Page 34 of Royal Protector

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I dropIsabella off at her cabin. We had agreed that we would sleep separately for one more night, not wanting to start any rumors too early. She gives me the sweetest smile before closing her door.

I nod at Grady, who is guarding her cabin tonight. “Let me know if there are any issues, will you?”

“Will do,” he says, just as a scream is heard from inside Isabella’s cabin. Instantly, I run inside, Grady close on my heels. My instincts rage at what I see, and I fight to stay unshifted.

“You little slut!” Martina says, holding Isabella by her hair to expose her newest scar. “You whore! You useless, useless whore!”

“Stop!” I roar, unable to stand Isabella’s whimpers of pain and the tears streaking down her eyes. “Let her go, Martina.”

Martina flings Isabella across the room, and there’s a sickening crack when she hits the wall and crumples to the floor. I try to run to her, but Martina jumps at me, clawing at my face.

“You did this!” she shrieks at me. Blood runs down my cheek from her extended claws. “You corrupted her! You’ve ruined everything I’ve worked for!”

Her eyes are wild, spit flying from her mouth with every word. I grab her wrists, and she knees me in the belly. Grady tackles her from behind, and although she is clearly a seasoned fighter, she can’t handle both of us when she isn’t in her right mind.

He holds her to the ground as I reach for my phone to call Jack, but before I can, she arches her back and throws Grady to the side. Then, she shifts into a brown and red wolf and bolts through the open door. Grady shifts as well and takes after her while I go to Isabella.

“Baby, are you okay? Where does it hurt?”

She cradles her wrist to her chest. “Only my wrist. It’s broken, but it should heal pretty fast.” Her eyes are red, and tear tracks stain her cheeks. I’m going to kill Martina when I catch her.

“She shouldn’t have said those things,” I say adamantly. “Because they aren’t true. You know they aren’t true, don’t you, baby? There’s something wrong with her, not you.”

Isabella nods, but she still has that dazed look. Her entire life to this point has changed in just a few hours.

“Stay here,” I direct, and taking the top sheet from her bed, I tear a strip to bind her arm. She was right, the joint will heal just fine, but it will be easier if the injury is bound. Isabella doesn’t say a single word as I slip her dress off her and help her into the bed, shedding my own clothes and climbing in after her. I tuck the sheets around us and tug her tight to my chest.

“Shouldn’t you go to your room?” she says quietly. “The rumors—”

“Fuck any rumors at this point,” I say. “You’re safer with me.”

“I didn’t know she’d react like that,” she says softly. “I knew she would be upset, but not..not that. Never that.”

“We’ll take care of it in the morning,” I promise, curving my hand over her belly. “You need to sleep.” And I need to determine exactly what I’m going to do to that advisor of hers.

ISABELLA

Aknock on the door the next morning wakes me up from a deep sleep. For a moment, I think it is Martina at the door, here to chastise me about one thing or another. Then, memories from last night click into place, and I hear her voice echo in my head.

Slut. Whore.The things she called me swirl around in my brain until I feel nauseous. It isn’t until Antoine touches the small of my back that I am able to take a full breath.

“I will answer the door,” he says. “You go on into the bathroom and get dressed.” With that, he climbs out of bed, pulling on a pair of jeans and his t-shirt. I grab my own set of clothes and duck into the restroom while he answers the door.

To my surprise, Jack and Leo’s voices greet him. I haven’t seen Leo here at the village before.

“Is everything all right?” asks Antoine in a low voice.

There is a long silence, and then Jack says, “We need to talk, Antoine.”

His voice is wary and shaky, and it scares the hell out of me. I finish dressing and throw open the door. The three men stand in the kitchenette, and Leo visibly winces at the sight of me.

Something is wrong.

“One of Leo’s vampires was murdered last night,” says Jack quietly.

“What?” asks Antoine. “Do you know who did it? Have you caught them?” He spits out questions left and right until Jack puts up a hand to silence him.

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