Immortals After Dark 01 - The Warlord Wants Forever

flinching when her arm was broken and the butt of a sword cracked her cheekbone. Don’t look through that eye, switch hands. She cut a swath to Ivo, who alone remained.

    “And here I thought you were merely the pretty one.” With a mock bow, the coward traced.

    Arm shattered, face beaten to a pulp, she flew to Wroth. She vainly attempted to cover his body, dragging him into the cool shade even as she bit her wrist open for him to drink. He was unconscious, his body twisting in pain, his skin looking like lava burned within him.

    “Seems like we missed the party,” Regin said as she and Cara strolled over to Myst. “Why does Myst get to kill all the vampires? No. Really. This was just supposed to be ghouls.”

    “Myst, what are you doing? We heard your scream and thought it was something important,” Cara said. She waved a dismissive hand at Wroth’s writhing form, clearly unable to comprehend why Myst was frantically dragging him with one arm while shoving her gashed wrist at his lips. “The being dies. Leave him.”

    Regin added, “Oh, for Freya’s sake, Myst. He’s a vampire. Let him fricassee.”

    Myst shrieked and snapped her teeth at her sisters. Then she screamed two words she’d never uttered in her entire life—

    “Help me.”

Chapter Thirteen
    W roth woke to wetness on his chest.

    Her silky hair tumbled over his arm. When he opened his eyes he realized she was crying over him. Impossible. “Myst?” he rasped.

    Her head shot up and she gave him a watery smile that quickly faded. She slapped him, a hard, cracking blow. Then she leapt on him, nuzzling, squeezing, as if she couldn’t get close enough to him, as if she wanted in him.

    “Don’t you ever do anything so stupid again.” She slapped at his chest, which he was surprised to find was healed.

    He flexed and tensed his muscles throughout. He was bandaged in places, but he had all his limbs. This was good. Now if he could just get his wife to cease slapping him. “If you do not stop, milaya, we will have words.”

    So she turned to kissing him again with whispers in his ear and tears dropping to his face, each one like a gift. “You’ve been out for five nights. And you wouldn’t wake the hell up.”

    “Where are we?”

    “In Val Hall.”

    He stiffened.

    “No, you’re safe.” She leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I would just let my sisters fall on you like a carcass?”

    He winced at the image. “Can’t wait to meet them all. How did you get away?”

    “Ivo traced, but Cara and Regin are on his trail.”

    “I’m just glad I was there to save you,” Wroth said solemnly, making her grin. “Did you kill the turned demon?”

    “The lightning and I did.”

    He remembered then. She’d been hit directly, hair whipping, eyes silver, the most awing sight he’d ever witnessed. “I saw you get struck.” His voice went low. “You smiled.”

    “It feels good. It’s very rare to get a direct hit—”

    Outside, something, some male, howled with fury. Wroth tensed to trace her away.

    “Oh, don’t worry. Just another crazy day at the manor.” She waved away his tension. “A Lykae nabbed little Emmaline and took her back to Scotland —thinks she’s his werewolf queen or something.”

    “Werewolf queen?”

    “Uh-huh. So Lucia trapped the Lykae’s brother for leverage, but apparently he’s proving most uncooperative. Anyway, if you knew Em you’d see how ridiculous the idea is. She’s terrified of her own shadow, much less a roaring Lykae’s unique…appetites.”

    He’d have to ask her about that later. “She’s the halfling—the one that’s part vampire.” When her brows drew together he rushed to assure her, “I will never tell Kristoff about her, but I suspect that Ivo’s searching for her.”

    “They know. They’d already sent a retrieval party after her, and once they bring her back, she’ll be safe here. The wraiths will shut out any threat.” One flew by the window at that moment cackling to punctuate her statement.

    He raised his eyebrows and when she grinned, he cupped her face with a bandaged hand. “I love you.”

    “I know.”

    “Could you…could you feel the same way? Before you answer, I want you to know that I meant what I said. I am sorry for forcing you to stay and for losing my head. I will always be shamed by my actions.”

    “Wroth, I wanted to stay with you after, oh—about a day! I’d planned to play you, but realized early