One minute she was in the doorway, the next she was gone. Then he saw the bastards on the lawn outside the kitchen gripping his fragile mate by her arms.
Fucking law-keepers.
Shadow scowled and yanked free of their hold.
Fury raged through him like wildfire as he charged across. So many fucking assholes always between them, and never a moment’s peace. He pushed Shadow behind him.
“We’ve watched for your return, Guardian,” the dark-haired asshole said, like Nik should appreciate his patience. “You and the human female have broken the Absolute Laws.”
“The fuck we have,” he growled.
“Do you declare she isn’t human?” the blond one asked, tone cool.
Nik clenched his teeth. At her core, Shadow was human, and she was pregnant—
Heavens! These bastards would kill her without even a fake trial if they scanned her and found out she was with child.No mortal should be born with the powers of the gods or angels.And their young would be half mortal—shit.
“Did The Morrigan not rescind this damn, no-human-mates rule for us?” Blaéz demanded, appearing at his side.
“Indeed. But only for you. With your mate an immortal now, it no longer applies, anyway.”
“Fucking asses,” Týr growled from Nik’s other side. “You’ll have to get through us.”
“Maybe I should just kill them both,” Aethan muttered.
“It won’t work,” Nik growled. “Even if we killed these fuckers, more would crawl out of the gutter until they’ve carried out their damn brand of justice.”
“Nik.” A small hand touched his back. “Give me a minute to talk to them.”
His gaze shot to her. “These assholes don’t fucking talk or ever listen,” he bit out. The urge to kill them had power tingling in his hands.
“Nik.” She pushed between him and Týr. “Let me talk, just for a minute, please? You are all here and can guard me.”
His jaw hard, Nik glared at her.
Please, Nik,she telepathed him.It is something I must do, or they will always hunt us.
Hell, it went against everything in him to let her talk to these pig-headed assholes. Exhaling roughly, he gave a stilted nod, keeping a hand on her waist, ready to skewer them if they put a foot wrong.
Then Shadow took a step from him—dammit—and faced-off with the huge, dark-haired law-keeper.
“This speciesism ideology of yours is bullcrap,” she snapped. “You lot insist on hunting us when the Guardians do work none of you would even contemplate on a normal day. You think because I’m human, you can simply stride in here and demand I put my neck out for you to end me?”
“It is the law, human.”
Nik wanted to punch the dick’s teeth down his throat for his rudeness, but a smile started on Shadow’s face. One Nik learned long ago never to trust.Shadow, whatever you’re planning, no—
Trust me.
Fuck.
“You say I’m human? Then prove it.”
“I could kill you.” The asshole drew out the deadly black-edged silver sword from the scabbard on his back.
In a flash, the Gaian swords appeared in all the warriors’ hands.
“Yeah, yeah, even immortals can die with that weapon,” she retorted. “And you know it. But talking to you one-track-minded dummies is like bashing my head against a brick wall. So I’ll make this really easy for you…”
