Page 109 of Craved By a Wolf

“You do speak my tongue!” Oberon’s crimson eyes narrowed as he grinned, flashing killer fangs. “Why did you not do so earlier?”

“Ah… because I don’t?” He looked at Hella for an explanation.

“Magical translator spell. Whatever we say, he’ll understand and vice versa. It doesn’t last long though.” She turned to Oberon. “We need your help. King Ethyrian is trying to force me to be his bride and MacKinnon is my fated one and I just really want to go home.”

The guards bounced off the barrier again, only this time, jagged white lines glowed in the air where they had hit it.

“I will aid you, Hella of the Witches and MacKinnon of the Wolves.” Oberon pressed a hand to his bare chest and turned a dark look on the nymphs. “King Ethyrian trespasses in my realm.”

“Your realm?” Hella blinked. “You’re a king?”

“A prince.” Oberon dipped his head.

And then he was gone.

Someone screamed a split-second later and the scent of blood joined that of magic in the air.

MacKinnon stripped off, keeping his focus on the battle happening between Oberon and the nymphs, no easy feat considering Hella began staring at him the second he removed the navy tunic jacket.

“What are you doing?” she said, her gaze tracking his hands with interest as he bent over and took off his boots.

“Shifting.” He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to retain his wolf form given the fact pain tended to make shifters transform back into their human one, but he had spent years honing his fighting skills as a wolf, learning to use speed and his fangs to his advantage.

Her eyes widened as he shoved his trousers down and he frowned at her.

“Don’t let me stop you.” She waved him on, looking as if she was enjoying the show.

He sighed and pushed his trousers the rest of the way down and kicked them off his feet.

“Be careful,” he said and then shifted.

The transformation from man to wolf lasted only a few seconds, but he was aware of Hella’s grimace throughout every single one of them. Something told him she had never stopped to watch a shifter transform before. It wasn’t pretty.

Oberon growled something in a tongue the spell Hella had used on him didn’t translate, but it sounded like a suitable vicious accompaniment to the raking of his inch-long claws over the throat and stomach of one of the guards. The blond male didn’t get a chance to cover either wound with his hand. They barely twitched before he had dropped to the ground, landing face-first on crimson-soaked pebbles.

Kin cast Hella one last look, needing to know she had got his message and would be careful, and then kicked off.

Setting his sights on Ethyrian.

The king had fallen back, was using his guards as a shield now as Oberon tore through them. One of the guards disappeared and every instinct Kin possessed growled that he would return soon enough.

With reinforcements.

Bright flashes of magic lit up the darkness as Hella joined the fray, her spell sending several nymphs shooting into the air in all directions. One of them hit the nearest tree, a garbled scream bursting from his lips as he hit a branch and it speared him clean through the stomach. Blood rained down, splattering Oberon’s white skin as he pirouetted around two of the nymphs, slashing one across the chest with his claws. He sank his nails into the shoulder of the second one and hauled him backwards, towards him, his eyes glowing scarlet in the dim light.

Oberon ran a lone claw down the male’s throat and licked the blood from it, and then whispered something into his ear.

The nymph went deathly still; his struggles ceasing. When Oberon released him, the blond turned on his own comrades, his eyes shining with a hunger for violence as he brandished his twin daggers.

The tales of the unseelie were true then. They did sow discord.

Kin swept under the blow one of the guards aimed at him, his paws skidding on the crystalline pebbles, and twisted once he was behind the male. He sprang at his back and sank his fangs into the guard’s shoulder and savagely wrenched his head back, tearing a great chunk of flesh from him. He kicked off, knocking the male forwards as he bellowed, and spat it out, his golden eyes fixing on his next victim.

This one was larger and faster, expertly wielding his daggers to keep Kin at a distance. Kin hopped left and then right, seeking an opening. Hella gave it to him. She hit the male with a blast of green light that knocked his left shoulder backwards. Kin launched at his chest, clamped his fangs down on his throat and knocked him over, landing on top of him. He locked his jaws as the male struggled beneath him, growling the whole time as he monitored his pulse, listening to it slowing.

White-hot pain lanced his side and he snarled as lightning ran through his bones, making them ache as they began to transform. Godsdammit. He hadn’t expected the guard to retain enough strength or sense to retaliate and had left himself wide open to attack. He bit down harder, killing the male, and released him and staggered backwards. His left hind leg gave out and he glanced back at it.

Growled when he saw the dagger still protruding from his flesh.

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