“He’s like a bloodhound,” Maryse joked.Under normal circumstances, the sound of someone high-fiving would’ve made him turn and hit whoever was making a joke on his behalf.Yet, the smell of cinnamon became overpowered by another pungent scent he recognized.
He came to a stop, holding up his hand.Through their clan link, he reached for Savage.‘Astaroth is here.Where are you?’
As the silence stretched without Savage responding, he and those with him fanned out.‘Astaroth is here.I don’t know how he masked his scent or how many he has with him, but Savage isn’t responding to me.I can smell Starla’s unique signature up here.It’s faint, though.’He sent them an example of her signature.Maryse moved first, heading toward the ladies' dressing rooms.His nails lengthened.
‘Don’t engage, Rys.If you find them, you disperse and call for me.’He didn’t doubt her abilities as a fighter, but if Astaroth took out Savage, he obviously wasn’t working alone.
Feeling like his head was on a swivel, he scanned the racks of clothes, looking for the female he couldn’t get out of his mind.Her soul called to his.
His mind refused to believe what he saw.Starla was walking hand-in-hand with the bastard, Astaroth.Anger filled his entire being.It took monumental effort to press the rage down so he could see through the red haze.His nails began to recede, becoming those of his human counterpart.His female’s head came up.Her dark as night eyes met his.
Scepter heard her breath catch.
Astaroth’s hand slid around Starla’s hip, touching her as if he had the right.“Starla, come here,” he said, holding out his hand.
She licked her lips and took a step toward him.
The vampire beside her, who was the head of a huge Mafia family that Savage had gracefully allowed to live, dug his nails into Starla’s side.The intoxicating scent of Starla’s blood hit him.
“Release her.Now,” Scepter roared.The chandeliers above them shook.
“You don’t want to cause a scene among the humans, do you?I could rip her in half before you could take a step or become your precious blur,” Astaroth sneered.
“You think I give a shit about humans?”Scepter asked.“I could take your head before your next breath.You are being given a courtesy right now.”In truth, he wasn’t sure where Savage and Aurora were, or if Astaroth had harmed them.The fact that Starla wasn’t acting like he expected worried him.
Astaroth bent his head, whispering words in Starla’s ear.Scepter never had issues hearing with his supernatural abilities.Still, he couldn’t comprehend the words that came out of the other male’s mouth.Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Maryse moving toward them with Thane and Godsven forming a tight ring around the duo.Astaroth lifted his arm from around Starla, raising both toward the ceiling.Before he could make a move that would harm her, Scepter flashed to her side and wrapped her in his arms.Using his masking abilities, he created a shield around them.
“Scepter?”Starla whispered.
He held her by the arms, looking down to see her blink several times.She looked dazed and confused.As she tried to step back, she stumbled.Scepter growled and lifted her into his arms.
“I found Savage and Aurora.”Maryse’s voice interrupted his fury.
He jerked his head toward her.“Where?”There’s no way he wouldn’t have detected the deaths of their King and his mate.He’d have known if they were no longer on Earth.
Maryse shook her head.“They thought Starla was trying on clothes.There’s a clone of her.A female who has a scent almost exactly as Starla’s is in the dressing room.She’s a shifter.How the fuck did he know they were going shopping today?She literally just returned.Savage doesn’t make...”
“Fucking Cleo.Where is she?Have you informed Savage his sister-in-law was nearly taken?”he asked, holding Starla closer to his chest.If he’d been with them, he’d have gone into the dressing rooms with her.Fuck, he’d have helped her try on the clothing.Shit.His cock swelled thinking of all the filthy things he’d love to do to her, with her.He was a dirty bastard.The thought of helping her out of the clothing made it hard to walk, but he was resilient, if nothing else.
“You smell amazing.Like sandalwood and bergamot.If you’d have smelled like another woman, I’d have stabbed you in your dick eye.”Starla wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Hmm, I’m glad my dick is safe.I’m assuming the eye part would be the tip of said penis?”he asked.
She ran her finger down his forehead and along the bridge of his nose.“You’re so smart.Boop.”She giggled.
Maryse was in front of him again, walking backward, and mouthed the same thing he was thinking, which waswhat the fuck.Not that he was complaining.The issue was that the woman in his arms and the one he’d seen earlier didn’t act the same.This Starla appeared drunk or high.To his knowledge, shifters had a very high tolerance to alcohol and drugs.
They walked around the VIP seating area, where Savage and Aurora were sitting.He gave Savage a nod, settling into a chair across from them.Starla stayed in his arms.
“What the fuck is going on?”Aurora growled.
Starla jerked.Her relaxed body went stiff at the sound of her sister’s tone.
“Astaroth was here,” Scepter said.
Savage’s eyes turned red.Even stranger to Scepter was seeing Aurora’s go red, too.
“The fuck you say,” Savage denied.
