Page 28 of Witch Queen

The giant stirred and sat up groggily, his movements sluggish. He looked around with a confused expression, only to blanch when he saw the bodies of his fallen comrades. His eyes bulged at the sight of Brimstone.

The monster whimpered in fear and crawled hastily onto his hands and knees before bowing his head to the ground before the demon fox, his body trembling.

Mae and Vlad stared.

“Is there something you want to tell us, Brim?”

Brimstone sniffed. “He is only showing respect to a superior creature.My word used to be law among the giants in the Underworld.”

Vlad made a face. “So, you were a one-fox gang leader, huh?”

Yelling and banging reached them.

Nikolai and Roman were pounding on the inside ofContain, their expressions seething.

“You should just keep them in there,” Vlad suggested sourly as Mae hastily ended the spell.

Nikolai stormed across the lab. “I can’t believe you did that!”

Mae grimaced. “Look, it was?—”

“How could you, Mae?!” Roman interrupted angrily. “We’re strong enough to fight by your?—!”

He froze and sucked in air, horrified.

Nikolai had taken Mae in his arms and was kissing her passionately. She responded with equal vigor.

“You scared the life out of me,” the sorcerer mumbled against her lips when he finally ended their torrid kiss.

Remorse knotted Mae’s belly as she gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry. I—I just couldn’t risk letting him take you again.”

She shuddered. A pained expression came over Nikolai. He hugged her tightly.

“How about you let her go?” Roman said sullenly.

“What’s it to you, kid?” Nikolai sneered over Mae’s head.

Roman turned to Vlad. “Help me out.”

“This isn’t some back-alley tussle,” the incubus said coolly. “She’s made her choice.”

Nikolai stared. Mae blinked. It was the first time Vlad had openly admitted to the sorcerer securing his position as her consort in public.

“That doesn’t mean she can’t choose a second one though,” Roman argued.

Mae sighed.He’s just as stubborn as Budimir and Ludmila.

Vlad arched an eyebrow. “If so, then that makes you my direct competition, doesn’t it?”

Roman swallowed before squaring his shoulders and glaring at the incubus. “Oh yeah? Bring it, old man.”

Crimson bloomed in Vlad’s eyes. “Don’t make me put you over my knee and spank you, brat.”

Mae disentangled herself from Nikolai. “How about everybody calm down?”

It was at this point that hospital security showed up.

* * *

---