At first, I didn’t see anything, but I felt them. So many of them. I could smell their scents. Males. Humans.
And then they came out, slithering from behind the trees like snakes in the grass.
I scented their aggression, the fact that they were here to take from me.
I roared out and gently pushed Larkin an arm’s length away.
“Lass, ye run fast and hard.” She made a strangled noise, and I looked behind my shoulder to see we were surrounded. I bared my teeth, my canines getting longer, sharper.
I reached behind my back and unsheathed my sword, the metal making a whooshing sound as it arced through the air.
I held out my forearm, a barricade for my small nymph mate. I could smell her fear, my female terrified, even though I’d seen the composure on her face.
Gods, my girl is strong.
“My brave girl,” I murmured but kept my focus sharp. “Stay behind me and be strong, lass.”
I faced off with the robed males, the human stench of them causing my jaw to clench and my body to seethe with aggression. My Lycan paced, ready to explode outward and ensure the safety of our mate. And I’d sure as hell use my beast to my advantage, to protect Larkin.
If it meant dying to protect her, sacrificing myself to save her… to never know what she felt like beneath me, to never know what her lips tasted like, or see how she looked with my mark on her neck, then so be it. Because making sure she was safe was all that mattered. It was the reason I was alive.
And so I unsheathed a smaller knife I had strapped to my ankle, handing it back to my female, and when her fingers brushed against mine as she took the weapon, my body hummed, and my possessiveness rose to combustible levels.
My sweet mate.
“I will no’ let them hurt ye.” The words were true, but even as I said them, as I watched these bastards come closer, sensed more coming out of the woods, I didn’t know if I could uphold that oath. And that just pissed me off.
So I let my beast rise, allowing my Lycan to take over. I heard my female gasp in shock, but everything else faded as my wolf came forth and took the reins.
I bellowed out as my skin ripped open, fur taking its place. My bones broke and realigned, and I fell onto my hands and knees, paws replacing hands and feet, my face elongating to a snout, blunt teeth falling out to make way for my sharp canines.
And then my beast was free, a creature feared by most in the Otherworld.
I rose to my full height, quadruple the size of these fucking humans, and tensed, bracing to tear apart every single one of them.
Protect her. Save her.
And at the end of it all, when their corpses were littered around my feet and blood covered my fur and muzzle, I’d get my war prize. Her. My wee, sweet Larkin.
The first two bastards were easy enough to kill, their heads ripping off like a chicken bone snapping in half under my jaw. I scented one getting too close to my mate and spun around.
I felt pride swell within me as I saw Larkin swing out with the blade, catching the asshole on the arm. I pounced, tackling his body to the ground and tearing his throat out. I went after the next human and took him down, ripping his arms from his shoulders, his legs from his torso. I was brutal and savage, not having a humane thought, just letting my beast take control.
And just as I faced forward, they charged. I backed up, keeping my body between them and my female, baring my teeth, bracing myself to take them all down.
Three came at me from each side, and I snapped my massive jaw, ripping flesh from their bones. I felt their blades slice into my body, but I felt no pain. I had so much adrenaline rushing through me, so much power and aggression. Because I needed to protect Larkin, I was never stronger, never more savage, than I was right then.
I heard her cry out and spun around just as someone wrapped their arm around her waist, jerking her off her feet. I roared so loudly the leaves shook above us.
I was on the bastard who had her in an instant, clamping my jaw on his leg so hard I felt the bone pulverize between my teeth. Bodies swarmed me, weapons slicing into me, but at least I got the fucker off her, gave her a chance to move back, away from the carnage.
One male shouted loudly, but all I heard was the blood rushing in my ears and the growls coming from deep within my chest.
And then I saw the glint of his blade catch the sunlight a second before he moved his arm toward me. With half a dozen bodies on top of my massive form, I wasn’t quick enough to move out of the way, to toss the humans away before he struck.
His blade sliced down the entire length of one side of my face, deep enough I felt the skin part, the muscle give way. I roared, blood—a waterfall down my cheek, over my jaw, and steadily dripping onto my chest. But I was too full of aggression and strength and adrenaline to care.
I tossed my head back and went for his throat, ripping out his trachea. But still, the others tried to take me down. There were too many of them, and I felt myself get taken to the ground. I lifted my head as much as I could and searched for Larkin, frantic, feeling panicked about her safety.