Alexa shouted as she jolted up, forgetting their precarious position in the unstable skiff. The boat rocked violently, and her sudden change in position tipped Winn over the edge into the icy water. All the breath left his body in a rush. He kicked up to the surface, gasping, and grabbed hold of his hat floating by in the water, jamming it back on his head, and ignored the pole floating down river. “You double-crossed the werewolves? But why?” The contessa’s voice drifted over the water. “It’s no more than you vampires have done. There is no loyalty among the Darkin now. First to Rathe with the prize takes all. And you are no longer useful in protecting our prize.” Alexa screamed as the pale, long-haired creature reached for her. She struggled to evade his hands and keep her balance, causing her arms to flail like pinwheels spinning backward. Winn started swimming hard, arm over arm, for the boat, kicking for all he was worth toward the skiff drifting down the river faster than he could swim.
