Page 10 of Orion: Galaxy Huntress

“Gods!” I pressed my fingertips to quell the pain.

“Oh, fuck.” Myra dropped her bowl and it smashed at our feet, sending chunks of stone skittering across the floor and the spell to leak on her shaggy carpet. “He’s really branded you. This thing isn’t coming off. He wasn’t joking when he called you his mate.” She rushed over to grab some white thin strips that she used to clean up the liquid at my feet.

“Hades!” Stormy’s mark couldn’t stay. “Cut it off then. Use my blade.”

Myra’s eyes rounded to the size of a goblet. “I’m not doing that.” Her face paled and she swayed on her feet. Witches in Greece worked with blood, so I didn’t see the problem. I grabbed her, steadying her and setting her down in a chair. “The spell didn’t work because he really claimed you as his mate, and magick can’t break apart soulmates.”

Alarm clawed at me. Soulmate didn’t sound like a friendly term. It sounded like I was bound to him in some way. Better not be bound to serve him. Orion served no man. I’d sooner kill him than serve him.

Desperate to get his mark off me, I scratched at my neck and breast, making it ache and sting even worse. “What the hell is a soulmate?” The word tasted bitter on my tongue. Stormy had growled it after nipping me. “By the gods! I don't want to be someone’s mate.”

Irritated, I stripped off his jacket, throwing it aside, wanting his intoxicating scent off me. My fists curled, determined to do worse than stab that shifter if he came near me again! And he would. My blood was in his system, his bite on my shoulder, his brand on my breast connecting us. Starlight pulsed hot and molten through my veins. Damn beast had branded me as his like I was some common slave. I’d worked my way out of the slave class. Defeated monster after monster for respect, gold, titles. Crouched at the feet of gods to be crowned and revered. I didn’t belong to any man or shifter!

Myra sighed, her eyes glazing over as if she daydreamed. “I’d kill to have a man look at me like that.”

“I’d kill him for looking at me like that!” I’d happily exchange the mark with her. Give her the shifter to deal with. “Like you were his next meal?”

“Yeah.” Her eyes clouded over with lust.

Many men had admired me that way. Few got into my bed. But I had to admit that the wolf shifter had set something off inside me. A raging fire I couldn't contain. One that would burn for him. A fire that would be extinguished once I killed him and removed the mark from my neck and breast. I didn’t need distractions when I had my starlight sisters to save from peril.

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