In spite of the throbbing pain, Sumi headed for the window, fully intending to give chase. Until she felt strong arms wrap around her. She moved to punch her attacker, but stopped as she saw Dancer’s face.

Hauk had never felt a greater rage than the one that ignited inside him as he saw Sumi’s battered face and the blood smeared all over his bedroom. “Mia?”

With the exception of Syn, his friends ran after Kyr.

“Let me go!” Sumi cried, trying to get free. “He’s getting away! I have to stop him.”

“Sumi!” Hauk barked harder than he meant to, but she was hysterical, and probably going into shock. “Baby, there’s a difference between heroic and moronic.” He used her words, hoping to get through to her. “You’re naked and about to bleed out.” He wrapped his shirt around her to cover her bruised and bleeding body. “You can’t go after him. Look!”

She tilted her head down to see the blood flowing from a severe gash. Her legs buckled.

Hauk swung her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, then stepped back so that Syn could treat her. His heart shattered at the sight of her like this. He should have come into the room with her. He should never have left her alone.

Gods, she’d been assaulted in his own home, where she should have been safe.

His breathing ragged, he wanted Kyr’s life with a ferocity that defied description.

Syn glanced at him over his shoulder. “Go, Hauk! I’ve got her.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll call in a few.”

Without hesitating, Hauk climbed up on the opposite side of the bed. Unable to speak, he pressed his cheek to hers and took a moment to hold her.

When he went to pull away, Sumi held him against her. “I stabbed him in his right lung before he escaped, and his shoulder… I want to be the one who kills him. Bring him to me.”

Nodding, he kissed her carefully on the lips and then ran after the others.

Sumi groaned as the full weight of her injuries bore down on her. For whatever reason, in a fight, she never really felt pain. It was only afterward that she regretted it.

And right now…

She really wished she’d killed him before he beat her to a pulp.

“Damn it,” Syn growled as he tried to stop the bleeding, “you need a transfusion.” He scanned the code on her wrist that The League had embedded with her brand mark that held her medical information. He frowned as he read it. “You’re part Qillaq?”

“No.”