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Erus growled when another Keres landed on his back and sank its teeth into the crook of his shoulder.
Roaring, he grabbed the female by the head and flung her over his shoulder. She sailed through the air and crashed into a nearby tree, the impact contorting her spine unnaturally. Then she crumpled in the dirt, unmoving, and was instantly swallowed by the silver mist that blanketed the valley.
For ten days and nights, he had tracked the Keres through the different realms of the Underworld. First, he had cleared the encampment by the Acheron River. Then, he had driven them from the Glade. Next had been the Tombs, followed by the Temple City.
They were like cockroaches, though. No matter how many he killed or subdued, more kept coming. They had completely overrun the Silent Valley, and he’d been hearing reports that they had now spread into the Whispering Woods.
Another Keres, this one male, swooped down from the sky, his jagged feathers slapping around Erus’ head as the beast sliced at his face with sharp claws. Desperate to reach his mate, he was done playing games. During his hunt, he had tried to spare as many Keres as he could, but his patience had reached its end.
He grabbed hold of one of the wings and twisted, ripping the appendage away with a sickening crunch. The Keres screamed and toppled off Erus’ shoulders, landing on the ground in a puddle of his own blood.
Throwing his head back, Erus roared to the sky, his voice booming through the valley like thunder. The Keres fell to their knees, hands clasped around their heads as blood seeped from their eyes and ears. They keened and screeched as they rocked back and forth or pressed their foreheads to the earth.
Not one of them resumed their attack.
He wasn’t done there. He knew that, but it would have to wait. Leaving the creatures to their misery, he materialized onto the banks of the Acheron River. The sight that met him, however, nearly stopped his heart.
At least a hundred Keres lined the shores, all of them staring upward at the two males who hovered over the water. They flapped their wings to stay airborne, the added weight of Orrin’s unconscious body making the task more difficult.
Suspended between the two males by his arms, Orrin hung limply, his head lolling on his shoulder. A bruise covered one side of his face from temple to jaw, while a stream of blood tracked down his cheek and stained his hair.
White-hot rage filled every inch of Erus’ being. His canines elongated. The muscles and bones in his face realigned, creating a ridge between his eyes and making his cheekbones stand out in sharp relief. His eyes glowed a deep orange, the light reflected in the wide stares of the Keres.
“We won’t hurt him,” a female at the front of the group called. “We just wanted to make you listen.”
It was too late for that. He was beyond reason. Past concessions. They had hurt his mate, and they would pay in blood.
“We need you to come back,” a male added. His voice shook, making him sound less confident than his sister. “You’ve been gone for so long.”
“Give me my mate.”
“We will if you agree to come back.”
The female had guts. He’d give her that.
“I was already coming back.”
When he had left, he had assumed his edict would have been enough to keep the flock in line. That had been a miscalculation on his part. The Keres needed order. They needed constant oversight and continuous reinforcement.
They needed a leader.
While he was prepared to take responsibility for his carelessness, that didn’t excuse their actions. Attacking souls in the Underworld was bad enough. Kidnapping and threatening his mate, however, was unforgivable.
“Give. Me. My. Mate.” He bit out each word through clenched teeth.
“You’re lying!” The male holding Orrin’s left wrist flapped his wings, rising higher into the air. “You said you would come back, and you never did. Why should we believe you now?”
“Frankly, I don’t give a fuck if you believe me or not. You will give me the prince, though, or I will rip your insides out and feed them to you.”
“Fine,” the other male called. “You want him? Take him.”
The pair grinned with malice as they released their combined grips, sending Orrin plummeting toward the water below. Impulsive bastards.
Taking a running start, Erus hurdled the flock and soared out over the river. He caught Orrin mid-fall, cradling him protectively to his chest as he phased them back to the shore. With the care that such a priceless treasure deserved, he lowered his mate to the sand and brushed the hair away from his face.
After brushing a kiss to the bruised flesh, he rose to his feet and turned to face the Keres, a dark, dangerous growl building in his chest.
“Run.” Because if he caught them, he would murder them all.
