Page 35 of Of Nine So Bold

I snarled at him instead.

“This…” The vampire’s eyes went from my mate to the forest and back. “It’s fighting me. I cannot protect her and locate thesource at the same…” He swore, dropping his hands. “Perhaps Byron can?—”

I did not wait for more. Beating my wings hard, I took to the air. The scholar had abandoned the clearing some time ago, the moment it became apparent what was about to occur with my mate. Whether he realized that it was his own suppressed desires that had been the catalyst for the intensity of my mate’s need and the other men’s reactions, I could not tell. Perhaps that was why he had resisted allowing his magic to touch her in the first place, never mind that such opposition was foolish. His spell never would have worked that way.

Yeah, and what aboutyourpart in it, huh?the broken one snapped, contempt thick in his voice.

I swatted at him in my mind. He wanted to place blame? He, who thought himself capable of taking control of my body and stopping me from claiming my mate when she lay before me, ready and willing?

Willing?the broken one’s voice was a roar of rage, his fury burning as hot as my flames.She was under the influence of magic, you primitive son of a bitch! You saw her face, and Idamnwell know you smelled her confusion. Her body wasn’t fully under her control, which meant no, that didn’t count as fuckingwilling! But could you bother to care about that? No, you were still going to rut her like a damnanimal!

I growled, but his words still stung. She… yes, fine, had possessed a hint of confusion in her scent. And her eyes flickered with worry. But perhaps that was forhimand how he’d tried to take control rather than let us lay together.

Except… what if it hadn’t? What if I had been mistaken yet again?

Shame began to gnaw at my belly.

The broken one continued, his voice scathing.The minute she’s safe, you’re done, you hear me?We’redone. We can’t be trusted near her. Not if you can’t respect her like she deserves.

That drew another snarl from me. Like hell he’d keep me from my mate.

In my arms, she twisted again, agony on her face.

Dammit, fly faster, you?—

I shoved him down hard. I’d had enough of him. Of all of this. I knew what needed to happen. The scholar had likely fled to the camp after leaving the clearing. That was miles from here, but I was fast. I would reach it in moments.

And there, the scholar would cast spells to stop her pain while I hunted down the source of her suffering, because whatever harmed my matewoulddie. Bloody. In pieces.

And then I would kill it again for good measure.

The black blur of the vampire shot through the forest below. Some distance back, the twins ran, leaping logs and tearing through branches, moving fast even if their top speed was no match for my own.

In my arms, the princess’s struggles slowed, but one glance told me it was not because her invisible assailant had fled in fear. Her skin held the bloodless pallor of death. Her breaths were as weak as a dying breeze.

This was killing her.

I roared, rage and fear pounding through me. No, she wouldnotdie. I would hunt down and kill the threat to her first, and then everyone would be grateful. They would understand they did not need to protect her from me. That they did not need to pull her away, encouraging her to retreat to supposed safety when I was inches from filling her sweet pussy with my cum. My mate would forgive my mistakes in the clearing, the broken one would leave me be, and then everything would be all right.

Deep inside, the broken one glared at me, believing none of that.

To hell with him. This was his fault as much as anything. How, I was uncertain, but surely he also shared blame for?—

A gray and brown blur raced through the forest, coming this way, with a cloud of black smoke on its heels. The creature was larger than my mate’s men, with horns on its head and the body of a wolf, but running on two legs.

The beast-man and that shadow mutt.

At the sight of me, the beast let out a howl. Bloodthirsty threat was in the sound. Promises of torturous retribution from which the escape of death would be a mercy.

He thoughtIdid this?

He was a fool.

Another convulsion rolled through my mate. In the forest below, the beast stumbled, crashing into the undergrowth like his legs had gone out from beneath him. The smoke-wolf swirled around him, shoving him back upright. But still the beast’s howl turned anguished, a cry of horror for my mate’s pain.

But I would save her. I would fix this. He would be grateful because I would?—

My enemy raced over the horizon.

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