Terra's Victory (Destiny's Trinities Book 7) Read Online Free Page B

knees, which would give the thing leverage.
    Finally, Zack was able to lift the carcass high enough to get his legs out from under it. The wound on his thigh felt deep. He didn’t look at it. He’d find out how bad it was later.
    He got to his feet and his wounded leg buckled under him, sinking him back down to the ground, where he propped himself up on his hands.
    Aubrey had lost too much blood. He was weakening and the hound clearly knew it. As Zack watched it seemed to grin, showing all its teeth. It tucked its snout into the side of Aubrey’s neck, the jaws working.
    With a rending of flesh that Zack would never forget, the hound tore at Aubrey’s neck, severing his head.
    “No…” Zack breathed. He had no strength left to shout his protest.
    Aubrey’s body fell forward.
    “Zack!” It was Lindal’s voice.
    Strong hands were under his arms, lifting him.
    There was a swish of a blade and a grunt, followed by an odd whimper.
    “Quickly,” Beth said, her voice coming closer.
    “Aubrey, too?” Lindal asked.
    “No time.”
    Zack could hear sirens and shouts, very close. Human police and other authorities.
    “They’ll see him disintegrate,” Lindal said. He had Zack on his feet, now. He turned him in his arms, holding him up.
    “It can’t be helped,” Beth said shortly. “For now, I want anyone still capable of being questioned moved out of reach of human authorities. That includes you and me.”
    Lindal looked at Zack. His eyes were very blue. “I have you,” he whispered.
    Beth stepped between them. Zack felt her arm come up behind him and the little dip as she flexed her knees and jumped.
    Zack’s last view of the bridge was of Aubrey’s still body, awash with blood, and the carcasses of the two hounds. Blood rolled down the gentle slope of the bridge in thick rivulets, some of it red, some black.

Chapter Four
    There were too many frantic priorities screaming at her. Beth hung her head and leaned on the desk, drawing in a controlled breath, trying to calm the hot swirl of pressure in her chest and her belly. She felt sick with it. She was shaking.
    First things, first. She lifted her head and reached out mentally to Zoe.
    I need Declan! Hurry!
    She felt Zoe’s startled acknowledgement.
    Now, do the next thing , she told herself. She picked up her cellphone, scrolled and dialed.
    “Lieutenant Harvey, Homicide.”
    “Blake, it’s Beth. Can you speak freely?”
    “What can I do for you?” he said stiffly.
    Someone was too close by his desk, then.
    “The hounds just attacked Zack and Aubrey, on the bridge by the skating rink in Central Park. It was very public, very messy. We didn’t have time to clean up anything.”
    “Just a minute,” he said, a tone of authority in his voice. “I’m going to ask you a few questions….” He let out a breath. “He’s gone. Jesus, Beth! The reports are just starting to come in. People babbling about ashes. I’ve got a twenty-year veteran out there in near hysterics over what he’s calling wolves. It’s a public area, we can’t stop the media from grabbing this and they will. It’s way beyond sexy, as far as they’re concerned.”
    “I know,” Beth said heavily. “I’m sorry.”
    “This is…unprecedented,” Blake added, his voice gentle. “They’ve tried daylight attacks before, but never using vampeen or hounds out where humans would see everything. It’s always been secretive.”
    “Things are shifting,” Beth replied. “Gloves off. That was inevitable. Only, now we know they’ve changed.”
    “What do you want me to do about suppressing the stories?”
    Beth sighed and rubbed her temple. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do. You’re not in communications and I wouldn’t know where to start trying to spin this, anyway. I just wanted to warn you this was blowing up and it was us involved.”
    “I appreciate that, although the chatter on the radios already told me it was us. Who…whose ashes are they?” He asked the