Page 46 of Owned By Four Alphas

Elian ran his hand through his golden hair, “I can’t guarantee it, not when her own magic is so volatile. She’s at serious risk.”

“She’s at risk either way! At least out here, nobody will be lurking around the next corridor waiting to cut her throat.”

“I can control my own fucking people,” Kaelen snarled. “Do you think I wouldeverdoanythingto put her in harm’s way?”

Ronan scoffed, “Yes, you’ve been doing a magnificent job so far. When was the last time she spoke to you?”

Kaelen’s eyes widened slightly before he launched forward, a hand on his blade, a snarl on his face. Ronan grinned, dropping low, ready to tackle him—

Searing pain struck the side of his face and he bellowed in outrage, falling to the ground. Looking up, he saw Kaelen similarly panting, clutching his jaw. Elian stood between them, his shadows lashing from his hands.

“Fighting each other will achieve nothing,” he said, his voice unusually hard.

“Fuck off, Benellane,” Ronan got to his feet, his muscles bunching. “You aren’t even here half the time. Do you really think you can prance off to wherever the fuck it is you go with no explanation and then come back and dictate to us?”

Elian’s eyes flashed in warning. “What I’m doing may give us a solution,” he hissed, “I can’t tell you what it is now, but I will when the time is right. Don’t you trust me to have Selena’s best interests at heart?”

“You’re a fucking Fae,” Ronan growled. “I wouldn’t trust you to comb her hair, let alone keep her safe.”

Twin daggers appeared in Elian’s hands as his face split into a snarl, green eyes glowing unnaturally through the darkness.

“What did you just say to me, you filthy fucking mutt?”

“I said,” Ronan shifted into his wolf, his lips peeling back to show his teeth, his eyes locked on the Fae, “I don’t trust you to keep her safe.”

Quick as a crack of lightning, Elian surged forward, his blades swiping through the air and catching Ronan’s muzzle.Before Ronan could even react, he’d swung round again, shadows exploding from him.

Rearing back in shock and anger, Ronan snarled and charged, jaws snapping at Elian, but the air where he had just been was empty. Instead, more of that vicious magic slammed into him, fiery and hot.

There was an inhumane growl from behind him, and he barely caught wind of Malek’s scent before he was leaping over Ronan, paws hitting the earth as he struck out at Elian, hitting him square in the chest and pinning him to the earth.

Elian released a bitter laugh as Malek crushed him into the ground, jaws inches from his face, “It’s no wonder that you’d side with him. Mangy dogs always stick together.”

Malek roared with fury, his claws ripping through Elian’s skin. There was a flash of fear in the Fae’s eyes before he grit his teeth and used a wave of shadows to throw Malek from him. Like a cat, Malek twisted in the air, landing on his feet beside Ronan.

“Malek, back off,” commanded Kaelen. “You might lose control.”

Malek snarled in response.

“You’ve gotten far too comfortable issuing orders, dragon,” Ronan growled, “and look where it’s gotten us.”

Kaelen’s hands flexed towards his blades, his amber eyes narrow. “Is that a challenge, wolf?”

“Yeah,” replied Ronan, crouching low to the ground, “I think it fucking is.”

Kaelen drew out his swords. “Come on then, let’s get this over with.”

“Not going to shift? I didn’t realize you had a death wish.”

Kaelen sneered, “I don’t need any extra help to put you down.”

Ronan’s muscles bunched, tense and ready to attack. Kaelen would regret that decision.

“Will youstop it!” Selena yelled, wobbling to her feet, one hand braced against the tree, the other cradling her stomach, “This is stupid, and you know it!”

“Stay out of this, Omega,” Kaelen growled, not taking his eyes from Ronan. Malek pawed the earth, a low whine escaping him. Elian sneered.

“Don’t tell her what to do,” Ronan hissed.

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