Jonathan sucked in a breath. “Shit, that was—”
The earth crumbled and Dr. Dante hit the ground. More dirt broke free, and he tumbled forward.
“Oh, fuck.” The burn of the Sarvari set fire to Jonathan’s muscles, pushing him faster than any human could move. His boots hit the incline, digging ruts into the dirt. And he was running again before gravity brought down his full weight on the path where Dr. Dante should have been rather than dangling near the quarry's edge.
Red smeared over Dr. Dante’s arms and trickled from lacerations around his hairline.
Don’t move, don’t move.Jonathan was almost there, then Dr. Dante sat up and slid from his line of sight.
Jonathan leapt, closing the space between them just as Dr. Dante’s legs dropped below the ridge of the quarry. Johnathan locked his grip on the man’s forearm.
The shock of skin-to-skin contact seized Johnathan’s muscles, threatening to jerk him to his knees. He dug his boot heel into the rocky soil and hauled Dr. Dante from over the ledge. The movement fanned the scientist’s scent, sliding it over Johnathan’s tongue, leaving behind the flavor of sex, only sweeter—food, only richer, and a taste Jonathan couldn’t place.
Fuck. Now he understood why his brother had insisted Dr. Dante wasn’t an ordinary Varu.
“T-Thanks. That was—” Dr. Dante lifted his eyes. All the color bled from his face as horror replaced relief.
Dr. Dante dropped his jaw.
Johnathan slapped a hand over Dr. Dante’s mouth. Stinging lines gouged Johnathan’s palm and he bit back a curse. Dr. Dante threw back an arm, clocking Johnathan in the face with his fist. A kick struck the side of his knee. With the Sarvari, the pain wasn’t even an inconvenience, but as a man trying to save Dr. Dante’s life, it was fucking annoying.
Dr. Dante continued to twist in his grip. “Be still, goddamn it, or we’ll both fall.” Johnathan teetered to the side but regained his balance and hauled Dr. Dante back up the hillside using the toe of his boot to carve out footholds.
The ground leveled out, and by the time Johnathan got Dr. Dante to the truck, the scientist’s chest heaved.
“What the hell, Johnathan.” Seung ran over. “Do you really have to manhandle everyone?”
“He was going to scream. What did you expect me to do?”
“Yeah, because you scared him.” To Dr. Dante, Seung said, “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” Calm and peace radiated from her in waves, despite the Fenrir being a shadow at her back.
Johnathan was sure once she had her wolf back, she’d be able to stop a raging bull with an exhale.
A raging molecular biologist, however, occupied a whole other level.
Dogs barked in the distance.
“Shit. We need to—”
Seung blocked Johnathan’s path. “We need to talk to him.”
“Talk in the truck. They’re looking for him. They find him and they find us.” Johnathan and Frost could Phase and outrun the military, but Seung didn’t have a wolf. And while she might be stronger and faster than average, a single bullet in the right spot would kill her.
Seung cursed. “Fine.”
Johnathan followed her to the truck.
She opened the back door, and Johnathan got in. He scooted across the bench seat with Dr. Dante and wound up with his back against the other door and the scientist pinned to his chest, sitting between his knees.
Seung shut the door, and Dr. Dante stomped his heel against the glass.
Frost started the truck and Seung took shotgun. The rumble of the engine almost drowned out Dr. Dante’s muffled yell.
“Dr. Dante, please.” Seung turned in her seat. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
He shoved his elbow into Johnathan’s ribs over and over.
“I don’t think…” Johnathan grunted. “He believes…” Another grunt. “You.”