Page 43 of Forbidden Daddy Mate

He shoved Freya into the arms of the nearest vampire, who clutched both her shoulders, holding her in place. Without another word, he leapt in the air, soaring toward me and pulling a blade from his waistband.

But I was ready. I shifted, moving out of the way just in time before rounding on him, my teeth bared as I snarled at him. My claws swiped out at him, hitting air where he had been moments earlier.

Feet landed on my back, pushing me to the ground, splaying my paws in front of me. I growled, snarling and thrashing beneath him. I heard Freya scream a moment before two sharp pains seared between my shoulder blades. I howled, trying to throw Varin off my back even as I felt him yank the knives from my shoulders and plunge them in again.

Blood matted my fur. I didn’t have much time. I could already feel myself fading.

The instant he pulled the blades out, I dropped to my feet, rolling over, trying to pin him beneath me. But it was too late. He’d already moved. He hovered above me, my blood dripping from his knives.

“Not as strong as I thought you were after all,” he said. “I don’t know how my father lost to someone like you.”

I panted, trying to push through the pain. Watching as he raised the blades again.

“I thought about turning you,” he said. “But I didn’t think that would give me the same sense of satisfaction. Turns out I was right. I’m going to enjoy watching you bleed to death. And then, I’ll enjoy the girl.”

My back screamed in agony even as rage rushed through me. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to with me, but I’d be damned if I would let him harm Freya.

The reminder that her life was in the balance gave me a new surge of energy. Just as he plunged the knives toward my exposed stomach, I jumped forward. Claws swiped across his face, leaving deep gouges. He cried out, staggering as his hand went to his face. One knife clattered to the ground.

I pressed forward, and Varin lashed out with his remaining blade. It sliced across my muzzle. I snarled, turning and swiping at him. Another slash of the knife, this one uncomfortably close to my eye.

I had to end this before it got any worse. I thought back to his ego. I had to use it against him again.

I staggered, feigning weakness as if I was only a breath away from collapsing. Varin crowed in triumph, strutting forward, knife prepared to strike. When I knew I had him, I jumped into the air, soaring directly at him.

I pounced on top of him. Before he could wriggle out again, my jaws clamped around his throat, crushing it. Varin stilled, but he could recover from a mangled throat. Tearing the head away, I tossed it across the clearing the same way I had with the illusion. It landed with a thump.

Silence hung over the clearing as the fight ended as abruptly as it began.

Panting, I shifted back to human, staggering slightly as all of the injuries made themselves known. I could feel blood dripping down my bare back and down my chin, but I forced myself to stand straight.

The vampires stared down at their dead leader in bewildered silence. The one clutching Freya looked almost green as Freya let out a gasp of relief. He saw me staring at them. I didn’t even have to remind him of our deal. He released Freya and raced into the trees, the remaining vampires following.

The instant he released Freya, she raced toward me, eyes filled with relief and happiness. She wrapped her arms around me, not caring about the blood or dirt covering my body.

“That was the dumbest, most reckless, stupidest thing you could have done,” she said, panting. “I’d hit you if you weren’t already bleeding from a hundred different places.” She buried her head against my chest. “Thank you.”

“I appreciate it,” I said.

“Don’t you ever do something like that again,” she lectured.

“No promises,” I growled. “If you’re ever in danger, I’m going to come save you no matter what.”

“Stupid,” she muttered.

All of the aches and pains seemed inconsequential, melting away in Freya’s embrace. All that mattered was she was okay. I stayed there, holding her for a long time, letting her scent wash over me. I could have stayed like that, but I needed to say some things. I pulled her away from me.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

She snorted, shaking her head. “You weren’t the one who needed rescuing,” she pointed out.

“No, but if I’d been upfront with you from the beginning, you wouldn’t have been alone.”

“If a lot of things.”

I shook my head. “I’m going to be better about it from now on,” I promised. “I shouldn’t have been that closed off in the first place. And in that spirit, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She waited, looking up at me with those beautiful dark eyes.

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