Page 49 of Masked Fate

We move as a unit, and her three friends stand with her. There’s no way they could win against us.

Just one of us could defeat all of them.

“Guards!” she yells, but I shake my head, telling them to stand down.

They listen.

Soren approaches her. Rave and Astrid follow. Three dangerous warriors all angry and ready to fight to protect me and kill on my behalf.

Sinda stands by my side, guarding me.

Astrid walks right up to Ebony, sizing her up. Ebony is taller than her and tries to use that to intimidate her. “What do you want? Whatever Pandora has told you, it’s not the truth.”

Astrid smirks and starts to circle her prey. Ebony steps away from the table, her friends following.

“You tried to kill my best friend,” Astrid says, tilting her head. “A queen. That’s a crime punishable by death. I know thatPandora can’t kill you.” She grins, flashing straight white teeth. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t.”

Ebony looks up, and her eyes land on Soren. I quickly move in front of him, feeling protective, even though I only come up to his chest. “Never thought I’d see you around here again,” she purrs, laughing to herself. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

His big hands land on my shoulders. I don’t know who is grounding who, but it’s working. Ebony glances between us, her dark brows raising. “You finally found a man who will have you, sister? Didn’t think it would be someone who was attracted to me first. You know it was me who lured him here to hand over to Mom, right?” She smirks, her cruel eyes dancing with amusement. “You always did like playing with my leftover toys.”

“I never touched you,” Soren barks from behind me.

She laughs, a cackling sound. “No, but I touched you.”

What the fuck?

Is she saying…

“You spent a lot of your time unconscious, Soren. You sure you remember everything that happened down there?” she coos, sending me into a fit of white-hot rage.

What did she do to him?

I wish I could kill her myself.

“You can talk all you want,” I say, shrugging, feigning calm. “Either way, you’re going to die here tonight, you sick bitch.”

And then I attack her.

Punching her in the face, I start pummeling her with my fists. When her friends try to intervene, Astrid jumps in. Ebony is bigger than me, but the anger I feel right now is like no other, and I use it to get the upper hand.

No one hurts my mate.

No one.

I get pushed to the ground when suddenly all three of herfriends are lifted in the air by shadows, Rave’s signature move. “Enough playing around,” he demands, snapping all of their necks at one time.

Holy fates, he’s a savage.

They all fall with a loud thud while I stand back up and push Ebony to her knees.

Soren steps forward, reaching behind him to pull out a sword. “I didn’t get to kill your mother, but at least I get to kill you. You willneverhurt my mate again?”

“Your mate?” she asks, eyes widening just before Soren slices across her neck.

Just like my mother did to him.

She falls to the ground, her blood dripping into the grass, my magic starting to sizzle all around me.

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