Page 17 of Protecting His Treasure

“Rhen, I’m warning you, shut up.”

“I’m sure that’s what they thought right up until the second their beast lost his mind and ripped their mate’s head…”

A roar ripped from Kaede. He whirled around and grabbed Rhen by the throat.

If he won’t shut up on his own, we’ll shut him up.

“Indeed.”

Kaede lifted Rhen up in the air then slammed him onto the ground. Behind him, he could hear Morgan shouting for him to let go. Why would he do something like that? Why would he let go? He’d asked Rhen to shut up. The vamp hadn’t. So why did he have to follow the rules and place nice. Fuck that.

Eyes flaming, Kaede glared down at Rhen. “Stay out of my business. I will protect what’s mine.”

“How can you protect what’s yours when you can’t even control yourself. You’re going to hurt her and…”

“Do I look like someone who would kill their mate?” Kaede growled down at Rhen. For a second Rhen just stared up at him. Then he muttered words that shook Kaede to the core.

Rhen’s low voice filled the room. “Flames are flaring in your eyes. You haven’t shifted, but I’m staring into your dragon’s eyes. You haven’t shifted, but your dragon’s claws are digging into my neck. You haven’t shifted, but your scales are showing on your face and your hands. You want to know if you look like a male who would kill his mate. Right now, yes. Yes, you do look like someone who could kill their mate. And I know this, because I’m someone who almost killed his mate. I know this because I’ve seen the look in your eyes before. I saw it when I stared into the mirror right after I tried to rip my mate’s throat out. I’ve been where you are. And I almost became unhinged. I know what a mate killer looks like. So, yes, Kaede. Yes, you do look like a male who could kill his mate.”

Rhen’s words made him feel like he’d been punched in the chest. All the air rushed from his lungs. Gasping, he released Rhen and stumbled backward. Rhen’s statement was repeating over and over in his mind.

He couldn’t escape those words. He couldn’t escape the despair he’d heard in Rhen’s voice as he uttered those words. Kaede needed to get away from there. He couldn’t breathe. He needed air.

“No, Kaede,” Morg shouted. “Do not shift in here. Not in here.”

His chest expanded. His shirt ripped. His dragon wanted out and there was no stopping it.

“Let me help you outside.” Morg approached him.

“Don’t touch me,” Kaede shouted, sounding more like a beast and less like a man. If he shifted inside the training hall, he’d destroy the building. Kaede stumbled across the room. He nearly fell twice as his dragon fought to break out. He stumbled from the training hall. Outside, he stared up at the sky and tried to calm down his beast who was ready to kill.

How dare he say we look unhinged? I’ll show him unhinged.

“Calm down, beast. He was trying to help.”

I will not calm down.

“You must. We have to return home to Sinclair.”

Not yet. I can’t. Not like this.

“She expects us home before…”

I must calm down first.

“Beast…”

That was the last word Kaede got out before he lost control and his beast took over. He shifted and took to the sky. He could hear Rhen and Morgan calling after him. But there was no stopping his dragon.