Then a scuffle sounded. A growl emitted.
Ely darted to the guardrail. Two males fought on the pier, their cloaks getting in the way, hiding who they—
But those colors? Her stomach tripped. Colors of the guards from her homeworld of Ademéras—the deep maroon of the personal guards and the dark gray of the deadly enforcers!
Crap. Four more gray-clad enforcers stood aside, then two of them grabbed the fallen, maroon-cloaked guard, and they dematerialized.
The male who fought straightened his gray cloak and smoothed back his disheveled hair.
Only one reason they were here.
For her.
Capture and retrieve, back to Ademéras.
Not freakin’ happening.But she didn’t want Nate tangled in this battle, and knowing her mate, he’d lose his mind. This was her fight to finish, once and for all.
She shut down her mind-link with him. Resolve melded in steel, she leaped over the railing, landing on the pier. Ready for battle as the three remaining enforcers faced her.
The fighter, with short pale hair, stepped forward. “It’s been a while, my lady.”
And his familiar features registered. Shit.
“Toren?” Ely eyed him warily, braced for a fight, wishing it hadn’t come to this. He was the head enforcer and utterly dangerous. She liked the male. He’d been a friend to her, and not in lust like the idiot who stabbed her. But she would fight if it came down to it. A warning was all she would give. “I’m not going back.”
CHAPTER40
Nate stilledfrom zipping his duffle, a tinge of fear-streaked anger shooting through him. A quick scan revealed all was quiet in the garage. His sire worked in the back office of the workshop.
Laika?he telepathed.
Silence.
Ely?he tried again, mind-linking with her…and still nothing. She’d shut him out. Only one reason she would.
Trouble.
Dread twisting his gut, he grabbed the bag and dematerialized to the boathouse. At the sight of the guards surrounding his mate on the pier, rage tore through him. Then one of them reached for her—
Everything within Nate flashed red.
He dropped the duffle and leaped for the bastard, taking him down and ramming his fist into the bastard’s face. “Never touch my mate!”
“Nate, no!” Ely yelled, grabbing his arm, stopping another punch, and pulling him back. “Stop, please!”
Chest heaving, his furious gaze swung to hers. “Why?” he snapped. “Who the fuck is he?”
She stood between them. “A friend.”
“I’m Toren.” The male responded at the same time, on his feet now. He grimaced, rubbing his jaw. The charcoal-gray cloak, with a silver insignia of some tree branch pinned on one shoulder, swung around him. “We are the enforcers of the ruling house of Ademéras.”
Empyrea?
Growling, Nate pushed Ely behind him, every molecule in him aligning to eviscerate the threat. His wings fluttered out. “You’re gonna have to go through me.”
“I see you are in good hands, my lady,” the male said dryly, eyeing Nate’s massive appendages. “Your sire would be pleased.”
“What?” Ely’s gaze rushed to him, her brow creasing. “Toren, why exactly are you here? Who was the guard you fought…ohhh.”
