Ella! Cora screamed as one of the men circled her side of the car and began bashing her window with a crowbar. The glass cracked and shattered inside. I had no time to respond. I unbuckled my seatbelt and threw myself into the back seat toward my screaming child.

My eyes darted to the other side of the car, where another man approached, raising his own crowbar. Panic seized me—we were trapped. He began smashing the back window, trying to reach Rafe and me. I made a snap decision, instantly transforming into my wolf. As the crowbar broke through, I grabbed it between my teeth and yanked. The man yelled, losing his balance as his arm plunged into the car. I dropped the crowbar, ignoring the ringing in my jaw, and snapped again, higher this time, my teeth sinking into his elbow and upper arm.

He screamed, trying to pull away, but I snarled, holding him fast until he ripped his arm free, leaving a trail of blood. He dropped the crowbar and fled. I transformed back, turning toward my screaming son, but Cora's scream distracted me. I gasped, whirling around to see the man who’d broken her window almost inside the car, a knife in his hand. In horror, I watched him raise the knife and viciously plunge it into her back, then drag it across her flesh.

Before he could move further, I lunged, my fingernails extending into talons. I sank them deep into his arm. As he shrieked and dropped his knife, I raked my claws across his face, neck, and shoulders. Screaming, he scrambled out the window, and I shifted into my wolf, leaping after him, savaging him until he was still. Then I saw the man with the shredded arm reaching for my son. I leaped, killing him swiftly. His blood ran down my chin as I transformed back into a woman.

I turned to see the priest standing before the car, dark magic swirling around his hands, holding us captive.

"If you leave now," I growled, striding toward him, "I will let you live. But you have seconds to decide."

"Come for me, little girl," he laughed, beckoning me.

I did. With a feral roar, my nails became talons, my teeth fangs. I leaped, ready to tear him apart. But before I reached him, he shifted his magic, wrapping it around me. I gasped, clawing at my throat as the dark shadows constricted me, my feet kicking as he lifted me into the air. He began murmuring a spell. I felt my fangs retract, my claws withdraw. He laughed again before lowering me, panting, to the forest floor.

I stared at him, confused, until he shook his head. "What now, little girl?" he murmured, smirking. "What do you have to fight with now that your wolf is gone?"

I snarled, trying to transform, but nothing happened. I gasped, stumbling backward as I tried again. Nothing. I backed away, desperate, knowing I couldn't fight him without my wolf. He took a step toward me when we both snapped our heads to the sound of squealing tires and a revving engine. The car slammed into the priest, sending him sprawling against a large gray rock.

"Ella!" Cora gasped from the car. I raced to her, throwing open the driver's-side door. Sobbing, I saw her—covered in blood. "Cora!" I cried, reaching for her, but she moved into the passenger seat.

"Ella," she moaned, frantically assessing the damage.

"Let's go," I growled, sliding into the driver's seat, glancing back to make sure my screaming child was still strapped in. I slammed the door and backed up, staring at the motionless priest as a pool of blood formed around him. Then, I focused on the road, hitting the gas.

We sped from the forest, leaving the horror behind. My breath came fast, my heart pounded, my hands shook as I concentrated on driving and assessing Cora.

"Cora!" I yelled, seeing her eyes closed. "Cora, talk to me!"

"I'm...I'm okay," she murmured, a heavy moan escaping her lips.

"Tell me the truth, Cora! Don't try to spare me!"

I pressed harder on the gas, praying we wouldn't encounter more priests. Cora's eyes snapped open. "I'm serious, Ella," she panted, pressing a hand to her bleeding back. "It was a glancing blow. I don't think he hit anything vital..." She gasped as I hit a bump, her face paling with pain.

"Keep going, Cora!" I urged, my eyes darting between her and the road. "Tell me!"

"It would hurt more," she gasped, "if he'd hit a kidney. I think...I think I'll be okay, Ella, but I need a hospital, now—"

"No, we don't," I growled, pulling onto the shoulder of the road, making Cora gasp.

"Ella, we have to go!" she screamed. "There could be more of them!"

"No!" I shouted, slamming the car into park and taking deep breaths, closing my eyes. Cora fell silent as she realized what I was doing. Even though I could usually access my gift, it slipped away.

"Cora," I cried in agony, my eyes flying open. "The priest...he did something to me—he bound my wolf. I can't access my gift."

"It's okay," she said, leaning forward to grasp my shoulder, gasping in pain. I shook my head, fear and apology on my face. "Seriously, Ella," she panted, "it's fine. Just...let's get back on the road, okay? I need medical attention. And if you can't get it, we have to go somewhere else."

"Okay," I said, gritting my teeth. I got us back on the road as fast as I could. The wind howled through the broken windows. "Okay, Cora. I'll get you there. I'll take you to the hospital as fast as I can."

"No," she gasped, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes. "Take me to Hank—he'll know what to do. We have to go see Hank."

"Okay," I said, nodding anxiously. "We'll go to Hank. Right now. He'll fix you up."

I turned my attention to the road, my sister gasping beside me, my baby crying in the back seat. Before I lost myself completely to the drive, I reached under the seat and grabbed Henry's phone, which must have fallen from Cora's pocket.

"Here," I said as I tossed it into her lap, making her open her eyes. "If you can, Cora—text Sinclair. Tell him what happened."

As I concentrated on the road, Cora reached for the phone.