Chapter 3

Elek

Blood pounds in my ears as I squeeze tighter against Sandor's throat. The amber tint to his eyes is fading as the silver from the blade seeps into his bloodstream. It's weakening him enough that he can't fight back, like Kiara couldn't. The thought of his filthy paws anywhere near our mate makes me and my beast murderous. My fangs descend, and I want nothing more than to rip out his throat, but Farkas needs to know he can't touch what belongs to us. Then I'm hit with a better idea.

"Which one?" I snarl at him.

"Fuck you," Sandor growls back as he attempts to escape, but I keep him pinned to the window by the tip of my silver blade and my hand around his throat.

I can smell her blood all over him, and I'm cursing myself. If I hadn't left the bookstore to check in with István, he wouldn't have had the chance to touch a single hair on her head. I knew we should have taken her the first night we arrived instead of waiting to see if Natália would show up and cause a scene.

I'm lucky I arrived when I did. A few minutes later, and he would have taken her to who knows where. That thought has me seeing red all over again.

"Guess I get to pick then." I smirk and grab the hand he had around my mate's throat. The scent of her blood is all over his claws. I rip it off and hold it up for him to see as I lick the blood of my mate off his fingers.

"She tastes like candy." I smirk. "At least you didn't taint her sweetness with your filth."

His shouts of agony are like a symphony to my ears. I'd rip him apart piece by piece until he's nothing but a bloody stump to listen to him scream like that some more if I didn't need him to run back to his pack and send a message.

"She'll soon be more than that. Once she gives Farkas his heir, the prophecy will be complete, and he'll give her to the rest of us to play with. We'll fuck her good and hard like the bitch she is."

"What makes you think we'll allow you to get anywhere near her?" My incisors ache to be set free. To rip the flesh from his neck and feast on his entrails. No one touches what is ours and gets away unscathed.

"We did tonight." He smirks and licks his lips.

"Tonight was a fluke. It won't happen again." I'll make sure of it.

"Oh, it will. We'll take her and fuck her in every hole she has until we tear her apart from the inside out." His eyes glow as he taunts me.

"Shut the fuck up." My fist slams into his face, and bone crunches under my fist, but it isn't enough. The urge to kill and feed overrides my senses, but this mutt needs to know his place. "You won't touch a single hair on her head."

"If you're going to kill me, vérszívó, get it over with." His tongue darts out to swipe at his bloody lip as he pants. The silver from my blade is making its way into his bloodstream and polluting his system. I leave it there much longer, and he'll be nothing more than a rotting corpse. It is a tempting thought, but I'm not quite finished with him yet.

"Relax. I'm not going to kill you, kutya." I tap his cheek with the hand I just took from him. "You're going to return to your alpha and deliver him a message for me."

"What makes you think I'll ever tell him anything you have to say?"

"Because if anything, Sandor, you're an obedient little mutt. And Farkas will kill you if you come back empty-handed. We both know it." I shrug.

"Fuck you, vérszívó." He spits a mixture of saliva and blood at my feet.

"That is the second time you've called me a bloodsucker in a matter of minutes. Considering I took your hand, I'll let those two slide. Do it again, and I'll remove more than that."

He opens his mouth to say something that will probably piss me off more, and I'm in no mood for it.

"Shut up and pay attention." I slam him back up against the window, causing him to release a grunt of pain. "You're going to tell him that he's too late. We found what is rightfully ours. And we will fulfill our prophecy. Earth, wind, and fire will be reunited once more. We'll walk among the sun again with our powers fully restored, and when we do, we're coming for every last one of you."

He snarls and lashes out a claw with the only paw he has left, but I move out of the way before he can make contact.

"You're pathetic and weak, Sandor." I slap him in the face with his own hand once more. "Now run along like a good pet and tell your master."

His amber eyes watch my every move, probably wondering if I'll sever another limb. I'm not going to lie. The thought did cross my mind.

When he realizes I'm letting him go, he grabs his bloody shoulder and does as he's told. Halfway across the road, he spins to face me and shouts over his shoulder, "If you think he won't come for her, you're wrong. She's ours. She will always be ours."

A blade punches through his chest from the backside, shoving his still-beating heart out of the front cavity of his chest as a familiar voice says, "I think not."

"Mátyás, he had a message to deliver." I roll my eyes at my mate. Sometimes, he ruins my plans.

"He can still send it from the grave." He removes his blade and lets Sandor's corpse fall to the ground in a limp heap. Blood drips down the sword's blade, but he wipes it clean against his black shirt. The Turul tattooed on his cheek shines against the moonlight, drawing attention to the falcon-like body as he grins. Splatters of blood decorate his shoulder-length brown hair. "This way, he won't be a nuisance hanging over our heads."

"Point taken." I hate it when he's right.

"Where is she?" His gaze darts around the deserted walkway, landing on the dead witch. An unfortunate casualty that couldn't be helped.

"She was right there." I point to the empty spot on the ground that is still decorated with her blood, and my gut tightens.

He sniffs the air, scenting for her as his jade-green eyes glow. "She ran down the alley where the others are."

"Shit." We shoot each other a look and take off at superhuman speed.

When we reach the opening, the battle is still in full force. It's a chaos of blood and death—vampires versus Lycans. The protection shield is the only thing keeping it hidden from the humans. They live in ignorance of our existence, and we prefer to keep it that way. The last thing we want to do is face the wrath of Samael.

"There." Mátyás points as we race to get to her, but we aren't fast enough. One of the Lycans reaches out and slashes at her with his claws. She goes down and hits her head on the asphalt. The impact knocks her out cold.

"I've got him. You take care of her." Mátyás doesn't spare me a glance as he does what he does best—let his beast out to play and rain down death and destruction to protect our own. He slithers his way through the crowd, leaving body parts in his wake.

When I reach Kiara, I check her over for any serious injuries. Besides a few scrapes and bruises, there's nothing too serious. The rest can heal when we're back inside the safety of the castle.

Her head falls to the side, revealing the bloodstone against her chest. The stone glows a vibrant red, signifying that it's found its home. That we are about to be reunited in this life and for the rest of eternity.

I cradle her in my arms, inhaling her cinnamon scent. The faint beat of her heart thumps against my chest, settling something deep down inside of me. We've finally found our missing piece. "Let's take you home."