Page 34 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

I never wanted to hear her name pass his lips again. I was about to give Saxon a piece of my mind when a sharp whizzing sound pierced the air. My head snapped in its direction, followed by Saxon's, and I saw Fermac appear out of the shadows, his enormous multi-colored form bounding toward us.

The warhound's champagne eyes, fractured with waves of navy, were wild with excitement. I could already see the red anger tinting his gaze. No one enjoyed seeing them go fully red.

The beast’s powerful jaws were clamped down on the ankle of a bloody member of Vendeca, the assassin's pained expression making it clear that escape wasn't an option.

"Good boy, Fermac," Saxon commended the hound, his teasing tone replaced by one of authority.

Turning back to me, he added, "See, we're making progress already."

I couldn't help but grudgingly admire the lethal efficiency of both Saxon and Fermac. The sight of the captive male brought a renewed sense of urgency, and I pushed aside my personal feelings.

My eyes locked on the captive. "Let's see what he knows."

"Yes, let's," Saxon replied, his gaze serious.

I glared at Fermac's prey, the assassin's eyes wide with fear as the hound's teeth sunk deeper into his flesh. Part of me wanted to hear the bones crushing, punishing him, punishing anyone with unfathomable pain.

I could feel my rage boiling beneath the surface, but I knew that losing control wouldn't get me any closer to the end of this quest.

Saxon seemed to sense my internal struggle and stepped forward.

"As much as I might enjoy killing them all, let's not waste time," Saxon said smoothly. "We have an opportunity here to gather valuable intel. I propose we take our new friend to Aeryn."

He left out his reason for the suggestion. Did he intend to let this piece of shit live? As far as I was concerned, they could all die for their part in this.

Though, if Aeryn could extract information from this Vendeca scum, it would save precious time. Every second counted.

"Do Aeryn and Nox know where I am?"

"Nox told her what the arrows meant. It was her suggestion to bring one of them to her."

Raina was her friend. Aeryn would want to help and there was no way in hell Nox would let her out of his sight with danger still lurking in the kingdom.

"We need to move quickly," I said.

Together, we approached the captive, who had begun to squirm under Fermac's grip. His face was pale, sweat dripping down his brow as he futilely attempted to break free.

"Stop wasting your energy," I advised, grabbing a length of rope from my pack. "It won't help you."

Saxon smirked, producing a gag from his own supplies. "And don't even think about trying to call for help. It'll only end badly for you."

As if on cue, Fermac growled menacingly, tightening his grip on the captive's ankle. The male whimpered, his eyes darting between us, clearly realizing the direness of his situation.

With practiced efficiency, Saxon and I bound the captive's hands and feet, ensuring he wouldn't escape. The gag was secured tightly around his mouth, muffling any potential cries for help.

I was about to ask if Fermac could portal with another in tow when I noticed the forest around us had fallen eerily silent. The usual cacophony of nocturnal creatures was replaced by an oppressive stillness.

I glanced at Saxon who had also noticed.

"We're not alone," Saxon whispered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows.

I tensed, my hand automatically reaching for my weapon. Before I could draw it, Saxon held up a hand to stop me.

"Take the captive and go," he ordered, his voice low and urgent. "Fermac can handle him. I'll hold them off."

"Are you out of your damn mind?" I snapped, unwilling to leave him alone against an unknown number of enemies.

Saxon's expression softened for a split second before he firmly shook his head. "There's no time, Liam. Get the information we need."

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