Page 9 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

It lifted me off the ground as if I weighed nothing and slammed me into the far side of the hall. My back hit one of the huge black stone columns, and I gasped in pain as it knocked the breath out of me.

Everyone laughed, their delight clear, as a group of four women circled Kaylen.

I clutched my side as the wind whipped me into the air again, higher than I’d been before. My blood turned to ice, and my wolf squirmed, desperate for a fight. The urge to howl gnawed at my throat, but I swallowed it. I refused to give them any more pleasure than they already had.

I looked upwards and foundhiseyes on me as he observed, what appeared to be gigantic black leathery wings exploding from his back. When I flew above the people on the balcony’s heads, his face grew more rigid, his jaw tighter.

The silver-haired fae next to him leaned in close and said something I couldn’t make out. The mysterious man didn't take his eyes off me and clenched a fist against his side.

“Apologize to all of us now,” Kaylen commanded from below, the dark-violet-haired girl grinning beside her. Three others stood behind them wearing blinding smiles, watching me.

I hated arrogant people who believed they could control everything and everyone. My pack and I had eliminated a woman who reminded me of Kaylen not long ago. “No.”

The wind underneath me vanished, and I dropped like a sack of potatoes. My stomach lurched as the floor rushed to meet me.

The crowd of women below blurred together as they pointed up at me, mocking. I couldn't hear their words over the rush of the wind in my ears, but I could imagine.

The wind lifted me once more and moved me about ten feet from the people on the balcony. The breath whooshed out of me, and nausea churned in my stomach.

The guards looked on in silence. Asshole and Dipshit were probably laughing beneath their helmets.

The young fae woman with the long dark braid seemed concerned, but her companions didn't bother to hide their smirks. She took a step closer, and we locked eyes as I hovered.

"I'm waiting," Kaylen called, sounding more impatient than before. "For your apology."

My ears roared with the force of the wind, but I managed to shout back. "I'll only apologize if you agree to take the stick out of your ass!"

Silence filled the hall. Kaylen’s eyes blazed with white fire. With a vicious grin, she twisted her hand.

I plummeted faster than before.

I opened my mouth and screamed. My limbs numbed from cold and shock as the massive black and gold floor of the hall rushed toward me. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for impact.I’m sorry, Ember. I should’ve talked to you instead of running to my room. I love you,I linked, hoping she could hear me.

Strong arms circled my waist out of nowhere. Smoke, leather, and spice filled my nose as tingles shot through me everywhere we touched.

Wings flapped, and my body lowered slowly. I opened my eyes to find that I was pressed against a solid, muscled chest. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted, and I looked up to find that the mysterious man had caught me.

The wings I thought I'd imagined were real. And they were huge and magnificent.

His warm breath hit my neck, sending chills down my body, and I pressed my cheek against him. Hard muscles flexed beneath his jacket.

He didn't speak.

Just held me tight as the air rushed past and everyone watched.

It wasn’t a long way down, but once we landed, he still didn't release me.

His expression turned into a deep scowl.

ChapterFour

Vad

Strange sensations hummed through my body everywhere her body pressed against mine. Green eyes with flecks of black and gray were wide in terror, but there was a fire of determination behind them, and my heart faltered.

I needed to quit staring, but I couldn’t look away. I was at the mercy of whatever spell she’d weaved over me.

Freckles spattered her upturned nose and rosy cheeks, and her wild, light-copper hair was tangled and disheveled. She smelled like cinnamon and ginger—better than any sweet I ever had—and her slender form fit perfectly in my arms. My blood surged and thundered in my ears, causing a bulge in my trousers. Heat licked through my chilled blood.

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