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“I’m fine.” Abby wrapped her arms around him.

But she wasn’t fine. Abby trembled, making him want to race after the disgusting male and finish what he started. Instead he picked her up and kissed her full red lips.

Goddess, thank you, he sent up an earnest prayer while clutching her close. He hated thinking what could’ve happened if he hadn’t heard the faint sound of distress. They always said a bonded male’s senses were heightened, but he never fathomed how intense it would be. Everything in him was keenly focused on her.

“Get rid of these.” Abby handed him the jangling metal keys when they finally parted.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” he repeated a phrase Abby used and threw the keys as far as he could into the brush. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as force feeding them to the bastard.

“Which way do we go?”

“Back out on the road, or if we go toward the lake we can follow it to the campground.” She pointed into the trees.

“All right. Hold on.” He shifted Abby to his back. She grasped his neck, her legs encircling his waist, and he started to run.

“Thank you,” Abby repeated as she jostled on his back.

“Always,” he replied past the lump in his throat.

He still wanted to shred something. It infuriated him this happened. It never would’ve if he wasn’t forced to hide instead of sticking by her side. That was no way to guarantee his mate’s safety. If Abby’s sister wasn’t meeting them, he’d stop in the nearest clearing and hail Aculus now.

“You’re growling, handsome. I’m much better now. I was freaked out more than anything.” Abby kissed his neck. “How about I let you kill the next guy that touches me?”

“That is never happening,” he snarled.

“That’s super sweet, and really hot,” Abby purred in a sultry voice, her tongue following the shell of his ear.

He stumbled and came to a stop.

“Abby, unless you want me to mount you here in the forest, you better behave,” he warned over his shoulder.

They needed to get to the campground, but the thought of bending Abby over was beyond tempting. He desperately wanted to eradicate the scent of that bastard that lingered on her. He started running again before he gave in to the notion.

“We get to safety and I’ll lick more than your ear.”

He faltered again and snarled as he recovered. Abby giggled wickedly. She was unrepentant with her teasing.

“I will hold you to that, female.” Ashtoret reached back and gripped her ass while he ran.

A smile tipped his lips. If she was taunting him, she wasn’t too upset. That helped soothe the angry beast inside.

They hit the lake and headed north around the perimeter. He pressed on till they reached the campground with a slew of tents and long boxy vehicles.

“The parking lot is that way.”

He kept to the trees as he followed her directions.

“I think that’s Hope at the picnic table.” Abby pointed to a blonde female, and he let her down.

She was about to leave the brush when a dark vehicle captured his attention.

“Wait.” He gestured toward the lot, then noticed another black vehicle parked amidst other colorful vessels.

“Dammit, she was followed,” Abby cursed.

“We need to capture her attention without going out in the open.”

It was time to get the females away from here and fast. He scanned the campground, trying to determine if there were warriors already hiding in the trees, then sent a one-word message to Aculus, ‘now.’