Yannis’s eyes burned red when he spun toward Lucien. He braced himself for Yannis’s attack as Logan lifted an abandoned sword from the ground. He didn’t get the chance to use the weapon as another Savage tackled him from behind.
Declan, Willow, and Saber were only twenty feet away and closing in, but that thing kept its focus on Willow. Lucien felt the hate radiating from the creature’s white-blue eyes as it stalked her every move.
Possessing the sword had made her a target, but Lucien sensed something more happening as he recalled the creature lifting its hand. It had expected the sword to return to it. Whatever that weapon was, it was powerful, and the demon believed it would respond to him.
It wanted the weapon back, but it didn’t seem willing to confront Willow to get it as it didn’t go after her. Did that mean the blade would work against the demons like it worked on Savages? Lucien was eager to learn the answer, but he didn’t know if they would get the opportunity to find out.
His attention shifted back to Yannis as his brother came at them again. This time, he didn’t try to avoid Lucien but hobbled as he ran at him with his fangs bared while snarling like an irate lion.
Lucien braced himself for the attack, but he still didn’t dare remove his wrist from Callie’s mouth. He gripped the blade and shifted it as he grinned at his brother.
He didn’t want Yannis anywhere near Callie. Yannis lunged at him, but at the last second, he spun toward the right to avoid the sword Lucien swung at him.
Yannis came down near Callie’s head, and clasping his hands together, he lifted them over his head as he prepared to hammer them into Callie’s face. Lucien threw himself forward to take the blow. The blow cracked a rib and caused his breath to erupt out of his lungs. He was trying to draw in more air when he plunged the sword into Yannis’s thigh.
Lucien twisted the blade and dragged it down to slice open flesh and rend muscle as it scraped against Yannis’s bone. Yannis lashed out with a punch that connected with the side of Lucien’s face. The blow shot his head back as blood rushed into his mouth.
Before Lucien could fully recover, Yannis lurched forward and, enclosing his fingers around Lucien’s neck, squeezed as they tumbled back. Lucien’s wrist almost fell away from Callie’s mouth, but he somehow managed to keep it in place as Yannis landed on top of him.
Lucien lifted his free arm and pressed it against the side of Yannis’s face to push it away. Yannis twisted his head and sank his fangs into Lucien’s arm; Lucien welcomed the rush of pain as he shoved his brother back and smashed him into the ground.
Sprawled out on his back, he hooked one of his legs around Yannis’s as he strained to keep his brother pinned to the ground. Yannis wasn’t having it as he squirmed until he broke free of Lucien’s hold.
When Lucien twisted to the side, he felt a blade slicing open his skin. Yannis had pulled the sword free and was seeking to embed it inside him. Then he changed tactics and lunged for Callie.
No!
The word exploded inside his head as cold terror suffused him. Nothing would save her if Yannis severed her head from her shoulders or hacked out her heart. Lucien didn’t care what he had to do; he would stop that from happening.
Unable to keep his wrist against her mouth while defending her from Yannis, Lucien threw up his forearm. His arm crashed against Yannis’s. As he stopped his brother from stabbing her, he yanked his wrist free and punched Yannis in the temple. The blow threw his brother back a few feet, and Lucien scrambled up.
Gathering Callie in his arms, he tried to keep her protected while searching for the blade he’d used to slice his wrist, but it was missing. Giving up on locating the weapon, he bit deep into his wrist.
Red and black color swirled through his flesh as his blood spilled free. He cradled her in his arms as he pressed his wrist to her mouth again. Looking around, he saw the same red and black color swirling through Killean, Declan, and Willow as they continued to battle the Savages.
Simone had broken free of her captors and was sprinting toward them. She fell in front of him and reached for Callie. When he jerked Callie away from her, Simone’s hand remained hanging in the air between them.
“Let me help,” Simone said. “She already has my blood, Lucien. Let me help her.”
Lucien almost told her to get away from them, but he couldn’t say that to Killean’s mate, and Yannis was already regaining his feet. He couldn’t protect Callie while fending off his brother, especially as more Savages approached and that demon was still tracking Willow’s every move.
Lucien reluctantly released Callie to her. This was not the way his love was supposed to have turned. It was supposed to be a private moment between them. One in which he made sure she felt safe and loved while he claimed her. And now he wasn’t sure if she would ever wake again.
His fangs throbbed as his skin pulsed and swirled with color. This was never supposed to happen to Callie, but he couldn’t change it. He could, however, ensure the one who did this to her never lived to see another day.
Chapter Forty-Three
Yannis swung out with his blade. The tip of it sliced across Lucien’s nose, spilling his blood as he positioned himself protectively in front of Callie and Simone. Logan and Asher circled them as Killean dispatched two Savages.
Lucien lunged forward and tackled Yannis around the waist. He threw his brother onto the ground while Yannis’s hands came down. The blade embedded in the flesh and muscle of Lucien’s lower back before Yannis twisted it.
Lucien wrapped his fingers around his brother’s throat and squeezed. Yannis battered the side of his face as Lucien shoved his thumbs up and under his brother’s chin. His thumbs, pushing into the flesh, drew blood as he dug deeper.
Yannis squirmed beneath him while his punches battered Lucien’s head and shoulders. Lucien heard the crack of his cheekbone when it gave way beneath the fierce onslaught, but he didn’t feel it.
The putrid scent of his brother’s blood filled his nostrils as it spilled from his chin and poured down Lucien’s hands. Yannis’s fingers hooked into claws, and he raked them down Lucien’s face. He nearly took out an eyeball as he ripped away flesh.
Lucien only clutched harder and dug deeper. With a wet, tearing sound, muscle gave way, and blood slicked his hands to the point where he could barely hold on. However, he didn’t let go as he succeeded in tearing his brother’s head away.
A shout of triumph tore from him as he lifted the decapitated head and smacked it off the ground. Feeling more monster than man, he turned his attention toward the demon and remaining Savages who were closing in on Willow, Declan, and Saber.
He glanced back to make sure Callie was protected. He discovered that Killean had joined Simone; Killean now held Callie in his arms. Asher had the back door of one of the SUVs open while he gestured for Killean to hurry.
Killean slid Callie into the back of the SUV. Simone scrambled in behind her, and Killean closed the door. He, Logan, and Asher encircled the vehicle. Lucien wanted to join them, but there weren’t many Savages around them, and the others were in trouble.
Keeping hold of his brother’s head, Lucien pulled the sword from his back. He used it to carve his way through the Savages and toward the demon. The creature had to know he was coming; Lucien didn’t kid himself into thinking that because it couldn’t see him, it wasn’t aware of his presence.