Page 64 of Little Mate

“Yes.”

“What is he looking for?”

“I can’t tell you.” He grits out, the pain settling in deep. “Can’t betray my kind.”

“They betrayed you with this bullshit assignment. Or was there more to it?” When he doesn’t respond, Tero embeds his teeth deep into the fae’s side, right over his ribs, and gnaws back and forth until a second piece lands beside the first. The jagged edge of the cut is ugly, and from the looks of it, won’t heal right either. “Don’t worry, you’re here to corroborate what the crowned prince and your dead friend already told me. Both of them quite chatty after a few well-placed cuts.”

“Just end me.”

I won’t kill him. He’ll go back to Larue with a personal message from me.

You don’t come for what is mine.

Gabriella is my mate, and her family will always have my loyalty and protection.

“Who were you there to kill, Henri?”

“Please stop.” Another attack, this time to his shoulder. “It wasn’t Gabriella he wanted to take.”

A deep rumble builds in Xadiel’s chest, and Henri notices his mistake.

“Who were you planning to put your filthy hands on?” Xadiel’s half-shifted form steps into the light, and Tero moves back after I nod. The werewolf has the right to defend his mate. He’s family now. “Speak, you pathetic cunt.”

“We weren’t going to hurt her.”

“You were coming for my mate?”

“Just to draw out the other. My king is looking for two artifacts he believes are the source of the twins’ true magic.”

“Why?” Xadiel’s claws extend as he grips the man’s neck, breaking the skin. Henri cries out, his body bowing, fighting to move away, but even without the chains, he couldn’t. The werewolf alpha is poised to end him. “What does he want with it? Them?”

“The subjugation of your species.”

“And?” I ask, then place a hand on Xadiel’s arm. “Follow the plan. He’ll be useful.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t hurt him.”

“Not at all.” Stepping back, I grit my teeth and wait for the confirmation of my suspicions.

“Answer him, fae scum. What are his plans?”

“To sacrifice them to Ares with the use of the Stygian blade. He wants his protection during the inevitable war—offering their blood in exchange for an allegiance and the gift of the hidden artifact.”

“Thank you.” My eyes meet Xadiel’s right before I walk out of the room. He can do anything he pleases but kill him. He’ll go back to Larue with a gift from me. The royal I’m keeping a few cells from Henri watches me leave with so much hate while nursing the hole where there once was a finger and ring.

He can blame his father for his predicament.

They’ll learn a valuable lesson soon enough.

Gabriella is sacred. Untouchable.

And I’ll be more than happy to prove this to Larue before I slit his throat.

There’s a group of vampires waiting on me the moment I step out of my dungeons later that night. They’re faces hold contempt, while the leader, a mediocre fighter at best, eyes me with disgust.

I’m going to enjoy this.

“Speak.”