Page 49 of Seduced
I know with deep-seated certainty that he’s trying to spare Cameron because he thinks I might still care for him. And I don’t want the witch to die, but I want Aiden and the rest of the sea dragons tolive.
“Cameron,” I shout. “Stop hurting him, and we’ll let you go. I don’t want—”
He turns toward me and raises his arms above his head. His entire body shudders with the strain, but he creates a massive fireball between his hands, deep emerald in color, and heaves—
Splash.
Aiden’s large, clawed foot connects with Cameron’s back and presses down. The witch struggles, the water churning around him, but Aiden doesn’t let up. I stare in horror as Cameron’s arms and legs slow, then stop altogether.
Twenty-Two
Aiden
Skye staggers up the beach,out of the water, and falls to her knees. She is sick on the ground, her body heaving and trembling.
I stare down at the body still caught beneath me. Slowly, I remove my foot, and the thing that was once a man bobs up to the surface, facedown. There are tears in the man’s cloak where my claws tore through the material. The body floats on the waves, then moves farther from the shore, the tide carrying it out like a piece of driftwood.
As much as I want to, I can’t let it be washed away. It could be carried to a human settlement, and they’d realize the man hadn’t died a peaceful death. There would be a search, an investigation, and we simply can’t afford that.
I also don’t know whether Skye might want to…hold on to the body. Give her former lover a proper burial or ship his remains to his family.
So despite my revulsion, I hook my claws around the sodden thing and carry it to a cluster of rocks. There it’ll be out of sight for the moment, but the tide won’t be able to reach it.
My body shudders and shrinks, my bones and tissue molding into my much smaller human form. Skye lifts her head and wipes her mouth with the wet sleeve of her parka. A smell of burned hair and clothing hangs around her, and big red welts bloom over her skin.
That fucker. He burned her. I suddenly wish I could kill him all over again.
“Is he…?” she asks without looking at the spot where the body now lies.
I give her a curt nod. A part of me wants to rush forward and wrap her in my arms, but the horror in her eyes prevents me from moving closer. Any moment now, her shock will morph into disgust, even fear, and I don’t know how I’ll stand it.
She has finally seen me for the monster that I am, and she’ll leave and never come back.
But given the same choice, I would act the same way over again, anything to protect her from being hurt.
Without warning, Skye launches herself at me, her slight body colliding with mine with a slap. Then she’s sobbing in my arms, her face buried in my naked chest, her words incoherent. After the initial surprise, I hug her to me, holding her so close I’m half afraid of crushing her. But she came to me, she sought me for comfort, and something cracked and broken inside me welds together in hope.
“He would have hurt you,” I mutter against her singed hair. “He’d already hurt you. I couldn’t let it happen again.”
She howls louder, her fingernails digging into the skin on my back. I don’t mind the ache. Skye is in pain, and I would take it all on myself if I could.
“I love you,” I say. “I’m sorry I killed him, but I love you, and I couldn’t let him get you.”
Slowly, she stills in my arms, quieting, even though her body still shivers.
“Fuck,” I curse. “You’re cold. We have to get you to the Lodge.”
Leaving the corpse, I pick Skye up and head away from the shore. Feeling the way with my bare feet, I carry her home through gathering twilight.
The moment we burst in through the front door of the Lodge, pandemonium breaks out. So many people are gathered here, having dinner or coffee or playing with their children. They all turn to stare at us, then shouts of dismay and shock ring out. Villagers crowd around us, their faces worried, and ask about what happened, how they can help, who did this to us.
“Quiet!” I bellow over the noise. “Give us space.”
To my surprise, they all stop talking and gape with round eyes.
Ty and Jack appear at the stairs, and they rush forward, knowing my order doesn’t include them, not when Skye has been hurt.
“We’ll need towels and tea,” I say, knowing someone will get on the task. “And call Nurse MacLeod. Skye needs help.”
