“So you’ve been controlling them all along,” I said, hoping to give Jeremy time to think. “You came out of the portal after they cleared the way.”

Hull laughed. “Cleared the way? I was out only minutes after my first zombie. You were too engrossed in following him down the road to even notice. So I followed you. It seemed strange-humans pursuing the man instead of calling for help. So I cast a little spell, and discovered my good fortune. A pregnant werewolf had opened my portal.”

“You weren’t after me for the letter at all,” I said.

“The letter has served its purpose. You’re the vessel of value now.”

“I am not exchanging Elena for-” Jeremy began.

“You don’t need to exchange your dear girl for anything. That’s the beauty of my offer. You will get both her and your boy back, healthy and sound. I’ll even relinquish control of my zombies, so you can kill them and close this portal. Like the letter, they were useful enough, but they’ve quickly become more of a hindrance. Take them with my blessing, close the portal, heal your boy there…everything you want.”

“In exchange for…?” Jeremy said.

“No,” I said through my teeth.

Hull chuckled. “You already know what I’m going to ask for, don’t you? I wouldn’t be so hasty with your refusal, though. After all, I could take what I want now, with no deal…leave the portal open, let your mate die, let you die with him…”

“What do-?” Jeremy began.

“No!”

Hull turned the knife. At the movement, Jeremy’s gaze dropped to my belly, and he paled.

“A fair exchange, don’t you agree? Two lives for two lives? It’s a simple enough matter to take the babes out early. You fancy yourself a doctor, don’t you, Mr. Danvers? Or perhaps, if that other one isn’t too upset with you, he’ll undertake the task.”

“They-” Jeremy swallowed, as if his mouth was too dry to form words. “The babies aren’t far enough along. They wouldn’t live.”

“No matter. I don’t need them alive. Even if I take them that way, they won’t stay that way for long.”

I didn’t think. Couldn’t think. I just reacted, howling, twisting, my elbow going up to smash-

The knife dug into my belly.

As I froze, I heard Jeremy’s voice, distant, barely piercing the roar in my ears, begging me to stop, to hold still.

I stood shaking and gasping for breath. Hull laughed, but I ignored him and forced myself to look at Jeremy. Again he mouthed something, and this time it was clear: “Wait.”

As Hull stopped laughing, a small crackle cut through the silence of the forest, too soft for Hull to hear.

Gaze still locked to mine, Jeremy dipped his chin, telling me yes, they were coming. His eyes were clear and calm, panic gone. Seeing that,I felt my own fear drain.

“Why offer this deal?” Jeremy asked. His voice was even again, as collected as it had been when negotiating with Shanahan and Tolliver. Time to distract, stall…and wait. “If, as you pointed out, you can take Elena and the babies now…”

“Too messy.” Hull was equally nonchalant, even as blood trickled down my side. “I like things tidy. That’s why I tried to resolve this without confrontation. Had you let her return to the hotel with me, you’d have saved yourself much unpleasantness. I’m sure Mr. Shanahan would have preferred that. Now, I’ll settle for an offering freely given-” He repositioned the knife again, and I bit back a snarl. “-with the promise of no retaliation to come.”

I could smell Antonio and Nick now, coming closer.

“But why the-” Jeremy faltered, then continued, voice as casual as he could make it. “The babies. What do you need them for? Surely not the experiment you were working on back in England.”

Hull laughed. “That would be rather coincidental, wouldn’t it? No, they aren’t for that-though, thanks to you, I may have found the final rare ingredient I need. This, however, is a simple matter of economics. Had I ever considered the possibility of arriving here, a hundred years late, in another time, another country, I would have made financial arrangements. No matter. Providence interceded, and I arrived to find a woman pregnant with full-blooded werewolf twins. Some things never change, and such babes would be a sorcery ingredient of untold potency, as rare as the mythical unicorn’s horn. On the black market? Priceless. One alone would be enough to keep me in great comfort.”

“If one would be enough…” Jeremy said.

I stiffened, but he met my gaze, reminding me he was only stalling.

“In the mood to negotiate now, Mr. Danvers? That’s the spirit. Perhaps-”

The bushes exploded behind Jeremy. Hull jumped, startled. I hit the knife away from my stomach, but the blade caught the back of my hand, slicing it open. As I dove to grab the falling knife, Hull kicked my legs from under me. I fell, twisting to protect my stomach.

Hull’s hands sailed up, knocking Jeremy back with a spell, then Nick, as he burst through the bushes behind Jeremy. Intent on Nick, Hull didn’t see Antonio slip from the woods on the other side.

As I scrambled up, Antonio leapt at Hull, and they went down. Another crash in the forest, and I glimpsed something that made my gut go cold.

The bowler-hatted zombie burst from the woods, Rose lurching behind him, cutting Nick and Jeremy off from Hull, Antonio and me. Hull cast a spell. Something like an electrical bolt hit Antonio, and he fell, gasping. I started for him, then saw the knife, just inches from my hand. I stretched to grab it, but it flew out of my reach, sailing back toward Hull, propelled by some spell.