Page 2 of Silverproof Damsel

Conrad was with the omegas in the forest. It happened during every full moon. They become a step up from hangry if they don’t allow their wolves out. Angry, starving wolves were extremely unpredictable and encountering them was a situation to avoid at all costs.

Ian was in Scotland for the gathering of his house, which occurred once a year. Since Laura’s death left them scrambling to choose her replacement, Ian found himself dealing with more complaints than usual.

Hunter was off in the fae realm to deal with the fae politics that came with ruling over the land. There had been unrest among the Seelie and Unseelie. It meant he’d needed to return and play king of both fae races for an extended period of time.

Chewing my bottom lip, I studied the lethal way the men moved in angry, forward strides. I was rather confident in saying they weren’t here for a social call or to check on my overall well-being.

A gasp escaped as the man standing across the street suddenly vanished, materializing inches from the window. From my vantage point, I could not pinpoint which race or type of creature he or his friends were.

Creeping back further from the window, I trekked silently through the house. Every step brought me closer to the tunnel that led next door. Conrad insisted I needed to have a way out of the house in the event Rhys was tired of tormenting my dreams. I could almost kiss him for his foresight right now.

We all knew eventually Rhys would come for me. He wasn’t the type of man to wait passively for revenge. The sadistic prick sought it out without worry or care for repercussions. Even so, he continued blaming me for hiding who my mother had trulybeen. It mattered little that I’d been lied to for my entire life, or that I hadn’t played a part in the past misdeeds she’d done.

If I’d known, I’d undoubtedly have concealed the knowledge. Mostly because of the bitterness and hate that he’d spewed for my‘Aunt Roslyn,’who’d been my mother. Knowing how much pain she’d inflicted on him and his family? I didn’t blame him for hating her and resenting me for her part in the ruination of his life.

The noise of glass breaking hastened my retreat. At the sound of voices inside the house, I called to the silver arrows I’d placed throughout the home. The hum of magic rushed through my veins, igniting the glyphs on my arms in a silver glow.

“Which room is hers?” a deep, surly voice asked.

“He said she’d be in the bedroom at the end of the hall.” A second masculine voice answered. “Alive. No fucking this up. We got one chance at this. He’s waited too damn long for us to fuck this up now.”

How the fuck did they know which room was mine? Also, who was the ‘he’ they spoke of?

My foot connected with a dog toy left on the floor, squeaking before it collided against the wall. Freezing in place, my stomach churned as my heartbeat echoed inside my head, bouncing between my ears.

“Quiet,” the man demanded. “You hear that? Think she’s awake?”

“Might be the dog they warned us about,” the first man announced. “He should be sleeping. Aiden fed the little fuck a steak laced with sedatives over an hour ago. Maybe he didn’t give him enough?”

“Could be,” the second man mumbled. “I’m not willing to fuck this up. You know how Van Helsing gets when we do.” Static filled the silence when both men paused.

“Place men outside every window and doorway in this place. There’s movement inside.” More silence permeated from the front room before he hissed out orders. “Let’s move. Follow me.”

Van Helsing?

Had Rhys employed somebody else to kill me? It was possible, but improbable. That meant someone else had sent these assholes. If I hadn’t been stuck with Nyota for months, I’d have bet money on it being her wanting me dead. Nyota had been here with me every chance she’d had to be. A staunch and vigilant protector against unseen enemies.

We’d come a long way since we first met.

Nyota had been another surprise. One I’d never expected but was grateful for. She was Bullet’s staunchest protector, even though her brother and head of the house had threatened to disavow her. She’d promised to always protect the baby.

I bolted into my bedroom, knowing they’d enter it without thinking of what might lie in wait for them. No one expected me to be vicious, but in the months of being hunted for the blood in my veins, I’d learned just how truly vicious I could be.

In the darkness of the room, my glyphs of silver created an eerie hue. One that couldn’t be dimmed until the magic I’d summoned was released. Without Nyota here, that could end badly. I needed a Van Helsing to offset the curse that came with using my magic.

After all, the Van Helsing line had placed it on my bloodline long ago. They’d countered it by adding a nulling spell, one that made them the only thing to stop the calamity from unfolding once the magic wore off. Their touch.

The handle of the door turned as arrows buzzed around me, waiting for a victim. When the second door opened, I grinned frostily while their eyes widened at finding their intended victim waiting for them. Silver light tore through the room, singing asit cut through the air, implanting in the eyeholes of both men’s helms who’d wandered through my home.

Their shrieks inundated the space as numerous arrows sliced through their heels, cutting their Achilles tendons. Flesh splitting apart wasn’t something I enjoyed principally, but tonight it was my favorite song.

Stepping over the corpses, I sauntered down the darkened hallway, whistling as the arrows floated around me, glowing in a shielding outline around my frame. Hollering started from outside, informing me of more men entering my house.

The sound of the back door being forcefully opened, combined with an ear-splitting crash from the front of the house, revealed they were entering from both the kitchen and the entryway.

A shudder of apprehension shook through me as I stood, waiting for the first of them to enter the hallway. The thud of my heartbeat pounding insistently against my ribcage resounded in my ears, threatening to obscure any warning from their footfalls.

The first man was larger than the others had been. His massive frame looked menacing in the shadows of the narrow corridor. I lifted my finger, beckoning one arrow after another to discharge forward toward him.

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