Page 92 of Crimson Hunter

“Give me a second!” I snapped over my shoulder. “It’s not like we’re wasting time or anything.” Lowering my head to her ear, I whispered. “I’ll never hurt you, Grace. But I might just keep you edged for hours with my tongue and teeth, bringing you right to the edge of coming before backing away, never letting you find your release.” Lifting my head, I found her eyes wide on mine. “Yeah, I’m that angry.”

“I’ll stay here,” she agreed, but there was a definite challenge in those eyes of hers.

“How gracious of you.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead, terror still tingling my tongue at how close I’d come to losing her, and then I stood and turned toward the house. “On three. One. Two.”

“Three,” Hawke snapped, and I released time.

It was a matter of seconds—and a few time pauses—before every shooter was dead, every child was rescued, and every mate had been located. The rest of our brethren showed up just in time to finish the cleanup. There was more than one angry voice lecturing more than one unapologetic female by the time we were done.

“That’s your choice,” Alek said to Maria.

“Not much of a choice,” Maria said, glaring at our king in a way I’d never seen a human dare. “Either I agree to a full-time patrol of the house, or I move these children to your palace.”

“Still a choice.” He shrugged. “They’re all part vampire, though something tells me you already know that.”

“Yes. I know.” Her gaze skipped over to Grace, who was tucked against my side, my arm wrapped around her. “I’m sorry, Grace. I should have told you.”

“Don’t apologize,” Grace insisted, leaning heavily on me.

“It’s not as simple as bringing the kids to your estate,” Maria told Alek. “They’re all in foster care. Visited by social workers, guardians ad litem, the works. Two of them have parents who are in the process of reunification.”

“Guard duty it is,” Alek said. “The Sons will come back. If they’re targeting humans with vampire lineage then keeping these kids here is putting a target on their back.”

Maria paled. “We’ll take the guards for now. Let me…” She swallowed.

“You don’t have to decide anything tonight,” Grace said, stumbling forward and taking Maria’s hand. “These males are really spectacular. They’regood, and they’ll keep you guys safe until you decide what’s best for the kids.”

Alek nodded.

Grace looked over at me.

Time for us to talk.I thought in her general direction.

She swallowed, then lifted her chin and came toward me.

The second our hands touched, I pulled her to me and wended.

* * *

I tookwhat had to be my sixtieth deep breath since we’d returned, and then grasped the doorhandle to my bedchamber. Instead of talking to Grace, my temper had ruled, making me deposit her in our bedroom and leave immediately to walk off the worst of it.

To her it had only been a matter of seconds since I’d walked out.

To me, it had been hours.

I can hear you out there,Grace said directly into my head.Come inside and fight with me.

A growl rumbled through my chest, and I pushed open the door, finding her exactly where I’d left her—on our bed. “The last thing you want is me to fight with you.”

“Why not?” She shrugged. “Fighting is what every healthy couple does. It’s a way to work out issues that otherwise would go unresolved.”

“And don’t play psychologist on me, either.” I pointed a finger at her, then leaned against one of the massive posts of our bed. “You deliberately put your life in danger tonight.” Even now a chill shivered down my spine at the memory.

“Yes.” She crossed her legs under her and folded her hands in her lap.

“You knew there was danger, and instead of calling me, you went and threw yourself into the fracas.”

“Fracas?” She lifted a brow. “Sometimes yousosound your age.”

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