Page 51 of The Serpent's Bride
Raziel stroked some of her hair away from her face. “Are you hurt?”
She furrowed her brow as if she honestly didn’t know. She looked down as if she needed to check.
Gods below, he wanted her.
“Oh. Huh.” She glanced down at herself. She touched her hip, and grimaced. “Oh, yeah. I need stitches.”
Yes, he wanted herverybadly. “How did you get free?”
“They were idiots.” She paused for a moment. “I also hit my head on the tile. I might have a mild concussion? Either that, or the champagne picked an interesting time to catch up with me.”
It wasn’t much of an answer, but given what she had been through, he wasn’t surprised. He took the pistol from her, which she gave him without resistance. He tucked it into his belt. Scooping her up in his arms, he held her like, well, his bride.
She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and said nothing as he carried her back to his car.
Everyone was watching them in shock.
Mael was the first to speak. “We’ll…disarm the explosives.”
Raziel nodded as he approached his car. Remmy opened the door for him as he climbed into the back. “I’m going to take her home. If you find any of those fae-fucking bastards, make them hurt. For me.” He paused. “For both of us.”
He didn’t miss Mael’s faint smile. “You got it.”
Remmy shut the door. The driver didn’t need to be told what to do. The engine roared to life as he headed back toward Raziel’s home.
Raziel wasn’t concerned in the slightest about Mael and the others. Now that the Iltanis’ plans had been upended, they were like rats running to ground. They would be hard to catch—but harmless to hunt.
It wasn’t until he was in the small, enclosed space with Monica that he realized a potential problem.
She was covered in blood. And she smelleddivine.
Wincing, he had to bite his tongue to keep his fangs from extending in instant, instinctual hunger. He could smell the blood of the two people she had killed mingling with hers. And there was no question which one belonged to his Monica.
HisMonica?
When had that started?
A thought for another time.
He could tell which scent was hers. It was…hard to describe. He had never smelled anything similar. It was entirely new tohim. Instinctively, he leaned in closer, trying to come up with anything it could even be compared to.
Blinking, he pulled his head back. Without realizing it, his fangs had extended. What had come over him? He had never lost control like that before. Perhaps the alcohol had also gone to his head. It had been a long day. He was tired. That was all. “I have a doctor on staff at the house. He’s human. He’ll stitch you up.”
“Great.” She sounded exhausted. Beyond exhausted.
“Stay awake, Monica.”
“I know, I know.” She sighed. “StupidfuckingIltanis.”
“They told you who they were?” Odd.
“Like I said. Stupid.”
“I suppose so.” That was intriguing. But he let it go. Something to consider another time, when he was not struggling to contain his bloodlust in front of his new wife. He wanted to lick her clean—every inch of her.
But there would be a time and place for that another day.
He kissed the top of her head. “I am…glad you’re all right.”
