Page 22 of The Hellhound's Mate
Saph closed his eyes and sniffed before leaning his head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his neck and continued.
“You’re strong and brave and fearless. You turn me on just by walking into the room. I’ve never felt so safe as I do in your arms.”
“Ambrose…” he whispered.
“Whatever happens, you need to remember that I love you completely. It doesn’t matter what he makes you do, I’llneverstop loving you.”
He made a tiny whining sound and turned to lay me on the bed before covering me with his big furry body. I held him in return with arms and legs and heart.
I wasn’t going anywhere. I’d call Vera and the witches and anyone else who might be able to help. I’d drive around the block to make Saph think I was gone. But I wasn’t about to leave him.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Even where I was outside,I could still hear Ambrose making phone calls in his studio. He so earnestly believed that he could stop the necromancer by calling on his friends. It was endearing. It made me love him even more.
And it terrified me.
I didn’t want to be right about what would happen when Gaufrid arrived. I wanted to be as positive as Ambrose was that we had a fighting chance. That with enough courage and cunning we could win.
But I’d lived through this before and the only thing that had saved me then had been that Gaufrid hadn’t read all of the warnings before trying a new spell. He’d died when the spell drained every drop of blood from him to power itself. It had been an accident. A quirk of fate.
I had no faith in that happening twice.
And this time I had a mate who wasn’t going to leave my side regardless of how I begged him. He’d stay, he’d try, and I’d be forced to kill him.
Maybe that was for the best. I would be quick and efficient about it. Ambrose wouldn’t suffer if I did it. The heart that would break was my own, and whenever Gaufrid’s reign ended and Iwas given a choice of assignments, I’d ask for death instead. Without Ambrose, there would be no reason to go on living.
“My gods,” Ambrose suddenly said behind me, “I canfeelthe despair wafting off of you. Stop that. Nothing’s over.”
He made me smile. “You’re wonderfully positive.”
He snorted and crossed his arms. “You say that like it’s a flaw.”
I shrugged.
“Oh, seriously, stop it.” He didn’t quite stomp his foot but it was close. “I’ve called Vera and everyone else I could think of who might be able to help. A whole coven and about seventeen other people are on their way up here.”
I sighed and closed my eyes.
“Cannon fodder,” the ghoul said. “Nice.”
“Excuse me?” Ambrose screeched. “They are not!”
“I can’t even be killed and I left,” the ghoul continued. “All your friends are going to do is provide food.”
“They’re not coming here to cater a party,” Ambrose said with a sneer.
“Sorry, I meant that they’re coming here tobethe food.”
Ambrose gasped in outraged horror.
“Either because Gaufrid eats them, or because we’ll get to eat their dead bodies afterward.”
“Alright stop,” I snapped. “He doesn’t need to worry about that.”
“I’mnotworried about that,” Ambrose said, “because it’snotgoing to happen.”
