Page 60 of Royal Bite
Stormey’s words were cut off. Something slammed into the side of the vehicle, sending it spinning. Hegna wrapped an arm around Stormey, holding on to her. Hegna braced herself, waiting for it to hit something. Cezar, who was driving, cursed and brought the car to a halt. Stormey rested back against her seat with wide eyes and panting.
“Are you okay?” Hegna asked.
Stormey jerked her head in a nod, sliding out of Hegna’s hold.
“What the hell was that?” Hegna growled. She released Stormey’s hand and leaned forward to look out the front windshield. Whatever crashed into them had to be massive.
“Fuck. Lycans.” Desmond pointed to the two enormous beasts encircling the royal guard SUV that was in front of them.
Hegna stared at the animals. They were much larger than the ones they had fought centuries before. Were these lycans who’d been turned? Tonight, it wouldn’t matter.
Hegna scanned the area, finding them in the middle of downtown Black Hollow. The area was eerily empty. Not a single streetlight was working, casting them in darkness. Only the headlights of the vehicles provided illumination. The hair on the back of her neck rose.
This was a trap.
Somehow, they had been followed. Hegna growled, anger rising inside her. How had they been tailed and not picked up on the presence of the beasts?
From the shadows of buildings crept more of the mangy beasts. Some crawled on all fours while others walked on their hind legs. She didn’t have as many weapons on her as she normally would since they had been visiting children, but she still had enough to defend her and her mate.
Hegna bared her fangs, ready for the fight. Her men were already exiting the other SUVs and engaging in battle with the beasts.
“Stay in here.” Hegna swung back to Stormey. She reached for her dagger she kept on her waist. The silver blade would prove to be deadly for the lycans.
“What? You’re leaving me?” Stormey gasped.
A lycan was thrown against their sedan. The weight of the animal rocked their car. Cezar exited the driver’s door and shut it. He quickly used his short sword and sliced the lycan’s neck. Blood sprayed on the windows. Stormey turned away from the sight, shutting her eyes for a brief moment.
“This car is basically impenetrable. They will not be able to get to you,” Hegna promised. She reached out and cupped Stormey’s chin, staring into her eyes. Her heart pounded rapidly. Something inside her demanded she protect this woman. “Desmond, you are to stay in the car with my mate. Nothing is to happen to her.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Desmond replied immediately.
“Be careful,” Stormey whispered.
“Always,” Hegna said. She released Stormey and opened her door. She slammed it shut, hearing the locking mechanism slide into place. Hegna didn’t have to tell the warrior that if things didn’t go their way he was to drive off and get Stormey to safety.
For now, they would handle these wolves.
She slid her dagger from its sheath and brandished it. A lycan caught sight of her and rushed toward her on his hind legs. She dodged the claws he swiped at her. She swung around, slicing his abdomen with her blade. He made the mistake of leaving his vital areas open. He howled, thrusting his claws at her again. This time she swiftly sank her blade into his stomach and twisted it. She sliced it down, ripping his insides out. He fell to the ground, bleeding out.
She spun around just in time to be hit by a heavy weight. Growling filled her ears, and she crashed down on the concrete with a vicious lycan snapping his jaws in her face. She held on to the handle of her blade and brought her arm up while holding him back with her other hand. He was a strong wolf, but she was stronger.
She brought the blade down into the neck of the lycan. Blood spurted out as she drove it in multiple times. She cried out, shoving him off her to where they rolled with her landing on top. He slashed his claws at her, raking them down her arm.
“Son of bitch!” she spat.
She wedged the blade in again, and this time she pulled it across his entire neck. His body slumped on the street, no longer moving. She pushed up and stumbled off. Her arm burned where his claws had caught her. She stripped off her long coat and tossed it away.
She swiveled around, scanning the area. Her men were dealing deadly blows to the lycans. Hegna growled at the sight. This was entirely too close to home. One lycan who stood almost seven feet tall turned his sights on her. He watched the fight from the edge of a building and swung his humongous fangs toward her.
Who the hell was this? It certainly wasn’t the alpha. Was it one of her right-hand men? An enforcer? There was something about him that was different than the others.
She pulled another blade that was small from the sheath at her ankle.
“Come on, you fucking lycan,” she snarled.
Hegna relaxed her legs and bent down in a defensive stance. She dared him to fight her. It didn’t matter that he was much bigger than her. He sprang off the building, threw back his head, and howled. It echoed through the air, traveling far. He stalked toward her.
Hegna stood her ground and kept her focus on him. She didn’t look at the car, not wanting to alert the lycans that a human was secured in it. The armored vehicle could withstand a lot, but she didn’t want to test it against the claws of a multiple lycans. A growl echoed behind her. She shifted her position and saw that there was another lycan approaching her from behind. This one wasn’t as big and was down on all fours.
