Page 128 of Blade's Battle
Liam turned back to Frank, waiting for an answer.
“The truth,” Damien instructed.
“Anyone can see she loves Blade,” Frank said.
“Love is not a factor here,” Liam began. “Only the bond. What did she say when Drake confronted her?”
Frank was scowling now. “She never denied it. Only claimed she wasn’t his possession.”
“The sign of an independent female, which she is. I spent enough time with her to know that. But she didn’t deny the blood-bonding, and that’s what I have to go on.”
Anna gasped. Blade’s head snapped up and immediately turned in her direction.
Damien scenting the air. “Tess, I know you’re there with Anna. You might as well join us at this point.”
“Damien, I don’t want Anna anywhere near—”
“Quiet, Blade,” Damien warned, with a growl to make his point.
Even as she and Tess stepped out from behind cover, Anna could hear Blade’s low but clear growl and the murderous look in his eyes aimed at Damien.
“I’m fine,” she said to Blade from a distance, hoping he’d hear her. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, mirroring her own attire. He’d gotten rid of the bonding robe and found clothing at some point, but she had no way of knowing if he’d tried to shift, or ratherifhe could shift.
His body language didn’t relax in the least as she neared. Not even a nod from him to her to indicate he’d heard her. That was worrisome.
“Look at me, Blade,” she begged in a low whisper. All eyes except Blade’s turned in her direction. They’d all heard her, all except Blade. Her gene therapy had failed. He’d lost his shifter abilities.
Images of Kurt’s body twisting in pain and then eventually withering away from cancer when he couldn’t self-heal flooded her head. She didn’t want that for Blade, or a war between packs. Anna tried to push the panic away and come up with something, anything other than leaving with Drake.
“Show me the mark,” Liam said.
Blade fear rolled off of him in waves; she didn’t need to be a shifter to smell it.
“I love you,” she whispered to Blade as she raised her palm for Liam.
“There’s no mark.”
“Sign of a true bond,” Drake said, smirking.
“To Blade!” Hearing herself yell at Drake surprised Anna more than it did the shifters. Nothing in her, even her inability to talk to Drake, would let him dismiss what she had with Blade. And with Blade standing there, she had nothing to fear. Blade wouldn’t let Drake touch her, even if Liam ruled against him.
Drake surged forward so fast she was sure he would hit her, but Liam stepped between her and Drake while his guards grabbed hold of Blade. Drake halted, collected himself quickly and looked Liam directly in the eyes.
“Even if she blood-bonded another shifter after me, it means nothing. My claim is valid.”
“I’m not a toy that goes to the first kid who has hands on it!” Anna yelled back, but Tess pulled her away before she could follow through on her desire to scratch his eyes out.
“Drake, she’s refusing you,” Liam said.
Anna pulled against Tess’s grip, who for some reason was keeping her from going toward Blade.
“Of course, she’s refusing me.” Drake waved his hand as if her reaction was to be expected. “She’s mad at me, but the reason shall remain private between my mate and me. Now end this so I can take her home.”
If Anna could have shifted, she would have, merely to sink her claws into Drake, but it was the way Blade was staring at Damien, not Drake, that worried her. Blade almost looked as if his wolf had regained control. That very thought, that perhaps the blood-bond hadn’t fully taken, shook her to her core.
She stopped fighting Tess’s hold and allowed herself to be pulled away from the male shifters. Tess backed her against a tree and stood directly in front of her, protecting her.
“This may come down to a fight between them,” Tess whispered.
