Samael released Kyla, and she immediately snapped at him. He was lightning fast, but even he nearly lost a finger to the furious wolf.
Nathaniel advanced, crouching down. He leveled Kyla with a hard stare, and she fought it, growling at him. Eventually, she lowered her eyes. Nathaniel kept his gaze on her as he spoke to us. “Even a feral wolf will bow to an Alpha. It’s biological, a dominance contest they have no control over. But when I reach for her… she’s not there.”
The Alpha glanced at me, and his eyes were grief stricken. “She’s gone, Danica. There’s nothing left for me to hold on to. The kindest thing—”
My knife was in my hand before he finished his sentence.
“Don’t even fucking think about it.”
Samael tensed and I knew he’d take my side no matter what. Even if it meant Kyla truly was feral. Even if it meant we had to carve out a piece of our territory for her to roam in, somewhere she couldn’t hurt anyone.
Finvarra chose that moment to stalk toward the cage. For some ungodly reason, Nathaniel allowed him close to Kyla.
I jolted forward as the unseelie King’s hand darted through the cage, dodged Kyla’s snap and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. Even as weak as she was, she slashed out with him, her claws cutting open his face and neck, blood dripping down his skin.
The unseelie king merely gave her a shake, and I gaped as his wounds began instantly knitting together.
“Is that all you’ve got?” he purred.
Finvarra had a death wish. Kyla watched him out of cold eyes, then swiped out again. He responded with another shake.
Nathaniel growled. “Enough. You won’t torture my wolf.”
Finvarra ignored him. “This is how you’re going to go out, wolf?” He smiled darkly. “I don’t think so. Shift. NOW.”
She ignored him, growling and twisting in his hold. He got right up in her face.
“We have a bargain. And you’re going to complete your end of it. Shift, or I’ll take you and keep you as a werewolf pet, chained to my throne.”
Snarls sounded from everyone in the dungeon, including me. Finvarra ignored us.
I’d kill him before he made Kyla his pet.
Samael was shielding my body with his, but I felt his stroke along our bond. Finvarra may be powerful, but this wasourterritory, and together, both of us could take the dark fae king down if we had to.
Nathaniel had gone still, and I saw the moment he decided to kill the unseelie king. His claws slid out, and he crouched, muscles quivering, ready to leap…
This was about to be a bloodbath.
And then Kyla shifted.
Finvarra still held her, although his other hand found her waist. Her eyes burned into him, silently vowing retribution.
They were still the icy blue of her wolf.
Then those eyes rolled up in her head and Finvarra lowered her to the ground as she passed out. I elbowed past the guys and shoved the key into the lock as Nathaniel roared for a healer.
Finvarra cast Kyla one satisfied look and then turned. Nathaniel let out a long, low growl. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention at the promise of death in that growl.
“How did you do that?” I managed to get out.
Finvarra raised one eyebrow. “Feral or not, she still owes me.”
And their bargain had overridden even an Alpha’s call.
I glanced at the bronze mark on the back of Kyla’s hand. Nathaniel didn’t seem to care how it had been done. The Alpha may have been known for his control, but he was shuddering with the urge to tear into the unseelie king.
“Threaten my wolf with captivity again and I’ll slaughter you,” Nathaniel snarled.
