ArcKnight (The ArcKnight Chronicles #1)

Chapter Fifteen

Ephrem

I barely heard the shot. I felt it more than anything, but I wasn't the one injured. It came as an odd, disjointed sensation followed by Lily's collapse to the ground. I was stunned, and pain had me hunching over as I lost breath. Lily's body morphed back to human a moment later, and her naked body lay eerily still while a blooming puddle of blood poured from her chest.

I rushed toward Elise, who was now turning back into a human, grasping at her neck as blood sprayed out in time with her pulse. She gasped for air and flopped about the floor in confusion.

My anger surged against that woman for hurting my Lily, and I could feel my wolf surface as I fought the morph, growling at the maniacal woman. I would've torn her to pieces with my claws right that second if I hadn't spotted my brother standing in the doorway with a gun raised toward me.

"Ephrem!" Etan shouted. He'd caught me off guard, but I continued to approach Elise, hungering to finish what Lily had started. My face was partially transformed, and I gave Etan a show of fangs as I unexpectedly pounced toward him and knocked the gun from his hands.

"Thieves!" Elise gurgled. "They're trespassing in my apartment! They're nothing but thieving traitors! Kill them now!" The outburst did nothing to help her condition, and she fell back onto her knees, struggling to breathe while still clutching her bleeding neck. She was paling by the second but didn't seem to notice how much blood she was losing.

"Elise...." Etan's voice was filled with panicked concern for his mate.

She slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

"Elise!" Etan jumped toward her, but I was already there and gave him a shove backward.

"You shot Lily!" I hollered and gave my brother a sucker punch to his face. Blood oozed from his lip, and he touched his swelling cheek before bum-rushing me, slamming into my chest and sending us both toppling across the room, smashing furniture as we went.

We kept at it, punching and kicking, shoving and pulling each other until the room was shattered and there was nothing left unbroken. Exhausted, we both crawled to our knees, huffing for breath and spitting blood to the floor.

I waited, crouched and ready to pounce if needed. My snarls were now a low vibrating hum in the back of my throat as I eyed Etan, keeping his every movement in my periphery. At least my brother hadn't also shot me before I disarmed him. He very well could have. I hoped he knew what was going on here. If not, he was in for a rude awakening.

Movement in the hallway caught my attention, and Etan backed away from me as his guards rushed into the room. Realization passed across his face as he finally took a moment to consider what was happening.

He pointed at Elise. "Guards, strip her of any weapons or artifacts and bring them to me. Then take her away and have her wounds treated, but do not let her out of your sight."

As more guards surrounded me, I held my hands up and morphed completely back to my human form, blood dripping from my nose. I didn't care. It bothered me little to be beaten and bruised. Etan looked worse for wear. I was more concerned for Lily, who was unconscious on the floor and still bleeding.

Etan called his guards off, and I knelt down to scoop her up, pushing her long hair aside to examine the wound. The bullet was most likely still embedded in her flesh, and the entry wound was dribbling blood. I felt for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. I had to do something or she'd die in my arms.

"Ephrem, are you okay?" Etan asked. His breathing was hard, but he wasn't seriously hurt. His face was already swollen on one side where his eye was completely shut. Blood drizzled from his nose and mouth, and I'd knocked out one of his bottom teeth.