Our last night in this fucking place.
The package of coloured contacts was still tucked into my waistband, secure even if we had to run.
We had everything we needed to escape.
All we had to do was survive.
And someone was trying to make sure that didn’t happen.
I led my omega toward the door, making sure her hand stayed on the small of my back, shoved under my ripped shirt to touch my bare skin. Karma could handle one; I’d sensed his aura flare and felt his visceral glee in the bond as he choked the man.
But when I peered past the door and into the hall, gun in my grip, there was already more than one.
Holden’s pack mates and allies were everywhere.
Five of them were challenging Karma in one direction, and in the other, I could see Grady—one of the more brutish members of Holden’s pack. Not an alpha I wanted to join the fight againstKarma. He was scouring the hallway, but froze as he caught sight of me, a smirk curving his lips.
Shit.
Karma was a force of nature, aura crackling, fists flying, blood dripping from his freshly split lip. But it was five on one.
No one could win that.
I shoved back a burst of fear. Ineededto get Crescent the fuck out of here.
In one direction was the fight, the other was open, but for Grady.
One alpha, one bullet.
Even hours away from our appeal, it felt wrong to waste it, but I glanced back, knowing we didn’t have time for indecision.
Fuck.
No choice.
I’d love to blow his brains out, but I had a better shot of hitting him by aiming for the bigger target.
Right in the stomach. At least he’d die nice and slowly.
Painfully.
At this time of night, none of the medic packs in this place would be awake to help—and fishing out bullets from internal organs wasn’t their expertise, anyway.
There was no time to tell Crescent the plan, and I couldn’t give away our next move. She would follow me—she trusted me, and I needed that.
Tensing my body, I swung the gun to point at Grady in a flash.
His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, but I pulled the trigger in the millisecond before he could react.
The bang made my ears ring. It startled everyone in the echoey hall, a hush falling. A moment of pause.
Blood splattered the wall behind Grady, and he collapsed to his knees. I grabbed Crescent’s hand and yanked her as heclutched his stomach. His howl broke through the ringing, but I didn’t have time to enjoy it.
Time to run.
The other alpha was no longer after us. Karma had used the panic to his advantage, having broken free of the others, and tackled the nearest one to the ground, teeth ripping into his neck.
His eyes met mine for a moment, blood smearing his chin.