Page 181 of Whispers of Wisteria

“Time for you to go,” he said quickly, mood diminishing. “I’ll collect on your end of the bargain later.”

“But—”

The man was delusional. We never technically bargained on anything—Kiania had interrupted the deal.

Before I could finish my statement, pain pulled at my scalp as I was pulled out of the scene. And this time, when my mouth opened in a scream, nothing but a strangled sound escaped.

Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I reached back, trying to hold on to the hand twisting in my hair.

A roar echoed through the room, and my world spun in color as the force threw me from it. I flew back until I crash-landed against a wall.

I fell to the floor, stunned.

“Get away from her!” Titus raged.

It was impossible to make out anything other than wavering shadows and purposeful steps moving in my direction.

“Where the hell is Jameson?” the dragon snarled.

Shiny brown shoes stopped in front of my face and grey-covered knees touched the floor. A white shirt flashed in myvision, but I was too disoriented to fully take in the stranger’s blurry features.

“You seem invested in this one.” The newcomer didn’t answer Titus’s question; instead, he asked one of his own. “You were angry earlier too. Why do you care? Is she your mate or something?”

Titus didn’t respond, and the man—whom I now recognized as Albert—swung his fist down. The punch caught me behind my ear, and my head bounced against the floor in a tooth-rattling hit.

“You son of a bitch!” Titus was beginning to sound quite deranged. My vision had entirely blacked out and I couldn’t focus as my stomach recoiled dangerously.

A rough hand closed over my arm and I pulled to my feet. I was held against the man’s solid form. My body felt like lead and my toes barely brushed the floor—the courage and strength I’d mustered up to come here was finally gone.

“I’m going to ask one more time,” Albert continued. “Otherwise, it’ll get worse for her.”

He’d wrapped his arm around my stomach, and the light pressure of cold, thin metal pressed across my neck.

A knife.

My pulse raced and I pulled at his arm in a panic. I’d almost died the last time this had happened. I would never forget the feeling of when a power-hungry sociopath split open my neck and tried to eat my heart.

“Is she your mate?” Albert asked again.

“Yes.” The venom was heavy in Titus’s reply. “Now put her down if you don’t want to die.”

“You’d kill me anyway,” Albert replied. The pressure against my neck vanished, and he pressed his forearm across my chest, grabbing my chin. Fingers dug into my cheek, turning my face to his.

“Bianca Dubois,” he said. “I’ve looked you up—wanted to see what the fuss was. My nephew said you’re married to Bryce. He seemed certain you weren’t significant. But you being Ducharme’s mate changes things. Why would Dubois be okay with this?”

“It’s not like he can stop it,” Titus snarled.

I wanted to look at him, to make sure he was okay—especially after everything that had just happened with Belial—but I couldn’t tear my eyes from the man holding me.

Or maybe I’d zoned out. Perhaps it’d been a dream.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Albert continued, lips thinning as he spoke to Titus.

“Now you’re intelligent?” Titus asked.

But Albert ignored him. “You’d only be mated to your equal. Not some branch family distant cousin.”

He released my chin. I couldn’t breathe before he grabbed the front of my top and pulled. Titus shouted as the fabric shredded and the last of the cloth fell away.