Page 102 of A Hunter for Luna

"Why do you do this, Benedetto?" Luna protested, hurt and defiance warring in her expression. She stood, her fists clenched. "No. We made an agreement and I’m holding you to it."

Scald the moon, she wasn't making this easy. I rose to face her, my voice low and insistent. "This isn't up for debate. I am your husband, and I am telling you. You're going back, for your own protection. Don't fight me on this. Please."

Luna's gray eyes flashed like steel. "You don't get to dictate what I do," she snapped. "I've fought beside you every step ofthe way. You don't get to send me away because we’re close to Moonshifter’s tower."

Anger surged through me, hot and irrational. "By law, I can do whatever I want with you," I retorted, my voice rising. "And I’m telling you you’re going back to Dimare?—"

"Telling?" Luna interrupted, her fair skin flushing crimson. "Whatever you want? Make me. Try, husband!”

She unfurled her fan.

If I hadn’t already loved her, I would have at that point. She was magnificent. And because I loved her, I was not going to yield.

I took a menacing step closer, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper. "As your husband, in the eyes of imperial law, I do get to dictate this. I'm within my rights to send you back to Kalion. It's for your own safety. Sun's mercy, don’t make me beat you for your own good."

She flinched as if I'd struck her, wounded and defiant all at once. "You once said, don’t ask me. So I’m asking, would you strike me?"

Void eat me, I was doing this because I loved her…

“In a heartbeat.”

Sofia's wry voice cut through the charged air. "Well now, isn't this just wonderful."

She stood by the now cheerfully burning fire. "Are either of you going to commence thinking with your brains rather than your raging emotions?"

I shot her a withering glare.

"Shut up and do as you’re told, you stupid bitch," I snapped. "This is between me and my wife, and no business of yours."

"Is that so?" Her tone could've chilled a drake's scales. "Except for the entire ‘transport my wife’ request, which I can deny if I choose. Benedetto d’Alvarez, I’m supposed to make sure you survive. Despite your idiocy. Why are you trying to sabotage the one good, true thing you have in this world? And kill your odds of surviving your mad quest? I can’t root out Moonshifter’s spell, but you can certainly stop letting it influence you!"

The words hit me like a bucket of snowmelt.

Is that what I'm doing?A flicker of doubt crept through me, as insidious as void-rot. Was I pushing Luna away because I was terrified of what we could become together? Or because I wanted her to survive me?

I opened my mouth, a retort poised on my tongue, but before I could utter a word, an enormous shadow fell across our camp. The air filled with the thunderous sound of beating wings and harsh, inhuman screeches.

"Get down!" I roared, all thoughts of our argument vanishing as I drew my sword in one fluid motion. A troop of winged men descended upon us, their bronze weapons glinting savagely in the fading firelight.

I swung my blade at the nearest attacker as he swooped down, his wicked curved sword slashing toward my throat. I dodged, but barely, the edge of his weapon hissing past my face close enough to trim my beard.

Luna crouched and rolled, narrowly evading a vicious strike. Her fan slashed a feathered calf, exposing bone.

"What in the forgotten gods' names are these things?" she yelled over the din, her eyes wide and wild.

Damn it all to the void. My sword sang as I parried another attack, muscles jumping in my sword arm. My leg throbbed, hampering my ability to dodge.

We were outnumbered and caught unawares. How had they found us?

The largest of the creatures landed before me, out of the reach of my sword, with an earth-shaking thud, his tawny wings spread wide. His beaked face bobbed forward, almost like a peck. "Greetings, Benedetto of House Alvarez. Our master has need of you. Surrender, and your companions may yet be spared."

The voice was a raven’s croak, but magic rolled in it, wrapping me up, hindering my movement.

One of the beast-men slammed into my back like a battering ram. I crashed to the ground, my sword flying from my grasp. Clawed hands gripped my arms like iron vices, pinning me face-first into the dirt.

"Ben!" Luna screamed. I caught a glimpse of her lunging forward, fan flashing, but another winged warrior blocked her path, driving her back with a flurry of blows.

I bucked and twisted, trying to throw off my attackers, but their hold was unbreakable. Pain lanced through my shoulders as I was hoisted up in a rush of air, my feet leaving the ground.

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