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I won’t be omitting things from my wife again.
If Malice doesn’t like it, well, then, that’s just too damn bad.
“That’s worrisome.” She glances between me and Hex. “You don’t have any idea what he has planned?”
“No,” I tell her truthfully. “Just that we’re meant to keep you safe.”
“I don’t like that at all.” Her shoulders tighten, betraying her tension.
I ache to soothe it, but we’re not there yet.
There’s commotion down the alleyway just past the curve where it opens into the street near the front of Venom.
Hex grunts. He’s back in full human form and looking more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him.
I’ll just bet he is, that fucker.
He nods from me to Ali, taking off down the alley without a backward glance.
He doesn’t need to see it occur to know I’ll do my duty and keep her safe, no matter the cost.
I take the few steps separating us and wrap my arm around her lower back.
“We need to check on Malice.” She blinks up at me like I could deny her anything. “And you and I need to talk.” Blondish-pink hair falls over my arm as her head shakes. “I’m genuinely sorry for the pain I caused the two of you. I didn’t know, or I guess I let myself think it wasn’t possible, because I never experienced it, so I thought...” She bites her lip. “I thought our bond wasn’t strong enough. Now, I think I’m trying to justify my bad behavior because I feel genuinely terrible. I hate that the two of you had to know what was happening...” She wraps her hand in mine. “And especially that you felt physical pain because of me. The point is, I’m sorry. I regret a lot of things, but I hope, at some point, we can move past all of this.”
I study her face. That was unexpected. I’ve been fairly sure that she would forgive Hex simply because his beast is so pathetic. However, that left me with little to offer.
I swallow, faking a confidence I don’t have. “I’m here for our future, not to dwell on the past.”
I nuzzle my cheek to hers, but a loud screech breaks the air. She jolts in my arms, a look of terror crossing her face.
We take off toward the noises.
There’s yelling, but my gaze catches on Hex. He’s peeking around the brick at the end of the corridor. For him not to be out there in the action? It’s not a great sign.
Our shoes meet the cobblestone as we jog closer to the chaos.
Hex tosses an arm up, blocking us from making the turn to spill out into the street. We’ve made this trip plenty of times while walking to and from The Den.
There are always a few cars haphazardly parked, while others stop to let someone out or pick someone up. This time, the members of the council stand in a semicircle near the ropes that block the doors to Venom.
Malice, in Kash’s body, stands on our side of a small clunker of a car.
It’s the eight-or-nine-foot tall wyvern standing perched on the top of the car that throws me for a loop. I pull Ali closer, preparing to shield us if necessary.
The wyvern’s powerful head swivels, taking in the council members before its lizard-like gaze focuses back on Kash. Black smoke billows from his nose.
Ali screams.
I clamp a hand over her mouth as I wrap my arm around her middle. Everything in me focuses on pouring soothing command into my tone. “Don’t interfere. This is clearly what Malice warned us about.”
She doesn’t comply. Of course, she doesn’t. My wife is the most frustrating female I’ve ever encountered. She fights my hold as pink magic forms at her hands.
The wyvern screams, an ugly sounding call of death and vengeance before dragonfire spills from its open maw.
Ali rips my hand away, screaming and kicking in the air. “Ohmigod, no!”
Kash’s body is instantly engulfed in flames. It’s a gruesome sight, but I blow out a breath of pure relief when a black shadow spills from his feet, darting under the car.
