The first croc launched itself forward. Aric caught it in his arms, one hand keeping its giant mouth closed, while his other arm gripped the struggling creature in a headlock.

Dilip wasn’t impressed by Aric’s show of strength until Aric ripped the croc’s head off with his bare hands and tossed it at Dilip’s feet.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Aric snarled, taunting him. He wanted to keep Dilip’s focus and Shah’s efforts directed at him.

I knew what he was doing, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled with his tactics.

A large gold wolf appeared in front of us, blocking the crocodiles from reaching us with his massive form. Martin had arrived, his lips peeling back from his sharp canine teeth.

Something sliced at the air and then Shayna was suddenly there, just as fierce and furious as before. In her grip she held a sword, the blade dime-thin, but its length as long as my leg.

With a flick of her wrist she snapped the snout off a crocodile that had taken one step forward. “Uh-uh, dude,” she warned. “Some hoochie just felt up my man. Trust me when I say you want to keep your distance.”

She scratched the center of her chest. Her motion caught my attention, until a strange sense of confusion claimed me all at once.

I felt myself stumble back before Aric’s clasp of my wrist steadied me. “Celia can’t fight,” Aric said.

Everyone nodded, appearing to think something was wrong with me. Before I could make sense of anything—or realize Dilip’s sudden retreat—turmoil exploded and Shah’s army attacked.

The Alliance members spread out, a strong defense taking on what was clearly a formidable and overwhelming offense. Aric’s wolf shielded me with his body as a giant croc jetted over us. My claws protruded and I growled, my beast demanding out. She was raring for a fight from her need to protect us. Hell, I was raring to go, too, and barely managed to keep her caged.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep from fighting as more crocs disappeared to slither beneath the tables or pushed forward, their beady eyes rocking and taking everything in, when something hoisted me backward and into the air by my waist.

My bare butt smacked against the mirrored ceiling and I slid in circles far away from the fight. My shoes fell off my feet. I waved my limbs frantically, convinced I was going to fall into the chaos beneath me. Blood squirted up like a fountain as weres and vamps severed heads, and crocs snapped their jaws over limbs that failed to move out of their reach.

I arched my back, trying to turn around and stop my erratic motion as I skated around the ceiling on my ass. Despite knowing I couldn’t fight, I waved my arms, struggling against the power that held me, until I realized Emme had lifted me in the air with her force. She dragged me around with an invisible string as she shoved back the cluster of crocodiles circling her.

Her face scrunched. She was using a great deal of strength and focus to keep me suspended and herself from harm. The crocs closed in despite her best efforts. Panic spread along her features as the crocs’ grotesque bodies appeared to morph into a freak mixture of reptile and human as they walked on their hindquarters and their beefy tails swung back and forth.

I wasn’t sure what Shah had made them into. I only knew they were huge and Emme so small. But although she started alone, that wasn’t how she stayed. Tye and Bren sped to her side. Bren’s growls amplified as he snapped his fangs over the tail of one croc and sent it sailing away from Emme. He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her, especially on his watch.

Tye’s lion form and another croc collided with such force I heard Tye’s front leg snap away from his chest. Instead of collapsing, he kept his footing on three legs. A snarl reverberated across the room as he snatched the croc’s throat and dug in his fangs. The creature screeched in agony and shook from side to side, trying to fling Tye. Tye held tight, tearing open the croc’s throat and splattering blood like a sprinkler.

The scene below me became a haze of writhing bodies, blurs of gray and brown leather skin tangled with the thick fur of the werebeasts. Shayna stood out in the mix. She blinded a croc by stabbing it in the eyes with a dagger while her long sword gutted its underbelly. Another croc’s tail whipped back, knocking her legs from under her.

Koda arrived like a hound from hell, killing Shayna’s attacker before it could harm her. Shayna sat on the floor, temporarily stunned. She rubbed at her sternum before she seemed to gather her senses, then she leapt to her feet.

Meanwhile, I hung out on the ceiling like a damn piñata.

The din of howls and cries surrounded me, keeping time with the beat of the house mix and the pulse of the glaring club lights. I continued to skate along the ceiling as crimson and the scent of death unraveled below me. God, it was nauseating. I could barely make out my friends and lost sight of the vamps as they raced along, their claws and fangs out, fighting and slashing into our enemy. Everyone seemed to become part of the fray except for me. I was useless.

Until I caught sight of Dilip snaking his way through the madness and back to his table. His legs bled from the scratches of the ferrets-turned-crocs and he wore little more than underwear. But he was running in the opposite direction—away from the exits. I didn’t know why until he reached for his jacket and I caught the glimmer of gold from his pocket.

His phone. He’d scrambled back for his phone.

“Emme!” I yelled, pointing frantically in his direction. She was too busy tossing a giant crocodile into the DJ booth, mercifully cutting off the obnoxious beat. I yelled again as the music suddenly stopped. She nodded and tossed me in Dilip’s direction.

She probably meant to lower me gently. But aim was a talent my sister simply didn’t possess, and in her defense, she did have a humanoid croc trying to eat her face. I smacked against the wall and fell toward the floor.

I landed in a heap on a VIP table, but rolled onto the floor into a deep lunge—thanks to the reflexes of my inner beast and her need to hang on to our pride. I scrambled and bolted after Dilip. He was racing toward the dark hallway that led to the restrooms.

An emergency exit was located at the end of the hall. But I couldn’t be sure if we had any weres left guarding it. So I chased after him, stopping short when a black crocodile hurtled toward me with its huge maw open. I ducked left and right, away from its snapping fangs.

I dipped, barely avoiding its mouth as it took off a chunk of wall from the corner. My claws protruded. I was running out of options for survival. It dove toward me again. I sidestepped out of the way and spun, meeting it face-to-face once more.