"Jessie. No. Okay," Luc mumbled, heaving as one of his hands brushed my arm. It stung. A bullet must have grazed me.

"Let's not worry about that now," I muttered, even though he couldn't understand me. He took me into his arms, pressing me into his chest. He purred, licking the dirt on my neck as I put my face on his shoulder. I looked over it to observe the woman on the floor, freezing still when I noticed her eyes had peeled open and she was looking at me — at Luc.

She looked horrified, confused, and angry all a the same time.

"You're fucking that thing," she managed to croak through her busted lip. "It can fucking speak English."

The sound of her voice made Luc growl, turning sharply so that he was the one facing her. He held me closer, baring his teeth at her.

"Luc. No." I managed the word, in the softest tone possible, raising my head from Luc's shoulder to look at him.

He was hesitant, but he stopped barring his teeth. Instead, he took off into the air, leaving behind the bloody aftermath of his rampage.