Page 25 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

He pressed me to his front and inhaled. I knew he was searching to see if he could detect Hadar’s scent on me. If he did, I doubted I would be able to stop Fennick from maiming, if not killing, the guy. When he didn’t detect it, the tension in his body eased a fraction.

“Did he touch you? Threaten you?” he asked.

“No, he didn’t. He wanted to talk and wanted me to take a walk with him. I said no. He wasn’t inclined to let me return to the backyard.”

His gaze slid over to Hadar, standing between his dad and brother.

“She’s made herself clear. She does not want you.

She’s told you this repeatedly. The next time you step out of line, I will kill you.

And yes, I can do it. At this point, what you’re doing is equivalent to stalking her.

She was about to defend herself. She’s not yours and she never was,” Fennick warned Hadar.

The idiot had to scowl and open his mouth. “And what does that mean? Who are you to kiss her and make a decree like that?”

I clung to Fennick. He threw back his head and roared. It was a combination of a challenge and a claim rolled into one. He lowered his chin and glared at Hadar. “I’m her mate. She’s mine to claim,” he snarled.

“If she’s yours, then why don’t I smell the claim on her? She may stink of you, but it’s superficial,” the moron mouthed off.

“The reason we’ve delayed that final step is between us.

Believe me, it’s a mere formality. I’m giving her what she needs.

Asa, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but you keep him away from her, or I’ll have no choice but to invoke the Crucible of Conquest. And if that happens, I will kill him.

She has rejected him. He either drops his pursuit, or I’ll make him. ”

All the shifters present gasped, except the kids. Twyla and Cerys were puzzled. They clearly hadn’t been told what it was. I was shocked that Fennick would invoke it. However, it made me feel desired and safeguarded, unlike anyone had ever made me feel.

The Crucible of Conquest was only used when there was a serious mating claim and another male attempted to claim the female for himself.

It was to the death. I did not doubt that Fennick would win, even if he hadn’t been a bear going up against a coyote.

Some would say it wasn’t fair. However, in this instance, when there were different types of shifters, concessions were made to the weaker one to level the playing field.

Hadar could have a second fight with him, or choose a weapon, as long as it wasn’t a gun.

“Hadar, I order you to stop this nonsense, right this minute!” Asa shouted. I heard the fear in his tone.

“Brother, don’t be stupid. She’s not even a coyote, and she’s made her decision. Even if it isn’t him, it’s not you,” Adir said.

“Please, Hadar, listen to your father and brother. Don’t do this,” Leah begged.

We all waited, practically holding our breaths. What would he do? Hadar stared at Fennick. I could feel the vibrations running through Fennick’s body. He was taut like the string on a bow. Suddenly, Hadar spat on the ground.

“Fuck it. He can have her. She’s beneath me anyway. I’ll find myself a woman, a shifter who befits a man like me. He can have her.”

Without another word, he took off for the woods. No one bothered to stop him. Once he was out of sight, Asa broke the uneasy silence.

“I must once again ask you to please disregard my son’s disrespectful behavior.

I know that he had hopes that Akiva might be willing to be his mate, even if it meant no children.

I’ll be honest, if she had been in agreement, I wouldn’t have objected to the match.

I believe you to be a strong, mature woman, and I had hoped it would influence Hadar to grow up.

“I’m partially to blame for his behavior.

My wife spoiled him and doted on him. When she died, he was ten years old.

He took it hard, so I kept up what she did, even when it wasn’t my preferred response.

I thought that changing how he was handled at that point would be detrimental.

Adir has always been more like me, and he gravitated to me, which meant he was much less influenced and babied by his mother.

As Hadar got older, he became more unruly.

I’ve despaired of him maturing. Yet, I was relieved when he told us about his desire to have Akiva as his mate.

Regrettably, she wasn’t interested. And I know you’ve made that abundantly clear to him more than once, Akiva. Hadar is in denial.” Asa sighed.

“My brother is spoiled, and once he sets his mind to something, he rarely deviates. He said that you can have her, Fennick. I hope he’ll stop pursuing her, but be prepared. He might not back off,” Adir warned. His father gave him a resigned look, telling us he thought the same thing.

“I’ll remain alert. And I meant what I said.

As much as I like you, I won’t allow him or anyone else to stalk, intimidate, or threaten Akiva.

I will challenge him to the Crucible if he persists.

If that should happen, don’t any of you step up to be his second.

I don’t want to harm or kill any of you,” Fennick warned.

His tone said it all. Fennick wasn’t fooling around. As much as it made the hairs on my neck stand up, it had the added effect of stirring my desire. In a group full of shifters, they could smell it, yet they politely ignored it.

“We’ll return to the backyard with the other guests. Why don’t you two take a walk or something?” Royal suggested, trying to hide his smirk.

The others took the out and rapidly left us alone.

I was still plastered against Fennick. I went to put some distance between us, but he refused to let go.

Instead, he twirled me to face the opposite direction that Hadar and the others went and started for the trees in that direction with me in tow.

“Fennick, where are we going? They weren’t serious about us taking a walk,” I protested.

“Oh yeah, they were. We won’t go far,” he uttered.

Not wanting to argue or struggle, I went with him.

It wasn’t long after we were in the trees and unable to see the house that he stopped.

He swung me around to face him and then pressed my back to a tree.

His arms caged me in on either side. His pheromones were raging, and mine were right there with his. His gaze burned into mine.

“You’re mine, Akiva. I promised to take it slow and let you think about it, and I’m still fighting to do that.

But when something like what just happened occurs, it makes me insane.

I want to roar and declare from the sky that you’re mine.

I smell your desire, but is it mere lust and the need to fuck, or is it more? ” he asked bluntly.

“I won’t lie, Fennick. I want you, and yes, the thought of a hard, furious coupling is attractive right now.

But it’s not the only thing I desire. I want more with you, and it’s scary.

I have more that I didn’t explain the other night.

You deserve to know that before you make a final decision.

If what I did tell you doesn’t scare you, the rest may just be too much of a burden to assume on top of my father. ”

“I can’t imagine anything you tell me doing that. Let’s get it out of the way if that’s how you feel. We can update the others later. It’s you and me. Tell me what else frightens you and makes you think you have to forgo a life, a mate, and a family?”

He sounded so determined that I didn’t attempt to postpone.

He was right. I needed to know whether to allow myself to fall even further under his spell.

Fennick Mason had ensnared me in a matter of days.

The man was dangerous to women, but in such a delicious, somewhat scary way. Here went everything.