Page 48 of A Sword of Ice
Maybe if she hadn’t flashed back to that moment in time, she would have heard the sound of steel sliding against a sheath. She would have felt the pressure Petey placed against her shoulder. She would have had fair warning before agony ruptured through her body as he shoved the blade into her back.
* * *
Julius ranout of the glass enclosure after Iona. Her panic splintered through his chest, down the bond they shared. They may not have had a bonding mark, at least not like Ryker and Shula, but it felt as if they’d both already accepted it anyway, and that’s why he was feeling her inner turmoil.
She sped away, past the group that waited for them. He wanted to run after her, but a hand shot out, gripping him to a stop. He turned with a snarl pursed on his lips before realizing it was Valerio.
“What?” he snarled.
“What’s going on?” His prince looked at him pointedly.
“Her familiar is gone.”
“Where is she going?”
He yanked his arm away. “I don’t know where she’s going.” But he was going to find out. Without waiting for a reply or for permission, Julius followed after his mate, following her traces of mint, ice, and apples, following the tug in the space set between the recesses of his own soul.
He hid as best as his big frame would allow in the shadows, but it was hard to have a care when adrenaline and anger pumped through his blood. Not anger at his mate, but at whatever had caused her distress.
He didn’t know anything about her life, considering they’d only met about an hour ago, but faced with this, he realized he wanted to slay anything encumbering her. He’d never felt such primal possession towards a female before. But Iona was his mate. She was different.
She was made for him, and he for her.
She didn’t know it yet, but he would protect her from all harm. And as soon as they had a moment to speak, he would tell her that he wasn’t going to allow her to run from him ever again. Whatever problems she shouldered? He had strength enough to carry for them both.
He made it somewhere towards the back of the zoo, following his instincts. He was aware of the others running much more quietly behind him, of Valerio’s hissed warnings, but all Julius could think about was Iona.
Something was wrong.
A gut feeling confirmed when he heard the sound of her shout and the sudden sharp smell of blood flooded his nostrils.
He almost staggered back but pushed forward into a small room with a broken door, just in time to see a human bending Iona over the desk, one hand braced against her shoulder and the other holding a sword.
A sword he had skewered to her back.
Blood pooled against the thick fur of her coat. Her palms were pressed tightly to the surface of the desk, her mouth opened as she screamed her pain.
The sound ripped through Julius’ chest, agony-filled and heartbreaking at the same time.
And just like that, he was blinded by his rage.
The sword was yanked out of her body, and the human looked up, his eyes widening in fear. That second was all Julius gave him before he roared and charged. The sword came swinging but with a single brush of his arm, it was ripped from the human’s grasp and clattered to the ground.
The human whimpered and stepped away, his eyes darting back and forth, looking for a place to run. He wouldn’t find a way to escape. Not when Julius was on the hunt.
Julius’ palm shot out, crashing against his face. Julius felt the crunch of cartilage break as his nose smashed beneath the Fae’s palm, and then he was lifting his body up against the wall, holding him there like he was dangling nothing more than a doll.
His pathetic cries were muffled behind Julius’ hand.
Julius squeezed and the human’s eyes bulged in fear. He relished in the stench of it. He would make him pay.
He would make him hurt.
He would make him bleed like he’d made Iona bleed.
“Wait!” Fingers coated in blood clamped down on his leather clad arm and squeezed. He loosened his hold on the human a fraction and turned to face Iona. She stood, her legs wobbling, tears streaming down her beautiful cheeks, and blood coating her fur jacket. She stood tall, even as she trembled, she was brave.
Julius had never seen someone more beautiful.
