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Our attention was drawn to one of the chairs around the large fire pit. A man stood and stretched before wandering a distance from the wooden cabins. Sitting down on a massive stone, he stared at the water that lined the encampment on one side.
His body stiffened as something just out of my line of sight caught his interest. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was.
Zosime limped into view, completely naked. On impulse, I tried to leap from my hiding spot, but Bion placed a firm hand on my arm, holding me in place.
“Let me go! She’s injured!” I snarled, sorely tempted to rip his arm from his body.
Keeping his voice hushed, Bion tried to calm me. “No. I don’t think she is. Wait a minute before you go rushing in like a useless knight in shining armor. If she isn’t injured and you mess this up, she’ll probably mess you up.”
I yanked his arm from my grasp but forced myself to remain hidden.
Somewhat reassured that I wasn’t about to do something we’d both regret, Bion also turned his attention back to Zosime.
I watched her move toward the man. Her beautiful nude body almost glowed. Now was definitely not the time, but I felt my pants grow uncomfortably tight from just the sight of my mate. I doubted I could ever see her without craving her.
The man walked toward Zosime. He said something, but I couldn’t make out the words.
I saw my mate’s mouth move in response. My muscles quivered when she stumbled.
The man’s hands grabbed Zosime’s waist, steadying her. The sight of his hands on her naked flesh had my body flushing in rage.
Zosime looked up at him, her lips moving. The man lowered his head slightly as he spoke again. I wanted to hear what they were saying.
The man’s hands began to wander over her pale skin. When he teased the underside of her breasts in a way that only her mates should touch her, I began to shake.
Bion’s hand shot out, clamping around my wrist. “Lokene. I’ve never wanted someone to die as badly as I want him to. You’re bonded to her, so I can’t imagine how those emotions are being amplified in you. But right now, we need to trust Zosi. Her hair is soaking wet. She was hiding in the water, and she could have stayed hidden there, but she chose to approach him. I’m telling you, she has a plan.”
I hissed out a pained breath. “He’s pretending to help her, but he’s really just using it as an excuse to grope her.”
“I know. And I’m pretty sure Zosi will make him pay for it,” Bion said through gritted teeth. He was trying to calm himself as much as he was trying to calm me. “If she doesn’t, I will. Oath or no oath.”
The sound of a dying seal came from the tiny cabin, causing both Bion and I to jerk in shock.
“What kind of animal are they keeping in that building?” Bion whispered, trying to steady his breathing. “Are they sacrificing it for a ritual?”
“I don’t know.” Ancients didn’t sacrifice living creatures, but maybe it was a Lure thing? I’d worry about that mystery later. Right now, my only concern was my mate.
Zosime gripped the man’s shirt. His body shuddered, and his hands grabbed her butt. Even from this distance, I saw Zosi’s jaw clench. She wasn’t scared; she was irritated.
An anger like nothing I’d ever experienced before exploded inside me when the man’s grip grew hard enough to leave bruises, and he started thrusting his hips against her like a mindless animal focused only on their release.
I saw the flash of her fangs before Zosi punctured his skin.
“That’s right. Pump that maggot full of your venom,” I murmured, wanting him to die an excruciating death for touching what was mine. With any luck, her venom would work on him like it did us, but instead of him turning into a raging pile of hormones, his length would explode. But one could only hope.
It took longer than I would have liked, but when the guy’s body gave out and he collapsed in the sand, I finally managed to draw a deep breath. He’d gotten what he deserved. I only wished he’d suffered more.
Zosime stood over him, hands on her hips. I couldn’t hear her words, but it was clear she was disgusted.
Wasting no time, she grabbed him under the arms, and, with effort, she managed to get him to the water’s edge, where she tossed him in. My resourceful little mate used a clump of grass to sweep away all signs of her presence and the drag tracks left by the dead piece of pond scum.
Mission accomplished, Zosime stared at the cabin before disappearing into the safety of the water. Water that was anything but safe. Nothing survived in the death pools that dotted Iolatara’s landscape. Being boiled alive would feel relaxing compared to being immersed in the pool’s water. Much in the same way the venus fly trap plant on Earth caught and ate its prey, these pools swallowed and digested all who fell into their depths.
Yet, the siren was moving freely in and out of the water as though it were nothing more than a hot spring. Had she formed a symbiotic relationship with it? She was feeding it, and in exchange, it was providing her safety?
I wanted to rush to her side, but I could still feel the presence of other Ancients in the vicinity. And by the way Zosime had looked at the cabin, I had a pretty good idea of their current location. With a nod at Bion, we settled down to wait and watch.
The door of the cabin swung open, and a couple stepped out. I couldn’t quite make out their words, but I wouldn’t have deserved the nickname cupid if I’d been unable to recognize the sexual satisfaction they were exuding. Which led me to a second realization.
