Protect.
Yeah, buddy, I kind of think she’s got that one covered.
Protect.
Before I can shoot back another rebuttal three more assailants come crashing through her apartment window knocking over the falling-apart brown couch.
Ana momentarily pauses beating the elf into a bloody pulp to shriek, “They’re gonna make me pay for that, assholes!”
“Wrong takeaway,” I mumble more to myself than her.
“Secure the mate,” the being in the middle commands to the subordinate on his left. “We’ll handle the ancient dragon.”
Shift.
And destroy this shit hole? Probably not a good idea.
Shift.
I can’t.
Shift.
The damage could hurt Ana and taking this shit outside would have her out of our sight. I’m not taking any fucking risks with her.
Ana abruptly abandons the injured elf and does a barrel roll over to where his gun landed. To my surprise, she immediately fires at the approaching attacker. He’s clipped enough to be stumbled back but not enough to stop his advancing. I quickly charge his direction needing to defend my Fated Mate yet am allowed to refocus my efforts when her second shot lands between his eyebrows. Commenting on the impressive blow is swapped for us handling the other enemies. The feisty female delivers shots to the situation, doing her best to be avoid hitting me while at the very least distracting them.
Disarming the one in charge requires minimal dodging and a properly timed arm grab. I snap the appendage like the twig it is prior to using his armor-covered body as a shield. The other being has no choice but to momentarily endure a double assault – Ana from the back and me from the front – however, his evading skills are quite impressive. Sidestepping her bullets is followed swiftly by stopping my strikes and firing off a shot. The constant maneuvers turn everything into an almost awkward tango that only ceases when my Fated Mate is out of rounds. At that point, his efforts are solely on me. I toss his barely conscious boss forward, slide to one side, and grab him in a chokehold from behind. He frantically flails his arms, wrists trying to contort into a position to get off a shot yet is quickly eliminated by a single hard twist of the neck. An actual cracking sound echoes around the apartment prompting a proud smile to plant itself on my face. His body falls lifelessly to the ground, and I instantly retrieve the weapon to successfully end the lead elf’s life.
By the time I’m looking up to assess Ana, the original intruder has peeled himself off the floor to finish the job he started.
Unfortunately for me, I’m out of bullets, a fact that causes a frustrated roar to literally shake the room.
Unfortunately for him, however, my Fated Mate is evidently Athena, the Goddess of War, reincarnated given the blow she delivers to his face courtesy of a metal pot. The first strike snaps his head to the left. The next swings it back to the right. Hit three bounces his head upward and hit four back down again. I rush over to assist – a term I can’t believe I have to use lightly – yet discover I am not needed until the final strike, which is executed when he collapses face first to the ground. I pin him underneath my foot and take a partial shift. Claws on my foot promptly emerge and are twisted inward to pierce his throat. They ruthlessly latch on and yank, severing the connection of his oversized head from his stick figure body.
I kick the skull away at the same time I meet Ana’s gaze. “You’ve got skills.”
She tips her chin towards the dismembered body. “So do you.”
“I’ve had over four hundred years of fucking practice.” Folding my arms firmly across my chest, I playfully poke, “Your turn.”
“Dad was in the navy, my oldest brother is a Marine, the one under me is a part-time self-defense teacher, and my youngest is a UFC fighter. Not to mention being bullied for being poor through most of my pre-teen and teen years.” Ana tosses the dented pot into the nearby sink. “Guess you could say I’ve had a few years of practice myself.”
Astonishment shoves my jaw towards the bloody floor.
Consummate.
Fuck, I want to even more than I already did.
Forcing myself to swallow my groans easily becomes the most difficult thing I’ve done in the apartment. “You really don’t need me to protect you.”
“Nope.” Ana steps closer, bridging the gap between us. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.”
Gold’s grumbling of unhappiness transforms into a low purr of approval that I accidentally let seep free. She beams bright enough to outshine the morning sun over the sound, and I can’t resist the urge to wind my arms around her lower back to pull her to me. To have her in my grasp where I can feel she’s safe.
Where I can keep her safe.
We.
Yeah. This is definitely going to be a team effort.
When Ana doesn’t move my grip or attempt to karate chop it off, I declare, “Until we have a better handle on this growing elf infestation, it’ll be safer for you at the estate.”
“In my own room or yours?”
Ours.
Probably shouldn’t push that.
Bond.
Definitely shouldn’t fucking push that.
“Whatever you want,” I reply in spite of Gold’s objections.
Without warning, Ana grabs a fist full of my yellow polo to pull me down to where she’s lifted up on her toes. Our parted mouths are smashed together, and the invasion of her tongue is instant. Just like her, it’s feisty. Fun-loving. It spins and scampers away and sneaks back to start the lecherous cycle all over again. Chasing the slippery muscle is an all-consuming task that engages every fiber of my being. There’s contorting to a lower level. Letting my hands slip down to her ass to aid in lifting her higher. Whirling my tongue in circles to catch the carnal criminal while grinding my cock against her equally eager frame to whisper promises of what’s to come as soon as I successfully pin down my new playmate. Air becomes irrelevant. Concern for anything that isn’t hearing her whimper louder and harder nonexistent. Ancient instinct fuses with sexual hunger prompting the tips of my talons to repeatedly poke the delicate flesh in their possession.
My Fated Mate pulls back at the same speed at which she pushed herself forward.
I struggle to remember how to function, an ugly action that leaves me strangely bent with an open mouth and hooded eyes.
Oh…
Oh…I’m so fucked.
So. So. Fucked.
Her index finger gives the underside of my chin a light stroke, somehow successfully summoning my eyes open. “That’s what I wanted.”
The tone of voice that takes hold is much too dopey and sheepish to be mine. “That’s just the Leprechaun’s Breath talking.”