Page 51 of Forbid Me

I became a blur of speed and power, hurtling toward him with all the force of my beast. The gun went off, a sharp crack that pierced the air. Stella's scream echoed through the trees, a sound that cut to my core. I realized my mistake halfway through my pounce.

It wasn't a human gun. There was magic in the barrel. It smelled the same as the spell the boat witch had cast.

It was going to happen again. I was going to be left paralyzed and powerless.

But somehow I was still moving. I wasn't stunned. My claws struck home. The gun fell to the ground, along with the hand of its wielder.

One by one, the triumphant smirks fell from the faces of our attackers. A few even took steps back. Ken's jaw was tight as he regarded me. His glare lifted to Stella.

Stella. She was standing now. Her pristine blouse ripped after our fall from the sky. Her elegant shoulders were on display, as was the bite mark I'd given her.

The bite mark. The tang of her blood on my tongue. That's why the stun gun and the spell housed inside of it didn't work on me.

Now it was the taste of adrenaline on my tongue. With a low growl, I lunged into action. The rest of the men surrounding us were armed with fangs and speed. But so was I.

I engaged another attacker, the rush of combat fueling my movements. The man swung at me with a club. I dodged, swift and agile, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. My jaws clamped down on his arm, the force of my bite sending him sprawling to the ground with a cry of pain.

But I was outnumbered, ten to one. For every man I took down, two more took his place. They circled around me, like a pack ofhyenas trying to corner a lion, their snarls and hisses the soundtrack to this battle to the death.

I moved like a whirlwind, darting in and out of their reach, always keeping Stella at my back so that no one could pass. Each hit I landed was a message—I was not to be trifled with. And I would not be stolen from.

Stella was mine.

I launched myself at another assailant, taking him down with a powerful swipe of my paw, which was the size of his head. The crunch of bone was a satisfying sound. But the men kept coming, relentless in their pursuit.

The strain of the fight was beginning to take its toll. My muscles screamed along with my victims. My breath came in ragged gasps. But I didn't relent. I couldn't. Stella's safety, our future together, hung in the balance.

It was this divided attention that gave Ken his opening. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him make a beeline for Stella.

CHAPTER 35

Stella

Ken's hands clamped down on my arms, his grip iron-tight and unyielding. I struggled against him, trying to pull away, but his strength was overpowering. The smell of his cologne, once familiar and now repulsive, filled my nostrils.

I needed both my hands to conjure my tailoring spell. Not that it would've done much good on him. His clothes were already too tight. Even if I squeezed the crotch of his pants, it wouldn’t do much to disturb his little dick.

With my free hand, I reached into the purse that was still slung across my shoulder. There were two weapons in there. I grabbed for the first and slammed it with all my might into Ken's chest. Unfortunately, the broken heel wasn't sharp enough to pierce the empty cavern of his heart. All I got for my efforts was a snort from him.

"Let go of me, Ken." Anger clawed at me from the inside.

"Don't be like that, babe. Remember how good we were together?"

"Good? You cheated on me."

"I never cheated on you." He laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the trees. He twisted my arm. I pressed closer to him in search of relief. "You were always the other woman, Stella."

How had I not noticed how greasy his hair was? How had I missed the plastic look of his brows, like he'd had an old-fashioned human surgery to even out wrinkles? How had I not realized his skin looked sunburned, even though he was a hundred-year-old vampire who stayed out of sunlight?

"Now that I know the real value of your blood, you're going to be working for me in a... different capacity."

His glance went over my head. Oz was fighting a vicious battle against three vampires. He was holding his own, but there were another three vamps surrounding the fight. He wasn't going to last long.

Ken's laughter was maniacal, like a villain in a bad movie. I shuddered at the sound, my skin crawling at his touch. How could I have ever thought I loved this vile creature?

"At least now Uziah won't make me fuck you to get you to comply. That'll keep Peaches happy."

Peaches? The hairy Neanderthal? It was the thought of that woman's hairy hoo-ha more than anything that made me snap. And by snap, I meant bones and muscles and tendons.

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