“Yes,” Mark said quietly.
His gaze flicked briefly toward Spencer. Toward his brother and Edith. “And I think I made a mistake.”
It was an unexpected twist to the rescue, and then Dave ruined the moment completely by saying, “Aw. Character growth.”
36
Spencer had never wantedto kill his brother before. Annoy him? Throw him overboard? Very frequently. But this, watching Edith restrained in silver while Gerald treated her like an object to reclaim, this broke something savage and ancient loose inside him and Mark knew it.
The moment the words left his mouthI think I made a mistake.
Spencer’s rage shifted, not gone but focused, because there were bigger problems currently attached to the boat. Specifically Gerald. The dragon male’s expression twisted with open contempt as he looked between the brothers.
“Pathetic,” he sneered. “All this over a female.”
Edith immediately gasped in outrage from Spencer’s tentacle. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she snapped. “Did you want us to discuss your personality instead? Because that seems significantly more tragic.”
Dave laughed so hard he accidentally smacked the side of the boat with a tentacle. The entire vessel tilted dangerously sideways and the pirate screamed again. Honestly, Spencer was beginning to admire the man’s commitment to panic.
Gerald ignored everyone except Spencer, his gold eyes sharpening coldly.
“You think instinct gives you claim?” he said. “You know nothing about her.”
Spencer’s massive body shifted beneath the waves and the sea churned instantly around him. Because the male was wrong. Painfully wrong.
Spencer knew enough. Enough to know Edith feared returning home more than death. Enough to know she hid herself away for years just to survive. Enough to know she laughed loudly when nervous and insulted people when scared and trusted too carefully despite everything done to her.
Enough… and apparently his Kraken instincts agreed.
Mate.
Mine.
Protect.
The possessiveness rolled violently through him again. Edith blinked down at him.
“Okay, wow,” she muttered softly. “That one felt intense.”
Dave leaned lazily against the side of the boat. “Oh yeah,” the guardian said. “You’re basically his emotional support dragon now.”
Edith looked alarmed, Spencer felt vaguely offended. Brutas, meanwhile, remained focused entirely on Gerald. Ancient eyes cold.
“You bind what does not belong to you,” the guardian rumbled.
Gerald lifted his chin with all the arrogance of a man who believed he was right. “She is dragon clan.”
“She is frightened,” Brutas replied simply.
That silenced everything for a moment. Because unlike Gerald’s polished manipulation or Mark’s guilty hesitation,Brutas reduced the entire situation to its ugliest truth effortlessly.
Edith had run, terrified. And they had tried to drag her back in chains. Mark looked sick.
Spencer’s tentacle curled more securely around Edith as he slowly brought her closer to the water beside him. Closer to safety.
Gerald noticed instantly. “No.”
Magic exploded outward from him again in sharp gold flames. This time, Spencer reacted first.
