Own Her (The Warriors of Hades 3)

This disgusting black substance dripped out of its gaping mouth, and when it hissed, the onyx-colored goo sprayed from it. It stopped a few feet from the brothers on the ground, but they had their weapons drawn, their wings out, and didn’t look afraid at all.

More hissing and screeching came from the creature, and it was loud and ear-piercing.

“Everything will be okay, Mekenna,” Fillip said close to her ear. “As soon as the beast is not in that direction, I will take you to the cave.”

She nodded.

“It can jump and spray poisonous venom that is toxic, and I won’t risk even a drop getting on you.”

The creature hissed, and more goo came out of its mouth to land on the rock beneath it, causing a sizzling effect. It was toxic and could eat right through stone. She didn’t breathe, couldn’t for that matter. But when the creature lunged forward and swiped out at one of the warriors, she made a little involuntary cry.

She’d just met them, just gotten them in her lives. She did not want to lose them now.

Savastian slashed out with his blade, cutting the beast on the side of the face. The creature made this loud, blood-curdling cry and tried to get the brothers with its long claws. With the light from the fires above flickering over his massive body, she could see the creature’s blood splashed on Viktor’s and Savastian’s bodies.

Watching them fight, cut into the animal’s scaly and black, oily flesh, and hearing the roars come from the beast as it was slowly dying had relief and fear moving through her. It was strange to have this danger right in front of her, because all her life, she had been sheltered.

She watched the horror play out, saw the men fighting like it wasn’t anything frightening or dangerous, and then finally exhaled when Viktor sliced his blade through the creature’s head. The beast fell to its side, the head right beside the body, and its now lifeless eyes staring right at her.

Fillip kissed her on the back of the head, and murmured in his native language, “You’re safe.”

She closed her eyes, felt her body start to tremble with the aftereffects of what just happened, and realized her life could have drastically changed once again in the blink of her eye.

15

Fillip held Mekenna tighter as he flew over to the opening of the cave. All Hades males lived within the safety of the mountains—all but him and his brothers. Although the mountains offered protection against predators, it also gave them the necessary strength and rejuvenating properties to keep them at the top of the food chain.

But the caves they called home were deep within the ground, still having the mineral properties to aid in their strength and wellness, and they preferred to be more isolated from others.

He lowered her to the ground but kept a hold on her and pulled her closer to him. Grabbing the back of her head, he slipped his fingers through her hair and tilted her head back. Staring down at his mate, he took in the green of her eyes, the gentle slope of her face, and the delicate features of her cheeks and nose.

She was a gorgeous creature, and her light-blue skin almost seemed luminescent as it glowed under the flames of the trees.

The scent of fear came from her, but the more powerful aroma was her pleasure of her freedom and her males safe. Yes, they were hers, and she was theirs. Fillip looked at her once more, then leaned down and kissed her softly. He pulled away from her when he heard his brothers approach.

Turning and looking at them over his shoulder, he saw the black blood of the Garangerick beast on their chests.

He didn’t need to ask if his brothers were okay, because they were warriors, alive, and that was confirmation enough for all of them. But Mekenna moved away from Fillip and rushed over to Viktor and Savastian. She started running her hands over their chests, murmuring that she was just making sure they were okay, and Fillip started laughing for the first time in a long time.

Yes, it had been years, decades even, since he felt such amusement. But the looks on his brothers’ faces seemed almost like they were shocked that this female, who they had just met, was so worried about their safety.

“Mate, we’re fine,” Savastian said and smiled.

“Are you sure?” she asked and scanned them over again. “There is so much blood, and that… thing looked like it had gotten you a few times.”

“We’re sure,” Viktor said and sheathed his sword. He grabbed Mekenna and pulled her in for a long kiss. She didn’t protest though, and the fact that she kissed Viktor once more, and then moved toward Savastian to kiss him as well despite all the gore on them, told Fillip she was their mate irrevocably.