Shadow Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 1) by Becky Moynihan (great reads TXT) 📕

Everett’s head jerked back in surprise, but it was Pizza Guy—Troy—who said, “What’s with the possessiveness, Loch? She’s a Syphon. Just tie her hands together and stuff her in the trunk so we can call it a day. Time’s running out, a fact you seem to have forgotten.” He headed toward me then, as if planning to stuff me in the trunk himself.

“Troy,” Lochlan said, the word so deathly soft that goosebumps erupted over my flesh. “Stand. Down.”

“No, Loch,” Everett replied, a muscle feathering in his clenched jaw. “You stand down.”

There was a single moment of frozen time, as if the world held its breath to watch what happened next. Then . . .

Chaos.

Everett and Lochlan rushed each other, like two trains barrelling down the same track. Kade zipped toward Troy and tackled him to the ground. I allowed myself a second to gape at the utter brutality playing out before me, then scrambled toward Troy’s car.

Isla was still glued to her seat, so I didn’t bother with words this time. Crawling over her, I unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her hand. Then pulled with every last ounce of fear, confusion, and desperation coursing through my veins. With a yelp, she tumbled out of the vehicle and hit the ground. Not giving her time to recover, I hooked my arms beneath hers and bodily dragged her toward the house.

I cringed as glass shattered and metal shrieked behind us, like a hurricane was ripping through the front yard. I wanted to check that Lochlan and Kade were okay, but didn’t dare. If I saw one or both of them injured, I might not stay focused on saving Isla.

When we made it to the stairs, I struggled to pull up her deadweight. As we hit the top, August’s glassy stare greeted us. Isla screamed, so shrilly that the noise behind us ceased. Every hair on my body stood on end. I didn’t have to look to know that four pairs of eyes were now boring into the back of my head.

With a sinking feeling, I knew we weren’t both going to make it. The front door was feet away, but it might as well have been a mile. Still, one of us could make it inside. And there wasn’t a doubt in my mind who it should be. With one last heave, I shoved Isla across the porch.

Her body didn’t soar like Everett’s had, but it stumbled forward just far enough to land in a heap at the door’s threshold. Someone grabbed a chunk of my hair and yanked a second later. As I fell backward down the stairs, Lochlan’s bellowing roar cleaved the air.

But he was too far away to catch me.

I went down, down, down, striking the frozen ground so hard that stars splintered my vision. Before I could drag in a breath, a pair of unforgiving arms hauled me upright. They swung me around to face the yard and the world spun dangerously. Lochlan’s tall form swam in and out of focus, close yet so far away. He moved closer, then stopped dead as a gloved hand wrapped around my throat.

“Don’t make me do it, Loch,” Everett said, his voice loud in my ringing ears. “You know I will.”

I tried to swallow, but his hold was too tight. Panic filled me and I fought to clear my vision. When it did, Lochlan’s expression was the first thing I saw. The fear had returned, and he wasn’t hiding it this time.

“Let her go,” he said quietly, his eyes locked on mine. It’s okay, they seemed to say. I will protect you.

I wanted to believe him, I really did. But fates, he should have told me. He should have told me everything.

Everett released an irritated sigh. “This is for your own good. You’ll thank me later.” Without warning, his fingers bit into my throat, stealing the last of my air. I choked and grabbed onto his arm.

I could have died then. I should have.

I knew how fast Everett could snap a neck. Lochlan couldn’t reach me in time, even with his vampire speed.

But then something happened.

Lochlan bellowed, “Kill her and you kill me!”

And Everett hesitated. Moments later, his grip loosened and fell away entirely.

Then . . . he let me go.

Hope surged through me and I stepped toward Lochlan.

Only to hear several explosive pops. Like gunshots.

Lochlan’s body jerked violently.

“No!” Everett shouted, then grunted, falling against me. His deadweight bowled me over, flattening me to the ground.

A mixture of snow and mud soaked my shirt and filled my nose. I twisted my head sideways to gasp for air. Panting, I clawed to escape, desperation giving me the strength to wriggle out from beneath him. He didn’t stop me as I staggered upright and frantically searched for Lochlan.

My hearing was muffled, my brain struggling to understand what had happened. When I found Lochlan in the same spot though, standing stiffly and staring sightlessly, everything else disappeared.

“Lochlan.” I stumbled toward him, weak with relief that he was okay. We were both okay. Then he swayed. Gasping, I rushed to stop him from falling. I floundered under his weight, clutching at his back for balance. He grunted in pain and alarm spiked through me. “Lochlan, what—?”

“Silver . . . bullets.”

I didn’t understand. His words didn’t make sense.

Then I felt it. The warmth. The stickiness.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and something about the way he did drove fear through my heart. “I’m sorry for everything.”

I leaned around him to inspect my hand and discovered it covered in blood.

An unbearable helplessness trembled through me, and I jerked my gaze up to his—only to find his black eyes dull, nearly lifeless. “Lochlan?”

“McKenna, I—” He went limp against me and I couldn’t bear his weight anymore, crying out as he slipped from my grasp and hit the ground.

I threw myself beside him and lifted the back hem of his shirt. When I saw blood, I inched