“Rival gang from out east, they’re making a push for territory and I got caught in the middle,” she whispered. I dragged her into the room, a trail of blood trickling behind her. I couldn’t see the wound, but I knew it had to be bad for there to be that much blood.

“Out of my way.” Beth pushed me off her. “I’m a nurse.”

Beth smoothed her short cropped blond hair back behind her ears and went to her knees beside Dahlia. “Where?”

“My side and thigh. They went for the big vein.”

“The femoral,” Beth murmured. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

“Manner of speaking,” Dahlia whispered. “I just need some blood.”

Beth grabbed the edges of her shirt and ripped a large strip off. Dahlia’s side looked like it had been run through a table saw; ribbons of flesh flapped like open fish gills. The pulse of her life could be seen in the organs as they beat as slow as a watch with a dying battery. I swallowed hard, because the sight made my stomach roll.

With hunger.

I backed away. Or tried to. Dahlia grabbed hold of my wrist. “I know you don’t have to. But please. I need your help.”

Beth muttered as she tried to wrap Dahlia’s side. “Whatever you’re going to do, hurry it up, I can’t stitch her up fast enough to stave off the blood loss.”

I relaxed and let Dahlia draw my wrist to her mouth. She bore down with her teeth, but nothing happened. No pain for me. Well, this was—

“I can’t break through your skin,” Dahlia said. I looked down. My skin had torn, but not the scales underneath.

I frowned. “I don’t know.”

Dahlia’s eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped. I grabbed her shoulders. “Dahlia!” I looked at Beth. “Do something!”

“I’m tying her leg off, she needs blood!”

I put my tongue to the roof of my mouth, brushing it against one of my fangs. The tip drew blood from my tongue. I was not about to give her a French kiss, but . . . I tipped my head back and flicked my left fang out, pushing it with my tongue. It didn’t want to drop. Without a strong emotion behind my snaky side, it just didn’t want to do anything.

Seconds passed as I shoved the fang forward far enough that I could catch it over my bottom lip. Using the tip, I opened up my wrist, cutting through skin and scale alike.

Blood welled up. Blood that sparkled with rainbow lights, as prismatic as my scales.

“Wow,” Sandy or Beth said. I’m not sure which. I pressed my wrist to Dahlia’s mouth.

“Please let this not be too late.”

Beth took my arm and massaged it from the shoulder down. “The faster we can get the blood in her, the better.”

Her tiny hands dug into my muscle hard enough to make me grimace. Strong hands for such a small girl. Of course, Beth was an epic monster.

Just like me.

Beneath my wrist, the pressure of Dahlia drawing on me on her own eased some of the tension, and I let out a breath.

Sandy stepped up beside us. “Her wounds are healing.” Beth and I glanced at the same time. The gaping wounds in Dahlia’s side were indeed healing. No, that wasn’t accurate. Healed. The wounds were completely gone without even a scar to prove they’d been there.

I pulled my hand away from Dahlia’s mouth. “You think that’s enough?”

Dahlia let out a soft moan. “Oh my God. Alena, you taste amazing. An orgasm and fine wine with a hint of chocolate all rolled into a single drop.”

I grimaced and tucked my wrist under my other arm. Beth grabbed it, took a piece of material from Dahlia’s ripped clothes, and wrapped it around my wrist.

“Clean it at least twice a day and wrap it with clean cloth. You don’t want an infection.”

Dahlia sat up, her eyes brighter than the noonday sun, her hair glistening with life and vitality. “I feel . . . ten times better than when I was first turned.”

Beth tightened the wrap and I flinched. “Ouch.”

Her dark eyes flicked to mine, instantly filling with tears. “Sorry, I—”

I waved at her. “It’s okay. I’m tougher than I look.”

She laughed but it broke into tears, and I let out a sigh. With one arm I pulled her to my side. “You know, it’s not so bad, I think.”

Dahlia stared at me, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open as if she couldn’t believe what I’d said. “Being a monster isn’t so bad?”

“Not just any monster,” I explained. “A mythological Greek monster that doesn’t fit into any boxes the SDMP can check off on their forms.”

Dahlia’s mouth dropped farther and she spluttered. “What?”

“We’ll talk about it later. I have a rescue to plan.”

The sudden change of subject seemed to throw Dahlia as much as anything. “I’m sorry, who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

I laughed softly, but there was no real joy in it. “I ran a business for almost ten years. Like a general, my yaya always said. A general. So . . . I’m applying that to my life now. No more nice girl. Time for the general to make things happen.”

Dahlia gave a slow grin and gave me a salute. “I’m with you, General Alena.”

Beth grinned and Sandy gave me a funny look. “You don’t look like a general. You look like an Amazonian supermodel.”

“Dahlia. I . . . I need Remo’s help.”