Then she leaped at Poppy, like a sprinter off the blocks.
Oh, God.
Poppy threw herself sideways. Candela’s metal claws bit into Poppy’s legs.
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill him.” She raised her claws and aimed at Poppy’s face.
Poppy growled. She was no one’s prey or victim.
She whipped her own claws up and slashed at Candela’s face.
The warlord screamed and rolled away, her face bleeding.
Brodin slammed into her. He grabbed Candela’s neck and lifted her off the ground.
She seemed strangely calm for someone staring at a terrifying, fierce, part-man, part-wolf.
Then Poppy saw Candela’s hand slide into her pocket.
Poppy frowned. “Brodin, she’s reaching for something!”
She lifted a vial of green fluid. She smashed it against Brodin’s chest.
Poppy smelled the horrid scent. Brodin dropped Candela and staggered back, clawing at his throat.
His eyes were bleeding to black.
The Damari poison. No.
Candela laughed wildly. Poppy was so sick of this bitch laughing.
“It’s a concentrated dose. Thirty times stronger.” Candela’s eyes met Poppy’s. “Not even you will be able to calm him.”
Poppy’s gut curdled, her chest hitched.
No. No. No.
Brodin’s muscles rolled under his skin, and he got even bigger. His claws grew impossibly long, and jagged fangs grew out of his mouth. The bones in his face changed to a nightmarish meld of wolf and man.
Every muscle strained, quivering.
He was fighting it. Or trying to.
He threw his head back and howled.
Anger punched through Poppy. Brodin fought hard for his people. He had built a world, a community, and ensured his people didn’t surrender to their animal half. All Candela did was destroy.
With a howl of her own, Poppy jumped on the warlord and knocked her to the ground. She sank her claws into Candela’s shoulder. The warlord fought and twisted, but Poppy used all her strength.
Then the nightmare version of Brodin dropped down beside them.
Poppy froze. He sniffed her, those black eyes showing no recognition.
He sniffed Candela and snarled.
Brodin was still in there, somewhere.
“Help me,” Poppy said.
That black gaze met hers, then he pinned Candela’s shoulders down.
“He’ll kill you,” Candela spat. “He’ll lose control, then slice you open and eat your innards.”
“Shut up.” Poppy rammed her claws into Candela’s chest.
The warlord jerked, but Brodin growled and held her.
Poppy twisted her claws.
Blood spilled from Candela’s mouth. “You will…be dead too. He’ll kill you.”
“Just die, damn you.” Poppy leaned all her weight forward.
A second later, Candela jerked and coughed. Then she went still, her single eye frozen open.
Panting, Poppy pulled her claws free.
God.
Hot breath brushed against the back of her neck, and she heard a low growl.
Everything inside her froze.
She slowly turned.
She was inches away from the nightmare monster with black eyes.
She couldn’t see Brodin in them anywhere.
“Brodin, it’s Poppy.”
He growled again.
“Fight it, please.” She tried to emanate calm, but it didn’t seem to be having any effect on him. “You know me. Poppy. You’re Brodin. The Emperor of Damar.”
He cocked his head.
Suddenly, she rose, and he did, too. When she stepped back, he tensed.
Then his gaze tracked to the side. She followed, and saw Annora and Thadd crouched at the edge of the machine.
Annora’s hair was loose, Thadd’s chest was streaked with blood.
“She infected him,” Poppy said.
Brodin snarled.
“Come this way slowly,” Annora said.
Poppy shook her head. “We have to help him.”
Brodin whirled and grabbed her. She let out a squeak, and he lifted her off her feet and yanked her up.
He growled in her face.
Fear threatened to take over her mind. “Brodin, please.”
“Poppy, there are more Zhylaw cats on the way,” Annora said. “They are starting to climb the machine.”
“Go,” Poppy said.
“No, we—”
“Go. I’ll be fine.” She didn’t take her gaze off Brodin’s.
She sensed Annora and Thadd move away.
“Come back to me, Brodin. I love you. It’s crazy. I crashed on the other side of the galaxy and fell in love with an alien, shapeshifter king. The way you look at me… No one’s looked at me like that before.” Her voice cracked. “Please look at me like that again.”
He glared at her. Then he set her down.
She pulled in a breath. “Brodin —”
His big body jerked, and he made an angry, pained sound. His veins bulged.
The black in his eyes was churning. His head bowed.
“Brodin,” she whispered. She wanted to help him.
She reached for him, and his head whipped up, fierce. He moved—
And rammed his claws into her belly.
For a second, there was no pain, and she just stared at him in shock.
Chapter Eighteen
He smelled fresh blood.
Wild, violent urges hammered through him.
The tiny prey in front of him blinked up at him. Some part of him, buried deep, tried to push free.
He growled. The blood smelled so good. He wanted to hunt, fight, and win.
“It’s okay, Brodin.” His prey pulled in a shaky breath. “I love you.” She gave him a sad smile. “Even if I don’t get…to be with you, I’ll always love you.” A trickle of blood came out of the corner of her mouth. “Don’t blame yourself, my gorgeous wolf. Promise me that.”
Her blue eyes—steady, shining with intelligence—stayed locked on his.
“I love you.”
He cocked his head, couldn’t look away. He felt a warmth growing in his chest, melting the ice. It swelled, and he growled.
Then it burst to life.
He knew what it was. The mating tie.
The connection between two mates.
He shuddered, and saw her jerk, her eyes going wide.
The violent, wild emotion storming inside him shrank away, and love washed through him. His head cleared.
“Brodin,” she whispered.
“Poppy,” he breathed. He could think again.
Then he looked down and stared at where his claws were buried in her stomach.
No. With horror, he yanked them free.
She collapsed and he caught her. He lowered her to the ground.
“Poppy. Poppy.”
“It’s…okay.”
It wasn’t. He could see the blood pooling under her. So much blood. Pain was clouding her eyes.
It wasn’t okay. Not at all.
“I hurt you.” The words ripped out of him.
She moved her hand, clumsily reaching for his.
He grabbed her fingers and held on tight.
“I love you, Brodin.”
His chest swelled. Gorr. “Poppy, I love you, too. My entire life, I’ve been groomed to lead my people, to stand between them and Zavir.”
“You’re a wonderful king. Brave, smart, steadfast.”