Page 36 of Guardians of the Assassins
Again.
But she was quickly distracted by the sound of wood groaning, then it snapped under the impact. The feral dropped to the porch with a meaty thump, a painful yelp escaping him, his legs scrambling as he tried to get to his feet.
Loki didn’t hesitate to charge up the stairs after his prey, his wings tight against his back, and step on the creature’s neck. No matter how much the feral tried to bite and claw to get free, Loki remained firm, his leathery skin hardening to stone, leaving him without a scratch.
To her shock, Loki was almost the same size as the feral. While the feral was taller, Loki had more mass. When the feral continued to struggle, Loki locked his jaw around the creature’s throat and gave a vicious growl. The feral instantly stilled, slumping back down in defeat. Then Loki turned toward her, his red eyes glowing with pride, a dopey smile on his face, and his tongue lolling out.
She wasn’t sure if she should scold him for disobeying or kiss him for his bravery.
Draven nudged Loki away, praising him with pets, the gardog preening under the attention. Atlas and Ascher easily secured the last feral. Morgan glanced around the clearing, awed at how easily the two groups managed to work together.
A few of the wolves and most of theloup garoushifted back to their human forms, grabbing sweatpants from the backpack someone had the foresight to bring. Those who remained in their beast form stood guard, continuously checking the perimeter, and she was impressed by their teamwork.
She expected more pushback and infighting between the groups. She stepped closer to Ryder, mentioning it to him as the rest of her mates slowly drifted closer.
Ryder glanced around the group, then shrugged like it was no big deal. “No need to fight when dominance is clearly established. Wolves are different thanloup garou. Just like at the Academy, witches are different from the assassins. There is a clear divide between the two.”
She stiffened at the reference. Though things were changing, her time at the Academy hadn’t always been pleasant. Elitism was a thing, where students would punish those they thought were beneath them. Weaker than them. The cruelty of their caste system put her teeth on edge.
Her gaze sharpened as she surveyed the groups, magic snapping at her fingers with her agitation. When she saw no snap of teeth or swipe of claws, her hackles slowly lowered. The two groups actually worked in tandem, each helping the other.
Ryder stepped in front of her and nudged her chin up until all she saw was him. His whisky eyes warmed under her regard, a tiny smirk flashing as he pressed his forehead against hers. “I was talking about you. You’re the alpha queen here. Wolves are pack creatures. They’re used to taking orders. They crave it. You gave them an order, and they’re happy to obey.”
Her stomach twisted in unease at the simple statement.
The power she held over others.
She didn’t like it.
One wrong move, one wrong choice?—
Ryder gripped her chin, the pinch of pain helping her focus, and her attention snapped back to him. The stern expression on his face was so different from the way he normally looked at her that she was mesmerized. “They’re here because you saved them. You’re showing them a better way to live. You’re giving them hope, something that many of them never dreamed possible. Given a choice of their old life or you, they’d gladly pick you. Wolves need the pack to thrive. Without it, they won’t survive.”
“He’s right.” Ascher came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, the heat of him seeping into the chill that had taken up in her bones. Unable to help herself, she lightly traced the obsidian mating marks that trailed down his arm, loving the way he shivered at her touch. Ryder dropped his hand from her face but didn’t retreat, leaving her sandwiched between the two men.
Ascher leaned down, his lips coming to rest against her ear as he nuzzled the side of her face. “While most alphas are decent, power has a way of warping people over time. Some alphas thrive on the violence and cruelty. When the wolves see you with the pack, they know you’re different, that you would lay down your life to protect them.”
More and more people gathered around them as they overheard the discussion. Atlas came to a stop next to Ryder. Even in the light, there was a slight lavender tint to his skin that she adored, a slight tell that his dander was up.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, letting the strands slide through his hand as he pinned her with his dark green eyes that reminded her of Ireland. “You lead with your heart. It’s what drew us to you in the first place. You’ve seen the darkness of the world, but it hasn’t tainted you. You fight against it with everything you’ve got. You are a true assassin, through and through. You never waver, never back down. You stand fast against the darkness, a bright beacon of light to those who are lost. It’s why we love you.”
Well, damn!
Tears burned the back of his eyes at his impassioned speech. She’d swear it was the most she’d heard him say at one time, and it melted her heart. She reached out, resting her hand against the mating mark on his chest, allowing the overwhelming feeling of love she felt for him to vibrate between them.
He fucking growled, his lips drawing back to reveal sharp little fangs. Her nails bit into his chest as she fought the need to pull him closer and take him up on the offer to prove his love.
From the heated look in his eyes, he would do it too.
He didn’t give a fuck about the audience.
The only thing that mattered to him was her.
Then she sighed. As much as she wanted him, they had to get the ferals secured. Needing one last feel of him before she pulled away, she ran her hand down his shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles, then patted his chest, loving the way his tight muscles clenched under her hand.
The guys reluctantly released her, and her legs wobbled, already missing their nearness.
She bit her lip to hold back a grimace when she saw the two packs watching her with wide-eyed fascination, like they could feel the pheromones in the air. They didn’t react with lust like she expected.
