Page 59 of A Hunt Bound in Blood
His gaze swept over my face, filled with lust and a kind of reverence that might have made me uncomfortable if it hadn’t aroused me that much more. He tucked my hair behind my ear, then dragged his fingertip down my neck, my chest. I froze, curious but afraid. Afraid of what his gentle, sensual touch would mean. What it would do.
What it would change.
Another growl escaped him, this one low and menacing. His shoulders bunched, and he turned his head. I followed the path his attention had taken, but before I could make out what was hiding in the shadows, Cammon rolled me off him and took a defensive stance on his feet.
I bared my teeth, exhausted but forcing myself to prepare for another fight.
“Well, well,” a rough yet feminine voice drifted from the shadows. “What have we here? Come now, lovely ones, don’t you look like a delicious treat waiting to be eaten?”
Cammon
XXVI
I could barely see straight, there was so much blood rushing through my cock that my head felt light. But the threat in front of me left no room for distraction, so I set aside all thought of Glory’s body draped across mine and the taste of her desire. The way I longed to bury myself inside her and hear my name on her lips right there in the fucking mud.
Instead, I focused on the woman stepping out of the darkness. I sank into my demonic power, letting it fill my muscles so I took up more space, and ensured Glory was safely tucked behind me.
She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t do whatever I could to protect her. It was my role on this mission, and I didn’t see that changing, bond or no bond.
My resolve remained steely when I caught the whiff of vampire coming off the stranger. More of them poured out of the shadows, until three women and two men stood in front of us. I bared my teeth, warning them of the danger if they came any closer.
Were these the people behind the mutts? Since we knew someone had to be controlling the creatures, their arrival so soon after the attack stank of association. Never in my life had I heard of vampires and mutts working together, but I’d never heard of a human king wanting to marry a fae princess, either.
The woman in front, dressed entirely in black leathers with her ash-blond hair pulled back in tight braids, smiled as though I amused her, and my hackles rose higher. We could fight our way out. There were five of them against two of us. They were well rested and probably well fed, so it wouldn’t be an easy battle, but I’d take those odds. I flicked my tail and planted my feet.
The vampires flew at me, faster than I could brace for them. I raised my arms and flapped my wings to fight them off, but something landed on my back even as a hand grabbed my arm. They were all over me, more than five of them. My knees struck the earth when they brought me down and no matter how hard I fought, they were too strong.
“Wait!” Glory shouted, her voice rising above the hisses. “We’re no threat. Just kin looking to cross your territory.”
I jerked my head towards her in horror as she pulled her lips back to reveal her fangs. If I could have stepped in front of her to block her from view, I wouldn’t have hesitated. What the fuck was she doing? She should have run while they were focused on me.
Although the others kept me pinned, the leader crossed her arms and jutted her hip as she scanned Glory over. “The only way forward takes you through dragon territory, and by the looks of you, your passage so far hasn’t exactly been peaceful. I can’t take the risk you’re looking to cause trouble for my fury.”
The vampires’ grip on me tightened, ready to tear me apart, and Glory’s fear lashed out over my tongue.
The leader’s excuse for attacking us was good, more than plausible given their outlawed status in this country. Their fury was breaking all kinds of Golthwainian laws by existing within Evaniel’s borders. If word got out that they had claimed this territory, every self-proclaimed vampire hunter would be out here trying to track them down. But I wasn’t buying it, not with those mutts so close on our heels. I wracked my brain trying to see how to escape but saw nothing.
“We hail from the capital,” Glory rushed to say. “On a mission from the king that has nothing to do with you or yours. Allow us to pass freely, and no one need ever know you’re here.”
“Or we could kill you both right now and enjoy the same guarantee,” the woman said.
“Lay a hand on her and I’ll snap the arms off your lackeys to get to you,” I growled, angling my horns in warning.
Instead of being intimidated, the twinkle in the leader’s eye grew brighter. She looked from Glory to me, canted her head, and assessed Glory again. “You’re the child of a mated bond?”
The flicker in Glory’s eyelashes gave away her surprise, but she raised her chin. “I am.”
I had no idea how this woman knew that. Was there a scent? A physical trait that gave Glory away? Or maybe it was simply the fact that Glory lived in the city as a half-vampire, meaning she’d had parents who’d loved her enough to teach her how to hide.
The fury leader dipped her chin, and her grey eyes darted towards me. “What of this one?”
“He’s my…” Glory hesitated before choosing, “guide.”
The corner of the vampire’s mouth quirked, and more than one of the vampires near me snickered.
“I see,” the leader said.
Tension hummed between us. Finally, she nodded, and in a blink, the rest of the vampires were gathered behind her and I was free. I rose to my feet and resumed my place beside Glory. My wings fluttered in a sharp wind that heralded a return of the storm.