Page 49 of The Forsaken Heir
“It’s all right. I won’t hurt you,”he said, his voice equally as muddled as Aurelius’s.
Behind him, the three wolves were rising to their feet again, ready to resume battle. Delphine must have made the split-second decision that the enemy you knew was worse than the stranger you didn’t.
“Fine,” she said, taking Vincent’s hand.
Aurelius and Vincent leaped off the balcony and into the air, fully shifting as they did. Thick fog from the drizzling raincovered the city, making it hard to see the streets below. All thatwasvisible were the flashing red and blue lights of approaching police cars. One of our neighbors must have called the cops to report a disturbance. Whatever the case, I didn’t care. I wrapped my arms around Aurelius’s neck and shivered as the angry howls of wolves echoed behind us.
“What the fuck is going on?” Delphine shouted from Vincent’s back.
Glancing over, I watched as she clutched Vincent’s neck hard enough that I was worried she might choke him.
“We’re being rescued,” I called back, my hair and body already soaked through from the rain.
“Bydragons?” she screamed, sounding both surprised and scandalized.
“Yes,” I said. “Get over it.”
I realized he was flying us back to his mansion in the mountains. A nostalgic warmth filled me when it finally came into view. When we landed atop the stone outcropping above the rear of the roof, Delphine slid off Vincent’s back and clutched at the ground like she might be whisked away again at any moment.
Vincent and Aurelius shifted back to their human forms. Aurelius turned, pinning me with his gaze as he stalked toward me. Rain ran in rivulets down his hair and body, making his shirt stick to his chest and stomach, accentuating the rippling muscles beneath.
My mouth went dry as he towered above me and gazed down at me, his face a mask of anger.
He waved a hand in the direction of the city. “What the fuck was that all about?”
12
AURELIUS
Hot, bitter adrenaline surged through my body, making my hands shake and my breath come in short, angry hisses. The absoluterageI felt at what Vince and I had witnessed at the apartment made it hard to stay focused. Shifters sent tokillthe daughter of the most powerful wolf family? How and why was this happening?
Elle shook her head at my question.
“I’m not sure,” she choked out. “I… I think my family tried to have me killed.”
“Thosebastards,” Delphine cursed from the other side of the castle parapet. “I can’t believe they did this. I can’t?—”
“It’s all right, Delphine,” Elle said soothingly. “We’re safe now. It’s over.”
“You’re hurt,” I gasped and rushed toward Elle, taking her face gently in my hands and tilting her head so I could see.
“It’s fine,” she said, trying to pull away, but I held her tight.
“It’snotfine. You have a cut on your head. There’s blood.” I turned to Vincent. “Get healers. Now!”
Elle made to protest, but Vince was already gone, bolting for the door that led down into the estate house.
“This isn’t necessary,” Elle said. “It’s not that bad.”
“Get over here,” I told her, tugging her toward an overhang to get her out of the rain. “You as well, ma’am,” I added, beckoning the other woman to join us.
With a dubious look, the older lady only hesitated for a moment before hurrying over to get out of the drenching rain. Under cover, I again took Elle’s face in my hands, inspecting her wound. The thin cut wasn’t deep, but it was bleeding profusely.
Looking deep into her eyes, I said, “Are yousureyou’re okay?”
An intense connection hummed between us, and for a moment, I thought I might fall right into her green eyes.
Elle cleared her throat and blinked, breaking eye contact with me. “I’m fine, I promise.” She looked over her shoulder toward the city. “I can’t say the same for those assholes. I’m glad you guys got there when you did.”
