Back in Aethelwulf, Braxton and his men moved through the ruined hotel, tracing Claudia's scent through the reek of blood that hung heavy in the air.
He rounded a corner into a long, dimly lit corridor and found her at the far end, lying motionless in a pool of her own blood.
The sight struck Braxton right in the chest, pushing the air out of his lungs. He rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside her and pressed two fingers to her throat.
There was a faint pulse. like the fluttering wings of a dying bird, but it was there. Relief washed over him.
"Claudia! Open your eyes, Claudia!"
Her eyelids fluttered, lifting slowly. For a moment, her gaze was unfocused, staring at the ceiling, but then she looked at Braxton. A smile tugged at the corners of her blood-flecked lips.
"Alpha," she breathed, weak as a dying candle. "She knows now. She knows everything."
"Where is she?" Braxton asked, leaning close. "Where's my sister?"
