Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae 1)

She leaned around him and brought an elbow down in the center of his back.

Agony flared. His bruise wouldn’t be half bad, either, for the short while it lingered.

“Don’t hit the alpha!” Yasmine’s voice cut through his fighting haze.

“Not your fight!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Devon barely caught sight of Andy sticking his arm out in a clothesline to intercept Yasmine. The bottoms of her feet flashed Devon right before she fell flat on her back.

Devon dropped Charity’s leg, blocked a punch, and threw a punch of his own. His fist hit Charity square in the chest. She staggered backward, bending over and sucking in agonized breaths.

Possibly that had been a bit too hard…

“I screwed up tonight, all right?” she said, straightening with a red face. “I know I did. I won’t ever forget it. But I don’t need you hovering over me, rubbing it in my face. I’ll take my chances getting to school.”

“There are no buses within miles of here. How will you get there?” Devon growled, his whole body poised and tense.

“I’ve never owned a car. I’ve always made it. Now is no different. Back off.”

Devon took a step toward her, daring her with his eyes to throw another punch. “It is my duty to make sure you stay out of harm’s way. I can’t have you traipsing around the city with no way to get help. Not with an elder vamp interested in you.”

Charity gave him a condescending look, so near breaking that she seemed like she could barely hold herself up. Devon’s resolve weakened.

“It’ll be daylight,” she seethed through clenched teeth. “And I’m not interested in what you feel you can or cannot do. I’m telling you what I will do. I don’t need—”

Her words cut off and she set her jaw defiantly.

“A babysitter? Is that what you were about to say?” Devon asked.

Charity pulled herself up, tall and proud, her back straight and her chin raised. The effect was ruined by her trembling lips. Without a word, she about-faced and strode away toward her room.

Devon swore under his breath as he watched her go.

“Should I go after her?” Andy asked, ignoring Yasmine’s scowl as she got up off the ground. “She probably needs a hug, right?”

Something foreign and uncomfortable squeezed Devon’s vitals. He barely stopped himself from issuing a threat to keep Andy at bay.

“Although,” Andy went on thoughtfully, “I’ve always done more harm than good when I try to comfort pretty girls. They heave when they cry, and their breasts are just…right there, you know? I don’t mean to, but I get turned on every time. I can’t help it! And they can always tell. I have no idea how—it’s not like I rub anything against them or whatever—but they always get pissed off. Charity might kick my ass. She’s fast. No wonder she was able to get out of that turning party with her skin intact. She’s no joke.”

“Leave it,” Devon finally managed. “She doesn’t need you rubbing up against her.”

“I said I don’t rub anything against them. Jesus, bro. You know I’m not that kind of guy. What happened, anyway?”

Devon rubbed his hand over his face as Andy grabbed something to wipe up the spilled beer. When Andy was done, Devon relayed the events as he knew them. He shook his head. “I can’t understand why she went for that vamp. She was a rock star with that elder, but this one… It didn’t look like she put up any kind of fight. Just gave in to him.”

“Bro, she was crushing after him. She probably never thought she’d get him, but always wanted to, you know? And then here he is, all dreamy and stuff, and he’s sitting all close, and he’s doing that weird googly-eyed thing—she fell into the dream, bro. Sex can mess with the mind.”

“Yeah,” Devon said in a noncommittal tone. “I didn’t want it to go down like that. I didn’t want her to see me take him out. But I didn’t have much choice.”

Andy nodded. “Not much else you could’ve done.”

“Why do we even need her?” Yasmine asked. She lowered gracefully onto the love seat near the window.

“Roger thinks she’s valuable. He’s entrusted her to me,” Devon answered, leaning his head back in the seat and closing his eyes. “Plus, a couple vamps are after her. I have no idea why Roger won’t just let her stay nights in the castle.”

The ticking of the clock on the wall permeated the following silence. After a while, Andy said, “At least that’s another one gone. Two down, four to go.”

“Three down,” Yasmine said with a smug smile. “When the human had to be saved, the alpha sent Macy and me along to trail the vamp from his class. The vamp went for a trek through the woods, and we jumped her. I figured, why wait, you know? It was only one.”