” I spoke fact, trying to get through to him. “He’s giving us an order, and we’re under attack. You follow his direction even if you don’t understand why.”
Spring green eyes disappeared, only to reappear gradually, in a slow blink. “I can’t believe you did that.”
I sighed heavily. “I had to. You were about to commit suicide.” I shook his head inside my hold when he continued to lay there blinking. “Antonio said we’re surrounded. That there are two more,” I paused when Antonio fired again and killed another Com attempting to enter through the window, “waves of Coms,” my breath rushed past my lips as Ezra flipped us to press my back once more to the unforgiving floor and lay on top of me to hold me down, but I kept on, “about to surge. It’s time to run. Trust me on this. Trust Antonio. He wouldn’t tell us to do something if it wasn’t in our best interest.”
Fangs still extended, Ezra lowered his head so that his features were an inch from mine. “There are things out there I need to kill.”
“You killed all there are here today,” Antonio shouted, clearly past compromising. “Quit rolling around on the damn floor and get up.”
Ezra’s lips thinned as his gaze darted to Antonio. “They’re all dead?”
“Yes,” Antonio muttered through his teeth. “Listen to me when I say that you four need to leave. Lily’s right. You might not understand, but you will,” his eyes instantly glowed golden, “obey me or you will face punishment. I am your damn Elder, with years more experience than you.” His lips lifted into a smile that wasn’t pleasant. “Your choice, Ezra.”
His jaw clenching, the threat clear, Ezra slowly nodded. “As long as they’re all dead, I’ll do as you say.”
Antonio chuckled derisively and fired at another Com. “You’re definitely your father’s son.” It didn’t sound like a compliment.
Ezra ignored Antonio’s razzing, his eyes darting down to mine and deliberately running over my features. “Your distraction was effective,” his monstrous, blood-tainted face lowered further as he placed his warm lips against my ear, “but you’re so getting payback, sweetheart.”
I imagined he would try. You never messed with a Vampire’s fangs. My own, even if small because of my hidden hybrid nature, were extremely sensitive. Ezra knew I understood. Retribution was definitely in my foreseeable future as long as we lived through this.
“Ezra, dear, I agree with Elder Farrar,” Vivian — Ezra’s mom — murmured from her hidden space under the desk, her voice dry. “You should quit rolling on the floor with a Shifter.”
Ezra stilled on top of me, just as I froze under him.
We had forgotten about her. It wasn’t the first time we had done that. Ezra’s mom was just too quiet. She watched, then spoke only when her mood suited. Her mood obviously suited now, since Mysticals of different factions didn’t ‘roll on the floor’ together.
“Right,” Ezra stated loudly, his carefully blank face lifting in her direction. His fangs retracted, leaving perfectly white, straight teeth showing between his partially opened red, wide lips. “I was only telling her—”
“Ezra,” Vivian interjected, “just get off her.”
“Of course,” he mumbled, rising and yanking me to my feet, only to quickly tug me away from the window.
Ezra and I stared at our other besties, the Mage and water Elemental, Pearl Cooper and Jack Collins, who were lying on the floor where we had gently and safely placed them after they had passed out when their mates, Gideon and Nikki, had died. Ezra and I glanced at each other, and it was obvious neither of us wanted to wake them. When they awoke…
I shook my head and turned my attention to Antonio. “They won’t be able to focus. All they’ll think of is Gideon or Nikki.” Their sorrow was going to be unquestionably horrendous when they roused. “They’ll get themselves killed.”
Antonio nodded. “That’s why I’m going spell them.” He brushed a strand of golden hair, which had escaped his hair tie, behind his ear as his eyes darted to Vivian. “Do you have lipstick or lip gloss that I may use?”