So much trouble already. Buildings crumbling. Streets and vehicles destroyed. Humans fighting. Cars reduced to rubble. The poor lost panther.
If I followed her, she’d do it, causing what damage she could. And the machine would fire up again, doing its own damage to Chicago. I didn’t know the machine’s range, but there was no doubt in my mind she’d cut a path through the city if she could. She’d bring Chicago down around us.
Fuck, I thought. Because there was only one option. I had to let her go.
She smiled, realizing her victory, and brushed grit from her coat. “Thank you for helping me come home again. This fits much better than Edentown.”
And then, with a hot burst of sour magic, she wasgone.
TEN
Fuck,” I said.“Fuck.”
Connor trotted over, nudged my hand with his nose. I gave him a neck scritch. “I’m okay. Change back when you’re ready,” I said.
He put a few paces between us, let the magic build around him. Light flashed as the magic became visible, a tornado that swirled around him as his body transformed from wolf back to human again. And then the light and magic faded, and he stood before me—and was very, very naked.
Shifters removed their clothes before shifting, or they’d be shredded during the transition. Moto leathers were much too expensive to waste, so they were usually naked before and after. Like a reverse Clark Kent.
The humans were beginning to stare.
“I’ve never seen that before,” said Black, who’d caught up with us. “It’s impressive.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if he meant the magic or the man. He wouldn’t be wrong either way.
Connor strode toward us—strong and substantial—prince in bearing but with fury in his eyes. And then he was on Black and had the man by the shoulders.
“What did you do to her? Why is she limping?”
“Shit,” I said, and moved forward, shoved a hand betweenthem, put the flat of it against Connor’s bare abdomen. And in doing so, became the target of those fiercely blue eyes. “He didn’t do this. He saved me.”
Connor arched his eyebrows dubiously, slid that gaze back to Black. “Did he?”
“He did,” I said again. “He pushed me out of the way of the lightning.”
Connor watched him again for a moment. Black, for his part, knew better than to take on Connor, at least physically. We’d both beaten him at hand to hand.
“All right,” he said, and let Jonathan go. He didn’t stumble back or put space between him and Connor. He stayed where he was, straightening his shirt. Uncowed or unwilling to show it.
I cleared my throat. “You might want to find some clothes.”
Connor glanced down at himself, then up at the humans who were now watching with unhidden interest. He grinned that wolfish smile, and a few of them sighed.
Alexei found us then, a pile of fabric under one arm. He held it out. “Clothes.”
“Perfect timing,” I said, and glanced away to give Connor a moment of privacy while he pulled on gym shorts and a tank.
“Let’s give them a minute,” Alexei said, as he led Black a few feet away, shielding us from the humans.
And then we were mostly alone, and Connor’s arms were around me, his mouth on mine, to the mostly amused shouts of the humans around us. The kiss was a brand, a claiming. It was confirmation that we were safe and we’d made it through.
“You sure you’re okay?” he whispered.
“Honestly, maybe not,” I said, and my voice wobbled. Pain flooded back—emotional and physical—the entire, miserable night of it. “Crap.”
He kissed the top of my head. “You want me to tell you to buck up or let it out.”
“Let it out,” I mumbled into his shirt.