Page 15 of Love Bites Really Hard (Mated to the King #4)

fifteen

ZORA

I found them moving slowly down the hallway just one turn away from the conference room. There was some blood smeared on Bane’s hands, but other than that, he looked perfectly fine.

Oscar was bruised and bloody in multiple places, but he still seemed to be in decent shape. Considering how long they’d been fighting, and how wrecked he had been before they even started, that seemed like a major testament to Bane’s control.

Not that there was ever any question about his control.

“Stay behind us,” an unmated guy I didn’t recognize growled at me. “The last thing we need is for Bane to actually start fighting.”

I wasn’t going to make it worse.

I was going to end it.

“We’re ready!” I yelled to my mate.

Oscar’s head jerked toward me, his bleeding fist scraping Bane’s stone cheek as my mate tipped his head so Oscar’s punch went sideways.

That was a good thing for the demon. His hand didn’t need another collision of bone to rock.

Bane grabbed the guy and threw him over his shoulder the way he’d done to me in the past. Just like Lex had done with Layla.

And, he barreled down the hall.

Shouts followed him. Most people didn’t know where he was going, or what he was doing.

As a whole, the crowd moved after him.

I couldn’t see a damn thing as Bane tossed him into the conference room, or as he slammed the door behind him.

I heard it shut, though.

And heard Bane commanding someone to barricade the doors until we were ready to seal them shut.

“Where is my mate?” the king demanded, as soon as the immediate problems were dealt with.

The guys nearest to me stepped away quickly, dragging others with them. A moment later, there was a gap in the hallway that led straight to me.

I stared at Bane.

His eyes were wild, his chest rising and falling quickly.

He stared back for a long moment.

Finally, he crossed the distance in a few massive steps and pulled me into his arms. His lips crashed into the place where my neck met my shoulder, his sharp teeth cutting through my skin as he claimed me in that simple, intense way.

His arms went possessively around my waist as he pulled away and glared around the hall, daring anyone to say something against us. “Zora is my mate. Your queen. I acted as if I didn’t want her in an attempt to break Oscar’s imprint and save his life, even though he imprinted on her without warning, against her will. She made herself a target for the same reason. He’ll stay in the conference room with Sierra Garin until he either mates with her or chooses his death. Our part in this mess is officially finished.”

The silence in the hallway was thick. Intense. It felt like everyone had taken a breath in, and they were all holding it.

“If anyone has a problem with what’s happened, I will show them the door, or the inside of a grave. The next person who looks at my mate as if she’s anything other than their queen will die. The next person who asks me if I’m unhappy with her will get personally acquainted with the feeling of their heart being ripped out through their throat. Are we clear?”

No one answered for a moment.

Then, finally, murmurs of agreement came in.

Without another word, Bane scooped me up off my feet and carried me down the hallway.

For once, I didn’t tell him that I could walk.

I just leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, letting out a long breath.

Whatever else happened, it was finally over.

When we got back to our apartment, Bane carried me right to the shower.

Neither of us said a word as we stripped down and stepped under the water. The blood and stress of the day washed slowly down the drain, leaving us bare and exhausted.

He scrubbed my hair for me, and my mind ran over everything that had happened over the last few hours.

My eyes widened when I realized I hadn’t told Bane about Lex and Layla. I tried to take a step out of the shower, but he stopped me with a hand on my middle.

“We have to go. Lex imprinted on Layla when we met up in the conference room.”

“What?” Bane’s voice was low and sharp. His neutrality seemed entirely gone for the night, and I liked that.

“It happened fast,” I admitted. “One minute, we were putting boxes of food down. The next, he was carrying her out of the room. She was smiling, but she told me to find her after the Oscar problem was dealt with.”

Bane grimaced. “We’ll call them. If they don’t pick up, we’ll go to his room.”

I agreed.

We finished showering quickly, and wrapped towels around ourselves. Bane’s arms went around me, holding my body against his as I called her.

He leaned against the wall, his chin resting on top of my head. I snuggled up against him while the phone rang.

Just before it went to voicemail, she answered breathlessly. “Hey, Zora. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

I blinked.

A long moment passed.

“He already got you in his bed like he said he would, didn’t he?” I finally asked.

She laughed. “Maybe. We sealed our bond. Gotta go. See you in a few days!”

She hung up, leaving me staring down at the device. “Guess there’s nothing to worry about.”

Bane agreed, slipping my phone out of my hand and setting it on the countertop. “Everything is fine, Sweetheart. We need to rest now. It’s the middle of the night.”

I tapped on my phone to check the time.

3:33 AM.

Wow, it really was the middle of the night.

“I think today was the longest day of my life,” I admitted.

“Mine too.” He kissed my forehead and hung our towels to dry before he towed me across the room.

His lips brushed my face again as he pulled me into bed and folded his wings around my bare body. Wrapped in his hold, I felt safer and more comfortable than I could ever remember feeling in my life. I fell asleep almost immediately.

There was nothing to worry about anymore.

Nothing… except the potential pregnancy.

Which was actually quite a lot.

And honestly?

I wasn’t sure whether I hoped for it or against it.

Which only made me more stressed.

But, I still managed to fall asleep fast, and to sleep like a rock.

…no pun intended.