Page 17 of Forbidden Daddy Mate

Her struggles slowed as she fell back into the trance. “I…” she muttered.

I couldn’t take it anymore. With a snarl, I leapt, lunging for Varin. His eyes widened in surprise and something like pleasure.

One moment, he was there. The next, he was gone, halfway across the room. I landed on nothing, spinning around to face them.

“Guess we don’t have to ask her after all,” Varin remarked as he unsheathed a long blade and crouched. “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time.”

In other circumstances, the statement might have struck me as odd. But I was too busy to care or notice, too preoccupied with protecting Freya and getting her out of trouble for anything else to register. All that mattered was killing these two and getting her to safety.

I couldn’t risk attacking Ty, not with the way he held Freya against him, so I jumped again toward Varin. He stepped away, knife lashing out. A line of fire drew across my side.

I wasn’t going to let that stop me. If I did, Freya was as good as dead.

I landed, fully aware of the blood matting my fur and the fact it was dripping onto the floor beneath me, but I ignored it as best I could. Instead, I locked my attention on Varin. He was fast, possibly even faster than me. Which meant anytime I went for him, he could move out of the way. The only way I’d be able to get around that would be to feint. His dagger dripped with my blood as he gave me a feral smile.

I moved toward him, making it seem as though I were trying the same tactic again. The instant I saw him trying to dodge, I pivoted, racing toward him. My claws lashed out, swiping at his face and missing by inches. He stepped back, barely missing the attack.

He wasn’t smiling anymore.

He leapt in the air, dagger outstretched, ready to plunge into me. Years of combat came flooding back to me. I jumped straight up, slamming into him and knocking him off-kilter. By the time he came to the floor and righted himself, I was right there.

I slammed into his shoulders, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling to the floor. Spittle flew from my mouth onto his face as I snarled, fur bristling. I leaned forward, preparing to take a bite out of the intruder before he could do any more harm.

“Let him go,” Tyr said.

I turned to see razor-sharp nails on Freya’s throat, ready to gouge into her flesh at any notice.

“I don’t really want to lose a new plaything yet, but there are others where she comes from. I have no issue letting her bleed out in front of you.”

I snarled. My wolf wanted to ignore him, to kill the monster beneath our claws. But I couldn’t, not with Freya’s life at stake. Growling, I stepped back.

“Shift back,” he ordered. Varin got to his feet, a smirk on his face.

I obeyed. Tyr’s hand moved from Freya’s throat back to her shoulder, still keeping her next to him almost possessively.

“Let her go,” I said.

Tyr’s lips curled into a smirk. “I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands here,” he said, playing with Freya’s hair.

“I know what you are,” I said. “Leave now, and I won’t kill you both.”

Varin raised an eyebrow. “Both?” His voice was a purr. “It’s cute you think you have a chance, but I promise you, you don’t.”

“You don’t know who I am, then,” I retorted.

Varin’s cold, harsh laugh bit into my bones. “Oh, I know perfectly well who you are,” he said. “It’s a pity there weren’t more of you here. I had it all planned out. But I suppose you’ll do for now.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, and it didn’t matter at the moment. I had a feeling he was saying it to distract me. The problem was, it was working. I tried to refocus my thoughts.

“How did you get in?” I asked, glancing at the others slowly approaching me from all sides. I knew the instant those two were out the door with Freya, I was done for unless I could think of something. “Your kind isn’t allowed in without permission.”

“You’re right. It’s so much easier when we own the place.” Tyr stroked her neck, eyeing her collarbone. “Though I wasn’t expecting such a treat.”

Their place? But I barely had time to register those words. I was too focused on Freya, on that glassy expression. She didn’t seem aware of her surroundings or what was really happening.

I’d guessed what it was the second I’d smelled caramel, but seeing her expression had confirmed my worst fears. Vampire compulsion. No wonder she’d been willing to leave. She’d known something was wrong but hadn’t been able to tell me.

“Let her go,” I said. “I don’t know what you want with me or the others, but she has nothing to do with it.”

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