Chapter 29
AMRI
T he adrenaline is wearing off, but my enforcer training kicks in. The fight might be over, but there’s plenty for me to do. I pat Malik’s beautifully bare chest and whisper, “I need to check on a few people, but I won’t be far.”
His eyes bore into mine before he pinches my chin and leans down.
My heart flutters then kicks into a gallop as his lips press to mine.
Memories of what we did on that beach on Circe’s island play through my mind, and I clench my thighs as desire pulses through me.
My lips part, and Malik takes the kiss deeper, but only for a second before he pulls away.
We share breaths, mine coming a bit more desperately than his as he stares at me.
Then he nods and lets me go, turning to Askari.
I swallow, trying to calm my runaway nerves while Malik and Askari speak in hushed tones. Finally, I snap out of it, but not before my beast spins a quick, excited circle inside me, batting her lashes at Malik.
We’ve got it bad for him, and neither of us are the least bit sorry.
I do a quick scan of the room and quickly work my way through the crowd to get to Juliet. She scans me from head to toe and back again, a smirk on her face. “Someone’s been keeping juicy secrets from me!”
I reach up, wiping some dried blood off her face. There’s no wound, and I sigh in relief as I answer, “Yeah, yeah. You okay?”
She nods. “I think so.”
I pull her into a hug, relieved. When I step back, Levi has joined us, and his hand rests on Juju’s lower back.
I smile at them, happy that things seem to be going well between them, but then I remember where we are and what just happened.
My smile falls into a scowl. “Why the fuck are you here?” I hold up a hand before either of them can lay into me.
“Sorry. Sorry. That came out wrong. But seriously, why?”
Levi’s brow furrows. “Mara said you needed help.”
Reminded of my friend, I look around the room. “Where is she?” Juju points to the far wall where my deer shifter friend is quietly talking with two Leos. Relieved that she looks fine, I turn back to Juju. “Wait, so Mara told you I needed help and you just … came?”
Juju’s frown matches Levi’s. “You would have done the same thing for us.”
“Yeah, but, I’m an?—”
Levi rolls his eyes. “Just because we’re not enforcers doesn’t mean we can’t help.”
I sigh. “That’s not what I meant. I just …” I look at them and take a deep breath with the reassurance that they are okay. “Thank you.”
Juju nods with a smile. “You’re welcome.” Her smile falls as she looks around the throne room. “This is really fucked up. We’ve all heard the rumors, but this …”
All I can do is nod, because yeah, this was really, really fucked up. But at least now there’s space for the Leos to make things better for their clan.
Juju bumps me with her hip. “So … Malik?”
As if my gaze is magnetized to him, I find Malik in the crowd. He now has a pair of loose black pants slung low on his hips, but his feet remain bare, as does his chest, and his long hair cascades down his back.
I startle as Juju rubs her finger along the side of my mouth. “You’ve got a little drool just there.”
I playfully smack her hand away with a chuckle, but when I look back at Malik, he’s staring at me with heat in his eyes and the smallest smile on his face.
Juju asks, “Soooo?”
I don’t break eye contact with Malik as I say, “It’s complicated.”
She snorts. “Looks pretty straight forward to me.”
I manage to look away from Malik to focus back on my friend. “Sure, the chemistry is there. Lots of it. Truck loads. But …”
Levi rubs his hand up and down Juju’s back, and she leans into his touch as he nods around the room and says, “It’s complicated.”
I nod in answer, and Juliet takes my hand, giving my fingers a squeeze. “You’ll figure it out.”
Staring at our clenched hands, unfamiliar doubt creeps into my chest making me want to squirm. Will Malik and I figure it out? What if he decides he’s still not ready for a bond? What if he never is? Will I be able to be okay with that? I want to believe so, but …
Warmth caresses my back as a shadow looms over me from behind. Juju and Levi’s gazes lift, and I know who they are looking at. I feel him; not just the heat of his body, but in my heart, my soul. I don’t need the fate bond to know when my mate is near.
Juju gives my hand another quick squeeze before letting me go. Levi dips his head at Malik, but my mate reaches an arm over my shoulder to clasp Levi’s shoulder and says, “Thank you for your help today. We are not your clan, and our problems aren’t?—”
Levi shakes his head, stalling Malik’s words. “I may be a Virgo, and you a Leo, but we are all Zodiac.”
I should feel pride at Levi’s statement, but it just makes me angry, because yes, we are all Zodiac, yet all the other clans, all the other deities turned a blind eye to what Leonora was doing for so long … too long.
Levi frowns at me, and I realize I must not have done a good job at keeping my anger from showing on my face, but the okapi shifter says, “I’m sorry it came to this. Something should have been done sooner.”
Again, Levi is saying all the right things, but I’m getting angrier and angrier.
I clench my hands to keep from lashing out.
That’s always how it goes in the aftermath.
Something should have been done. Someone should have done something.
Yeah, so why didn’t Levi ever do or say anything?
It’s easy to say the words now, but … I realize I’m shaking, and while some of it is due to the crash of adrenaline, a good amount of it is due to my growing outrage. It shouldn’t have come to this.
Before I snap at him or Juju, I say, “I need to find Mara.”
I stalk off, gritting my teeth so hard, my jaw aches. I should be happy that Leonora is finally gone, that Malik is finally free, but …
A hand wraps around my upper arm, and I’m yanked to a stop. The cougar shifter’s snarl stalls mid-growl, not expecting the feral grin on my face when I turn to him. But he recovers quickly, tightening his grip. “You! You stabbed her.”
Yeah, I did, and I’d do it again, so I let him pull me as he takes two steps back and through a door.
The small room is dark and surprisingly empty, but not for long as a hunter enters, then another, and another.
My triceps flex under the shifter’s grip, and I don’t bother to keep my laugh from escaping.
I was looking for a fight, and here one has dropped into my lap.
One of the hunters pulls her white mask from where it was propped on the top of her head down over her face. “You won’t be laughing when we pull your tongue out of your mouth, you meddling bitch.”
I turn my grin up. “That’s, meddling enforcer bitch.”
Another hunter circles around to my right. “That tattoo won’t save you.”
I shrug, even as the cougar shifter digs his claws into my arm. “Of course it won’t. It’s just ink infused with magic. The real question is, who is going to save you?”
The third hunter tsks with a chuckle, but it cuts off as I snap my elbow back and smash the cougar shifter’s face.
Cartilage crunches, and he swears, letting me go.
The hunters all leap at once, and I vaguely register a shadow dimming the light at the doorway, but I don’t have time to worry about more opponents.
My beast pushes forward, lending me her claws and her strength.
Fur flys, and snarls fill the air. My teeth sink into flesh, and blood splatters.
Pain slices down my side, but I brush it off.
I pull up enough magic to shoot a fire spell, and a delightful yelp reaches my ears as my power hits its mark.
I whirl and duck and punch and claw, letting out my rage.
I grab onto hair and yank down as I bring my knee up.
The cougar shifter thuds to the floor and doesn’t move beyond shallow breaths.
I grab the female hunter by her arm, yank her towards me, and headbutt her.
She grunts, and I cackle as I push her back, giving myself room to spin and land a perfect kick to the side of her face.
She crumples, so I spin, bearing fangs and claws at the remaining hunters only to see one running for the door.
Before he gets far, he skids to a stop, and I just now realize why.
Malik stands in the doorway, arms crossed, shoulder braced against the jamb. How long has he been there? By the heated look in his eyes, I realize he was the shadow that blocked the light earlier. He must have seen the shifter grab me and followed. But he didn’t jump in. He didn’t go all alpha.
Malik pushes off the doorjamb and stalks into the room.
His eyes bore into me, and the hunter confuses his focus on me for distraction and tries to flee once more.
Malik snaps out an arm without breaking eye contact with me and grabs the hunter by his throat.
The hunter gasps, clinging to Malik’s wrist as he’s lifted to his toes then completely off the floor.
Slowly, Malik tears his gaze from me and looks at the hunter dangling from his grip.
The hunter struggles, clawing and kicking. “Please, don’t.”
“If she had begged like that, would you have spared her?” Malik’s quiet response is more terrifying than if he’d yelled. The hunter’s eyes dart to me, but Malik squeezes his throat, bringing his attention back to him. “Well?”
The only other hunter still standing growls. “You had to ruin everything.”
Malik drops the squirming hunter who is quick to back away, clutching his throat.
The still-growling hunter clenches his hands and says, “She started it. She stabbed Leonora. We serve our goddess still, and we won’t let this female go unpunished.
” Malik’s stare is icy, but he doesn’t speak.
Unfortunately for the hunter, he opens his mouth and continues.
“You talk a big game, Malik, but we see through all your posturing and so-called virtue, and we don’t care that she’s your mate or whatever.
Besides, you must mean more to her than she does to you.
” The corners of Malik’s eyes flinch at the barb, and the hunter catches it and smirks.
“She fought for a clan that isn’t hers, a cause that didn’t affect her, and a mate that didn’t care enough to claim her.
And all you do for her in return is … what? ”
My beast crouches with a growl. “This asshole!”
I storm to the hunter, the other one quickly backing up with hands raised, exposing the bruising along his neck.
With a snarl, I get right in the other hunter’s face.
My cheeks grow hot with my anger, and I’m sure I’m flushed as I hiss, “Our relationship is none of your fucking business.” I have so much more to say, but my rage-fueled words fill me to the point that I’m choking on them, so I lash out physically instead.
My hand slams into his throat, crushing his windpipe.
He gags, trying to breathe, and while he’s bent over, I drive my knee into his face.
The shifter collapses, and I turn my glare to the final hunter.
He raises his hands even higher, backing up another few steps, his wide-eyed gaze snapping between Malik and me.
With a sigh, all the fight leaves me, leaving behind bone-deep exhaustion. I jerk my head towards the door. “Get out of here and do something actually helpful for your clan. Heal those who need it. Keep them calm. Be a leader. That’s what you hunters are supposed to do, right?”
He blinks at me then darts a quick glance to Malik whose expression doesn’t change. The hunter looks back at me, his eyes assessing before he presses his lips into a hard line, but he nods and quickly leaves .
Malik turns, heading towards the door as well, and I panic, not wanting him to leave now that we’ve found ourselves alone.
His hand grabs the edge of the door, and I say, “Malik.” His fingers tighten on the wood, and my shoulders hunch, but I force myself to ask, “Can we talk?” When he doesn’t move, I take a step towards him, unwilling to let the hunter’s words come between us.
My alpha has a well of guilt that runs deep, and I can’t let him continue to drown.
“I know now’s not the best time and that you have a million things you feel you need to do, but?—”
He pushes the door closed, and I swallow as he glows with his power.
There’s an audible click as he locks the door both physically and magically.
When Malik finally turns around, his eyes burn gold, and I nearly melt on the spot.
He stalks me like the panther he is, stepping over the unconscious hunters, and I stand still, his willing prey.
Black spots spread over his brown skin, highlighting the cuts of his muscles.
His long tail swishes behind him, and I shiver at the look of pure longing in his eyes.
His voice rumbles, going straight to my throbbing clit as he says, “We’ll talk later.”
I lick my suddenly dry lips, and his gaze follows the motion. I nod and manage to whisper, “Okay.”
The heat of his palm slams against my throat, and I gasp as he backs me up. My breath whooshes out of me as I hit the wall, and I can’t help the little smirk that comes to my mouth. “This reminds me of the first time we met.”
He growls, the front of his body pressing against mine. His nose nearly brushes my cheek as he says, “Things are different now.”
I grab his wrist with both hands, and he leans back enough to look into my eyes. I lift my chin, swallowing around his grip. “I will never ask you to give more than you are able to.”
His eyes search mine. “And if I want to give you everything?”
My stomach flips, and my beast purrs for our mate. “Then I will do my best to keep your everything safe.”
He groans, and I sag against the wall, weak in the knees, but my mate holds up me up as he rasps out, “Fuck, Amri.”
His mouth crashes to mine, and a new powerful surge of adrenaline floods my body. Everywhere he touches turns to fire and need and starlight. This. This is what I needed. Not the anger, not the rush of one more fight, not the satisfaction of fists slamming into flesh. This. Him. My mate. Malik.