Cold Foot Komodo (Wreck’s Mountains Book 2)

Reed staggered from the woods. He’d felt the snap of the bond. He’d felt the loss of her.

It had stabbed straight through him like a sword. He inhaled a ragged breath as he came to the clearing. He was no stranger to war, but this was different. He wasn’t emotionless about the blood like he used to be. He’d followed her trail. Even now, there was a red line punctuated with drips at his toes. Cash had taken her from the battle, but she’d been hurt. The woods smelled like her.

His skin was chilled as he staggered toward the Crew. Garret sat to the side in his human form, cut up just the same as Reed was. His eyes were full of ghosts as he watched the Cold Foot Crew.

“Come on!” Katrina yelled. She was doing CPR. He could see her pushing on a chest from between where Kade and Raynah were kneeling in the snow. King was standing, his hands gripping the back of his hair and heartbreak in his glowing eyes. Timber’s polar bear was pacing ten yards away, eyes intent on the Crew.

Garret dragged his gaze to Reed. He didn’t know what Garret saw on his face, but the bear shifter’s face crumpled and he rested his head in his hands. Wreck was laying on the ground, breathing shallowly. The healing did that to him. He must’ve saved Garret, but what about Sasha?

Her pretty brown eyes stared straight up at the stars.

Her body jerked with each push on her chest, and Katrina was yelling at her.

“Let me,” he said in a voice he didn’t even recognize.

Katrina stood and screamed a curse at the house as he pressed his lips to Sasha’s and pushed air from his lungs into hers. Numbly, Reed did the compressions on her chest, but he could feel her growing colder.

A sob racked him as he plugged her nose and breathed into her lungs again. Farrah had done it. She lay dead in the woods, but she’d done what she’d come here to do.

She’d ruined them.

She’d had nothing to lose, so she’d ruined them.

Everything Reed touched turned to ash.

The other shoe had dropped.

“Come on, baby,” he pleaded, doing the compressions on her chest again.

“Bring her,” Wreck said, stretching his hand out to them.

“You have nothing left,” Kade said. “It’ll kill you.”

A soft growling sound emanated from Timber’s pacing bear.

The snow crunched under Wreck’s head as he shook it. “She’s my sister. I’ve never had one of those.”

Reed ran his hand over her open eyes to close them, and then picked up Sasha’s body, knelt down beside Wreck, and just rocked her body, pressing his face against her neck. She already smelled different. Her back was wet, and his heart was shattering. He hugged her as close to him as he could.

A crackling sensation washed over his skin, burning him alive, but he didn’t care. He wanted to go with her.

“Let her go!” Katrina yelled, but her words were muffled.

He wouldn’t.

“Let. Her. Go.” Katrina’s voice was closer now.

He couldn’t.

Reed’s skin was melted to Sasha’s. It hurt so bad. It was agony as he burned, and when he opened his eyes, everything was in shades of green. It was Wreck’s healing fire, but it felt like death.

A tugging sensation filled his chest. He watched a tiny tornado of mist reach from his chest toward Sasha’s, and solidify as it plunged into her. Sasha’s back arched as she burned up in the green fire. Her skin melted away, and healed, melted and healed. His was doing the same, and someone was yelling in agony. Was it him?

And then it was done. The fire disappeared and he fell backward, holding the woman he loved. He hit the snow hard. Sasha was facing him, her hair flung across the snow, her full lips parted slightly. Behind her, the Crew was gathered around Wreck’s still body. There was chaos. There were orders being thrown about. Timber’s bear was going insane. King was Changing.

But that’s not what captured his attention.

It was a soft sound that filled his mind. Bum-bum. Bum-bum. Bum-bum.

Every cell in his body felt like it was on fire as he reached for Sasha. He pressed his hand to her chest. There. There she was.

He reached up and brushed his knuckle against her cheek.

Be okay. Please be okay.

And then he smelled it—fur.

And then he heard it—a growl deep in her chest.

The smile that stretched his face was agonizing. Every inch of his skin felt like it was crackling.

Sasha’s eyes opened and her pupils constricted, focusing on his face. Her eyes were a glowing, icy blue.

He’d done it.

Garret had done it.

Raynah had done it.

Cash, and Kade, and King had done it.

Katrina had kept her here just long enough.

Timber had done it.

Wreck…Alpha of the Cold Foot Crew…the phoenix shifter himself…had done it.

Sasha—his Sasha—had done it.

A small, bewildered smile graced her beautiful face.

She had come back to him.