A boom echoed beyond my ward, confirming the thief was not alone. Firearms were not among my chosen weapons, but I had trained enough to recognize a shotgun’s blast. Bullets could not breach the ward, but the unexpected sound distracted me long enough for the thief to slip free.
She dove for her daggers and then whirled into a flurry of strikes.
I parried.
She feinted and countered, fighting to penetrate my defenses. Her speed was impressive, her strikes powerful. Despite her slight frame, blocking her blows required actual effort, yet I had been practicing footwork since childhood, and she was no match for my superior strength and reach. She dodged sideways, and rather than pursuing, I lunged in, snaking an arm around her midsection and pinning her daggers to her sides. I held her there, her back pressed against my front, and caught my breath.
“How many accomplices wait beyond my hedge?” I demanded.
She wiggled again. Her heat and curves sparked desires I hadavoided the torture of for quite some time. Since Fleur’s last unfortunate appearance. I yanked the thief tighter, holding her motionless against me, which only intensified my reaction to her proximity.
The familiar stench of wolf snapped me back to reality in time to see a figure darken the opening of the hedge.
“The size of your force is irrelevant,” I announced to her silence, loud enough for anyone listening to hear. “The ward is impenetrable without a pendant, and those are in short supply.”
I concentrated my power to extract moisture from the atmosphere, shaped it into an ice spear, and launched it toward the breach and the second intruder.
“No!”
She wrenched an arm free, driving her elbow into my jaw and destroying my concentration. The ice spear veered toward the undamaged portion of the hedge, promising yet another breach in my defenses. At the last minute, I flicked my wrist and reshaped it into a wall, sealing her exit instead.
Despite her theft, I felt no malice from her. Annoyed by my unwelcome attraction and emboldened by the amulet resting against her skin without burning her, I released my captive and hastened out of her striking range to regain my composure.
Pointing at the hedge, I said, “I spared him, but am well within my rights to demand his head for firing on my estate. You have no escape route, and my gargoyles are on their way. This is the last time I will make this offer. Yield and come peacefully, and I will spare you both.” Her accomplice was beyond my reach, but only a fool revealed their constraints.
Eyes heavy with skepticism, she studied me. “How do I know I can trust you?”
The question rankled. “You broke into my estate and stole my treasure, yet you dare questionmyintegrity? My lineage is pure, thief. My word unassailable.”
Her expression remained unimpressed. “Cool story, bro, but I still need a binding vow.”
Bro?
Ignoring what had to be an insult, I nodded. “Very well. Surrender, and I swear on the honor of my ancestors that no harm will come to you or your henchman.”
“Okay, fine. I surrender.” Daggers still gripped tight, she slowly raised her hands in compliance, eyes lowered, chin dipping in submission. “Just don’t harm us.”
I relaxed my stance and straightened my posture as I accepted her capitulation. “A wise choice.”
She moved to sheathe her blades but spun into a blur of motion.
I had never witnessed such speed, and believing we had struck a deal, I was unprepared. The assault registered barely a heartbeat before both weapons plunged into my chest, searing through muscle and sinew as they sank between my ribs.
Molten agony consumed me.
Unable to wrap my mind around her treacherous assault, I gawked at the hilts protruding from either side of my heart. Later, I would wonder why she had neglected to pierce the organ and take my head, but now, the coppery-sweet scent of my blood thickened the air, filling me with fury.
“Have you no honor?” I demanded.
Unrepentant green eyes crashed into mine. “The only true honor lies in defending my pack.”
She ripped her daggers from my chest, extracting a curse from my throat. Magic returned my sword to my hand, and I slashed out, but she spun away, increasing the distance between us. Explosions detonated behind my eyes as blood gushed from the wounds, sapping my strength. I needed to hold still long enough to close the wounds, but she was backing toward the hedge, gaze darting over the terrain. I reached for my magic, determined to freeze her in place, but it slipped through my fingers like water, drowning me in frustration.
I moved to follow, but my legs failed me. The world narrowed to the inferno in my chest and the rapid staccato of my heart.
Something smashed against the ice-covered opening in the hedge.
Familiar shouts sounded in the distance; my gargoyles were in range to feel my pain. I sent them images of the situation, then staggered forward. Surely they would arrive soon enough to stop her from escaping.
