He hit the brakes, and the world slowed to barely moving. Suddenly, everything launched back into fast motion.
Lex cried out, her fingers digging into Bear’s waist. They swung to the side. Bear released the handlebars, half turned, grabbed her, and flew off the bike. Somewhere in the air, he tucked himself around her, his shoulders impacting a large pine tree. The shock ricocheted through him to Lex, and she held tighter as they plunged to the ground. She landed on Bear and scrambled to her knees, reaching for her ankle weapon to defend him.
No way would he survive that without several broken bones. Hopefully he wasn’t dead. Pivoting, she watched the dirt bike roll end-over-end, tossing its rider into a huckleberry bush.
The first guy stopped his bike and swung off.
She pointed the gun and slowly stood, blocking Bear’s prone body. “Get down, asshole,” she yelled.
He smiled and held out both hands, creating more flames.
She crouched and squeezed off three shots, aiming for center mass. The guy jerked back three times but remained upright. What the hell? Shit.
She probably needed one of those green laser throwing guns.
With a low growl, Bear lurched to his feet, shaking his head.
She eyed him. A deep gash bled above his right eye and his right arm angled oddly to the side—broken in at least two places. “Run, Bear. I’ll hold them off.”
The dirt-bike rider shoved free of the bush, aqua-colored flames shooting from his fingers.
Interesting that they all had different colored flames.
She shook her head, her voice low and intense. “It’s hard to explain, Bear, but these guys throw fire. They’re strong and tough and apparently bullets don’t hurt them. Run. Now.” She’d aim for the legs and hope Bear got to safety.
A ball of aqua fire slammed into the tree behind them.
Bear jumped in front of Lex, and she tried to shove the back of his waist to propel him away from danger.
He growled. Low and menacing, the sound forced her back a step. He lifted his head and let loose with a series of rumbling growls. His arms spread out, even the broken one, and his shirt ripped down the seams.
Lex’s breath caught in her throat. What in holy hell? She tried to move back against the tree, but flaming bark burned her, and she cried out.
Bear turned toward her, his clothes hitting the ground. Fur sprang up along his skin, his nose elongated, and he dropped to all fours as a bear—a huge-ass, larger than possible, grizzly bear.
She blinked, her brain shutting down.
Sharp teeth emerged from his mouth, and he snarled.
A ball of fire hit him, and he yelped. The stench of burning fur clogged the air.
Roaring, Bear pivoted and launched himself across the yards to the dirt-bike rider, enclosing the witch’s throat with powerful jaws. A twist of Bear’s shoulder, and the guy’s head was ripped off his body. Blood squirted up as the headless corpse dropped to the already red asphalt.
Bile rose in Lex’s throat, but she swallowed it down. Fear sharpened the day, even through smoke and blood. She pointed her gun toward Bear, who was stalking on all fours toward the other bike rider.
She didn’t even know bears got that big, much less human turned grizzly. God. Bear had turned into a fucking bear.
The guy smiled and twisted his torso, pummeling Bear with fireball after fireball.
Bear howled in pain, bunched, and lunged at the witch, landing on him and knocking him down.
“Bear, stop!” Lex yelled, her gun out, running toward the duo. They might be immortal, freaky creatures, but murder was murder. “Don’t—”
Bear sank his canines into the witch’s neck, his incisors scratching like nails on a chalkboard as they reached asphalt. His powerful jaws snapped shut, and he straightened to toss the head into the crackling tree.
Lex backed away, her hands shaking. So much fear lumped in her stomach, she needed to puke.
Bear turned and ambled toward her. Her ankle hit the downed bike, and she began to fall, pulling the trigger. The bullet hit Bear in the shoulder, and blood sprayed. He jerked back and opened his jaw to howl, the sound angry and wild.
The last sight she had before her head impacted with the asphalt was a pissed off grizzly, teeth bared, lumbering toward her.
Chapter 20
“I’m fuckin’ going to kill you, Bear,” a low voice echoed as Lex forced herself from dreamland.
She opened her eyes to see Kellach peering down, his black eyes blazing, his hand gentle and wrapped around hers. “What?” she asked, tasting soot.
“I have you, Alexandra,” he said, smoothing her hair from her forehead, his soft tone a direct contrast to the fury all but cascading off him.
She shook her head and winced. “Ouch.” Slowly, she glanced around a typical office. Desk piled high with papers, computer, copier, guest chairs, and a sofa. The smell of motor oil and smoke was strong.
Smoke.