“You aimed a gun at my mate,” she said, speaking with chilling calm. “I’m going to twist you into a pretzel — inside and out. I’m going to make you feel every horrible thing imaginable and then I’m going to break your spine. Do you understand?”
The intruder made a choked sound, an awful noise filtered through the modulator, as their back arched. Then they began to convulse.
Kaz’s wide eyes darted between them and his mate, who was slowly closing her fingers into fists, as if she intended to pull something apart and wanted to get a good grip first.
Holy fuck.
He knew she was fierce. She’d fought him like a wild thing, after all. Intellectually, he also knew that she was an incredibly powerful witch. He’d just never thought her capable ofviolence.
She hadn’t fought the gargoyles like this. She hadn’t even foughthimlike this. Slamming his head into the car seemed like nothing more than a love tap in comparison to the way she’d completely wrecked their intruder.
In the space between heartbeats he jumped between horror, pride, awe, tenderness, and the raw kind of lust that made him want to fuck her right there in front of everyone, just to show them all how that magnificent creature belonged tohim.
And then reality reasserted itself.
Figures melted out of the shadows, weapons drawn and aimed at his mate. Atria bared her teeth, preparing to pull their intruder apart despite the threat. Everything was about to get very bad, very fast.
Jackknifing up into a sitting position, he bellowed, “Atria,stop!They’re friends!”
The night went very still. Even the wind and chirping bugs in the grass seemed to freeze. The advancing ring of black-clad, glamoured soldiers halted, their rifles pointed squarely at Atria’s head.
His mate breathed hard, her fingers locked in position, and finally managed to drag her wild-eyed gaze to him. “What?”
Kaz hauled himself up onto his feet and crept toward her, hands raised in a soothing gesture. He wasn’t very good at it, but he did his best to pump every positive feeling he had through their tether.It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m safe. Everything is fine.
Speaking slowly, he explained, “Let her up, princess. It’s okay, I promise. You gotta trust me.”
Her brow crinkled. “But they had agun—”
“I know, and I know that must have scared you. It would have scared me, too. But I promise there’s no danger.” Sweat trickled down his spine.Not if she rips Vesta apart.
If that happened, not even being his mate would save Atria from Fracture.
Her eyes darted around, taking in all the guns, all the helmeted figures, and a dawning comprehension crept into her expression. “Are they…”
“Yes,” he answered, relieved to see her hands slowly unclench. Stooping, he picked up his gun, checked to see that she hadn’t even turned the safety off, and tucked it into the back of his pajama pants. “Yes, princess. It’s okay. They’re not here to hurt us.”
Atria dropped her hands, but that oily terror was still thick in the air. Behind him, he could still make out the sounds of Vesta twitching amidst the ruin of what was once their car. “Youarehurt. You’re bleeding, Kaz!”
He cupped his mate’s cold cheeks and rumbled a soothing note. Gods, it felt good to touch her. For the brief time that he didn’t know what was going on, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever get the chance to do so again.
“I’m okay, princess,” he whispered, stroking her cheeks. “They were making a point. An important one.”
“And what could thatpossiblybe?”
That I’ve gotten complacent. That I’m distracted. That they’re pissed I left them and rightfully so. Most importantly…
“That I need help keeping you safe.” He swallowed thickly. “Now, princess, please stop whatever it is you’re doing to Vesta.”
“No.” Glancing around him to get a clear view of the car and its unfortunate occupant, her expression tightened with menace once more.
It was really something else, feeling Atria’s raw possessiveness, the fury she felt on his behalf. His soft little empath would kill for him.
What a heady thing it was to know that he was worth that much.
Looking at her snarl, Kaz didn’t think he’d ever get his chest to depuff, nor get his cock back under control.
“Princess, please do as I say.”
