Page 183 of Filthy Royal

He placed Scarlett on her feet.

Turning to face the oncoming guards, he shoved her behind him. “Stay out of their line of fire.” He dropped the bag by his feet and slid it to the side. “No matter what. I’ve got this.”

They’d been through this before. She knew he intended to fight, and he expected to win.

Such confidence. Such arrogance. All Damien.

But these guards had functional lasers, and there was only one Damien, and he’d already fought several times this rotation.

“Damien, let me give myself up.”

“No.”

“Damien—”

“Stay. Behind.”

Scarlett fell silent. The last thing she wanted was to distract him, especially as the guards closed in.

Her gift strained at its leash.

One of them spoke into his wrist comms as they advanced. “We’ve got ’em.” He stopped just beyond Damien’s reach. “The omega and some big dark-haired Alpha.”

Their comms crackled.

“Excellent.” Darvish’s smug voice emerged from the comms, bringing back every bad memory, lacerating her insides. “I knew she wouldn’t get away.”

The walls shook, making the guards glance around nervously. One bobbled his laser but managed to hold on to it.

“Breathe, baby.” Damien’s words were a low, soothing command. “I’ve got this.”

But she couldn’t breathe, much less speak over the slam of her heart, the roar of her fury, and the single repeating thought:Darvish would not take everything from her again.

Her gift battered against her insides, shrieking to be unleashed.

“Darvish?” Damien pitched his voice to be heard through the comms. “I wouldn’t get too cocky.She’sgetting away. Butyou, you knotbag, are not.”

“Damien Skolov? Is that you?” Darvish sounded almost pleased. “I wondered which of my blood was here, trying to fuck things up. Of course, I should have known it would be you. I managed to keep you away for four planetary rotations thanks to my pet and Crex’s help. I thought it would have stuck that you shouldn’t fuck with me. Clearly, you need another lesson.”

“I see you’ve got a lot of our sire in you. What a shame.”

A snarl came through the comms; the guard holding the device visibly stiffened.

Scarlett committed the moment to memory. Confident in his absolute control of those around him, Darvish was never caught off guard or anything but unruffled—until now.

Having her Alpha challenge his smug sense of superiority was beyond satisfying.

Until Darvish regained his footing and taunted Damien as he’d so often taunted her: “I have some nice vids of you desecrating my pet when she was still a prize. I watch them frequently.”

The tendons in his neck bulging, Damien lurched forward, but he caught himself before the guards had even realized he was on the move, pulling up short and placing his palms in the air as a gesture of conciliation. “You know what, brother? Enjoy watching them.” His voice grew even harder. “I hope each time you do, it’s a real kick in the balls knowing you’ll never have the real thing. Because, unlike with you, Scarlett enjoys it when I touch her so her gift lets me. But you…? We both know you lay one finger on her, and you’re a dead Alpha walking. Whereas me? I’m alive and well and, despite your pathetic efforts, getting to hold my female.”

“She’s mine,” Darvish snapped. “Not yours.”

“Wrong.”

“Your sister too. They both belong to me.”

“Wrong again.” But it was clear Darvish had scored a direct hit when Damien growled, and his voice emerged as a menacing rumble. “Tell me where Zaya is, and I’ll make your death a little less painful than it’s going to be otherwise.”

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