His thoughts were a jumbled mess.
Don’t look at her. Don’t look. Remember Maria. Save the pack.
“Is your mate named Maria?” He didn’t like that. “I’m not trying to put you in a trance,” I said softly, using the door to stand up in front of him, inches away from his teeth. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Your mate will feel it, right?”
Roan’s gaze shifted, and for a brief moment I thought he was going to back off, but he didn’t. He raised his head, his chest hovering over my small frame, and he used his paw to swipe me across the face.
I flung against the couch, my leg hitting the broken shards of the living room table, knowing I couldn’t be nice anymore.
Once I hit the couch, I bounded up, lifting from the ground, I watched as he attempted to jump at me, only this time, I hit him with everything I had inside.
He slid across the hardwood, hitting the dining room wall and creating a hole.
Roan whimpered, rubbing his head with his paw, I watched as he tried to get himself up to fight me. Toby stopped struggling against my restraint and watched as he fell to the ground.
Seconds went by of silence.
Roan was breathing but in pain. I could feel it.
Toby looked at me, and then his gaze shifted over my shoulder. Dorran stood at the doorway judging the scene in front of him. A trickle of blood ran down my leg from where he flung me, but it hadn’t hurt.
“You let him hurt her?” Dorran asked Toby.
“No, she trapped me here. She tried to reason with him and then she did that,” he said, pointing toward Roan.
Dorran’s mossy-colored gaze shifted toward mine. “He is the one that went over, on purpose I guess. To distract me.”
Dorran palmed the back of my neck and turned my face from side to side. “Are you okay? Your leg is bleeding.”
“I’m fine. He’s alive. You need to call Chandler to check on him. I don’t want him to die if he doesn’t have to.”
Dorran’s gaze was unreadable. “He’s on his way up. I came back when I felt you reaching out. We need to get to the castle.”
“Oh, I’m invited now?”
Dorran swallowed. “I don’t want you here when Chandler sees Roan. Come on.”
Dorran swung me into his arms, his fingers soft against my legs as he carried me outside. “We’ll get you cleaned up at the castle. My dragon doesn’t like to smell your blood. He’s fuming.”
I rested my head against his shoulder.
He launched us into the sky.
Over his shoulder, I saw Chandler climbing to the mountain, and running into the cabin.
I prayed he understood and that he could save him.
Death wasn’t something I wanted to put on someone.
It wasn’t my job to take lives.
I'm not God.
But if someone was threatening Dorran, our kingdom, or my life, I had to protect us the best I could. If that meant killing sirens or a wolf.
Then so be it.
Dorran landed on the bridge, swinging me down, he put both palms on my shoulders and kissed me. It was rushed, urgent, and nearly took my breath from my lungs. When he pulled back, his eyes were full of worry.