I brought my knee up and drove it into his groin as hard as I could, breaking the memory of what had actually happened.
He folded with a strangled sound, collapsing onto the porch. His grip on me loosened, and the ice that had been forming shattered.
“Did you enjoy your show?” I stepped past him, my eyes locked on the drude.
He tilted his head, almost as if he were curious. “Few can bring themselves out of a nightmare.”
I lunged faster than he’d expected, my hand wrapped around his throat.
He felt wrong, like something half-solid. I tightened my grip and let my fatal venom flow into him anyway.
Toxic venom poured from my palms into his body, lighting him up from the inside. He writhed, drude magic flickering as his clawed hands grabbed at my wrist to pry me off.
Dark green spiderwebbed through his veins before the nightmare shattered into nothing.
I jolted awake.
My heart hammered against my ribs, and sweat chilled my skin.
Drecken’s magic was already circling me, warm and protective, forming a protection ward around the bed. “We need fae magic to banish the drude,” he said automatically, eyes sharp, scanning my aura.
“No need,” I panted, trying to catch my breath. “I just killed him.”
“That’s my girl. Good job, venom baby.” Slater’s red eyes scanned me, his demonic form out. His tail flicked behind him.
Snakey manifested, and his tongue licked my cheek before demanifesting.
“That’s my pretty little poison,” Zuko spoke, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“Thank Fates,” Koa murmured, blue flames licking softly along my spine where his hand rested. “He won’t come near you again.”
“I’ll look for reports,” Jesper said, already shifting into agent mode. “Any families who suddenly lost a drude in their sleep. Someone’s going to wake up missing a monster.”
Drecken breathed out a sigh of relief. “Demonic magic isn’t easy for warlocks to manipulate when it’s not directly affecting them, but it doesn’t matter now if he’s dead.”
Dimitri cupped my jaw, thumb brushing my bottom lip. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded. My pulse finally slowed. “I promise. I’m fine now. I killed him.”
The door to my room cracked open, and all of us looked toward it. It was locked, and the only ones able to get in were already in this room with me.
A blur moved across the threshold, fast and silent.
Dimitri’s hand shot out, fingers locking around a wrist just before a syringe touched my skin.
Vel.
Her smoky lavender eyes went wide as she realized I was not alone in the bed. All six of my mates were there, awake, and not at all amused.
She wasmuchfaster than a succubus should’ve been.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” she said weakly.
“So, you’re not trying to take my blood?” I asked, faking a sweet tone like she often did.
Her mouth opened and closed.
Drecken snapped his fingers.
