Page 29 of Rejected By the Shifter King

Chapter Nine

IT WAS LIKE CELEBRITYDeathmatch in real life...or a scene straight out of Twilight, but instead of wolves facing off with vampires, they were up against...Faes.

"Everyone, stand back. Please stand back for your own safety." But the policeman's repeated requests, despite being transmitted on a megaphone, only fell on deaf ears. More and more humans were coming in, all of them hoping to get a clear shot of the two camps of preters that appeared seconds away from engaging in a public brawl.

Such photos could sell for hundreds of dollars, maybe even thousands, considering the people involved. There was Domenico Moretti, a gorgeous billionaire who had been in the public eye long before his Lyccan nature had been revealed, and standing opposite him was none other than his own brother-in-law, a legendary Fae warrior prince whom many had written off as dead.

The only reason the humans weren't trying to sneak past the barricades was the knowledge that Lysander Allard'sothernature was still unverified. No one really knew what could set him off, and until then, most of the humans intended to play it safe.

While law enforcement struggled to contain the crowd, Alain and Aluin were just as busy doing their own bit of convincing. In particular, their prince - currently in the form of a snarling, twelve-foot beast - had been keeping everyone on their toes for the last ten minutes, with the way he was prowling back and forth and roaring when a Lyccan so much as shifted.

They had been asking the prince to shift back for dialogue to commence, but the prince had only responded to every overture with more furious snarling.

In the meantime, Domenico was giving his wife a questioning look.Is this it? The one we spoke about?He was hoping Misty would reply with the negative, but his wife's tiny nod confirmed his worst suspicions.

The two of them had been in South America when news of the attempted abduction on Estrella and her husband's subsequent return had reached them. They had immediately flown back of course, and while aboard his private jet, Domenico had been apprised of other grimly relevant facts about last night's events.

The planning that went into Estrella's kidnapping had been frighteningly efficient, and Domenico would willingly bet his life that the kidnappers had known last night was one of the few rare instances that Estrella was the only Moretti in town. Everyone else had been too far away to respond, and it was a costly mistake that Domenico would make sure none of them ever made again.

If not for Lysander's timely return...

Domenico's lips tightened at the thought. Well, suffice to say, he owed the man for saving his sister, and for that alone he was willing to...considerletting them stay married. Even if, as Misty had put it, the man's soul was now fused with a powerful beast born in ancient times.

Ammon,Misty had called it, the moment she saw one of the grainy photos released by the tabloids. Ram-like horns of extraordinary length and as deadly as Fae-forged steel. A whip-like tail that could be used to strangle its victims or gouge flesh with its tip. Its list of anatomical abilities to kill went on and on, and the only reason he wasn't planning its death right now was...

Here, finally.

The moment Estrella came flying out of the building, Domenico saw the beast turn its head sharply her direction, way before his sister's scent could even reach him.Interesting,Domenico thought. Faes in general hadn't a particularly strong sense of smell the way Lyccans did, which meant this was a new skill the prince had acquired.

Lysander!Estrella skidded to a clumsy stop as soon as she reached his side, and her anxious gaze immediately ran over his figure, wanting to see if he was wounded anywhere.

The concern his sister exhibited did not go unnoticed, and while such filial devotion was always a good sign for their marriage, it did make Domenico feel a little exasperated. Estrella's husband was practically a demi-god now, just minus the immortality. There was no need for her to treat Lysander like he was some breakable piece of glass.

Estrella laid a trembling hand on her husband's flank.Are you alright?

He responded with a mental snarl, one loud enough to make her wince.I don't understand.But this only made him growl some more, not just in her mind but out loud, too, and she had to accept she wasn't going to get any straight answer for now.

Turning to her brother, she had just taken a step towards him when Lysander took everyone by surprise by suddenly leaping into the air. Weapons were instantly drawn, Domenico immediately pushing Misty behind him, but when Lysander landed on its paws, it appeared he had only meant to block Estrella from leaving his side.

Domenico's face hardened. "Does he think I'm going to hurt my own sister?"

More growling, and she had to raise her voice just to be heard. "I'm sure that's not it, and I promise I'll explain when I come visit—-"

Lysander's roar was one of unquestionable rage.

"Or I could just call you instead?"

Misty touched her husband's arm."Domenico..."