She peeked one eye open, then the other. The brawny lycan stood frozen, rooted in place just inches from her. He looked down at his chest and back to her face in shock.

She watched as he toppled to the ground. She felt no rush of victory. Only shock. She had killed someone—no, not someone. She had destroyed a lycan. Yet it was hard to remember the distinction as the silver faded like a wisp of smoke from his eyes, leaving a very mortal shade of brown behind.

A flash of movement caught her eye. Too late. She didn’t have time to lift the gun and aim before the shrieking female charged her. Claire landed on her back with a teeth-rattling jolt. Her gun clattered against the pavement, skittering several feet away. Pinned, she couldn’t budge as razor-sharp nails attacked her neck and face, scratching and slicing in a flurry of motion. Saliva dribbled down onto her face from the crimson lips snarling above her.

With a howl of rage, Claire caught one of the flying wrists and gave it a vicious twist. The female hissed and brought her other hand crashing against Claire’s face.

Surging against her, Claire flipped the female off her. Snarling, she jumped into a crouching position, readying herself.

“Enough, Bianca,” the leader’s voice declared.

“She killed Marcus. She has to die.” Bianca jerked her head in the direction of Claire’s gun. “Let’s give her a taste of her own poison.”

The lycan crossed his arms over his silk shirt and murmured, “Then we would have two dead instead of one.”

“She killed her own kind,” Bianca snarled, body flexing beneath the red leather as if she would spring on Claire again. “She has to die.”

Claire’s stomach churned and her eyes darted back and forth between the two lycans discussing whether she lived or died.

“I don’t think so.” He rubbed his chin. “She is new. Confused. She hasn’t been properly schooled.”

“She used a silver bullet, Ian.” Her manicured hand motioned to Marcus’s corpse in disgust. “She knew what she was doing. She must pay.”

“There are ways she can serve the pack. She’s breeding. In a year she can give back a life for the one taken.”

Bianca growled her disagreement. “The decision isn’t yours.” In a flash, she was up and heading for the gun, muttering over her shoulder, “You can’t stop me.”

A definite edge entered his voice as he softly threatened, “Pick up that gun and you deal with me.”

Bianca halted and looked over her shoulder.

The air changed, altering imperceptibly. Claire waited breathlessly, observing the silent exchange between them. Indecision flickered across Bianca’s face. Her gaze drifted longingly to the gun before sliding back to Claire. “You just want to mate with her.” The words spewed from her red lips like venom.