“You dare to touch my…” He paused, his hand tightening on Leo’s throat. “My honored guest.”
“She’s human,” Leo replied. He was trying to growl but it came out more as a wheeze.
“She is the great-niece of one of our own. Human or not, she has the protection of Devil Springs, just as any other creature would,” Daniel continued.
I tried not to stare as the veins and muscles in Daniel’s hand and forearm bulged and shifted.
“She’s human,” Leo insisted. “And she’s seen me.” His golden eyes glared at me with hot anger.
Daniel gave him a shake. “Look at me, Leo. Do I look like I fucking care?”
Though Daniel was in profile to me, I could see that his fangs were so long that they pressed over his bottom lip. Holy shit, he was pissed.
“I promised this woman safety and my protection. Human or not. I will kill you without a second thought if you try to harm her.”
Leo’s eyes widened as he stared at Daniel. Suddenly, his face melted from lion to human. The shifting and rolling beneath his skin and the way his fur receded made my stomach churn, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off them just in case Leo got away from Daniel and came for me again.
“Apologize,” Daniel said, his voice dropping so low in timbre that it sounded nearly demonic.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” Leo stammered.
“Not to me, you moron. To Cari.” Daniel gave him another shake.
Leo looked at me, his eyes still golden, but his human face appeared very young. He looked to be in his early-to-mid-twenties.
“I’m sorry. Very sorry,” he said.
He looked terrified. Considering my heart was still thundering in my chest, I figured he deserved it for how badly he scared me.
It wasn’t until Daniel looked at me, his eyes blazing with emerald fire, that I realized he wanted a response.
“Apology accepted,” I murmured.
With that, Daniel dropped the young man on his feet. Leo stumbled a bit but righted himself quickly.
“I don’t want to see you again for as long as I’m here,” Daniel said. “And you will pay for all the damage you caused and apologize to everyone here for your ridiculous behavior. Am I clear?”
Leo’s expression appeared mutinous, which made me wonder if he was even younger than I originally thought.
“Leo, you are thirty-five years old, but you’re still acting like a spoiled brat. Your mother may tolerate it, but no one else in town will. Especially me.”
Leo scowled at him, and Daniel took a step closer.
“Do not make me kill you, Leo. It’ll break your mother’s heart, but I’ll do it to keep everyone else safe.”
The man’s face cleared, and he looked scared.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ayres.”
“Apology accepted,” Daniel said. “It’s time to make some changes to your behavior. You should put some serious thought into it.”
Leo nodded and scurried away, his shoulders slumped in the picture of defeat.
I watched as he walked to the edge of the porch and turned to look back at Daniel. His expression wasn’t of fear any longer. No, it was cunning and cold.
Daniel’s back was to him as he walked over to me, so he didn’t see the look. But I did and it made chills break out over my skin.
He reached down, holding a hand out to me. I hesitated for the barest second before I put my fingers in his.
