He lifted his hand.

Destroy.

It was what the beast wanted. The ambulance wasn’t slowing. Attacking me?

The fire flickered around his fingers, but from inside, buried so deep, the man’s thoughts pushed through the rage.

Eve. Inside. Get her.

The ambulance driver braked the vehicle. A squeal of tires. The scent of burning rubber.

The driver stared at Cain in horror. Saw the flames around him. Then the man leaped from the ambulance and ran away.

Cain stalked forward.

Get her.

He reached the back of the ambulance. Yanked open the door. Eve. She was strapped down. A man was shoving a needle into her arm.

No.

A roar filled his ears. A roar that came from within. He reached for that man. Kill. The flames licked on the man’s skin. He screamed. Begged.

“Stop!” Eve’s voice.

The flames flickered.

The human scrambled back.

Cain jumped into the ambulance. Tore away the bonds that held her down and yanked her into his arms.

“Let her go!” A woman’s voice. He didn’t know that voice. Didn’t know that woman.

He only knew Eve.

The other woman was reaching for him. Trying to take Eve back.

He needed Eve. There was too much darkness. He could barely breathe. Barely think.

Need.

“Stay away from us,” Eve said. “Just stay away!”

The words drove into his skull. Pain exploded inside him and—

Eve put her arms around him. Her shirt was ripped open. Cut open? Her warm, soft skin pressed against him. “Just stay away. He isn’t going to hurt me.”

She was alive. Her words—they hadn’t been for him. She wanted to be with him.

He carried her from the ambulance. Carried her down the street. Past the cops and the ambulances.

While most were smart enough to stay the hell back, one man came racing toward them.

“Not now!” Eve yelled at him.

The man—ash-stained clothing, desperate eyes, the stench of wolf on him . . .

He’d shot Eve. The memory whispered through Cain’s mind.

“Keep everyone back,” Eve called out. “His control . . . it’s too weak now. Keep them back.”

Cain wanted that man to come closer. Come taste the fire. “That one will burn,” he promised, voice a rasp. “So slowly.”

Eve’s arms tightened around him. “No. You aren’t hurting him. You aren’t hurting anyone.”

He would. He’d make that bastard scream in agony and—

Eve caught the back of his head. Forced his lips down to hers. She kissed him.

He could taste the tears on her lips.

Tears? Eve was crying?

I almost lost her.

He remembered the taste of salt on her skin. Remembered being broken. Ready for hell.

Then . . .

I heard her heartbeat.

She’d come back, so he’d fought hell to get to her.

His mouth opened on hers. Desperate. So hungry. He kissed her. Again and again. Deep. Hard. Consuming.

The roar in his ears—that was the pounding of his blood. The beast fighting the man. But Eve was in his arms. Eve was kissing him. Eve was alive.

He pushed back the darkness. He held her tighter. Her body slid down against his. Flesh pressed to flesh. He didn’t care about the others around him.

Only her.

She was the only thing that had ever mattered.

Eve pulled her mouth from his. She stared up at him with eyes so wide. What did she see?

Flames in his gaze?

A beast and a man?

Eve smiled at him. “Let’s get out of here,” she told him, voice soft and tender.

Maybe it was to protect the humans. Maybe she wanted him away from innocents. Right then, he didn’t care. He just needed to be with her.

Had to be with her.

“Eve!” The detective’s voice. Rage built in Cain, grew.

But the cop tossed her a pair of keys. Eve caught then in her left hand and closed her fingers into a fist around them. The cop pointed to a black truck on the right.

Other cops tried to move forward, but Roberts lifted his hand. “Bad f**king plan, trust me. Let him go for now, if you want to keep living.”

The cops stopped advancing. Cain lowered Eve to the ground, and she led him to the truck. Fire trailed in his wake.

They fled the chaos. Driving fast and hard. Eve’s hand was in his. Her body pressed against his. He could hold onto his sanity for just a little longer. Until they were away from the humans . . .

For just a little longer.

He could fight the darkness. As long as Eve was at his side, he could fight any damn thing.