Free Sigma by Annie Nicholas

and he heard her distressed cry. He couldn’t see past the wall of vamps on him, but he snapped, bit, and clawed his way through their flesh while following the sounds of Clementine’s voice.
    A gun fired.
    The flesh on his thigh burned where the bullet grazed him, but the wound didn’t heal. The fuckers were using silver bullets and meant business. He howled, unable to speak and order Clementine to run.
    “Sam!”
    He caught a glimpse of her as her fellow vampires and co-workers chased her into the woods. Tearing the nearest vampire in half, he broke out of the melee and followed her scent. Fear made her smell sharp and easy to find. He bulldozed through bushes and over a couple of vampires before seeing Luke, the asshole who had tried making her empty promises, aim a rifle at her fleeing back.
    With a roar, Sam leaped the distance and knocked the gun from the vampire’s grip. It went off by his head, the percussion ringing his ears. He grasped his skull and stumbled toward Clementine.
    She appeared before him, her lips moving, but he couldn’t hear her. Shoving him aside with her vampire strength, he sensed more than heard another shot. Clementine picked up Luke’s rifle and returned fire.
    His hearing was beginning to return, thanks to his fast shifter healing, but his leg still bled where it had been hit with silver. They couldn’t fight this many vampires and survive. He had to get her out of this park.
    Folding his throbbing ears back, he shook his disorientation away and followed her lead back toward their car.
     

 
    Chapter 9
     
    Sam’s beast form was the most magnificent creature she’d ever seen as he fought at her side. He spent most of his time yanking her out of the way of being hit or shot while ignoring his own injuries. She couldn’t see his blood in the rush of action, but she could smell it.
    Her shifter was hurt and she couldn’t do anything to help him, except try to keep him alive. She swung the rifle she’d taken from Luke’s unconscious form and used it like a bat, knocking one of their assailants across the head. She didn’t want to waste any bullets until absolutely necessary.
    A sharp bark caught her attention. She spun to see Sam point at the car, then she raced toward it. As they drew closer, she saw someone had taken the time to slash all their tires. “Sam?” She turned to face him, knowing he couldn’t speak, yet needing some kind of guidance as to what to do next.
    He scooped her onto his back without hesitation and took off on all fours, gaining speed over the flat parking lot.
    She clung to his waist with her legs and gripped his fur with one hand, the other holding the rifle. Twisting, she tried to aim it, but Sam’s movement made it too hard.
    Racing over the land bridge connecting the island to Chicago, he ran toward a populated area.
    Her eyes widened. She could see the headlines now. Racing werewolf, ridden by rifle-toting vampire, rampages through the city. “Sam, what are you doing?” If the Pal Robi vampires didn’t kill them, the police would.
    He ran onto the main street. Even at this time of the night, there was still quite a bit of traffic. Cars screeched to a halt when he crossed without slowing. He bound over one moving vehicle, his claws scraping over the roof and leaving scratches in the paint, and then maneuvered around another that had stopped in their way.
    She glanced over her shoulder and didn’t see anyone pursuing them. Where had they gone? Sam’s plan had worked. By heading into a populated area, they’d gotten their assailants to back off. For now. She leaned her body against his back, giving him a one-armed hug. “You did it. You saved me again.” His silken fur rubbed her cheek and she imagined how delicious it would feel against her bare body.
    Sirens grew louder in the distance. Someone had already reported them. Their species weren’t illegal anymore, they’d been declared citizens years ago but, God forbid, they didn’t act like