I feel him before I hear his voice behind me. “That’s my girl!”
Dean circles me, eyes dragging over the blood splattered on me, the bodies scattered around me, and still looks at me like I’m the most tempting thing he’s ever seen.
I’m jumping into his arms before I think. It’s only been a few hours since I last saw him, but it feels like an eternity.
I pull back, and my heart drops when I see the dried blood on his face.
“Dean—”
Before I can say anything, he cuts me off with a kiss, lips savoring me like he’s taking his time to remind me all the chaos around us is temporary.
In the end, it’s just us.
He pulls back with a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
He’s worried.
We’re not done. Not even close. I haven’t even seen Tiberius yet.
Dean rests his forehead against mine, breathing me in. “You’ve got this.”
His words wash over me like a protective spell, every nerve in my body shaking loose at his confidence in me.
Akihiko skids to a stop beside us, breath ragged. “After this, I’m retiring. I’m tired of going to war with assholes every year.”
“If you’re quitting, I want out too.” Dean yanks a warrior by his scuff and hurls him into a group running toward us, making them drop like bowling balls. “I’m not dealing with whiney humans forever.”
His face scrunches like he’s going to throw up.
He’s my fated mate, and I love him to death… but what a dramatic bitch.
“Is it really that bad?” Nevaeh asks.
“I’m a little scared of being in charge now.” Seiji wraps an arm around Nevaeh and yanks her aside as an arrow pierces a warrior’s head who was coming up behind her.
Nevaeh glances back at Anxo perched on a dry mountain and blows him a kiss.
“No, no, it’s amazing. The title, power, ring… life-changing stuff.” Akihiko smiles, his lips stretching so wide it’s creepy to look.
Seiji and Nevaeh exchange a look, and I can tell they won’t be taking over the throne any time soon.
I’m laughing when my eyes fall on the man running towards Dean, getting dangerously close. And then everything stops.
Zale.
I move in front of my mate, ready for whatever he tries, but then the strangest thing happens.
Two warriors slam into Zale at once. When he flips over before ripping their hearts out with his bare hands, my jaw drops.
What the fuck is he doing? Tiberius will kill him if he finds out Zale killed his men.
I remember the signature of Tiberius’ Divine. I’d recognize it anywhere. And as I watch Zale rise to his feet and start moving towards us like a man on a mission, I catch hints of that same power exuding from him, but it’s magnified in a way that shouldn’t be possible.
I’ve never felt power like this from one of us. His deep blue Divine is magnanimous but controlled, following Zale’s every command.
None of Tiberius’ children is supposed to have power like this. The Fate’s punishment is whispered in the kingdom but never spoken out loud.
They crippled his bloodline, made sure all his successors were born weak.
