“It’s time, Mercy,” he strides toward me, and I fall back, clamoring for the stairs.
“NO!” I shout, but his hands are on me, pulling at the thin fabric of the dress. I struggle and kick against him, but his grip is like iron. I’m off the ground and in his arms in a sweep.
“Let me go!” I scream, trying to fight, but I can’t escape.
We’re not going to my bedroom. He turns the opposite direction and storms through another door leading to a different chamber with blue panels on the walls and great glass windows. They’re wide open, and from this direction, I see a mountain in the distance. Black birds — either bats or crows circle it in a menacing cloud.
“Lie down.” He throws me on my back on the bed, and one strap of the thin dress rips.
I do my best to catch the front, but the result pushes my breasts up, spilling them over my arm. His eyes burn hot, and he unties the belt on his long coat. As it falls to the floor, his clothing transforms before my eyes. It’s now a long black robe, loose and open in the front. He’s naked underneath, and I see his erection through the split in the fabric.
“Don’t do this, Hayden.”
“You’re mine. It’s time you acted like it.”
Crawling back on the bed, I try to put as much space between us as I can, but he grabs my ankle in a black-clawed hand. I scream as he drags me roughly to the edge of the bed. My gown is gone in a rip of tissue-fabric.
“Yes, my Mercy.” His eyes rove my naked body as he jerks my thighs apart. “So beautiful.”
“If you do this, you’ll ruin everything.” My voice shakes with tears. “I will hate you. You will never earn my love.”
“Never is a very long time.” A finger traces the slit between my thighs, and I scream. Hunger burns in his eyes. His lips part over white teeth as he slips the finger in his mouth. “Delicious.”
His erection touches me, and I scream again, kicking and twisting away from him. “I love KOA!” I scream. “I will ONLY ever love Koa!”
My voice is hoarse, and I’m shaking, fighting. None of it matters. He’s over me, pinning me with his weight, both my hands clasped above my head in his iron grip.
Ducking his head, he bites my breast. His erection touches me right at my core, lining up to plunge inside.
Squeezing my eyes tightly shut, I scream as I flex every muscle, bracing against his onslaught. Suddenly, a sharp voice cuts through the darkness.
“STOP THIS! LET HER GO!” It’s a voice I don’t recognize, but it’s filled with authority.
Hayden pauses long enough to look over his shoulder, and his grip on my wrists loosens. I take the opportunity to jerk my hands free and push my body away from him.
“Who the FUCK are you?” Hayden stands, his interest in me momentarily distracted.
“By the High Court’s decree, you have no right to this shifter.” The man is slender and not quite as tall as Hayden, still he seems to wield some power. “I’m Slayde Bennett, and I have this writ from the council. You’ve been issued a restraining order while they examine new evidence on the supposed murder of your immortal mate.”
He strides across the room as I’m pulling the scraps of my dress over my nakedness. I want to shift and cover myself, but I need to hear this.
“What is this bullshit?” Hayden pulls the fabric closed over his waist, tying it with a belt. “No one tells me what to do here.”
“That might be so,” Slayde continues, stepping to where I’m trying to cover myself on the bed. “However, the council has reason to believe the pact you made with the Quinlan family is invalid.”
He scoops up the red coat Hayden discarded and hands it to me, graciously averting his eyes from my body. I take it and quickly push my arms in the sleeves, tying the belt and moving behind my strange defender.
Hayden’s eyes flash with the fury I saw earlier. He wads the papers in his fist and throws them across the room at the same time his other hand sweeps up from his side as if throwing a ball underhanded at us.
Just as fast, Slayde whips out what looks like a silver badge. It’s in the palm of his hand, and as the purple pulse of energy nearly hits us, it explodes in a circular rainbow of light above our heads. I shriek at the same time Slayde lets out a low grunt. I’m behind him, holding his waist, and I feel the flex in all his muscles as he pushes back against Hayden’s power.
We’re walking backwards. Slayde is pushing me with every step toward the door. Hayden is furious as he reaches over his shoulder in a motion like he’s pulling a bow from a sheath. It’s another pulse of energy, this time red, and he slams it toward us with all the strength of a fast pitch.
Both of Slayde’s hands go up in front of us, and I see the light reflect off two small shields he’s holding. I duck my head behind his back as his entire body goes rigid. The noise is like a bomb drop, and I feel the heat of the conflicting energy burning in the air around us. It’s the first time I’ve felt heat since I’ve entered this castle.
At last we’re at the door. Slayde pushes me through it and grabs the handle, slamming it behind us before breaking into a run. My hand is firm in his grip, and he’s headed for the stairs.
“Where are we going?” I gasp, as we round the corner and head down the enormous staircase.