Donovan jumped at him, but Bhrunyz swatted away my mate like he was nothing. He crashed against the wall and slumped to the floor in a heap. He’d be up again in a minute, but that was going to be too long.

Qusay was right. Running was the best option. But Riona didn’t look like she was in the mood to run.

“Hey!” I shouted as I picked up a solid wood table. “Leave her alone.” I threw it at him as hard as I could. It broke as it slammed into his face. He roared as black blood oozed from his cheek.

Oh shit. I swallowed. Maybe not my best idea.

His claws dragged along the floor, ripping the carpet as he faced me. His body was thick, like a rhino standing on two feet, and two horns stood out on top of his head. Something toxic dripped from his jowls. The carpet sizzled where the black goo touched.

“Run!” I yelled to Donovan’s mother. “We can’t beat him. You have to run!”

Before she could move, Donovan dove in front of me. He leaped at the beast, biting into its arm.

Bhrunyz stumbled back a step, knocking into the table where Donovan’s mother had been. Now she was a beautiful gray wolf, ready to run, but Bhrunyz was standing between her and the door.

Bhrunyz flung off Donovan and swiped at me. I threw my body to the ground.

Donovan leaped over my head, and his jaws clamped down on the beast’s leathery hand. Shit. We had to get out of here before all three of us got killed.

Soft whimpering sounded from the corner. I twisted just enough to see a mother huddled with her two small children. She squatted in front of her kids, pressing them in the small space between the corner of the room and a cupboard. The mother’s back was to the fight as she protected her kids from the beast.

Shit. Just because Bhrunyz wasn’t after them, didn’t mean they wouldn’t get hurt in the crossfire. They had to get out of here.

The beast roared, and a chair slammed into my side. Donovan snarled. I fought the urge to look back at him. Instead, I raced to the woman.

“You’re going to be fine. Wait here.” They’d have to run past Bhrunyz to get to the door. That wasn’t going to work. I grabbed a table and threw it at the front window. Glass shattered into the street. “Run.”

The mom glanced to the beast, eyes wide with fear. She shook her head.

I looked behind me. Donovan’s mother had joined the fight. She bit into the beast’s ankle, and he screamed. She let go just as he slammed his razor-sharp nails into the floor where she’d been.