“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t let it be. I can’t fail you.” He pointed to Luke. “Send her to me, and I’ll send the vampire over—with the same gift I always promised Julian she would get.”
Gift? “No,” Rose said, then she shouted, “No! I don’t want any gift from you. I don’t want a human life. I don’t want any kind of magical do-over. I want what I’ve got.” In the distance, she heard the whir of an approaching helicopter. “I won’t change.”
“Rose…” Luke’s voice drifted to her. “Are you sure? Do you know what you’re giving up?”
She knew. She turned to face Luke. “Shifters aren’t supposed to love humans. That’s one of your precious rules, right?”
He gave a grim nod. “Shifters are too brutal, they can’t—”
“They can love vampires, though. Can’t they? Because a vampire can handle a beast.”
Leo’s hand curled around her shoulder. “You’d give up my gift for a shifter? You’d lose your life for him?”
He didn’t understand. The angel was right. He was the confused one. “I’m not giving up anything. I’m choosing. And I’m choosing him.” Julian had just better stop being a dumbass and choose her in return. She turned her head and stared at the angel. “So there’s no trade here. Lila is free.”
Luke exhaled. “I wish that were the case.” He rolled back his shoulders. “But I hold no dominion over the light. He does.” His eyes glowed in the dark. “I thought you still wanted to be human, Rose, so when Leo came to me, desperate because the angel had vanished with Rayce, I found them. I brought them back here.”
A growl came from the darkness. Rayce’s growl. “A shitty move,” Rayce called out.
Leo inched closer to the angel.
Rose heard the pop and crack of bones. Somewhere in those shadows, Rayce was transforming.
“I hold no dominion over her,” Luke said again. “But he does…and since I’ve brought her here…”
“She’ll be leaving with me.” Leo rushed toward the angel with a burst of speed. His hand reached out to grab her, but a giant white wolf appeared in his path.
And that wolf snapped at Leo’s hand.
Leo yelled and jerked back, narrowly avoiding those razor-sharp teeth.
The wolf stood guard in front of the angel.
“Angel!” Leo bellowed.
The whir of the helicopter blades was even louder. Rose felt the rush of air against her back. The chopper was landing.
“Angel, come to me!” Leo ordered.
Lila took a wrenching step forward, as if she were a puppet, being pulled on a string.
Luke said he had no dominion over her. Leo controls her. She has to do what he says.
The wolf whined and bumped against her, but the angel kept walking with those hard, lurching steps.
“You tricked me,” Luke said to his brother, and his voice crackled with anger. “You knew that Rose didn’t want to go back, didn’t you? But you couldn’t find the angel. You had to get her close enough to hear your voice so you could control her. You used me.” His eyes didn’t just glow now. They blazed.
Leo opened his hand to Lila.
She shook her head, but her hand rose, as if she’d take his. As soon as they touched, Rose knew Leo would spirit the angel away.
It’s not right. It’s not what she wants.
The wolf howled as he shifted back into the form of a man. “Let her go, you bastard!” Rayce demanded and then he was flying across the sand.
The wind pounded into Rose’s back. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Julian bounding from the helicopter. “Rose!” Julian screamed. “No, you can’t take her!”
But Leo wasn’t there to take her. He was about to take the angel who shook as she reached for his hand. The angel who wasn’t being given the choice she wanted.
Screw this.
Leo was worried about the threat coming from Rayce, but Rose was the one standing closest to him. And had he learned nothing from their last little episode? She shoved the angel to the ground and Rose was the one who grabbed Leo’s hand. She jerked his wrist forward and her teeth sank into him. His blood pulsed into her mouth, hot and powerful, just like before.
“No!” Julian bellowed. “Rose, please, no!”
It was too late. She’d attacked. Leo yanked back beneath her touch but she didn’t let him go.
“Angel, get out of here!” Rayce yelled. “Fly away—now!”
Now…while Leo was distracted.
Now…while Leo was weak.
But…oddly…she was the one who felt weak.
Rose and Leo both fell to the ground, their knees hitting the sand. She still didn’t let him go.
She heard the rush of wings. That would be the angel, flying to safety. Getting far enough away from Leo that he couldn’t control her. And then she felt hands on her. Strong, warm hands that were tipped with claws. Those hands pulled her away from Leo. She blinked and found herself staring up at Julian. She tried to smile for him.
Fear had deepened the lines on his face. “Oh, love, what did you do?”
She’d…helped.
“You’re dead,” Leo rasped.
Julian lifted her into his arms. “Watch your fucking mouth, bastard.” Julian’s hold tightened on her.
Leo surged to his feet. His blood dripped into the sand. “That vamp is dead!” He lunged for her and Julian, but Luke blocked him.