Page 61 of Fate Unchained

“The other vulk mates?”

He nodded.

“I’d love to meet them, but we probably won’t have a chance, right?”

“Probably not.” He lowered his head closer to hers. “I’ll work with you when you practice. I’ll make sure you’re safe. Then you can explore what you can really do.”

Her face lit up. “You’d do that?”

He’d do anything to make her look up at him like this. He felt twenty feet tall. “I don’t want you consumed by a rune again.”

She put her hand over his. “And I’ll work with you on your reading.”

“Another pact?”

Lilah smiled. “Yes.”

He felt warm all over. “Good. I like it.”

The front door opened, and a breeze blew through the library ruffling the pages of the book. Hazel stood there.

He was locking the door right now.

Leaving Lilah’s office, he walked up to the spellcaster. “You’re back?”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “I told Lilah I’d find her if I had any news on Morana.”

“And?”

“It’s not much. My connections confirmed it’s definitely Morana, but they don’t know anything else other than she’s taken the king as her lover.”

He nodded. “Well, since you’re here. Stay with Lilah until I return.” One thing about Hazel, she was strong enough to protect Lilah.

Hazel’s lips tightened. “How about asking? I don’t take orders from anyone anymore.”

He bared his teeth. “I want to hunt for Boris. This helps all of us.”

She glared at him. “That’s nice.”

“Fine. If you stay here and watch over Lilah. I would … like that.”

She heaved out a large sigh. “That’s the best you can do?”

From between gritted teeth, he said, “Fine. I’m asking. Will you protect Lilah while I’m away?”

Hazel’s brows lifted. “You didn’t say ‘please,’ but it’s an improvement.” She glanced back at Lilah, who stood talking to Brooke. “A vulk working on his manners? You must really like her.”

“I’m in human form, in a library, talking to a magicwielder. You think I’d do any of these things for anyone else?”

Hazel’s lips twitched. “All right, I’ll stick around. And this doesn’t count toward the favor Zann owes me because I like her, too.”

He’d seen Hazel in battle. Lilah would be safe.

Whirling around, he stalked back to Lilah and Brooke. Lilah was mid-sentence, but he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. He strode a few steps away for privacy and lowered his mouth to her ear. “I’m going out to look around. Stay in here with Hazel until I return. Boris won’t expect us back in the city so soon, but he knows all about you. Where you live. Where you work. We need to be careful.”

Her arms tightened around him. “Come back to me. Safe.”

While his pack brothers didn’t want him getting injured, no one ever worried when he went hunting spawn. His chest expanded, and he whispered in Vulk, “Of course, lalee.” Then he claimed her mouth.

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