Page 101 of Craved By a Wolf

And he would go on to vow that he would never change that about her.

Just as he would never seek to shackle her magic as the nymph had.

He loved her just as she was—a wild, wily witch who took no crap from anyone.

Her fear grew as she noticed him, her emerald eyes locking with his for just long enough to warm his heart and rouse his courage before she faced forwards again. Because she was afraid the nymph waiting at the end of the aisle would notice her singling him out?

It struck him that she feared the king would go for his head.

The thought that she feared the male who was watching her approach with unabashed interest in his blue eyes, raking them over her curves and no doubt thinking wicked things Kin would never allow to happen, made his blood burn and stirred his wolf into a frenzy. He needed to get her away from that male—but how?

He was surrounded by guests and guards, and if he tried to intervene in the ceremony, it would be his head rolling and not the nymph's. He needed to be more subtle, to play things more carefully, and employ a strategy that would see he was the victor.

Easier said than done as he tracked Hella, watching her march to her doom, and felt her growing fear. He curled his fingers into fists and tried to steady himself, but remaining where he was grew harder the further she moved from him and the closer she got to that male.

She glanced at him and subtly shook her head.

Telling him to stay where he was?

It wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t stand by and let Hella wed another, even when he planned to widow her as soon as possible by taking the king’s head as his prize. The thought of her belonging to another even for a few minutes sent hot acid into his veins and scoured his chest until it was raw and hollow.

Hella was his.

Fate had made him to love her and he did. He loved her with all his heart and that was why he couldn’t be a good wolf like she wanted him to be. He couldn’t let her continue suffering as she clearly was. He had to do something.

He just wasn’t sure what yet.

The king extended his hand to Hella and she lifted hers to place it into his.

To touch another male.

A red veil descended and before Kin knew what he was doing, he had exploded from his row, knocking several males out of the way, and was thundering down the aisle, heading straight for her.

She turned wide, shocked green eyes on him.

Or maybe horrified.

Several of the guests lunged for him and he growled and dodged, swiped with his claws to slash through their fancy clothes and landed blows that were hard enough to crack bone. He grabbed and shoved them out of his way once he had felled them, keeping his eyes locked on Hella.

The king grabbed her arm.

“Hella!” Kin roared, his fear jacking up as the nymph glared at her and began pulling her towards a door in the far left corner of the room.

He needed to reach her and help her now, before the king disappeared with her.

He punched a fae on the jaw, snapping his head around, and kicked another in the kneecap, sending him to the ground, his heart pounding a sickening rhythm as the need to protect his mate blasted through him. He bet his balls that the shiny silver cuffs she wore inhibited her magic, leaving her defenceless. She needed his help. He downed another male who dared to get in his way, kneeing him between the legs and following up by grabbing his blond hair as he bent over and smashing the male’s face into his knee to make sure he stayed down.

“I’m coming, lass!” he yelled as he shoved the male into two more, knocking them out of his way.

Only she wasn’t as defenceless as he believed.

She slashed the king across his cheek with something, causing the male to lose his hold on her as his hand flew to his face, and flashed a reluctant look at her feet before kicking off her shoes and running down the aisle towards Kin.

Kin stood there, stunned by the sight of her.

He took a hard punch to the kidney from behind, punishment for letting himself be distracted in the middle of a fight, and snarled as he twisted around and caught the young nymph who had landed the blow, seizing him by the throat. He spun with the male and slammed the side of his head into one of the heavy gold posts of the railings that had been used to separate the rows of guests.

Hella launched onto the back of a guard who was heading for him and stabbed him in the neck with something. Blood sprayed as she yanked her hand away from him and she grimaced as she dropped off him and kicked him in the back, sending him staggering towards Kin as he fumbled with his neck, trying to stem the bleeding.

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