His hold loosens enough for me to shove myself away, but not before his knife slices into my shoulder.
I collapse to the floor, letting out a startled sob from the pain.
My blood, hot and sticky seeps past my hand as I press it against my shoulder.
I don’t dare look. Did he hurt my bondmark?
If he did, would that take away my bond with Griffin?
I don’t have time to wallow, because everything else moves so quickly.
Rowan, freed from Jett’s bark, rolls over and unlocks Rage’s cage.
I don’t even truly see what happens next. One second, Rage is lunging over me, his teeth bared and the next, Jett is screaming as there’s a sickening crunching sound.
The only thing I see before Rowan crawls to me, tucking my head into his chest so I don’t see, is Jett’s arm, twisted at an unnatural angle.
There are three more screams. Three more sickening crunching sounds.
I’m pretty sure Rage is tearing at each one of Jett’s limbs.
Then there’s one lastcrack.
And then the screaming stops.
I lift my head from Rowan’s chest, away from the iron tinged basil to try and see.
“Don’t—don’t look,” he stutters, his eyes wide.
I don’t heed his warning.
Rage stands, leaving Jett in a crumpled pile on the floor. Jett’s body twitches a couple of times before it grows still, like a broken doll.
Rage’s expression is twisted. Broken.
I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid ofhim.
And now isn’t the time to start. The last thing he needs to smell in the air is my fear.
But I’m definitely the closest I’ve been to being afraid of what he’ll do.
“You gonna kill me now, big guy?” Rowan huffs, his head leaning up against the bars of the cage.
“No!” I say, scrambling up to my knees and extending my arm out to try and protect Rowan.
It hurts. The movement tugs on the knife wound I have in my shoulder.
I think that’s what gets through to Rage. Either my voice or the wince of pain. Maybe both.
But instead of crushing Rowan like he just crushed Jett, he sweeps me up into his arms, burying his face into my hair.
I sink into his arms, clinging to him desperately. I need his strength. The security it offers, knowing that Rage has gotten rid of the man who hurt me.
“I’m okay. I’m okay, Rage, see? You don’t need to worry,” I babble. I don’t know whether I’m trying to reassure him or myself.
“Bleeding,” he grunts, his gravelly voice sending a shiver down my spine. He nods towards my hand.
I’m too afraid to look.
