Page 59 of Ruthless Fae
Vaughn’s green eyes sprang open, and he scrambled back to all fours, shaking his head and snapping at me. I jumped back as he glanced around, clearly confused.
“Now, you will listen tome,” Adaline said. Vaughn’s attention drifted to her and his eyes went blank. “Good doggie.”
No. No. No.
Adaline turned to her brother. “Fetch the radio and call again. I’ll take care of these two.”
He did as he was told, picking up the scattered parts and snapping them back together. He pressed a button on the side and the device crackled to life. “It works.”
“Good,” Adaline said, taking a step toward Vaughn, who stood completely immobile as if made out of stone. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you, Tally? You will pay for ruining this.” She pointed a finger at me as she gave Vaughn the order. “Kill her.”
Vaughn’s head turned to me. His eyes flashed red for a second, then dimmed as he stalked in my direction.
I took a step back, my heart beating out of control. No, this couldn’t be how it all ended. My mind snapped back to the vision Crescent had shown me. This was too similar to be a coincidence.
Vaughn growled, baring his teeth, his head lowered as he prepared to attack.
“Please, stop. It’s me, Tally.”
There was a slight twitch in his muzzle, a faint shudder that rippled over the raised fur on his back, that let me know Adaline’s implant didn’t have full control. Maybe he was strong enough to fight it.
I stopped backing up, and Adaline regarded me as if I were crazy or simple.
“He won’t hurt me,” I said.
Adaline huffed. “He will do more than that. He will tear you to pieces. Kill her,” she urged again.
Vaughn took two fast strides toward me, a growl rumbling inside his chest, though his entire body trembled, fighting against the command.
“KILL HER!” Adaline screamed, her face turning red, her teeth flashing like an animal’s.
Vaughn lunged, his huge paws hitting my chest, his weight knocking me to the floor. He roared in my face, wild and full of unrestrained ferocity. I wanted to close my eyes and turn away, but gathering all my courage, I held his gaze. A faint, red light shone inside his dark pupils as the device tried to exert its control.
He opened his maw, angling it toward my neck.
“Finish her,” Adaline ordered.
Fighting against the desire to squeeze my eyes shut, I held Vaughn’s gaze with tenderness, wishing him to know I didn’t blame him. I knew this wasn’t his fault.
“I love you,” I said as his muzzle came a hare’s breadth away from my face.
His body twitched slightly, then he blinked as if clearing his head, and unexpectedly, licked me, his soft, velvety tongue sliding down the length of my jaw. Slowly, he pulled away, and he bared his teeth in what could be nothing but a wolfish smile.
He stepped aside and faced our enemies. I sprang to my feet, marched toward them and, fed up with theirfeine. In two quick movements, I knocked those savages unconscious.
“There,” I said, dusting off my hands as I’d seen humans do on TV. “Now let’s tie them up and gag them. When they wake up, I want them to realize it was ‘fae filth’ that did it.”
Vaughn laughed with a wolfish chuckle, and it was the best sound I’d heard all day.
Chapter Twenty-Four
We saton the grassy hill and watched as, down below, the witches prepared the building for demolition.
Our group was substantial: Ronnie and Becca, Kiana and Sinasre, Charlie and Rowan, Disha, and Bridget. Bael stretched his long legs out on a blanket, his face peaceful as he watched birds wheel in the sky, a gentle giant if there ever was one. A few more witches, who’d since completed their assigned duties, sat on a blanket down the hill while others stood and chatted at the top.
Even Regina and Antonio stood near the tree line under umbrellas that the witches had provided. They’d slunk out of the shadows once things had settled down and had been helping us with rehabilitating the survivors. Watching them assist the Habermanns’ victims with gentle care and consideration was one of the highlights of my week, and everything I needed to forgive them for having abandoned us.
Beside me, Vaughn shifted a little as he passed me a metal flask. “It’s good. Try it.”
