Page 176 of The Sinner's Bargain

Fuck!

Grinding my jaw to stifle the urge to snarl, I pulled my arm into my stomach and turned.

Cyrus had a vicious and struggling Naya pinned against his chest. Her bare feet kicked in the air violently as he fought to keep her from getting free.

“Let her go,” I panted.

The moment she hit the ground, she was running to me, but thankfully stopped before throwing herself into my chest.

“Are you crazy?” she screamed and yanked out of her coat. “Why would you do that?” She was sobbing hysterically as she wrapped the heavy fabric around my arm. “Why would you...? You could have been killed.”

I stared at her in pain and bewilderment. “You think I would let it get you?”

Her eyes bright with fury, fear, and something I couldn’t name flashed up at me. “Yes! It was a wolf, Thoran.” Her chin trembled and her eyes watered. “You attacked a wolf.”

I would have laughed if she didn’t look so fucking small and angry. “I know what it was, sweetheart, and technically, he attacked me first.”

“This isn’t funny!” she yelled. “You could have died!”

Maybe it was the sudden acknowledgement of just how close I’d come to losing her if I’d failed, but my free hand cupped the back of her head before I could stop myself. I pulled her in and crushed my lips to hers, tasting her tears and fears salty on her lips. She made a little sound at the back of her throat before her arms were around my shoulders. Her body settled against mine as she went up on her toes. My good arm pressed her harder, holding her tighter.

She pulled back. “You need a doctor.”

I shook my head. “I need you.”

She sniffed, brows furrowed. “Doctor!”

I allowed her to take my good hand and pull me to where Cyrus stood watching the exchange with a mask of calm, but I didn’t miss the absolute fury in his eyes before he turned and led the way back.

Vance was in the foyer when he arrived. He looked from Naya to me and the bloody trail I was leaving in my wake and his eyes bulged.

“Jesus, Thoran, what happened?”

“Wolf attack,” I said, struggling to maintain my air of bravado when my limb blazed as if on fire; I had soaked through Naya’s coat and my entire side was sticky.

Vance shot a glance from me to Cyrus. “How did a wolf get onto the property? All the gates were closed, weren’t they?”

I just shook my head, needing to sit down. I was beginning to feel lightheaded and even with Naya’s attempts to help me stay upright, I knew that if I passed out, I was taking her with me.

“Call Roberts.”

Vance hesitated just long enough to make me glance at him.

“You fired him,” he reminded me. “I can—”

I shook my head. “He’s momentarily unfired.”

I ambled my way upstairs with Naya tucked under one arm and Cyrus sprinting up ahead. He shoved open my bedroom door and stood back to allow me through.

“Do you need anything?” Naya helped me down on the bench at the foot of the bed. “Towels?”

“Vodka,” I said to Cyrus still hovering by the door. “The whole bottle.”

“I can go—”

I tightened my hold on her when she started to leave my side. “You are never leaving my sights again.”

She sat gingerly next to me without argument, fingers twisting in her lap as she stared into my face.

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