Page 242 of The Lands Defying
His eyes hold mine for a moment and he nods. “Yeah, I got you, brother. I’ll go help the wounded for transport.”
I nod and he walks off. A muffled sound comes beside me and I elbow the bastard in the gut, waiting for Rhea as others watch on.
When I see her coming through the trees, a bucket of water in her hand, I nearly snarl when I see no one’s been with her. I eye Josh in accusation where he crouches next to an injured male, and as if he can feel it, he turns and eyes me. When I flick my head to Rhea, he looks and then rolls his eyes at me.
I will rip his head—
“Hey,” Rhea says, placing the bucket down next to some Elites and then walks over to me.
I shove the piece of shit from behind and he stumbles, falling to the floor. “Just where you belong,” I snarl at him. “In the dirt.”
Rhea’s footsteps falter. “Is that…”
I cross my arms, my chest puffing up a little in pride at the astonishment on her face. I am her Vihnarn, I will provide all things for her.
“I have a gift for you.” Her eyes are wide as she looks from me to him.
“How?” she whispers, her hands shaking. I can’t tell if it’s with anger or nerves— maybe both, but either way, I send out a little strand of my power and wrap it around her wrist in comfort.
She doesn’t even blink at it, she just puts her opposite hand over it, and once again, warmth beats within my chest at the unconscious move. At the fact that she just accepts my comfort.
Fuck, what this female does to me…
“How?” she repeats.
“I will always give you what you want and need.”
The muffled noises from behind the gag that I put on him, irritates me, causing me to glare down at the fucker. He wiggles, trying to get to his feet but a swift kick to the side has him rolling over, pulling his knees up to his chest in pain.
She walks toward him now, her steps sure as she crouches down near him. I move closer myself, ready in case he lashes out at her.
She looks over him, to his tied hands and the gag, to the bruising on his face.
What? I deserved to get a few hits in. It’s taking everything in me not to just kill him, but I know this kill isn’t mine to take.
“Will I lose myself if I do this?”she asks in my mind.
I go to stand behind her, placing my hand on top of her head and running my fingers through her hair.
“What makes you think that?”
“All the things I have imagined being able to do to him, all the things he has done to me…”she cuts herself off and looks down.“There are things in the darkest parts of my mind that scare me.”She finally admits. I bend and place a kiss to the side of her neck.
“You don’t need to worry about that,”I assure her.“I am the dark, little wolf, I will always find you within it if you go there.”
She lets out a shaky breath and looks up at me, gratitude shining in her eyes, and a small smile greets her face before she nods.
Trust. That’s what that was. She trusts me.
Gods, if anything happened to her, the Lands would feel my wrath until I joined her in Vahaliel. They would know no peace, know no happiness. Just like this fucker won’t.
“Be ready,” I say, gripping his bound hands and undoing the ties.
She won’t want to have this given to her too easy, though it will be. I already rid him of his weapons, all he has now is hands or paws, and Rhea is ready for either.
Draxton growls in excitement as we ready ourselves to watch our girls hunt.
Rhea freezes when the rope comes loose and Patrick kicks out at my leg, which I easily dodge. Then, he crawls backward.
