On the Prowl by Kate Rudolph

31

In the hallway,Andre ran into Em's guitarist, one of the backup singers, and a crew member getting out of the elevator. He realized he probably needed to start learning names if he was going to stick around.

They exchanged polite nods, and then Andre got into the elevator and headed down to the ground floor. He considered giving Vi a call. He didn't like leaving Em alone in the room without the protection spell up, but he had mentioned it to Em and he had to trust her.

Besides, it had been a week and a half since any sort of attack. Maybe the beast was scared off by his and Vi's teaming up. Maybe the beast was gone.

Or maybe it was biding its time.

Andre wasn't convinced that it was gone. And it wasn't just because he wanted to cling to a reason to stay at Em's side.

Unease began to suffuse him as he continued heading toward the concert venue. He wanted to turn around and run back to Em. His wolf jerked at him so hard that Andre had to stop walking for a second. It insisted that something was wrong with his mate.

But Em wasn't his mate. Not yet. He hadn't claimed her. And he still hadn't asked Vi what mating really meant.

But Em would be his. If she allowed it.

He continued on. He wanted to get a feel for this venue before the show later that night. It was best to do that while things were still getting set up. But Andre’s wolf was still uneasy.

He tried to convince it that he would see Em later and that all would be fine.

His wolf didn't believe him.

It was only a few minutes later that Andre felt like claws were being raked across his chest, and it startled a gasp out of him. He looked down, his hand traveling to capture all the blood that wasn't falling from him.

He wasn't the one that was hurt.

Em.

He wasn't psychic. He was just a regular werewolf, whatever that meant. But he was certain that Em was in danger and he needed to get to her.

Andre took off running back towards the room. A few of the crew members yelled after him, but Andre ignored them.

He punched the button several times to call the elevator, and it seemed to be taking forever. With a curse, Andre ran for the stairwell and made his way up the old-fashioned way. He wasn't even out of breath by the time he made it to the fourteenth floor. He burst into the hallway ready to face any threat, but there was nothing out of place. No one was there on the verge of attack.

He sprinted the rest of the way to the room and was shocked to find Vi standing outside, her hands glowing with magic as she tried to use her powers to unlock the door.

Andres hands were shaking as he pulled out his key card and unlocked it for her. He didn't ask why she was there. Maybe it was some magical sense. Maybe something had happened while Em called her to reset the spell.

But it was bad. Andre knew it was bad.

As soon as the door was open, the metallic scent of blood assaulted his senses. He found Em on the ground in the bedroom, a dark red pool of blood all around her, soaking into her once white towel and making it red. She was deathly pale, and her blonde hair now looked auburn from all the blood that surrounded it.

She was still gasping and Andre clasped her hand, unsure of where else to touch her. She was on the edge of death, he could tell. And he could smell no scent except for her own blood. It was a sure sign that the beast had been the one to attack.

He looked up at Vi. "Can you fix her? Do some magic?" He didn't know what sort of magic Vi was capable of, but it was all that he could think that might save Em.

No ambulance would get there in time. No hospital was close enough.

Vi had lost her color, and her mouth opened and closed several times as if she could not get the words out. She looked like she was about to throw up.

"Get a hold of yourself," Andre commanded in the same voice he would have used on a new recruit. "She needs you."

"I can't," Vi gasped out. "I'm not a healer. I don't—" She crumpled to her knees. But she wasn't out. She took two steadying breaths, not that there was much that would do when the room smelled so much like blood.

Andre’s wolf whined in his head. This couldn't be how it ended. He would never forgive himself if she died because he had left her alone for ten minutes.

"You can save her," said Vi, reaching out and clutching his arm. "Maybe. I hope."

"How?" If she was going to summon a devil right now and have him make a deal, he would do it in a heartbeat.

But that wasn't what Vi was proposing. Some of her composure seemed to come back. "If you turn her into a werewolf, her wounds should heal. Maybe. I can speed up the change with my magic. It's our only shot."

It would work. It had to work. But just before Andre shifted, he ran his hand over Em's cheek. She didn't get to make this choice. And he didn't want her to regret it. "Em, Em. Wake up."

She moaned, and the sound broke his heart. But her eyes fluttered open. They were still full of life and pain.

"I can help you," Andre said. "But you're going to be like me. Is that what you want?" He didn't know what he would do, how he would survive if she said no.

Em blinked her eyes twice and then lost consciousness again.

It wasn't a no.

He didn't let himself think about how it wasn't a yes either.

Andre stripped quickly and changed into a wolf faster than he ever had in his life.

He knew it didn't matter where he bit her. And he didn't want to cause her more pain. So he tugged on her arm gently and felt his fangs break the skin.

His hackles rose as Vi began to perform her magic, and Andre didn't pull away. This had to work.

Eventually the magic grew too strong and Andre backed up, shifting back to his human form without a conscious thought.

He stared at Em's wounds, watching for the sign that they were beginning to close, that she was healing.

He couldn't be sure. And the scent of blood around him was disorienting.

Then Em's eyes snapped open and she screamed.