Page 26 of Knot Their Soldier: Part Three

Straight toward me.

Blaze backs up, putting himself between Viper and me.

"Ah, fuck," he says. "That’s not good."

"No shit," Shade breathes.

He eases me behind him with careful hands, shielding me with his body even though his own fear is pouring through the bond.

"Stay behind me, baby," he says, voice trembling. "We won’t let anything happen to you."

"Never again," Blaze vows.

He crouches low, putting himself beside Shade, both of them forming a wall between me and the feral Alpha stalking closer.

My legs shake, still weak from being, well, dead very recently, and I collapse against a tree. Bark bites into my palms as I cling to it, trying to stay upright while two men I love prepare to defend me against the third.

Viper roars again, fighting harder against Knox's Command to get to me now that Shade has blocked me from his view.

"What’s the plan here, Shade?" Blaze asks.

There’s a tremor in his voice.

Blaze is nervous. Maybe even truly afraid of a fight for the first time in his life, which is so alarming I actually pinch myself to make sure I really did come back from the dead and this isn't some strange parallel universe.

But this is real.

And he's terrified of Viper in Blood Lust.

Scorch Squad has spent years avoiding this fight, but it's here, and they're going to protect me with everything they've got. Even if it's against their own brother.

"We have to pull his focus off Halley," Shade says.

"With what?" Blaze splutters. "My sparkling wit and good looks?"

Viper takes another dragging step toward us, shoulders straining against Knox’s Commands.

"Maybe he doesn’t want to hurt me," I say, peeking around Shade’s shoulder.

Viper's black eyes snap to me. He snarls, teeth bared as he gnashes them.

I duck back behind Shade.

"Then again," I wheeze, "maybe he does."

Viper drags another step, forcing Knox to shift with him. His gaze sweeps past Shade and Blaze, and catches on me.

The gun lowers an inch.

"Princess?" My name breaks in his throat.

Viper drags another step toward us.

Knox doesn’t react, only gapes at me in shock.

I lift one trembling hand in a weak little wave. "Hey. I'm still here. Too stubborn to die, I guess."

A rough and disbelieving laugh escapes him, but Viper growls again, and the sound tears Knox back into the situation.