Page 126 of Vengeful Mates

Aaliyah snaked down, sinking her fangs into Colton’s shoulder, then dropped his limp body to the concrete.

“Colton, no!” Faline screamed at him, dropping her fight with my VP and falling to her knees beside him, no concern for the grazing of concrete on her flesh.

Looked like she would lose him a second time. This time, there was no reviving the fucker from the poison. One-way trip to the Underworld.

Relief released its chokehold on our bond, and Zethan breathed for what felt like the first time since our arrival.

Castor’s bond glowed with pride at our mate’s second reckoning.

Fuck. I hardened at her darkness and enmity. I never thought my old lady was capable of such retaliation. Isis defended and protected her family. Sent her only son, Horus, away to safety to protect him from Set’s wrath. Fought alongside her son for the throne of Egypt. Aaliyah was every bit the mother warrior goddess. Every bit my equal. Fierce. Fearless. Unforgiving. I upheld my bargain, but the same deal didn’t apply to my baby mama. I’d never loved her more than this moment, and I choked back pleased tears.

The cunt’s body twitched as the poison pumped through his blood, into his organs and muscles, quickly killing him. His breathing turned labored, and his chest strained to get oxygen through his body. My war senses told me he had ten seconds left at best. I barked out a pleased laugh at getting my wish. This was not how I expected this situation to end. At. All.

Faline sobbed over Raine as his body convulsed, succumbing to the poison rotting his insides. A painful, deserving death for a sabotaging, undermining cunt.

Knotted muscles in my body melted away. Tension in the back of my neck, mind, heart, and fucking soul vanished.

I rolled my neck from side to side, approaching my vengeful mate. “Do you know how much I fucking love you right now?”

Palms raised, I slowly reached out and touched her. Pure muscle and strength. Sleek scales. Fangs glinting with spite. Dark light and fury. Eyes wild with torment and bond raging with conquest, she hissed again. Killing stole a small piece of her and the guilt choked her up. She clutched onto the example of her goddess, defending her family, her people, desperate to banish her guilt.

A long, low hiss scolded me again, the bond nudging in Zethan’s direction.

I think I interpreted her message. He deserved thanks too.

I slid my palms along her glistening scales. “I also fucking love you, Zethan for saving the day.”

My enforcer grunted a laugh.

Castor smirked and rubbed at the bruise he sported on his jaw.

Colton lifted his head and smiled with bloodied lips and teeth from biting the concrete. “Thank you, Aaliyah,” he croaked. “You’ve given me what no man has ever possessed before.”

What the fuck was he thanking her for? And what was he going on about? Who fucking cared! The asshole was dead and on his way to the Underworld for judgment.

“Until next we meet,” he rasped, his head hitting the pavement, lungs releasing his last breath.

“In the Duat, asshole,” Zethan muttered, moving to him, kicking our enemy’s dead body, earning Faline’s rancor and a hiss. “I’ll put you in the fires of Hell for an eternity.”

Vengeful heart still burning, Faline surged to her feet, hands clawed, capturing his neck, choking him. He pried her off and pinned her arms behind her back, bringing her into line. All the fight drained from her. She lost her mate. Again. For the best. Feisty little kitten deserved someone better than that cunt.

“Get her out of here and get us home,” I ordered.

Zethan stood stiff as stone, hesitant to leave his mate. His bond nudged him to go to her, but he couldn’t release Faline and risk a revenge attack.

Aaliyah released her cobra and shifted back into her naked human skin. Mine and Castor’s arms closed around her to catch her. She shivered from the adrenaline thumping through her veins. Sorrow warred with triumph on her bond as her protective, maternal side clashed with her vow to do no harm.

“Baby?” Zethan’s voice brought her a few steps back from the edge of her guilt.

“Take Faline home.” Aaliyah blew him a kiss to tide him over until he returned. “I’m safe now, and she needs to be with her family.”

Fuck. What a woman. Always thinking of others when she went through a challenging situation.

Zethan reluctantly complied, cutting open a portal and carrying a distraught, limp Faline through it.

Aaliyah buried her face deeper into my chest at his departure.

My hands tightly clasped her hips, my torso flush to her body, not letting a molecule of air between us. Castor pressed her between us, shielding her back, knuckles glancing along her cheek, down her neck and shoulders.

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