I pursed my lips saying, “Ego honoratus sum .... Ego quoque non vis tibi nocere (I am honored... I also do not want you to get hurt).” Egress smirked at me. He replied, “Bene mihi erit. Tu quoque. Praeterea quidquid ex illa custodia extrahere debes. Arma ex ea exstiterunt animadverti (I will be fine. As will you. Plus, you’ll get whatever you must out of that watch. I noticed weapons came out of it).”
Before I could reply the leader shifted back and growled at us. The man demanded to know, “What are you saying?” I told him, “Nothing that is your concern or business… I literally have no idea why you think we would answer that.”
“We obviously speak English…and chose to speak a different one. We obviously didn’t want you to know what we were saying. Because we the possess the intelligence to know you didn’t need to know what we said. I also don’t know why you think talking to a Hackura that way… is a good plan.”
Egres dryly said, “It is quite curious how insulting this man is.” I hummed, “Oh….you offended a Guard of the Hackura…one who is a lead at that. That’s no good for you. In fact, it’s almost as bad as it can get. You should leave…but you’re clearly not smart enough to do so.” Everly bit her lips together trying not to laugh.
I wasn’t certain why since…I was stating things that were facts. The leader told me, “I will have fun taming you.” Egres warned, “You will regret that statement with every fiber of your being.” I snorted, “Don’t worry, Egres… he’s unoriginal and boring with that comment.”
The man frowned hissing, “Excuse me?” I explained, “Someone …well actually multiple people… spent the last seven years trying to break me. It didn’t work…. so… it’s not even close to the first time that’s been said to me…so it’s unoriginal….andI’m basically immune to the words at this point…they don’t even offend me anymore.”
Egres commented, “Well, they offend me. So, I’ll just offended for the both of us.” I told the Werebengal, “You really seem determined to make this as bad for yourself as possible. Now Egres is offended for the both of us…that’s just bad for you. Leave that she wolf alone. You want me.”
The leader replied, “But she is how I get to you.” I rolled my eyes arguing, “No, she’s your way to try to take over the area. Don’t lie… I already know the plan. You targeted her specifically because you learned she is my sister in law.”
“The fact remains that Everly was already on your list of targets. You wanted to weaken me and my brother… heck it’s actually my entire family with her loss. You deluded if you think I’d let you take her from my brother or nephew. My nephew will grow up with both his parents…thank you very much.”
“Of all the things you’ve said and done that’s the one that offends me the most. You have to know my story at this point. Someone would’ve linked it to you since they clearly researched it. You think I’d allow my nephew to lose his parents while there is still breath in my lungs.”
“After what happened to me? That’s utterly delusional….and insulting. I would never let anyone hurt my family. I would definitely never watch it happen. Everly is my family and you’re going to find out just what that means to me.”
“You have designs of grandeur in your head. You want meandthe Conners territory. You even have gone so far as to want the territory of their close allies. It’s far too ambitious a plan to work. If you were as smart as you believe that you are… you’d have started with a smaller ally.”
“No…the smartest plan would’ve been an enemy that lived nearby and gained wolves for your cause. You don’t come for thebiggest packs first. You start small….and grow your numbers to take on the largest group. That’s basic knowledge of warfare.”
Egres agreed, “It is.” The leader smiled saying, “You will be a jewel by my side.” I snorted, “I’ve been marked by my mate in every possible way….so I’m not leaving him. Like you’re actually trying to take my legit dream life from me.”
“It’s quite literally insane…because I never believed I’d have this…I literally JUST got married and you all think I’m leaving my mate. The one I lived in fear of him rejecting me. I had secrets plans for our life…do you know what happened in the made scenarios in my head to people who tried to keep me from my Xander in the off chance he wanted me?”
The man glared at me. I grinned, “I thought of approximately three hundred and twenty-seven ways to kill someone for trying. That pales in comparison to the many ways Egres could kill you or even my mate. You have to know by now you won’t be able to kill my husband. Xander is too skilled at fighting to go down to you.”
I watched the leader’s face and it dawned on me, “But you never intended to kill him… did you?” Egres asked, “What?” The leader chuckled, “It was purported that you are smart.” I snorted, “I dislike when people who think they are intelligent say that. Because I would have to lose over TWENTY I.Q. points for people like you to call me smart.” Egres and Everly snickered.
Freya said, “Let me RIP his throat out.” The Leader argued, “That’s still smart.” I replied, “It’s called being a genius… but I can’t say the same for you. Xander is not just a wolf. He is a royal Fairy and Hackura.”
“His family on both those sides would come for me alone… do you comprehend the forces that would come for him if you kidnapped him? It’s… a lot… and it would be intense. The Fae army is no laughing matter and they will enjoy a good fight. The Hackura would slaughter you all as easily as they breathe.”
Egres asked, “Why would he leave Duke Alexander alive in his plan? I’d never let them harm the Duke, but planning to leave him alive is asinine if they want you.” I knew why he asked. Egres needed to know for his duty as a Guard.
The leader snarked, “Why would I tell you?” I snorted, “Because you want to prove you’re smart…. And yes…I’m saying that as insult like people say to me when I’m a genius….because I don’t think you’re even remotely intelligent.”
“You can’t prove to me that I’m even kind wrong about that point if we don’t know the plan. I could guess…the plan…I’m pretty sure I already know what it is anyway…again…not really original.. it’s one of the standard bad guy plots.”
Egres replied, “As it happens, I wasn’t asking you, soon to be dead Tiger. I was asking the Duchess.” The leader sneered, “I’m a Bengal.” Egres mocked him, “Right, and that’s a what? Oh yes, a tiger.” The leader hissed, “Guess away then, white wolf.”
Tristan linked, “Distract him, Mel. You know why so just keep talking. He’s not making any moves, and we are handling things out here.” Everly linked me, “I could go for his throat.” I replied, “Don’t. He’s expecting you to….it’s definitely what he’s waiting for.”
I ground my teeth saying, “Something in what you’ve learned about the white wolf says my fated mate dying would weaken me. Right?” The man complimented me, “Very good. You’re close to the truth. It’s in the right direction though.” I snorted, “Sure.”
I could guess the rest too. They might know the only person’s pups I could have were Xander’s. They wanted him alive so we could produce pups for them to take. My pups. Fury filled me and the lid I had tightly concealing my rage rattled.
They thought they could hurt my pups. They didn’t even exist yet and people wanted to hurt them like I was hurt. Everly whined in pain and Tristan roared. She’d been rammed from theside by a Werebengal. I turned my attention to that Bengal and unleashed the box containing my rage.
I slammed the Bengal that hurt Everly over my knee. I felt his spine break and he let loose a wail of pain. I stared directly at the leader when I snapped his followers’ neck. Egres started to kill them too. They had not counted on a Hackura Guard fighting with us. I’d argue they were ill-prepared for my RAGE. Freya agreed, “They are not.”
Egres and I formed a circle around Everly, protecting her. Paige linked me, “I’m so much better than their weak ass Witch. They can’t keep everyone out now. Their weak ass shitty rock dome thing won’t work now. I’m that good.” I snorted, “Then this fight is almost over. Are you ok? Were you targeted?”
Paige replied, “Don’t insult me. I’m just fine. I’m more powerful than they could ever dream.” She was right. My friend added, “Also, Dalton is all about not letting me out of his sight. I had to have Valentina shimmer me to find the Witch. We have to do something about these possessive and overprotective wolves.”
