Without Mercy Read Free Page B

could find Jasmine, but I was too distracted by what was
happening around me. “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if she’s
there. Mason will have to help her.”
    I took a step towards Jasmine, with my hands
raised in a submissive gesture. Technically, we were the same in
the hierarchy of the Pack, I wouldn’t rise until Mason and I had
officially sealed our mate bond. I hoped that my showing her I
meant no threat, she would calm enough for me to reach her. Her
hackles were still raised and there was a low grumble coming from
her, but I was sure it was directed at Gary more than me. Jasmine
would smell I was part of the Pack, whether she was herself or not
and know I wasn’t a threat.
    “Don’t go near her!”
    “Make your mind up, Gary! You either want me
to help her or not.” I was getting sick of his interference. Sick
of his presence and I was ready to snap. Play time was over and it
was time to put end to this.
    Using my werewolf speed, I turned and lunged
for Gary, baring my teeth at him. I caught him by surprise and
quickly had him pinned beneath me on the floor. I wrestled for
control of the gun and misjudged a move. A second later, I was
underneath Gary, with his fist pummeling into my face.
    A loud howl echoed and was followed by an
angry growl of warning. Gary turned to see Jasmine launch herself
at his back. He raised the gun and fired.
    The shot thundered and time seemed to stop.
All I could hear was my shallow breathing and the sound of a body
thudding to the ground.
    “Nooooo!” an agonizing scream erupted from
my throat as I pushed the shell shocked Gary off me and scrambled
over to where Jasmine now lay, still in wolf form.
    A pool of blood was steadily formed
underneath her and my fingers frantically tried to find where the
bullet entered so I could stop the bleeding. All I could see was
fur and blood as tears blurred my vision.
    I lowered my head down to the wolf’s body
and could hear Jasmine’s heart slowly giving out. She seemed to
shudder a little as if her body was trying to rally one more time
before she was finally still.
    “Don’t you dare die, Jasmine. Fight!” I
started to shake her but had to stop as the change reversed itself.
In the event of death, anyone who died in wolf form would revert
back to their human selves. As I rolled Jasmine to her back, I
administered CPR.
    Was it thirty compressions and two breathes
or two breathes and fifteen compressions? I couldn’t remember. My
brain wasn’t able to calm itself long enough to remember.
    A memory pierced the moment. “It’s better to
do something than nothing, Darcy. Do what you can.” It was the
voice of the instructor advising me after I’d asked what to do if I
forgot.
    I began pushing down in the middle of her
sternum, not stopping when I heard one of her ribs pop. I kept
repeating the numbers over and over in my mind like a mantra.
    Nothing was happening. Jasmine continued to
lie still on the ground, each moment passing becoming colder and
colder as her body’s heat started to leave her. Hysteria threatened
to explode from me.
    I would’ve kept working on her if I hadn’t
heard a noise behind me. I was so focused on saving the life of my
beloved friend and future sister, I’d forgotten about Gary.
    Part of me hoped he’d taken my advice and
left. My wolf, she hoped he’d stayed. Grief tormented her and she
demanded justice for the death of her fellow pack mate. She begged
to be released so she could execute him and in my weakened state, I
took down the walls and set her free.
    I tried to do this the civilized way and it
ended in disaster. I should’ve let her out at the very beginning,
let her destroy the threat. If I had, Jasmine and I would be on our
way home right now, laughing about ways to torture Mason.
    I took a deep breath as I leaned forward and
closed Jasmine’s eyes. I kissed her softly on cheek and whispered
I’d be back for her.
    Something within me finally snapped, my wolf
was in full