Page 55 of The Wolf's Prince
She giggled and Andrey watched her sadly as she ran back to the others.
“Well, you've certainly settled right in here, just like your brother.”
Andrey straightened at the somewhat cold tone, turning to see a wolf staring at him. He wouldn't soon forget Kamon, the shifter who had dragged them here so roughly. He had never warmed up to them as far as Andrey could tell. During the party last night, he had caught him glaring on more than one occasion but had chosen not to engage.
He couldn't ignore him this time though as he approached him, chin held high, sneering down his nose at Andrey.
Andrey bit his tongue.
“Everyone has been very welcoming,” he said politely. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Kamon laughed.
“Just my luck that everything always works out for Soren, isn't it? A human mate would ruin another wolf, but because it'shim, no one cares.”
“Watch your mouth,” Anzu cut in. “They are both lovely young men. They don’t deserve your scorn. And Nikolai and Soren are fated mates. They didn't ask for this.”
“No,” Kamon agreed, never turning his hard gaze from Andrey. “But I can’t help but notice how much fun he’s having with his little human… perhaps I should have a human mate too.”
Before Andrey could so much as react, Kamon was on him.
Instinctively, Andrey tried to fight off the shifter's strong grip, but he wasn't strong enough.
Anzu screamed, someone shouted his name and then teeth tore through his flesh, in just the same spot that Nik had been marked.
Terror shot through him along with overwhelming pain and then, suddenly, Kamon was yanked away from him. Andrey crumpled to the ground.
He hit the hard rock surface, and for a moment, could grasp nothing but the burning sensation coursing through his body. Why did it feel like barbed wires traveling through his blood from the source of the bite?
He lifted a shaking hand to the spot, felt hot blood pouring and then Nikolai was over him, looking frantic.
“Andrey!” he shouted. “Andrey!”
Andrey knew he should probably answer, but he couldn't. He was too shocked to do anything but lay there as blackness swept over him.
***
NIKOLAI
Nikolai didn't knowwhat to do.
He sat between his unconscious, bleeding brother and his lifemate who was in a literal brawl with another wolf, feeling as though he had no grip on anything.
From the peak above, they had seen Kamon attack Andrey. In fact, Nikolai was sure Kamon had waited for that exact moment on purpose. He hadwantedthem to see. He had wanted to hurt them—Soren in particular, he guessed, but it was Andrey who now suffered.
Soren had transformed into his large wolf shape and leaped down the ledge before yanking the other wolf off him.
The fight had started at once and although Nikolai knew he didn't want Soren to get any more hurt than he already was, he also knew that he was not the person to pull two wolves apart.
So, he sat helplessly, his hand clutched over the messy, bleeding flesh of his brother's neck, trying desperately to stop the blood flow while his mate rolled with the other wolf, vicious snarls and sprays of blood filling the air.
After what felt likeforever, others got involved, jumping out and snatching them both by the scruff to pull them apart.
Still, they snapped and snarled.
“Take him away!” someone shouted behind him. “To the chains!”
Nikolai didn’t watch as Kamon was dragged away, still fighting. All he cared about was Andrey.
