Page 125 of Hell’s Weapon

“Mother fuckers,” Garrick grumbles a little louder.

His hands move to his face, scrubbing the grit from his eyes. He must’ve been knocked out. Scanning the rest of his long frame, I don’t initially spot any other injuries, no blood anyway. His right foot, on a second assessment, however, is twisted at an angle it shouldn’t be.

“You need to shift,” I tell him, aware that the shifters have the handy ability of resetting bones as they transform forms.

“Are you hurt?” He becomes more lucid in a flash and tries to sit up. Grasping onto his black uniform as he sways, I attempt to steady him. Yeah, he’s definitely concussed.

“I’m good,” I reassure him. “But you need to shift. Your ankle isn’t looking great.”

“Was anyone else caught inside?” He’s immediately stepping into his role as leader. Fear for those working for him blooms across his face as he staggers to his feet to look around us better.

“I don’t think so. I came through the building before you found me. It was quiet.”

“I’d told my team to get out. The Angels had retreated as we got inside.” He rambles on about where everyone else should be as he hobbles on his broken foot to try and see further.

We’re thankfully sort of sheltered right now, as large parts of the building roof are hiding us from view.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Garrick comes back to me, taking my face in his palms.

“Yes. Bruised, I’m sure, but I’m fine,” I reassure him again, tugging him closer gently with my hands on his waist.

Lean up onto my toes, I kiss him. It’s not a kiss out of passion or lust, it’s more because I want to show him that in this moment, I’m grateful for his concern, and thankful that we’re both mostly unscathed. We might be immortal, but we’re not indestructible.

Allowing myself to twine around his tongue once, I savour the taste of him before pulling back. “Now, will you shift?”

He chuckles. “Fine. I’ll have to stay in my panther form for a while, so don’t do anything stupid.”

I huff indignantly.

In a blink, the male in front of me is sitting in front of me in his cat form instead. He stretches out and tests his hind leg, the bones will have knitted in the shift but they’ll be weakened for a while.

Garrick’s ears prick as he picks up on something I can’t hear, my ears still ringing from the bast. His alertness, however, has me scrambling to put my mask back on. Seconds later we’re joined by three more black panthers, all of which slink up to their leader and check him over. The smallest of the bunch steps away and shifts into Elisa.

“Are you alright?” she asks me, looking me over for any obvious injuries.

I nod in response.

“We were just about to close in on the bastards when the building blew. How the fuckers managed to get explosives inside, I don’t know.” Hearing her swear tugs a smile to my lips. Elisa is quite prim and proper, especially for a demon. I’ve never heard her swear in all the times I’ve been to Tartarus.

Garrick limps over to the opening but is stopped by one of the other males. I too step forward and grab the end of his tail. He can probably run decently on three legs but if the Angels spot him with a weakness, they’ll be sure to target him.

I’m rewarded with a snap of his jaws for my method in halting him, but the heat in his gaze says I’m probably going to enjoy the punishment for the misdemeanour. The cats really don’t like their tails touched. I have to cough to cover my laugh.

“They’ve moved into the compound.” Elisa reminds us of the seriousness of our current predicament. “And the last legion to fly through the portal seems to be better trained. I’ve already sanctioned evacuation procedures. We’re getting the contestants who aren’t able to fight down to the lower levels of the Guard house, just in case any more buildings are getting rigged.”

“What about the guard building itself? Could that go up?” My heart rate spikes as I shove the mental image of it exploding with Milo and Wyatt inside away from the forefront of my brain.

“It is more fortified but at this point, I can’t guarantee it,” Elisa replies.

My breathing hitches as I look at Garrick. He chuffs and comes to my side, nudging my thigh. Go.

I take a step, but an invisible rope tugs around my chest and has me halting. Looking back over my shoulder, at the giant black cat whom I’d just been near buried with, I can’t choose. If I leave, how can I guarantee Garrick will be alright? I know those working underneath him will die to protect him, but he’s injured. If I don’t leave and get Milo and Wyatt to safety, they could be blown up.

Even with my mask and hood hiding my face, Garrick seems to pick up on the war going on inside my head. He hisses to his team, growling until they leave us, or at least move far enough away that I can crouch down and speak in a low voice without them hearing.

“I don’t want to leave you.” It comes out in a panicking breath as I grip onto the fur at his shoulders.

He tilts his head, eyes steady and full of confidence. I know if he was in his human form right now, he’d be chewing me out for wanting to protect him. His whiskers even twitch like his holding back from snarling at me.