Page 6 of Devon (Krsnik Clan #5)
RYAN LOOKED AROUND the bedroom.
He hadn’t thought he’d be allowed here so quickly, but he was excited at the thought of spending the night with Devon.
Devon had been shy when he’d asked Ryan if he would like that.
He’d also quickly told Ryan that he meant for them to share a bed to sleep and nothing else, which was fine with Ryan.
Devon was endearing, and it was clear he didn’t have a lot of experience.
Ryan never wanted to do anything to hurt or rush him, and sleeping with his mate was more than he’d expected so soon after they’d met.
“Melissa said we didn’t have to keep the door open, but I think it would be better if we did,”
Devon said as he came in after using the bathroom.
His hair was damp and his cheeks flushed, and he was looking everywhere but at Ryan.
“That’s fine,”
Ryan reassured him.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
He could tell that Devon was growing more comfortable with him, even though he was still shy.
They’d been seeing each other for a few weeks now.
They spent time together as often as they could.
Ryan was always happy to see Devon, and Devon seemed to feel the same about him.
He loved cuddling with Ryan when Ryan was in his tiger form, and he was getting bolder about requesting it.
Ryan was always happy to shift for his mate.
He knew that things still weren’t easy for Devon.
He was worried about Nic, who’d seemingly vanished into thin air and hadn’t been back to work.
Devon had tried calling him and had ranted at Ryan several times about the situation, but unfortunately, there was nothing either of them could do.
Nic was gone, and his phone was off.
Ryan suspected that Nic’s disappearance was one of the reasons Devon had asked him to sleep over.
He was worried and hadn’t been sleeping well.
Ryan didn’t know Nic, and he was starting to get worried, too.
It wasn’t normal for a man to vanish the way Nic had, even after he’d been rejected by Devon.
Nic wasn’t Ryan’s friend, but he was important to Devon, and that was enough for Ryan.
“Did Kendrick say anything about you staying here for the night?”
Devon asked as he turned toward the bed.
Ryan was amused at the awkwardness in his mate and found it sweet.
He didn’t think that Devon had ever shared a bed with someone he was interested in romantically.
“What was he supposed to say?”
Devon shrugged.
“I don’t know.
It must have been awkward.”
“It would’ve been awkward if we’d done this there, but that’s mostly because I don’t think Jonas is ready to see you yet.
Kendrick offered, though.”
Devon blinked. “What?”
“He said that you could come over and spend the night anytime you want.”
Kendrick had told Ryan that he was an adult and could have visitors if he wished.
But they both knew that the only visitor Ryan would ever have was Devon, and Jonas wasn’t comfortable with that yet. It would have to happen eventually, but Ryan suspected that before they could be a real family, Devon and Jonas would have to talk things out. Jonas still scowled every time Ryan mentioned Devon, and he could be scary, even though he was short and scrawny.
It was a good thing that Melissa didn’t have a problem with Ryan being around.
Ryan hadn’t been there for her conversation with Devon about him spending the night, but they’d talked over a late dinner. Devon didn’t have to go to work tomorrow morning, which meant he could go to bed later and spend more time with his family. They’d eaten and watched a movie with Haley, who’d been almost more excited than Devon at having Ryan there. Melissa had watched them with a fond smile and told Ryan that it was a pleasure to have him there.
It was awkward because both Ryan and Devon lived with their families, but they had plans.
It was too soon for them to even think about moving in together, but once Ryan found a job and earned enough money to be able to rent a place, he was planning on asking Devon if they could do it together. He couldn’t wait.
Devon shook his head.
“I’m not ready to spend the night at your brother's house.
No offense.”
“No offense taken.”
Devon slid into bed.
Ryan quickly did the same, eager to be close to his mate. It was still a bit weird to share a bed, but when Ryan opened his arms, Devon wiggled his way into them without hesitation. He pressed his head on top of Ryan’s heart, and when he sighed, his whole body relaxed.
Ryan kissed the top of Devon’s head.
“I don’t need you to ever be ready to spend the night at Kendrick’s house.”
“I’ll have to deal with Jonas eventually.”
“Yeah, but there’s no rush.”
Devon snuggled closer, and Ryan closed his eyes.
There really was no rush. He would give Devon whatever he needed, and if that was more time, that was perfectly fine with him.
Ryan relaxed and listened to Devon’s breathing.
He wasn’t quite sure how long he stayed like that, but he was starting to fall asleep when he heard a noise. He frowned but didn’t open his eyes, thinking it was the house creaking around them. It was more like scratching, though, and when it turned into knocking, Ryan knew there was more to it.
He blinked his eyes open and stared into the darkness.
The noise came from the window, so he turned his face toward it, careful not to jostle Devon, who was asleep against him and adorably snuffling every so often.
Ryan sucked in a breath.
There was someone there. He could see the silhouette of a man in the dim moonlight. He hadn’t wanted to wake up Devon, but having someone at Devon’s window in the middle of the night couldn’t be good.
The person knocked again.
Ryan sat up, gently shaking Devon, who groaned. He tried to bury himself harder against Ryan, but Ryan couldn’t allow him to.
“There’s someone knocking on your window,”
he whispered.
Devon frowned and opened bleary eyes. “What?”
“There’s someone at the window.”
“That’s not possible.
We’re on the second floor.”
“Even a human could climb to your window, and we live in a village full of supernatural people.
It would be easy for any of them to climb up here.”
And there were the Kudlaks to consider, too.
They were dangerous, and while Ryan couldn’t think of a reason for one of them to be knocking on Devon’s window, they couldn’t dismiss the possibility that they were about to be attacked.
Ryan hadn’t lived in the village for long, but he’d been attacked by a Kudlak on his way here.
He knew how dangerous they were, and he wouldn’t be surprised to find one sneaking into people’s houses. The clan Vila were working on magical protections or something like that, but Ryan had no idea if they were done or if there were still weak spots the Kudlaks could sneak in through. It wasn’t his job, and while he was curious, he hadn’t wanted to bother anyone by asking.
Maybe he should have.
The knocking came again.
The person at the window swore, and Ryan heard them slip. Devon didn’t react, so he probably had no idea what was happening, but then, he was human. He couldn’t hear as well as Ryan.
“I think it’s a man,”
Ryan said.
Devon was still frowning.
“I don’t see who it could be.
I don’t have friends, and you’re here.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Ryan got out of bed.
Devon’s eyes widened, and he quickly followed suit. When Ryan moved toward the window, Devon caught his arm.
“Be careful,” he said.
“I’m always careful.”
Ryan wasn’t a fighter, and he had no intention of becoming one now.
Whoever it was could probably beat his ass without breaking a sweat. At best, Ryan would start screaming and pray he’d get someone’s attention.
But Ryan was slightly bigger than Devon, and he could turn into a tiger.
It made sense for him to be the one to go to the window and confront the person there.
He was careful as he did so.
Once he was closer, he could see that the guy crouching there was young. It took him a few moments to recognize him, but when he did, he wasn’t surprised.
Why the fuck was Nic here?
DEVON FELT RYAN TENSE.
He held his breath, praying that Ryan wouldn’t have to fight whoever was making a racket outside his window. He couldn’t think of any reason for someone to be out there, but clearly, there was one.
Ryan moved faster toward the window, quickly opening it and reaching out.
He grabbed the person outside the window and dragged them in, dumping them on the floor with a loud thump that Devon prayed hadn’t woken Melissa or Haley.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Ryan asked, staring down at the man.
“How did you know where Devon lives?”
Devon had no idea what was happening.
Ryan seemed to have the situation in hand, though, so he moved toward his nightstand to turn the light on. He had to blink a few times when he did so because it burned his eyes, but when it stopped, he recognized the man slowly getting up.
“Nic?”
he asked.
He took a step toward Nic, but he stopped before reaching him.
Nic rubbed the back of his neck.
“Hey, Devon.
I hadn’t realized that you and your boyfriend were already sleeping together.”
Devon stared.
What was he supposed to say to that?
Nic looked the same as he always did.
He was wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt, and there were no signs on him that might explain where he’d been. Devon was glad that Nic wasn’t hurt, but seeing that he was okay made him angry.
“Do you know how worried I was?” he asked.
Nic’s eyes widened.
“About me?”
“Yes, about you.
You’re my only friend. What was I supposed to think when you disappeared? Your phone was off, and I had no idea where you were or if something had happened to you.”
“I needed time.”
“Time for what?”
Nic eyed Ryan, and Devon couldn’t believe it.
Had Nic really stopped coming to work and ghosted Devon because he’d been afraid of what Ryan would do? Nic didn’t know Ryan, but still. It was ridiculous. It couldn’t be real.
“So this is awkward,” Nic said.
Devon came to stand in front of him.
He wanted to strangle Nic, but he didn’t. He reminded himself that Nic was his friend—or at least, he’d thought so.
“You have no right to say anything about me and Ryan.
So what if he’s spending the night here? What do you care?”
Nic raised his hands.
“It’s fine.
I was just surprised.”
“Not as surprised as I was when I realized you’d ghosted me.”
“I had to.”
Nic’s tone was serious now.
He wasn’t teasing. He truly believed that he’d had to disappear.
“Why? Did you think that kissing me would change anything between us? I’m not angry at you, Nic.
I’m just confused and hurt.”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Nic was carefully avoiding looking at Ryan.
“I was just trying to convince you to leave.”
“Why? Why does it matter so much to you that I leave?”
Nic opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.
Devon really was going to strangle him if he didn’t start talking.
“Because I don’t want you to get hurt, and the Kudlaks are about to attack the village,”
Nic blurted out.
Devon stared.
His brain was trying to make sense of the words Nic had just said, but it couldn’t. Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one here, and Ryan didn’t hesitate.
“What do you mean the Kudlaks are about to attack?” he asked.
“Exactly what I said.
What’s complicated about those words?”
Nic snapped at him.
“How do you know that they’re about to attack? What do they have to do with Devon?”
“I always knew they were planning to attack.
It’s why I wanted Devon to leave.”
“Nic, what are you talking about?”
Devon asked, putting himself between the two men before they came to blows.
“How can you know that the Kudlaks are going to attack the village?”
Nic looked sad, but he smiled more widely than he ever had.
Devon took a step back at the sight of the fangs in his mouth. How had he never noticed them?
Nic had been hiding them, that was how.
He’d been hiding the fact that he was a Kudlak.
Devon didn’t want to believe it.
There had to be another explanation. Maybe Nic wasn’t a Kudlak. Maybe he was a Krsnik.
Devon didn’t have the time to ask before Ryan grabbed him and pulled him behind his back.
Devon would’ve been offended if it hadn’t been obvious that he’d never be able to defend himself against a Kudlak. He didn’t think Nic was here to attack him, but Ryan didn’t know Nic as well as Devon did. Hell, even Devon didn’t know Nic as well as he’d thought he did, clearly.
“I’m not going to hurt him, but the others will,”
Nic said.
“I’m here to warn you.
You need to leave, Devon.”
He moved toward the open window.
Devon didn’t know what to think or how to feel, but he didn’t want Nic to leave.
“Where are you going?”
he called out, trying to push Ryan aside.
Nic turned.
“I told you what I came here to tell you.
The Kudlaks are coming.”
“Nic, wait,”
Devon said, rushing toward the window.
Nic didn’t wait.
He climbed out the window, and by the time Devon reached it, he was already making his way to the ground. Nic didn’t want to wake up Haley and Melissa, so he didn’t yell at Nic to wait again.
“I’ll kill you when I see you again,”
he said, sure that Nic would hear him.
He was a Kudlak, after all.
He heard Nic laugh, then nothing.
Devon turned, rubbing his forehead.
What the fuck had just happened? How could Nic be a Kudlak? They’d worked together during the day.
Shouldn’t Nic have been asleep then? And why had he become Devon’s friend? It was obvious that he was working with the Kudlaks, who were planning to attack, but he’d told Devon about the attack.
He’d hopefully given them enough time to ensure that no one would be hurt and that they could defend the village.
Ryan had picked up his phone from the nightstand.
Devon was glad he’d thought about it because Devon had been so focused on Nic that he hadn’t thought about what was about to happen.
The village wasn’t under attack, but it would be soon.
“Kendrick?”
Ryan said.
“I need you and Jonas to wake up and call Clay and Rowan.”
Devon didn’t hear Kendrick’s answer.
He wasn’t sure how Ryan understood that it bothered him, but his mate put the phone down on the nightstand and put it on speaker.
“Just tell me what’s going on,”
Kendrick was saying.
“Kendrick?”
Devon said.
“Devon? Can one of you tell me what’s happening? You’re freaking me out.”
“One of my friends came by.
He said that the Kudlaks were about to attack the village.”
There was a second of silence.
“How would he know that? You have friends?”
That shouldn’t hurt as much as it did.
“I do have friends,”
Devon confirmed.
“Well, one friend.
I met him at the coffee shop where we both work.”
“I have more questions, but if we’re really about to be attacked, you need to get straight to the point.”
“Nic and I have been working together for weeks, but I never realized he was a Kudlak.
He showed us his fangs just now.”
“Where is he?”
“He left.
I don’t know what’s happening, Kendrick.”
“I don’t know Nic well, but I believe him,”
Ryan said.
“For whatever reason, he decided to warn Devon about the attack.
He wouldn’t have if it wasn’t real.”
“All right.
Jonas is on the phone with Clay and Rowan. They’re going to want to talk to you.”
“That’s fine.
We’ll get dressed and head to their house.”
“Jonas and I will see you there.”
Ryan hung up without saying goodbye.
Devon stared at the phone for a moment longer. Did he really have to go? He was human, so he wouldn’t be of any help in a fight or in an attack. He also wasn’t looking forward to seeing Jonas and Kendrick again. He was pretty sure he could reason with Kendrick, but Jonas? Devon wouldn’t be surprised if the man slapped him as soon as he saw him.
Ryan squeezed Devon’s shoulder.
“It’ll be all right.”
“I don’t know about that.”
Devon couldn’t imagine how things would be all right.
The village was about to be attacked, and he had to face Jonas. He didn’t know where Nic had gone or if he’d ever see him again.
He wasn’t sure he was going to survive the night.
THEY SCRAMBLED TO GET dressed.
Nic hadn’t said when the Kudlaks were supposed to attack, but he’d made it sound like it would be tonight, which meant that Ryan and Devon needed to get out of there.
They didn’t wake up Melissa and Haley.
Ryan didn’t know what would happen, but he hoped that the Kudlaks wouldn’t get into the village. If things went the way they should, almost no one would find out about the attack because they’d still be asleep. Ryan didn’t know how protected the village was, but he was sure that Clay and Rowan had thought about it since the village had already been attacked once.
They left the house and turned toward the dirt road that would lead them to Clay and Rowan’s house, but Devon stopped walking almost immediately.
He squinted in the direction of the forest, and he didn’t move even when Ryan gently pushed him.
“I think there’s someone between the trees,”
Devon murmured.
“A Kudlak?”
Ryan asked.
He was ready to defend his mate, even though he had no idea what he was doing. He’d stood up to Parrish, the Kudlak who’d attacked him on his way to the village. He would’ve died if Parrish hadn’t been interrupted, but he was ready to sacrifice himself if it meant that Devon was safe.
“Nic,”
Devon hissed.
Ryan heard someone swear.
Before he could say anything or find the person Devon had seen, Devon was running away from him.
Ryan hesitated for only a moment.
They were supposed to meet Kendrick and Jonas at Clay and Rowan’s house, but Devon was running in the opposite direction, and Ryan couldn’t let him go on his own.
He swore, too, and ran after Devon.
“We need to go,”
he called out.
“I need to talk to Nic,”
Devon called back.
“Nic, stop, please.”
Ryan could see Nic now.
He was running ahead of them, clearly not wanting to talk to Devon. Ryan couldn’t say he was surprised. He hadn’t thought they’d see Nic again after he’d jumped off the roof earlier.
The only explanation for his presence was that he cared about Devon, no matter how hard it was to believe.
He was still here because he’d wanted to make sure that Devon was actually leaving the village. He should’ve known that Devon wouldn’t leave his family. Even when Devon had been planning to do so, he hadn’t been able to go through with it. He cared about Haley and Melissa too much, and the village was his home.
“I’m going to kick your ass when I get my hands on you,”
Devon yelled.
They were away from the houses now.
Ryan had no idea where Nic was going, but he probably had a vehicle somewhere. He couldn’t have come here on foot. The village was in the middle of nowhere.
Or Nic could have shifted.
Ryan hadn’t known any Kudlaks or Krsniks until he’d moved to the village. Hell, he hadn’t known they existed. He was curious about which animal Nic could shift into.
Nic stumbled and fell forward.
Devon didn’t stop running until he reached him. Ryan was right behind him, and as he stopped, he felt something move behind him. He turned in time to see a wall of light shoot from the ground up before quickly vanishing.
He stared.
He had no idea what the light had been or what had just happened. He reached forward, even though the wall of light was gone, and he felt tingling. He could push his hand through it, though.
“What was that?”
Devon asked.
“That was a protective spell,”
a voice Ryan unfortunately recognized explained.
Ryan moved quickly, but he was too late.
Parrish grabbed Devon and pulled him back, pressing Devon’s back against his chest and wrapping an arm around Devon’s neck. To Ryan's surprise, Nic scrambled to his feet and decided to stand with him rather than with Parrish.
Parrish’s eyes narrowed at Nic.
“What is this?”
“I’m sorry.
Devon’s my friend.”
Parrish was silent.
When he smiled, Ryan had to resist the urge to scream. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was a smile that told Ryan that Parrish had just gotten what he wanted.
“You brought me a gift,”
he told Nic.
“No.
Please, let him go.”
Devon was silent and frozen.
He looked terrified, and he was right to be. Ryan had been in his place not that long ago. He knew how ruthless and cruel Parrish was. He needed to get Devon out of Parrish’s hold, but how was he supposed to do that? If he moved toward Parrish, the Kudlak would probably kill Devon. His fangs glinted in the moonlight. He was still smiling.
“What have I already told you?”
he asked Nic.
Nic was silent for so long that Ryan didn’t think he would answer.
He did, though.
“That I shouldn’t get attached to our food.”
“Why did you?”
“Devon isn’t food.
He’s my friend.”
Parrish clicked his tongue.
“Your friend? You couldn’t even find out about the protective shields from him.”
“What protective shields? I walked into the village without anything stopping me.”
“Try to walk back into the village.”
Ryan wasn’t surprised when Nic obeyed.
There was something menacing about Parrish, even though he was talking as if they were getting coffee together.
Devon’s eyes were wide, and he was staring at Ryan.
Ryan needed to do something. He might survive an attack from Parrish, but Devon wouldn’t. He was human. He couldn’t defend himself, and he wasn’t as sturdy as a shifter. Ryan needed to find a way to pull him away from Parrish or take his place.
Nic tried walking toward the village, but he slammed into an invisible wall.
The wall briefly appeared at the contact, sparkling pink and blue in the darkness. It was beautiful, but it left Ryan confused because even though he knew the wall was there, he’d been able to get his hand through it. Nic was unable to do anything like that.
“It seems like we’re locked outside of the village,”
Parrish said, still sounding casual.
“And that’s a problem.
We were supposed to be inside the village, not outside of it.”
Ryan knew he couldn’t wait.
Parrish was distracted by his displeasure with Nic, but it wouldn’t last long. He’d find a way to make Nic pay and maybe even sneak into the village.
Nic had saved the village.
If he hadn’t come to tell Devon about the attack, no one would’ve known what was about to happen. They wouldn’t have been able to raise the shields so quickly. They had, and Parrish and his Kudlaks were stuck outside.
Unfortunately, so were Devon and Ryan.
Ryan knew he couldn’t think too much about it.
He threw himself forward, catching Devon’s wrist and pulling. Parrish was distracted, and Ryan was relieved when he let go of Devon. He wasn’t relieved when Parrish reacted quickly, reaching for Devon again. Ryan twisted him and Devon, and Parrish grabbed him instead.
He yelped when he felt Parrish’s nails dig into his shoulder.
He tried to pull away, but Parrish’s hold on him was too strong.
It caused memories to rush back to the front of Ryan’s mind, but he pushed them away.
He couldn’t afford to panic. He needed to save Devon.
“That was a stupid idea,”
Parrish said.
“Look.
He’s still here, and he’s not going anywhere.”
Ryan saw that Parrish was right.
Devon was standing with Nic and was staring at Ryan in horror, but when he moved toward Ryan and Parrish, Nic caught his arm and pulled him back. Devon shook his head, but thankfully, Nic didn’t let him go.
Ryan didn’t know what would happen, but he could take a good guess.
Parrish wasn’t a nice person. He wouldn’t take any of this well. Not only had Nic betrayed him, but he was stuck outside the village. He would get his revenge, and Ryan and Devon were the only people available. He might even try to use them to get Clay and Rowan to lower the shield.
Ryan didn’t think they would.
Their priority was to protect the clan as a whole. If they had to choose between everyone and Ryan and Devon, the choice would be easy.
“Now, Nic,”
Parrish said as he squeezed Ryan’s shoulder and dragged his hand to Ryan’s throat.
“I’d like to know why you didn’t tell me about this shield.”
Parrish’s fingers pressed into Ryan’s throat.
He whimpered, but he didn’t try pulling away. It would be useless, and he wouldn’t be going anywhere. He was trapped, and unfortunately, his mate was trapped with him.
DEVON HAD FUCKED UP again.
If he hadn’t run after Nic, if he’d gone to Clay and Rowan’s house instead, if he’d put his mate first instead of his friendship with Nic, Ryan wouldn’t be in Parrish’s claws.
Devon swallowed.
He needed to do something, but what? He would willingly trade his place with Ryan, but Ryan had just done the opposite, and he wouldn’t let Devon put himself in danger again. Besides, Devon doubted that Parrish would get so distracted that he let it happen a second time.
They were fucked.
Devon was terrified, angry, and sad.
He’d really thought that Nic was his friend, but instead, he’d been using him. He’d been working for Parrish the entire time.
That didn’t explain why he’d snuck into Devon’s bedroom in the middle of the night to tell him about the attack, but right now, Devon didn’t care about that.
He cared that his mate was in Parrish’s hands and that he needed to do something about it.
Thankfully, Parrish got distracted by the sound of footsteps coming toward them.
Devon sucked in a breath and moved toward Ryan, but Nic grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
When Devon glared at him, he shook his head.
“He’s going to kill you,”
Nic whispered.
“And whose fault would that be?”
Devon whispered back.
He wasn’t eager to get Parrish’s attention again.
He didn’t.
Parrish was distracted by someone else.
Clay and Rowan appeared.
Rowan’s expression didn’t change when he saw that Parrish had Ryan, but Clay’s eyes widened, and he took a step forward. Rowan stopped him with a raised hand, quietly shaking his head. They both stopped, and even though Devon couldn’t see the wall protecting the village, he knew it was right in front of the two.
“Parrish,”
Rowan said.
Parrish’s attention was on the two clan leaders now.
It gave Devon a little leeway, and he tried to think of how he could get Ryan away.
Parrish was holding onto him so it wouldn’t be easy.
He glanced back at the clan leaders again.
They weren’t alone.
He winced when he saw that Jonas was keeping Kendrick back.
Kendrick wanted to go to his brother, but Jonas would make sure he didn’t get hurt or, worse, killed.
Devon understood better now.
After letting Ryan close, he knew how Jonas felt.
Devon was falling in love with his mate.
It was inevitable, but it wasn’t scary anymore.
What was scary was thinking about something happening to Ryan.
Ryan would be pissed if something happened to Devon, but Devon felt he owed it to his mate and to Ryan’s family to save him.
After what had happened with Kendrick and Jonas, Devon felt he needed to do this to redeem himself.
Ryan wouldn’t feel the same.
He would be angry if anything happened to Devon because he was an idiot and tried to help him, but that wouldn’t stop Devon.
Nothing could stop him.
“I see you’re better prepared this time,”
Parrish said with a smile.
The sight of his fangs and knowing what he could do with them made Devon shiver.
He stepped closer to Nic, then realized that Nic was a Kudlak, too, and that he would probably attack him as soon as Parrish ordered him to.
He stepped back, but he couldn’t go far.
He didn’t want to get Parrish’s attention before he was ready to do whatever he needed to do to save his mate.
“Don’t be an idiot,”
Nic whispered.
“I don’t think I’m the idiot between the two of us.”
Although Devon felt like one.
He’d trusted Nic. He’d thought that Nic was his friend because he liked him.
“I tried to get you to leave the village.”
“You betrayed the village.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
Devon knew something about feeling like you didn’t have a choice.
He wanted to be able to hate Nic, but he knew that he didn’t have the whole story.
Parrish was a monster.
Devon was pretty sure that even he would’ve done anything Parrish asked if he used the right leverage.
Like threatening his mate.
Parrish was moving closer to Clay and Rowan.
He didn’t try stepping through the wall, probably because he knew that he wouldn’t get through it.
He had to drag Ryan along, and once they were closer to the shield, Kendrick tried to make a break for it.
Jonas almost had to jump on his back to keep him where he was, but thankfully, he wasn’t the only one trying to keep Kendrick safe.
A tall man Devon recognized as Boyd grabbed Kendrick’s arm and pulled him close, murmuring something in his ear.
Devon knew that Parrish had seen all of it.
He was still smiling, clearly taking pleasure in all of this.
He wanted Rowan and Clay to step out of the protection of the shield.
He had to know he’d never get to the village now, but maybe it wasn’t the village he wanted to destroy.
Devon had been told about Rowan’s past with Parrish.
He hadn’t known if it was true because it was gossip, but maybe there was some truth to it.
Parrish seemed especially focused on Rowan, although Devon was sure that he wouldn’t complain if Clay was to step forward instead.
Parrish was distracted.
This was the best opportunity Devon would get.
He didn’t even have a weapon, but he didn’t care.
He ran toward Parrish, ignoring Nic when he grabbed for him.
He jumped onto Parrish’s back and let his instincts take over.
He didn’t have a plan. He just wanted Parrish to let go of Ryan.
He leaned forward and bit hard into Parrish’s neck.
Parrish jerked and let go of Ryan.
Thankfully, Ryan was facing the other way, so he didn’t see what Devon was doing.
As soon as he felt Parrish let go, he ran forward.
Devon watched Jonas pull Ryan toward Kendrick.
That was all he could see because the next moment, he was pulled off Parrish’s back.
Parrish had grabbed his arm and dragged him forward, and from his expression and the blood spurting from his neck, Devon was pretty sure he was about to die.
He might have if Nic had thrown himself at Parrish.
With Parrish distracted, Devon managed to crawl away.
He almost crossed the shield, but he didn’t want to abandon Nic.
He might be a traitor, and he might never have been Devon’s friend after all, but Devon cared about him.
He didn’t want Nic to die.
Nic had warned them about the attack.
He’d saved the village. He was a Kudlak, but not all Kudlaks were evil. Devon would know—he lived with two of them.
Parrish had to have forced Nic to do this in some way, but even if he hadn’t, even if Nic had done this willingly, it didn’t mean that Devon wanted him to die.
If anything, Nic had just saved his life by risking his.
“Devon!”
Ryan yelled.
Devon scrambled to his feet.
He couldn’t look away from Parrish and Nic. They were fighting, and while Nic was doing his best, it was clear he wouldn’t win. Parrish was too fast and strong.
He struck Nic in the face and, before Nic could even react, in the stomach.
Nic whimpered and folded in two, and Parrish raked his claws down Nic’s chest.
He was going to kill Nic, and Devon couldn’t allow that to happen.
He moved forward, even though he was human and would get himself killed.
Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one who decided to stop Parrish.
Rowan and Clay ran past him.
They weren’t alone. A redheaded woman holding two knives was right behind them, along with Boyd and a few other hunters and Krsniks. Thankfully, Kendrick and Jonas stayed with Ryan. They would make sure that Ryan didn’t cross the shield. Devon wanted nothing more than to run to him, but he needed to check in on Nic.
Parrish had finally let go of Nic.
He was too busy fighting the hunters and the Krsniks who’d left the village’s protection. Devon hadn’t noticed it earlier, but Parrish wasn’t the only Kudlak present. More had been standing behind them, and while a few were leaving, others were fighting.
And Devon was right in the middle of that fight.
He swallowed and rushed to Nic’s side.
Nic was on the ground, staring at the sky. For a moment, Devon thought he was dead, and he almost started crying.
“That was stupid,”
Nic murmured.
“You are stupid,”
Devon snapped at him.
“What were you thinking?”
“That I couldn’t let you pay for a mistake I made.”
He glanced at his bleeding chest and groaned, probably because of the pain.
“I guess that now I am going to pay for that mistake.”
“You’re not going to die.”
Devon didn’t know if that was a lie, but he didn’t care.
He would make sure that Nic didn’t die. He needed to kill Nic himself.
He moved behind Nic and grabbed him under the armpits.
Nic whimpered, but Devon couldn’t afford to let anything slow him down. He dragged Nic to the edge of the shield, but he couldn’t get him through it. Nic was a Kudlak who wasn’t supposed to be in the village.
Ryan was suddenly next to them.
He pulled Devon back, but Devon shook his head.
“I can’t let him die,” he said.
“That idiot won’t die,”
a voice answered.
Devon recognized one of the Vila who lived with the clan.
He was probably at least in part responsible for the shield. He reached through the shield, grabbed Nic’s arm, and pulled.
Nic screamed, but the Vila ignored him.
He only let him go once he was through the shield. Devon didn’t have the opportunity to ask Nic if he was okay because Ryan pulled him into his arms, but he saw the Vila lean over Nic to help him.
Devon’s entire body sagged in relief.
He was safe. Both him and Ryan were.