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With my newfound freedom and burning ire, I run from the room, heading straight for the front door. Straight for my mate, my friends, and the new target of my anger. Vincent.

When I burst through the front door, none of the fighting non-humans notice. None except Hunter, who must havescented my arrival when I stepped out of the house. The momentary distraction allows Vincent an opening to attack, his shiny large dagger poised to slash down upon my mate, directed at his throat, wishing to slash and kill.

“STOP!”

My voice rings out loud and demanding, echoing in the open space. An angry command in a tone that I’ve never heard before. Much to my surprise and shock, every single one of them stops mid-movement. Freezing like statues. Claws about to rip into flesh, fire and water magic poised midair reaching for its target all come to a halt.

The ache in my chest that told me Hunter was in danger simmers out, only to be replaced with the hatred I have for Vincent.

With confidence I finally feel, I stride forward, weaving between shifters, nymphs, and fairies. Many drop their position of attack and watch me pass. Shocked perhaps that I would be ballsy enough to walk head lifted through the middle of a fight such as this.

When I reach Hunter and Vincent, I step directly between them, Hunter to my back, a hulking form that only fortifies my nerves, steeling my spine with his love and support.

Vincent stares at me disbelieving, a baffled frown on his face. His thin lips pinched tight in a straight line. He doesn’t speak, and that suits me just fine.

“I have had enough of arrogant bullies like you thinking you have any right to control others.”

I punctuate my words with a sharp finger poking into Vincent’s chest. The action isn’t strong by any means, but he still stumbles backward.

“I have had enough of being told what I can do and having people like you think they’re better than me simply because they decided so. No more. No more sitting back and letting assholeslike you walk all over me. From now on, I control my life, not you!”

I poke him again in the chest, and he takes another step back.

“You are no longer welcome here. You’re going to leave, and I never want to see your ugly, smug face again. You’re never going to try to buy, steal, blackmail, or force Hunter to give you his land ever again. As a matter of fact, how about you just forget you ever met us? Forget about Snowberry completely. Wipe it from your mind and never set foot here again. Any of you.”

I glare at the non-humans Vincent brought with him, making sure they all hear my words.

I don’t expect them to listen to me; why would they? But my patience has run out, and I don’t give a damn anymore.

Vincent stares at me, his expression blank, his face going slack. Like a zombie, he sheathes his knife and turns around, heading for his vehicle without a word—all of them do. I stand there staring in disbelief.

That actually worked?

Holding my breath, I expect them to turn around and attack once again, but they never do. They all load up into the trucks silently and just drive off.

“Well, hot damn.”

Kai’s voice startles me so much in the eerie silence left in the wake of Vincent’s departure, that I jump and turn to face him, not even realizing he’d approached me.

“Looks like we have a siren in our midst.”

“A what?”

Kai doesn’t answer; he just chuckles as he walks down the driveway.

“Let me know if you need any more help, Alpha. I am happy to assist whenever there’s a good fight to be had.”

He waves over his shoulder, meandering his way towards town completely calm as if he wasn’t just part of a battle that very well could have killed him.

Hunter shifts beside me back to human form, uncaring of his nudity, and jerks me against his bare chest, slanting his mouth over mine in a punishing kiss.

When he finally pulls away, I look up at him, a little dazed and still very confused about how me yelling at Vincent made him leave.

“You were amazing, Lottie.”

“I don’t know how,” I confess.

Hunter’s eyes shift between mine, looking for something and finding it when he grins down at me.