Page 111 of The Aurora Marelup Complete Saga Omnibus

I rock back then flip up onto my feet before him. Casually, I reach back and grab my sword from where I laid it to rest earlier. “Let’s go.” I motion to the ring, and I can see the anxiety rolling off of him in waves.

Jayce comes over and caresses my arm and kisses my cheek. “Be gentle, love; he’s new to our family.”

I lower my eyes then look up to Jayce; I’m hoping my sadness is conveyed well. “I would be a bad mate if I took it easy on him. The Strigoi and the other Lycans won’t take it easy on him. I won’t hurt him, but I also won’t go easy on him. I can’t.” I kiss Jayce’s cheek then step into the ring with Arnulf.

I’ve barely entered the ring when Arnulf charges at me. It’s then that I notice his eyes are vacant and not his own. Fuck! Iknow I killed Elena, but Arnulf is being controlled. I reach out to my mates, and they clear the area of all the others. I have to subdue my mate without killing him and figure out how the fuck someone got to him. Arnulf keeps charging, and I keep blocking and parrying his attacks. I watch, hoping for an opening where I can get in close and dominate him to drive the witch out of his head.

My other mates are concerned for Arnulf, knowing full well this may be a one-way ticket for him, but that thought to me is unacceptable. I will not kill my mate; I will fucking save him. Arnulf is starting to fatigue; his movements are becoming sluggish. I slap his ribs with the flat side of my sword to make the point he could have died right there. Nothing, no reaction from him. Mother fucking witch, I swear to the Elder gods I will slaughter her in the most bloody and painful way possible.

I reach out to Dominik and Jayce and let them in on my next move. I fake going to the right, and when Arnulf follows, the guys spring into action. They each grab an arm as Dimitri comes up behind Arnulf and wraps his arms around his ribcage. Arnulf is struggling, trying to get free, and I see it in his eyes that he’s contemplating shifting.

I shift my eyes to that of my beast and force him to look at me. “I forbid you to shift!” I growl out the command, focusing all of my Alpha power just on him. The immense power he gets hit with makes his legs buckle under him; his bird goes and hides deep in his subconscious.

Slowly, I draw in a deep breath and grip Arnulf’s head, and close my eyes. I force my way past the witch’s defenses, delving into the mental prison that Arnulf is in. A kindly-looking older woman with a cane is walking in a circle around Arnulf’s cage. This must be the Elder Dame I’ve been told about. She’s definitely a blood mage, so I must take extreme caution. Arnulflooks up. Bringing my finger to my lips, I shake my head, motioning for him to remain silent.

“I know you’re there, princess.” The Elder Dame begins to laugh. “You’re just like that fool of a mother you killed. You do know you killed her, right? You shredded her insides like cheese.” The Elder Dame turns to finally look at me. She is short and withered, and I can see Elena’s and Bash’s features in her face.

“Oh, I know I killed my mother. Blood memories won’t let me forget.” I feel like I should be singing that Post Malone song, “Take What You Want.”

I carefully stalk towards her, watching her movements closely. Raising my hand casually, I lightly touch my sternum where Oberon implanted an Elvish charm he said would protect me from blood magic. I stare the Elder Dame down and wait for her next move.

Her hand comes up to caress her chin as she studies me. “I should have broken your neck when I had your little body in my hands.” She smirks, looking at me. “My idiot brother believes you will take him and accept him as a mate like your mother did.”

I start to laugh. Honestly, I can’t help it. “So you think by killing my mates or threatening to, I’ll accept him.” I shake my head as I feel my eyes shift.

“You honestly don’t know who or what you’re fucking with, crone.” The eyes of my beast lock with hers, and the look of fear on her face is priceless.

“Onehugeproblem with your plan; I am my father’s daughter.” I shift my arms to my armored gauntlets and flex my talons. Arnulf winces, and I see blood on his head where my hands lay in the real world. Hmm, interesting development. If I hurt her here, she will be hurt in the real world as well. I tilt myhead several times, studying her, seeing if she caught onto what I just figured out.

“Abomination!” the Elder Dame yells, pointing at me.

“Yeah, I get that a lot; it’s so unoriginal.” I look at the ground under her feet and start to freeze it, trapping her in place.

“You’re not the only one that’s special, Elder Dame.” With that being said, I create a mini ice storm and unleash it upon her.

I watch her wrinkled flesh be torn to ribbons before she fades from view. Arnulf’s prison fades as well, and now he’s free again.I close my eyes and lean my head back, focusing on returning to my body.

Sharply, I draw in a breath and open my eyes back in the real world and look around. My mates are in awe of what I have just done, and my father stands there proud as a peacock. “Just like your great-grandmother, I’m very proud of you, daughter.” I smile and bow my head lightly to my dad, then look at Arnulf.

“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I look down briefly as I remove my hands from Arnulf’s hair. “I realized whatever I did there would happen here. I knew I couldn’t physically attack her without killing you.”

“Her who?” Dimitri asks as he pulls me into his arms and hugs me tightly.

“I met the Elder Dame,” I say very matter-of-factly. “I sent her back, bleeding to her master.” I sigh softly, looking over at Arnulf again. “Do you know how it happened? How did she get in?”

Arnulf moves close to me and touches my cheek. Through the bond, I feel how upset he is that he could have hurt me. “I saw her in my dream last night. I was trying to reach out to the ancestors for guidance, and she appeared. That’s the last thing Iremember.” Arnulf shrugs his shoulders as he looks at me. I can tell he is hurting over all of this.

I look at Dimitri and he releases me. I immediately hug Arnulf and kiss him gently. “It’s not your fault, love. You’re new to the bond, therefore, your connection to me isn’t as strong as the others yet. It will grow in time. Trust me when I say no one faults you for what happened here today.”

My other mates all voice their agreement. I can see him attempting to smile through it again. I kiss him passionately as he grips me tightly, not wanting to let me go. I smile when I break off the kiss.

“Go shower, you stinky boys; we need some quality bonding time after dinner.” My other five mates take off like someone lit their asses on fire.

Arnulf tilts his head to the side, looking at me puzzled. “Sex after dinner, Arnulf.” When the real meaning hits him, his eyes light up, and I smack him on the ass sending him running off to shower. Silly males, what am I going to do with all of them?

CHAPTER 92

Dominik

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