“What does ‘pussy whipped’ mean?”
Outright laughter bursts from my lips, and I double over, all my magic retreating. I sense Kai, Lukas, and Nesrin arriving a moment later.
Exiting the SUV, the three of them start jogging down the hill in our direction. Kai shifts mid-leap, positioning himself between me and the Kotov brothers. A deep, menacing growl echoes through the air, causing my heart to race. I grin and step forward, sinking my fingers into his fur.
I cock my head to the side and stare at Demitri. “You owe me my freedom.”
“And if I refuse?”
Kai steps forward, lowering his head, his ears pinned back. I sense Alexander’s intentions, and before he can attack, I materialize right in front of him. My dagger is poised over the volatile dragon shifter’s heart, and I’m ready to strike before he can even react. My vision tints gray, so I know my eyes are pools of inky black, making everything appear dull and muted, as if the world has lost its vibrancy.
I lean forward and lower my voice. “If anything happens to him, I will kill you.”
Alexander’s eyes are hard, his jaw clenched so tightly I swear his teeth are about to crack.
“Okay, let’s all take a step back. There are a lot of death threats flying around, and I’m the one with the raging pregnancy hormones, so don’t make me kick all your asses,” Nesrin’s voice rings out over the group.
It’s accompanied by a wave of magic, her magic. Its soothing nature gently eases the frayed edges of my nerves, and I let my dagger disappear. Retreating a step, I’m suddenly pulled into an embrace by powerful arms, followed by the warmth and strength of a solid chest against me.
“I will not have you coming onto my pack lands and causing trouble. I don’t care who you are or how powerful you claim to be.” Lukas’s rebuke is hard and firm.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, I see Nesrin, her hand firmly holding Lukas’s and the other affectionately caressing Talon’s head. Seraphina stands on Talon’s other side, her arms crossed over her chest as she glares at the brothers.
I turn back to them and grin. “Looks like you’re all going to be doing some wooing.” I laugh. “Ready to grovel, boys?”
Alexander and Demitri looked pissed, but Penn just grins and shakes his head. A warmth fills my chest, though the hurt from his betrayal still stings.
“I’m sorry for doubting you, Ash,” Penn says, stepping forward.
“You know me better than most. What did you think? I just ran away?”
“No, not at all.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Okay, yes. But when you didn’t return, I went looking for Kai—”
I step forward, poking him in the chest. “That’s another thing. You found my mate and sent him after me! What were you thinking?!”
“I was thinking he was the only one who could find you.”
“If anything had happened to him . . .” I draw in a deep breath and close my eyes.
Kai’s hands slip around my waist, and he kisses the top of my head. “Nothing happened to me, baby.”
I turn abruptly in his arms. “But it did. If Sera—” I cut off my words. Not sure it would be a good idea to out her blood magic.
I don’t care who’s watching, who might see this moment of vulnerability. All that matters is him. I rest my cheek against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath beneath me. The rhythm of his heartbeat echoes in my ears, a comforting sound that drowns out everything else. With my eyes closed, I let the world around us fade into oblivion.
There’s nothing but him and the overwhelming sense of peace that comes from being in his arms. My love for this man knows no bounds—it’s a fierce, unyielding force that consumes me entirely. He is the most important person in my world, the one constant in the chaos of my life.
“If you had died, my anger and heartbreak would have shattered the very foundation of this world.” I’m not ashamed to admit it.
My life had no meaning until Kai came along—before him, I was nothing more than a disposable assassin, a tool to be summoned and used at the whims of the Kotov family.
Kai kisses the top of my head. “Glad it didn’t come to that then.”
Seraphina’s soft voice breaks us apart.
“Ashwiyaa, are these the men you spoke of?”
“Yes, they’re like you, dragon shifters. You will be safe with them.”
