Page 95 of The Freedom You Seek

She was struggling against my tight grasp as I carried her out of danger’s range, no surprise there, and the strangers yelled at me to let her go. Scoffing, I witnessed the male draw a puny sword. Yes, that settled it, the boy had a death wish. I’d known it before—he had his hands all over Naya,after all—but this was the last confirmation I’d needed.

“Release her—or I’ll make you.”

“Cute.” I tightened my hand on Nayana’s arm, not enough to bruise, but surely she’d feel it later.

“You giant oaf, those two are my friends.Let me go!”

I ignored Nayana. I was too busy staring the male down, who confirmed his serious death wish yet again as he didn’t back down. Once more, I tugged some of Nayana’s power toward me.

“Stop it, Dion, or I swear by the gods, I’ll make sure you never can do that again.” Snarling, Nayana had used the distraction my staring contest had created to free herself, and she placed herself between the male and me. “And you, Bryon, put down your sword. No one will hurtanyone here.”

Wrong move. She shouldn’t make promises on my behalf. I absolutely felt like slaughtering that malewho had his hands all over herjust minutes ago. And now she was protecting him? I wasn’t having it. She’d learn that no one could touch her like that and would live to tell the tale, and if she didn’t agree to that—well, all lives lost would be on her. “Don’t speak on my behalf, Jama.”

“Oh, because you never do it for me, hmm?”

“Who’s that?” The dark-haired woman turned to my Jama questioningly. Shit, I needed to stop referring to her as mine in my head.

“I’m Dion. The person who’s made sure yourfriendis still alive.” I was absolutely sure the others were watching us closely, staying in hiding, ready to jump in if it became necessary.As if.

Nayana sighed. “Sadly, he’s right. He and his friends took me out of Credenta and helped me to hide ever since.”

“Then, I guess, thank you. Still, that doesn’t give you the right to go all feral beast on us.” The new woman glared at me. “I’m Rewani.”

“My best friend since we were little,” Nayana said and smiled at her. “But why are you here?” Her attention stayed on Rewani and the insignificant male—who’d reluctantly put his sword away again—while she ignored me.

I wouldn’t allow that for long. Also, the memory of her and the boyand his hands all over herhad been burned into my retinas, so every time I blinked, my anger resurfaced with a vengeance.Fuck.It was so much harder to keep myself in check around those new peoplethan around the others who’d already more or less accepted that they had no claim on Nayana.

“This is a giant coincidence. We’re actually on our way to Ivreiana to appeal to the gentry on your behalf. Even though we have…had no idea where you are, both Rewi and I didn’t want to believe that you’re dead and thought it would be helpful to clear your name.” The male was approaching, and I growled at him. He wouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air as my Nay…Jama, I’d make sure of that.

“Delightful story.” Snarling, I tried to pull Nayana back to me, but she had the audacity to dodge my attempt.

“Get lost, Dion. You’re my least favorite person by far at the moment.”

That was what I wanted, wasn’t it? Still, her behavior was unacceptable, and my thoughts were all over the place.

“You’d better listen to her.” The insignificant man with the death wish—and with his hands all over her—stared at my Naya while he tried to give me that cute order. Ignoring every spoken and unspoken warning I gave him, he came closer and reached out for her, touchingmychoker she still wore around her neck. “You’re…married?”

Nayana shook her head. “My company convinced me to pretend to be wedded in case we meet travelers or have to enter a town. Believe me, I’d rather gut myself before binding myself to this brute.”

I snarled once more, too far in my head to read any subtext. “You won’t hurt yourself.”

“There’s no need for that, because I won’t bind myself to you. And now, Dion—get lost.”

Rewani had watched the whole interaction and stepped closer. “Where are you heading to?” she asked, as if we were all just casually chatting, and there wasn’t any tension at all.

“Right now, we’re on our way to Rastialla. The men want to celebrate Samhain. After that, we’re planning to—”

“Jama—” I growled in warning. Even if Nayana trusted those two, I definitely didn’t. It was more than likely that they had a malicious, hidden agenda. I finally succeeded in getting a hold of her again, and slowly, I put some distance between us and her so-called friends, hauling her with me until we reached our horse. Her attempts to free herself were endearing but unsuccessful.

The others chose this moment to break the cover of the trees and join us. All of them were tense, and I could tell they had suspicions similar to mine. It was just too big of a coincidence for two of Nayana’s old friends to turn up here, weeks of travel away from their hometown.

Additionally, the backwoodsman I already hated was still wearing an expression as if he contemplated challenging me to a duel over Nayana at any second. He was getting on my nerves, and I hoped he’d attack me so I could easily get rid of a problem without upsetting Naya too much.

I was totally caught up in daydreaming about all the plentiful ways I would dispose of the simpleton, and by the time I snapped out of it, Nayana had escaped meagainand introduced the males to her old friends. I didn’t take my eyes off Bryon. The fucker’s name fit—he looked like one.

Antas had dismounted as well, while the others remained in their saddles. “So, you intend to plead with the gentry? What makes you think you could be successful?”

I frowned. Did Antas really indulge in this threadbare story? Was I the only one who could tell that it was utter bullshit?