Page 202 of Filthy Royal

Her nipples tightened.

She definitely wasn’t tired anymore, another kind of pain replacing the old one: an exquisite, achy throb centered right between her thighs.

“Alpha?” She slid her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck. “Perhaps you need to check me over yourself to be sure. And ensure the taming chain is working too.”

Hunger darkened his stare. “Fuck, yes.”

Thank the Goddess for his ability to be distracted. Especially when it was exactly what she wanted as well.

“Give me that mouth, wild thing.” Damien’s lips descended toward hers. “Because you might be fine, but I am not over my scare yet. I need to touch you everywhere to remind myself you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. But this time, it’s gonna be gentle between us, and if you feel even a twinge, you better speak up at once because if you don’t and I find out, when you really are feeling better, I’m going to—”

“Ah, Damien.” The door slid open, and Anya poked her head back in. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m curious. Why’s Maddox pointing a laser at Luc and Kadon while they’re cuffed and chained to the wall?”

“What?” Shoving against Damien’s chest, Scarlett bounded out of his lap, then leaped off the bed.

35

SCARLETT

“Unchain them at once.” Scarlett marched down the hall, not caring that she wore only another of Damien’s oversized shirts. Or that she listed from side to side. Or that every step she took sent a twinge through her ribs and another through her clit.

“Baby, calm down.” Damien followed close behind. Anya at his heels.

“No!”

In the next heartbeat, her feet left the ground as Damien swept her up in his arms. “Damned it, Scarlett. You need to get back in bed.”

She glared up at him.

He glowered right back.

“Scarlett will rest once this is resolved.” Anya offered a diplomatic alternative to their standoff.

Damien’s grip tightened, his frown deepening, but he managed a grudging “Fine.” His fierce gaze bore into her. “Just don’t get too worked up.”

“Too late.”

They reached the front of the shuttle quickly—the ship was gorgeous and clearly cared for, but it wasn’t huge—only to find the exact situation Anya had described, but worse.

Thankfully, Damien set her on her feet as she took it all in.

Luc was restrained to the shuttle wall, and he looked furious. Plus, a small scuff mark on his chest looked fresh. Kadon, sporting a new bruise to add to the slashes he’d accumulated from his earlier fighting days, was manacled to Luc’s chain, his expression equally stormy.

Maddox, meanwhile, stood guard an arm’s length away, the bandage covering the wound above his eye, courtesy of the raid, again seeping blood while he pointed a weapon at her brother and friend.

She reexamined Damien. Not a mark on him.

Alphas!

Scarlett pointed toward her cuffed brother and friend. “Let. Them. Go.”

Damien crossed his arms over his chest, biceps bulging, stubbornness oozing from every pore. “There are questions that need to be answered first.”

Her patience snapped. “What does that mean? And how does restraining them possibly get your questions answered?”

“It doesn’t, but I needed to see to you. Ensuring you were okay was my first priority. Then I was coming back to deal with this.”

“This?”She tried not to get distracted by the sweetness of his concern for her. “Being my brother and my friend shackled like prisoners?”

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