Page 85 of Wicked Allure
Lycans.
“Warriors,” Dru said.
The sounds of growling pierced the air. She pulled out her other blade, prepared to meet the enemy. She wished she’d brought her axe with her, but she’d left it at the inn. Her warriors fanned out behind her and positioned themselves in preparation for the incoming lycans. The humans screamed and scrambled into the random storefronts.
Dru took a few steps forward at the sight of single male who appeared a short distance away. The lycans emerged from around the buildings, standing tall, snarling, their amber eyes burning bright. A few of the beasts surrounded him as if forming a protective wall around him.
Solomon.
“Solomon Winterborne.” Dru’s fangs had broken through her gums and slid into place. She pushed down the hint of worry about her mate hidden in the SUV. It was a military-grade vehicle and should hold up against an attack.
Keyword: should.
“There was a time I went by that name,” the vampire sneered. He paced back and forth. This was the enemy. He should be dead, but here he was, living and breathing. He was a traitor to the crown, and by looks of it, his traitorous ways knew no bounds. “They have sent you to me. I’m sure they want my head.”
“The queen sent me.” She widened her stance, ready to honor the request of her queen.
“And you, the loyal soldier that you are, thought you’d be able to bring me to the queen? How is that bitch anyways?” He barked a sadistic laugh.
“You will show respect when you speak of Queen Mira Riskel.” Dru itched to wipe the smirk from his face. “And I’m no ordinary warrior, traitor.”
“Ah, that’s right. You’re a general, but that doesn’t scare me. I’ve faced many warriors like you in my past.”
“But never me,” she snapped.
“You’re all the same. You pledge yourselves to the crown and you don’t know that they’ll soon enough send a sword through your heart than respect your loyalty,” he shouted. He turned and faced her with his eyes feral and wild, his fangs on full display. He may be an older and strong vampire but he could be cut down just like any other foe.
“My loyalty is unwavering. Unlike you. You were the right hand of the king. You betrayed him?—”
“He betrayed me first. Did they leave that out of their little stories? Did they not mention that?”
“It was you who ordered the killing of mere children.” She took a step forward, already tired of this conversation. His head needed to roll. She’d do her queen a favor and take care of this traitor for her. There was nothing he could say that would sway her decision.
“We were at war. What were we to do? Allow them to grow up and then become the enemy? I did what that weak king could not,” he said. “I was thinking of our people. I wanted peace, but I got painted as the villain. Even when I begged him for mercy for?—”
He cut short and looked away. He paused his pacing and glanced at the sky. A growl was torn from him as he swung back to face Dru.
“I don’t care that you begged for mercy. I have orders to carry out, and you’re coming with me one way or another,” Dru threatened.
“You don’t know them like you think,” Solomon barked. “They took everything from me. Even before I gave those orders. I begged them for one thing. One damn thing. But he took her from me. Killed everyone there, and he’s worried about lycan children. I did him a damn favor.”
Dru filed all of the information he was giving her in the back of her mind. Who was the she he was referring to? Who did the king have killed? Had what the king did lead to Solomon’s actions as a retaliation? All of this wasn’t making sense.
“It matters not. You’re a traitor to the crown. Our people,” Dru said.
“All of this loyalty. For what? To be able to settle down? You’re coming from that damn lab that needs to be destroyed. Vampires don’t need a damn system to find our mates. Niall is insane. He didn’t want to consider my choice in a mate, but he’s willing to have vampires mate with humans?”
“That will be between you and the king. You can have that conversation when I take you to him,” Dru snarled.
“And that human in the truck? You think she’ll accept a vampire like you?”
“That human is none of your concern.” Dru didn’t want the focus to be on the truck where Tomesha was safely tucked away. The mere mention of Tomesha had Dru ready to dismember him for even laying his eyes on her.
“Touchy subject, I see,” he sneered.
“She means nothing. She’s a whore and nothing else.” Dru hated to even utter those words out loud. Tomesha was more than her profession. It didn’t bother Dru at all that her mate had to make do with what she had in order to survive. “You, on the other hand, sold your soul to the lycans.”
“I made an alliance with them. It’s survival.” He laughed, the sound dark and hollow.
