Tamed: A Huntress Spin-off Novel by Adria Wade

and twisted it until the bones in her arm and shoulder cracked. He pulled her by the hair and threw her off me. His big, piercing eyes looked down at me as he shook his head and pulled me to my feet.
    I gasped in shock as I saw a petite hand balled into a fist strike Taylor on the side of his face. It was the woman who tried to kill me. Taylor may have injured her arm, but nothing seemed like it was going to stop her from retaliating. She was determined and angry as hell. He shoved me back, trying to keep me out of harm’s way while he took her on. He swung his weapon, the sharp, spiked ball hit her on the side of her face, ripping her skin as blood spilled out of her mouth. She fell, dying instantly from the sudden impact.
    I looked around, scanning the room for the booth Andie was in. I couldn’t remember the exact booth; everything happened so quickly. Athena came up beside me, her face alarmed as she looked at something beyond me. I gasped as she pushed me to the floor and drove her bloody Morningstar into the face of a male vampire who was coming up behind me. Yet another came charging at her. She swung her Morningstar, only to miss when he ducked and punched her in the ribs, not once but twice, and I heard her sharp intake of breath before crying out as one of her ribs cracked.
    I quickly stood and grabbed the can filled with garlic from the holder on her waist and sprayed it in the vampire’s face. He gasped, wiping away the liquid. It took all of his strength as he struggled to lift his arm. The garlic was working fast, taking total control of his limbs. No longer able to hold himself upright, he fell to the floor, immobilized. Athena grabbed him by the hair and bit into his neck. She wiped the blood from her mouth then backed away, watching as he gasped for air. His skin began to turn grey and crack.
    I looked at her, amazed yet horrified that she had the power to end a vampire with just one bite. “The poison that is in the other can is also in your bite.”
    She faced me, spitting out the blood that filled her mouth. I stared at her with wide eyes. She had taken a nasty hit. The side of her face was bruised and swollen. She spit once more and wiped her mouth. I noticed that her eye color had changed to blue as well…the eyes of a vampire. She looked just like Eli did…like a monster.
    “She’s over there!” she yelled, clearly annoyed with me being here.
    She pointed to the right of me, to the booth that was covered with the drapes, and I ran as much as I could in a hectic, bloody club. I yanked the drapes back, relieved to see that Kyle was already with her. My breath hitched as my heart, once filled with sadness and glum, came alive with hope as I stared down at Andie. She was breathing, more like panting, but she was actually breathing. She was still alive yet he bit her…she was changing. I didn’t lose my best friend like I had thought.
    I breathed a sigh of relief. Her shaking hands were fisted at her sides and sweat poured off her as she groaned. I walked closer to her, my eyes stinging with tears of joy.
    Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise. “You couldn’t stay away, huh?”
    “No way.”
    He shook his head. “Your brother is going to flip his lid.”
    “Oh, I know.”
    “Is she okay?”
    “She’s in pain.”
    She arched her back off the booth, groaning once more as tears escaped her eyes and ran down either side of her face.
    “For how long? Can’t you at least do something about the pain?”
    “She’ll be turning throughout the night, and, unfortunately, she’s just going to have to deal with the pain.”
    I shook my head and held her hand. I hated that she was in agony and there wasn’t anything that I could do to help take the pain away.
    “Hey.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry; she will be just fine.”
    I nodded and exhaled. “I hope so.”
    Right before my eyes, I saw a blinding, flashing, red light that lit up the entire