Page 108 of Craved By a Wolf

“I’m not your bride!” she snapped and pushed out of Kin’s arms.

Kin glanced at her to check on her, sure stars would be spotting her irises in response to her rage. Only they were plain green. Because of the cuffs. He cursed them and his inability to remove them, and then frowned as he shifted his gaze to the unseelie where he stood between them and the nymphs.

The male was stronger than he was, and he had looked angry when he had seen Hella’s cuffs. Could he break them?

“Walk away, wolf, and whatever you desire will be yours.” Ethyrian’s regal tone grated on Kin’s last nerve.

Hella tensed beside him, her gaze leaping to scald his face, and he glanced at her and saw the fear glittering in her eyes. He made a decision the moment he locked eyes with her, one he knew might end in his death, but gods, it would be worth it if Hella could be free.

He bared his fangs at the nymph. “Get tae fuck, ye hairy bawbag. Hella is my fated mate and I’ll be taking her back with me.”

Shock swept across her beautiful face and their growing bond, and it wasn’t the best way to break it to her that they were really fated, but it was a fantastic way of triggering rage in the nymph king.

Exactly as planned.

“Slay the wolf!” Ethyrian drew a sword and pointed it towards him.

Six of the guards unsheathed their twin daggers.

“Unseelie.” Kin grabbed Hella and shoved her to his right, towards the trees that lined the riverbank, as the black-haired male glanced over his shoulder at him. He prayed to his ancestors that he was right about the dark fae and that the male did want to help them. “Her cuffs.”

“Oberon,” the unseelie growled and transformed into black mist. He reappeared beside Hella as the first wave of nymphs reached Kin and casually swept his right hand out. The nymphs hit an invisible barrier and fell on their backsides and the unseelie said something in the fae tongue.

“Is that his name?” Kin barked, keeping his focus on the guards as they picked themselves up and grabbed their daggers.

“Yes,” Hella said and then squeaked, “What are you doing?”

Kin glanced her way and growled as she struggled on Oberon’s shoulder. The sight of another male touching his female triggered his own rage, had a red veil descending and black fur sweeping over his arms. Oberon turned and set her down on the mossy bank, and arched an eyebrow at Kin.

“Fated,” he muttered, and bowed his head, closing his eyes at the same time. “Apologies.”

The guards came at Kin again.

And again hit a barrier.

Kin edged towards Oberon, not taking his eyes off Ethyrian or his men. Hella gasped and he resisted the urge to look at her. The familiar tinny scent of magic laced the air and warmed him right down to his soul. He risked a glance at Hella and found her rubbing her bare wrists, relief written in every line of her face and in her feelings.

She was free.

Now all he had to do was get her out of here.

“Oberon.” He locked gazes with the male, needing the fae to see how badly he needed him to do this one thing. He pointed to Hella and she shook her head, her eyes widening. “Teleport. Mortal world.”

“No!” she bit out and stepped away from Oberon, who didn’t look at all inclined to do as Kin wanted anyway. “This is my battle too.”

She flexed her fingers and silver stars pricked her eyes, and gods, it was good to see them again and that mulish twist of her lips. He half-expected her to huff or roll her eyes.

She did something else instead.

She muttered words and swept her hands down over her dress, and in the wake of them it turned black. When every inch of it was onyx, she smiled.

“That’s better.” She wriggled her fingers and light glowed at their tips.

“Much better, love.” He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her when she beamed at him, revealing how happy she was now that she felt like herself again. He held his hand out to her instead, aware this was no place for making out with her. They could spend hours doing that later, once this was over. “Come, my beautiful fated female. We have a battle to win.”

“And a king to kill.” She slipped her hand into his and the scent of magic in the air grew thicker.

His head tingled in a weird way, his vision blurring a little, and his wolf side went haywire in response and then he suddenly felt normal. “What did you do?”