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“Merick. Get your hands off my pet.”
Merick immediately drew away from him, leaving a trail of blood and saliva in his wake. His red eyes flashed with hunger and rage as he turned to face the commanding voice that had just spoken. As the vampyre’s weight lifted off his chest, Cy breathed again. His hands shook as he faced his savior.
Haven. He stood tall and imposing in the doorway of the pets’ quarters, his brow drawn and his expression livid. Long golden hair fell over his shoulders and down his back, his clothing clean and pressed, drawn tight around his trim form. He looked beautiful and intimidating, made all the more striking by the scowl etched across his face. The pull of his lips showed the slightest hint of fangs. At his side stood Sirene, her blade drawn, poised to strike. But Haven’s outstretched hand ordered her to refrain. His narrowed eyes were for Merick alone, challenging him to do anything but obey.
“Lord Haven.” Merick clambered to his feet, his tone level and conspicuously warm. Cy could tell, however, from the tense set of his shoulders, that he hid his ire at being interrupted.
“I specifically ordered this pet not to be touched.”
“He attacked me, my Lord.”
“Did he?” Haven’s narrowed eyes flashed between Merick and Cy.
“He attempted to stop me from enjoying my pet.”
Haven glanced down at Summer’s crumpled body. “Your pet who now lays dead on the floor.”
“That would be the one.” Merick grinned.
A strange expression flickered across Haven’s face as he again assessed Cy. “How distasteful.”
“I agree.” Merick moved closer to Haven, attempting to fix the collar of his white, blood-stained shirt. “So you see why I had to punish him. A pet that steps out of line—”
“He’s not yours to punish,” Haven gritted. “He’s mine.”
Merick’s expression pulled into a sneer of derision, all hints of his former piety gone. “And what will you do, Haven? Tell your daddy about my indiscretions? We both know all your power comes from Thorne. So tell me. What. Will. You. Do?”
In a flash, Haven struck, wrapping his hand around Merick’s neck and sending them both crashing hard against the wall behind them.
“Lord Haven!” Sirene attempted, but a snarl from Haven stopped her in her tracks.
With Merick pinned, Haven bared his teeth, fingernails long and sharp as they dug into the skin of his throat.
“Don’t challenge me,” he hissed. “I’m not as delicate as I look.”
Merick grinned despite his obvious discomfort. “Indeed. You continue to surprise me, Haven. I can see why Thorne is so fond of you.”
“You try my patience,” Haven spat. His eyes flared with a darkness that transformed him from human to monster, from angel to devil, in only a matter of moments.
“I like this side of you. Maybe someday soon, we’ll have a real go, see which one of us wins. But of course, now you’ve made me see reason. I was wrong, my Lord. Please forgive me. I should not have touched what isn’t mine.”
Haven studied him a moment before releasing him. “If I ever catch you touching my things again, I’ll kill you,” he said coldly.
Merick’s eyes glimmered with glee. “Of course, my Lord. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
Haven glanced at Cy. “You. With me.” He turned to exit the pets’ quarters and Cy stumbled to his feet. With shaking hands and trembling legs, he was a mess. And as he looked down at Summer’s body, he could only whimper in response. Tears clouded his vision, tears that hadn’t had a chance to form in the wake of his earlier rage.
“Sirene, escort my pet.”
Her strong arms circled around his waist, keeping him steady on his feet. Though she was forceful in her maneuvering of him, Sirene wasn’t unkind. Almost as if a part of her felt his pain and pitied him for it.
As they followed in Haven’s footsteps, Cy caught Merick’s eyes one last time, his shimmering grin and raised brow. It mocked him.
Haven didn’t look back as Sirene assisted Cy, urging him along into the dimly lit hallway of Alnwyck. They continued to walk, Cy’s breath coming heavily. The wound on his neck still bled and stung. He attempted to staunch it, pressing his palm to the deep cut.
“You’re an idiot,” Haven gritted out without turning back. “You almost got yourself killed for that human.”
“She was my friend.”
