Once Bitten (An Anya Maynard Novel)

Chapter Twenty Two

“Aaron no!” Natasha cried as she threw herself to the floor beside myself and Aaron’s lifeless body, “oh, no, no!”

My wolf was outraged that she could be so upset over the loss of such a…despicable life. But I didn’t have time to worry about it. Brad was sighting his gun again, aiming it to where I sat on the floor and I was the only one who could see him.

“No!” it was my turn to shout and I scrambled across the floor, pushing what was Aaron from my lap and reaching for the door.

My fingers found the wood just as the gun went off again and I flung it shut, Maddie leaping to lock it up the moment it closed. But I wasn’t fast enough, nor was I what Brad was aiming at. I managed to push myself off the floor just in time, just enough so the bullet buried itself in my shoulder and not in Natasha’s chest.

“Anya!” Connor cried in horror as I stumbled, the bullet throwing my shoulder back.

But I grabbed his outstretched hand and managed to stay on my feet, “It’s alright,” I said as I swallowed my pain, “I’m…I’m alright.”

But then the burning began.

I called for Jess as I fell to hands and knees on the floor, Connor’s hands slowing my fall as the silver began its painful burning through my system. Its numbing affects took over even faster this time, my arms faltering, unable to hold me up. Was this the way it would be every time I was shot with silver? Would I fall that much faster with every incident or was it only because of the close timing between this and the last time? I didn’t know, and honestly, I hoped I wouldn’t get the chance to test the theory.

“Jessie help,” I gritted through my teeth, “get it out!”

I had no idea how silver affected a Fae, and now was not the time to find out. But thanks to experience I knew Jess could pull the bullet out without the silver burning her.

“Dammit girl,” Jessie grumbled as she pulled me upright, her cast not hindering her in the least bit, “you better not be making a habit out of this.”

This time she didn’t pause, she just dug her fingers into my wound after the bullet. I felt the same dull digging sensation as last time, the same fiery burning when she moved the bullet. But she was swift, not even a moment passing before she pulled the silver from my body.

Again I sucked in a lungful of air in relief as the fire dulled and went out. But there was no time to rest, another shot rang out, its impact with the heavy wood door sending tiny splinters flying into the room.

“Come on out Anya,” Brad called, the distinct sound of him reloading carrying through the door, “or else I will come in, and you can bet it won’t be alone.”

It was time to end this.

I rolled my shoulder before shaking the last of the numbness from my fingers, slipping out of Jess’s lap to kneel on the floor. She moved with me, my shoulder sandwiched between her hands as she kept the pressure on my newest gunshot wound. Natasha, who up until this point had been lost to the world as she grieved for her mate, looked to me in disbelief, “she…she’s alright?”

I pushed myself upright leaning on my thighs as I looked to her, to her uncertain gaze, then up to Connor looking for the words to tell her.

He shook his head in defeat and grimaced as he offered me a hand up, “She’s a half breed mother. The silver has no lasting effects on her.”

“She’s not a wolf?”

“Oh no, she’s a wolf alright,” Steve said to Natasha as he checked my latest wound, “you’ll be fine,” he nodded to me before turning back to help a stunned Natasha off the floor, “just…without the fur and claws.”