Page 17 of Third Offense

Rather, they intended to use their fists.

“Before we do this, you may want to consider why the guards felt confident enough to leave me behind without much protection,” I said, giving them as subtle a warning as I could. I was a gentleman, after all. And I honestly wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

However, neither of these males appeared ready to listen to reason.

Instead, they glanced at each other before grinning at me. “I think they underestimated how much damage we can do with our hands,” Auric drawled.

Novak grunted, the sound seeming to be one of agreement. He didn’t appear to talk much, preferring to observe and listen quietly while analyzing every potential outcome of a situation.

I had no doubt he’d taken my measure several times and found me severely lacking.

But looks could be deceiving.

I didn’t need to be a former warrior to be deadly, a fact these two males were about to learn the hard way.

They started to move, their steps complimenting each other in a manner that suggested they’d fought together numerous times before.

I remained still, observing their technique with mild interest. They were clearly skilled, and deadly to most. Which meant they were excellent protectors as far as Layla was concerned.

But they hadn’t met someone like me before.

If they had, they wouldn’t have been so outwardly arrogant.

“You might be compatible with Layla, but she isn’t your betrothed,” Auric informed me, the final word coming out like a curse. “She gets to choose. Not you.”

On that part, I could at least agree. “I would never force her.” Being betrothed in our culture meant we were ideal mates, not promised to each other.

“Yet you have the audacity to consider yourself worthy of her?” Auric countered.

“I could say the same to you,Nora,” I replied, a bit insulted by his pretentious air.

If anyone should be considered superior in this position, it was me. Yet I was doing my damnedest to remain calm and polite. My desired mate had chosen these two males for a reason, and I was choosing to respect that choice rather than point out the degradation of it.

They weren’t deserving of her at all.

And for them to question my own worth just stung.

No onecould be entitled to a female of Layla’s station. She was a Goddess. A supreme being. We were all meant to serve her. It was a gift to even be considered compatible, something these two males seemed to have completely forgotten or perhaps overlooked.

Novak straightened, his gaze narrowing as he realized I hadn’t moved once since they started prowling around me.

I arched a brow.Do you understand yet?

He growled.

I see you don’t, I thought as he flared his wings to shatter the elixir’s hold. I could sense his intent, as well as the lethality of his bladed feathers, and decided to teach him a lesson before he made a deadly mistake.

All it took was a twist of my wrist.

A simple thought.

A subtle tug on the energy stabilizing his stance.

And down he went.

“Hmm,” I hummed, glancing at Auric, awaiting his next move.

But Novak shoved off the ground to his feet in a blindingly fast kick that circumvented my loose hold on the energy around him. His wings flared, the metallic bits on full display.