Even if they are torn from it against their will.
She traveled toward the light, one foot in front of the other, then suddenly, she stopped. I knew the willpower such a thing would take. I had been drawn toward those spiraling rays of white once. The songs of the angels had called to my soul like a freshly opened petal reaching for the sun, making it impossible to see or think about anything else. Were it not for Goose and Sonja tethering my soul and forcing me to remain in the mortal realm, I would have happily crossed over.
“You will take care of him?” she whispered, so forlorn, gazing at her child.
I wanted to give her the resolution she craved, but I didn’t want to lie.
I didn’t know how much time I had left, or if I’d be around to do as she asked.
“Don’t worry.” I brought Joshua closer to my chest. “I’ll tell them everything. He’ll be fine.”
Her eyes clouded and she turned toward the blissful place I couldn’t see but recalled all too well. She strode forward with her arms extended. The peace etched across her features was beautiful, as if she was coming full circle. I watched as she walked to the wall and vanished. Pain radiated through my body then, as if a Band-Aid had been ripped from delicate, scabby tissue.
I hissed, immediately gripped by absolute misery.
The pendant thrummed once and then settled snugly between the scorched sweater and my blistered skin. I touched the charm. It was no longer hot, but cool.
I sagged, grateful for the cushions and cotton-lined wood behind my back.
Heavy footsteps and loud shouting were muffled by the walls, but I could hear a stampede coming from the hallway. The fight might have seemed to last forever, but I knew the first shot had been fired minutes earlier.
The door exploded, torn from the hinges, and crashed into thick splinters and shards against the plaster and molding. A burly man rushed inside with Carter on his heels. When he saw Joshua cradled in my arms, he stepped forward, flashing his fangs. Then he saw Jackson’s broken body crumpled at our feet and froze.
“What the fuck is going on?” Carter kneeled beside me with the larger man who was obviously the renowned pack beta, Quinn. “Did she bite you?”
I relinquished my death grip on Joshua and handed him over to his worried father, grimacing as the dried blood on my skin peeled and caked free. My arms were dead weight, muscles drained from whatever the hell had given me strength while overtaking my body. I felt like I’d been hit by a train.
“No, she didn’t bite me.” I laughed as I recalled the fight and the way I’d taken a mouthful out of her neck. “But I did get a piece of her ass. You’re not the only one with teeth.”
“This isn’t funny,” Carter snapped. “You bit her?”
And now, the moment of truth. “Sure did. Should I be worried?”
“Lycanthropy is transmitted from our saliva, not our blood. If you were bitten, you’ll start the change soon. Do you feel sick? The first twenty-four hours are critical. I need to know if you’re going through the transition.”
“She didn’t bite me,” I repeated and narrowed my eyes, glowering at him. “She didn’t get the chance. I hurt like a son of a bitch, but I don’t feel sick.”
It was impossible to tell if he was relieved or let down by the news. “Tell me what happened.”
“Jackson killed his wife.” I lifted my chin in Quinn’s direction. Then I closed my eyes. The pounding in my skull elicited a groan, and I allowed my head to tumble back and rest on a cushion. “She was a Renfield virus carrier and bit Marianne on purpose. Marianne’s spirit was in flux as a result. She’s been stuck in the apartment until vengeance was served. Jackson paid a visit while I was having a discussion with the departed and decided it was a good time to give me the same treatment.”