Unpredictable Sirens (Supernatural Shifter Academy #4) - G. Bailey Page 0,3

accurate read.

“Here,” Landon gently takes my hand and moves it away before taking over, his frown deepening as he holds his fingers to Shade’s throat.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Landon, what’s wrong with him?”

“His heart rate is off the charts,” the siren shifter replies.

“What about the soldiers?” Silas, ever the pragmatic one, asks. The others have all stooped down to cluster around the fallen wolf shifter, but I can see the fear in their eyes behind the rallying. We may be adults, but just barely. And now, more than ever, we’re in over our heads.

Hunter furrows his brow and transforms for a moment. We all go silent as he cocks his head to one side, listening for any sign of the pursuing agents. What we all know, but don’t dare say aloud, is that Shade, being a wolf shifter, has the best senses of our entire group. Unfortunately, he’s out of commission… and I don’t want to follow that line of thinking any further. “I can hear them,” Hunter says at last, “but barely. It sounds like they’re heading east.”

“Good,” Landon says. “Then we head west.”

“No way,” I reply, already shaking my head. “Not with Shade like this. We need to help him.”

“We can’t move him,” Hunter says flatly. “He’s losing too much blood. If we try to carry him out, we might kill him.” I can see the flashing of his red eyes, and I’m reminded of vampires’ innate bloodthirst when they’ve shifted. To his credit, though, Hunter doesn’t complain a bit, instead setting his jaw and looking from one of us to the other while we debate our next move.

“I’m not abandoning him,” I state, my tone brokering no argument.

“We’re not asking you too, Boots,” Landon reassures me. “We’re in this together.”

I shoot him a grateful look, and he gives my hand a squeeze.

“Millie,” Silas says hesitantly, and the fact that he’s using my real name is enough to tell me it’s serious. “Do you think you might be able to…?”

He doesn’t need to finish his sentence for my stomach to drop. Slumping forward, I bury my head in my hands. “I can’t,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “They did something to me. Took my powers away. I can’t shapeshift for shit.” If I still had access to my witch form, I might be able to cast a healing spell. Nothing life-saving—I’m not powerful enough for that yet—but it might at least stabilise him. Instead, I’m left to watch as one of the guys I love bleeds out on the forest floor, as useless as any other human, and the thought makes me want to scream. The tears are coming harder now, and it’s all I can do to bury my face in my hands and stifle my sobs. The adrenaline is wearing off by now, and the ugly, brutal reality of my situation is at last sinking in.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I jump at the feeling of a hand on my back, and turn to see Silas gazing into my eyes. He reaches up to brush the tears off my cheek with his thumb. “Hey,” he murmurs, “this isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. We’re going to figure this out.” Seeing that I’m in no state to be making decisions, he straightens back up and puts his hands on his hips. “We’re going to need to treat him enough to get him to a real medic. Millie, can you put pressure on his side for me?”

I nod and do as I’m told. Shade lets out a low moan as I press the palms of my hands onto the wound, and the sound of it makes my throat tighten. “Do you have an idea?”

Silas purses his lips as we all stare at him and then gives a curt nod. “Maybe,” he replies, and then turns to Hunter. “But I’m going to need your help.”

“Mine?” Hunter’s eyebrows shoot up. “What do you…?”

“Vampire blood has anaesthetic properties, right?” Silas asks, cutting him off.

Hunter stares at him for a moment, and then nods. “Yeah,” he replies. “It’s a bit like an opioid. It’s why the witches nearly hunted us to extinction back in the day. I think it’s still sold on the black market in some places.”

“You’re saying it can’t heal Shade? Only numb him?” I ask, my heart already sinking. If their plan is just to make him comfortable while he bleeds out…

“No,” Silas replies, shaking his head.