Page 130 of Marked By Moonlight

A snarl drifted up from the tunnel entrance. We both whirled, and I opened my wings, forming a protective wall before her. The next vampire who showed his pale face would be toast — literally.

“Not if it’s Henrik,” Mina yelped.

I grumbled. She might be ready to forgive him, but I never would.

I flared my nostrils, analyzing the mixed scents drifting out of the tunnel, then growled quietly.

Szabo,my dragon rumbled, more on the basis of his preferred cologne than his actual scent.

Mina nodded. “He turned up in Greenwich with two other vampires. I guess Jensen’s men were wrong about sighting him near the warehouse?”

I growled under my breath. More like a deliberate false alarm, though I couldn’t understand why Jensen would cooperate with Szabo, nor how Etienne fit in with any of this.

“Bene…Roux…” Mina fretted.

Footsteps sounded from the pavilion, and I opened my mouth, prepared to spray it with fire. Two figures appeared — one man leaning heavily on a low, sleek animal.

I prefer “King of the Jungle,” Bene muttered into my mind.

Yes, that was him, helping Henrik limp out of the tunnel.

“Henrik! Bene!” Mina rushed over. “Are you all right?”

Henrik croaked something about being just fine, though he looked terrible. Bene played up his own injuries by limping and whimpering.

“Poor baby,” Mina cooed, stroking his mane.

Asshole,I grumbled.

He snickered into my mind.I always knew she liked me.

I let out a thunderous roar. Mina’s hair and Bene’s mane flattened, but Henrik’s slicked-back hair didn’t so much as flutter.

Bene crouched, muttering a weak,Just kidding.

“Please do make sure to alert all of London to our presence,” Henrik muttered.

Stupid dragon,Bene grumbled, moving away from Mina.

She shot me one of those sharp, teacher looks that asked,Was that really necessary?

I glared at Bene.Yes.

Roux appeared next, sporting a gash on his striped shoulder that looked painful, though not serious.

Everything all right here?he asked.

Only if the dragon refrains from torching us along with the rest of the Docklands,Bene grumbled.

Roux sighed.Let me guess. You provoked him.

Bene licked his paw and touched up his whiskers.Maybe a little.

Henrik brushed at the blood seeping through his torn sleeve, then looked at Mina.

“That was quite the trick you pulled back there.” For once, his voice was a little awed.

I tilted my head. What trick?