Page 72 of Faerie Hunted

“Morgan, my friend!” Benjamin called out the greeting. “It’s good to see you. Come in.”

The hair on the back of my arms stood to attention as my focus narrowed on the newcomer.

I immediately recognized the mangy salt-and-pepper beard, the one eye. The long dark hair falling down to his chest. The half shifter who worked for the enemy. He’d changed his checkered shirt and stained jeans for a black t-shirt and equally dark pants.

He must have felt my gaze on him because the man, Morgan, turned toward us unerringly.

“You!” His voice boomed out across the room and had the three of us on our feet in a surge of motion.

Fast enough to knock against the table and send the empty pitcher crashing.

“Stop them! Stop those three!” Morgan continued to raise the alarm. “They belong to Dorian Jade.”

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It was unlucky as hell to have the man show up here, now.

And too late for us to hide. He had his sights set on us, and the rest of them were only a half-step behind him. Even the nice couple at the table beside ours had gotten to their feet and were reaching out for us.

The woman's fingers gripped my shirt near the elbow and tugged.

“Don’t let them leave,” Morgan howled.

Benjamin and the other members of the Claw & Fang collectively lunged for us under his command. They were an angry mob, gone from hospitality to hostile in the blink of an eye.

They’d take us into custody and then?—

“No!” The word burned my throat on the way out and I held my hands up in front of me.

Onyx tried to move to protect me and we ended up crashing against one of the tables in our haste.

Benjamin and Morgan blocked off the front entrance. Dull pain rippled through the hip I’d knocked against the table.

“There’s nowhere to run,” Morgan growled.

A long roar cut through the melee of voices and Noren crashed through the front door, showering wood splinters. He lost his mind, snarling and snapping in an attempt to get through.

I must have called his name. Must have made some kind of noise to get his attention.

He lunged forward and slammed his skull into the small of Morgan’s back.

Someone wrapped their arms around my torso and tugged me back. Only Bronwen’s familiar scent stopped me from fighting against her. The others were trying to get behind us, to corral us right into Morgan’s waiting arms.

He recovered from Noren’s hit soon enough and whirled on the direwolf with his own canines on display.

Torn between Noren and the back door, I paused, stupidly.

A largebangrocked the space. In the next breath, the foundations of the bar rumbled, dust shimmering down from the ceiling and visible beams. The lights went out and plunged the world into darkness. In the chaos, a woman screamed. Every inhalation held the familiar taste of smoke and it burned my lungs until I started to cough.

“What’s happening?” Bronwen yelled beside my ear.

The lights flickered back on as though someone flipped a switch, and the smoke cleared just as rapidly. The air tasted of ozone. Magic. The scent of magic filled every molecule inside the bar, and standing directly in the center of the room stood two new people who had shown up out of nowhere.

Mike.

Mike.

Queen Laina stood at his side with her golden hair twisted around the top of her head in a braid as regal as any crown. She’d traded her gorgeous gowns for a plain sand-colored tunic and pants combination with leather straps around her waist and over her arms.

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