Page 22 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“By capturing me.”

“You’re my fated mate. I claimed what already belonged to me.”

She scoffed. “I am not an object to be claimed.”

“No, you’re a person to be claimed. By me,” I said bluntly.

“Sometimes you’re a real bastard, Ravv.”

“Most of the time.” I leaned closer to Gleam.

“No, you’re decent most of the time. Just growly and grumpy.”

My grumpiness was an attempt at putting distance between us, but Laeli seemed determined to cross that distance.

If I let myself care too much about her, it could lead to both of our deaths.

My people… veil, I didn’t even want to consider what they’d do to us.

“Can you keep talking to me? This gargoyle guy is holding me really tight, and it’s going to terrify me if I’m not distracted.” Though she tried hard to sound playful, I could hear the fear in her voice.

I snarled again, “He’s going to die.”

She didn’t reply.

“Laeli?” I demanded.

“I’m here. I just don’t want to talk about murder.”

She was going to have a hard time fitting in with my people, then.

“More about fishing?” I growled at her.

“Sure. I liked your fishing story.”

I launched into another story about fishing, silently urging Gleam to run faster.

Chapter 6

Laeli

I was starting to think the bruises on my legs might become permanent fixtures on my skin when Ravv finally went silent for a moment.

His silence could only mean they’d caught up to me.

“The moment you’re free, run for Gleam,” Ravv said. His voice was the kind of calm that would worry anyone with half a brain.

I nodded, my throat swollen with fear.

Helplessness was not pleasant. Not pleasant at all.

Gaining some amount of independence, and then losing it when I was captured, had me questioning everything.

Mostly myself, though.

The gargoyle holding me stumbled, and then went down hard. His body landed on mine, and I cried out.

I could practically feel the bruises developing.

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