Damon sprang up and yanked Janine against him, his arm wrapped around her throat. “One step closer and she dies.”
“Don’t listen to him, Raze. Just kill the bastard.” The words lacked the anger she felt because her oxygen was severely depleted.
Raze raised his hand. “What do you want, Damon?”
“Since you so obviously snuffed my punishment to begin with according to your little bitch here, I can only assume that you care for her, and I believe she is your mate.”
Raze’s eyes snapped to Janine’s and she mouthed, “sorry.”
“Take me. Just let her go, and I’ll go back with you willingly.” Raze never took his eyes from Janine.
“No!” Janine cried out before Damon tightened his hold.
“I think your bitch here might be right. I have a better idea. Since she means so much to you, you should make her one of us. Don’t you think that would be romantic, Janine?” Damon snarled.
“Please, Damon. I’ll do anything but that. Name anything else.” Raze put his hands out, palms up in a gesture of surrender.
Janine was certain deep down that Damon wasn’t going to compromise on his command, and the way Raze was offering himself up on the proverbial silver platter made her want to cry, and then kick Damon right in the jewels. Raze was willing to die for her, and her life wasn’t at stake . . . just her humanity.
“This time, when I tell you to do something, you’ll do it, or I will. Your choice, but time’s running out.” Damon’s words came in a clipped, angry manner.
Raze’s fists clenched and unclenched, and his eyes glowed. Janine knew if he got his hands on Damon, he was a dead man, and as horrible as it might make her, she was looking forward to him ripping Damon to shreds.
“Don’t do this, Damon. Mates are sacred. They aren’t meant to be abused.” Raze’s words sounded forced through his clenched jaw.
“Tick, tock, tick tock.” Damon sniffed at Janine’s hair, and she closed her eyes.
“Damon, if you do it, I’ll kill you. I swear it.” Raze’s voice was low, and the underlying tone gave credence to his promise.
“Time’s up.” Damon laughed a wicked sound that sent shivers down Janine’s spine.
Damon yanked her head to the side and bared his teeth. She screamed out and waited for the pain.
“Wait!” Raze shouted.
Chapter Thirteen
Raze’s heart thundered, and his skin crawled with fingers of dread. If it came between Damon and him biting Janine to change her, it would be him even if it meant she would hate him. Raze tried not to let his gaze travel to Janine’s torn shirt. The fact that Damon had his hands on her at all sent an inferno of rage pounding through his veins.
He walked toward Damon and Janine slowly. “I’ll do it.”
“I knew you’d come around, Raze. You’ve always been the chivalrous, white horse riding type,” Damon mocked.
“Janine. Please tell me you won’t hate me.” Raze’s breath stuck in his throat when she fixed her wide, blue eyes on him.
“It’s okay. If I have no choice, I would rather it be you. It’s not your fault. I won’t forget that.” She smiled and tears spilled down her cheeks.
He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as relief and grief washed through him. He was about to betray his mate, the one person in the whole world he was supposed to protect with his life. She’d made it very clear to him that she did not want to be changed. Hell, she couldn’t even fully accept what he was yet. He looked over his shoulder at Anthony and Brent, who’d remained silent during the confrontation with Damon.
They both nodded at him, and he was confident that Damon would be taken out the second the opportunity arose.
Raze stepped closer to Janine. He moved slow and kept his gait smooth so Damon wouldn’t feel threatened. He had no doubt that he would snap her neck without a second thought. He gave Janine a tight smile and focused on Damon.
“Let’s get this over with.” He itched to rearrange Damon’s face for him.
The situation was near unbearable. This was not how he wanted to change Janine. He’d hoped that, at some point in time, she would agree to let him change her, but not like this. He’d imagined a calm, cool, clear night in the woods, not unlike tonight, only he and she would have been alone. He would have held her in his arms, told her how much he loved her, and as they made love, he’d have claimed her completely.
Janine’s breath was sporadic, giving away her fear, but other than that, she looked at him with determination and acceptance of what was about to happen. She was a spectacular woman, and she was his. He stepped closer and Damon forced her head to the side.
“I don’t want you to hate me, Janine,” Raze whispered.
“The only way I will hate you is if you let this creep bite me instead of you.” She gave him a tremulous smile.
He was proud of how brave she was being. “I love you, Janine.” He couldn’t go through with this unless she knew how he felt.
She let out a small cry that sounded like a hiccup. “Oh, Raze.” Tears pooled in her eyes and made them sparkle. “I love you too.”
“Enough! Do it now!” Damon yelled.
“Do it, Raze,” she pleaded.
She loved him. She actually loved him. He’d never thought in a million years that she’d return the sentiment. He tilted his head, kissed her neck and licked at the silken skin. He breathed her scent deep into his lungs and it soaked into every muscle, every cell, every part of him. She’d be imprinted on him for as long as he lived, and lodged in his heart for eternity.
Every fiber of his being balked at what he was about to do. He opened his mouth and his canines elongated. He lowered his mouth closer, closer to Janine, but at the last moment, he sank his teeth into Damon’s arm and ripped a chunk of skin and muscle away from the bone. Damon screamed out his fury, and the split second of distraction allowed Raze to jerk Janine from his grasp and tumble her to the ground underneath him.
He tucked her close and rolled them a couple feet from Damon before helping her to her feet. By the time they stood, Brent and Anthony had Damon pinned to the ground. Damon snarled and howled, bit down on Brent’s arm, shifted and tried to flee, but the ancient lycans were too fast.
Brent changed and tackled Damon. Just as their bodies hit the ground, claws shot from Anthony’s fingertips and he sliced through the thick fur and skin of Damon’s neck, severing his jugular.
The wolf choked and shifted back into Damon’s human form where he lay in a puddle of blood. He gasped once and was quiet.
“Sorry, Raze. I know you wanted to take him out, but we couldn’t risk him getting away.” Brent had changed back to his human form and the injuries Damon had inflicted on him before he shifted were healed.
“No worries. I’m happy as long as Janine is safe.” He held her close and gave her a gentle squeeze.
“You both all right?” Anthony seemed restless.
“Yes.” Janine hung on tightly to Raze. “Thank you.”
Janine watched as Anthony and Brent disappeared into the woods. She shivered as the adrenaline rush from being scared started wearing off, and the cool night air settled into her bones.
“Let’s get back to the cabin.” Raze nudged her in the direction of their lodgings, but stayed close behind her.
She shivered again. Damon had deserved what he’d gotten, but it didn’t make what she’d witnessed any less tragic or terrifying. She was tired and a bit sore from being tossed around and manhandled. Worst of all was the way her head pounded from the hair Damon had ripped from her scalp when he’d first grabbed her.
“Yeah. I’m cold and tired.” She kept walking, and as the cabin came into sight, relief washed through her.