“You couldn’t be weak even if you wanted to,” he said with a small smile, and Sally felt her shoulders relax just a bit.
“I love you.” She pulled him tightly against her.
“I love you more.” His rich, deep voice reached inside of her and warmed every cold place. She knew, as long as they were together, they could face anything. Just as she was about to tell him that very thing, Costin suddenly grabbed her around the waist and stepped back from the alcove while pushing her behind him at the same time.
Sally turned to find Titus. She hurried over to him just as she heard the door open. Sally stood directly in front of Titus with her hand behind her on his back pressing him to her as she glared at the three men who had stepped in. She could see fangs protruding from their ridiculous grins: vampires. Costin stood with his feet apart and his arms folded across his chest.
The male in the center, who appeared to be the one in charge, took a deep breath through his nose and then closed his eyes and let out a low, sensual hum. “I can smell your female’s lust,” the man growled. “It’s delicious.”
It had been awhile since Sally had wanted the floor to open up and swallow her, but she definitely wanted it to now.
“I don’t fault you for noticing. And I agree it is delicious and all mine,” Costin practically purred.
“Umm, do you think maybe we could talk about something else!” Sally snapped through the bond.
“I’m not going to lie, and they’re just trying to get a rise out of me. They want me to react to them. I won’t give them the pleasure. Unless they attempt to take you or touch you or our son. Then I will gladly rip their hearts out.”
He was definitely not as calm as he looked.
“Did you three come just to sniff my female, or is there another reason you’ve graced us with your bloodsucking presence?” Costin asked.
Two of the males hissed, obviously offended at the bloodsucking comment. Sally didn’t understand why they would be offended by something that was the truth. They did suck blood. But whatever.
“We’ve come to get your female,” the middle vampire said. “Ludcarab wants to speak with her.”
Sally swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. She’d just been returned. She wasn’t ready to go back and wasn’t going to go back. She’d somehow convinced herself that they could escape, and she wouldn’t have to face that horror again. And if that wasn’t the case, then she’d convinced herself that she’d be ready. She’d have some time to prepare herself and shore up her defenses. She’d been foolish. The enemy didn’t cater to its captor’s needs or wishes. Not that Alston had asked.
“My female is not leaving this room without me or our son. Period,” he said in a very calm, too calm, tone.
“Do you really think you can take three of us on and protect your pup?” the vampire on the right asked.
“Would you like to find out?” her mate asked with a feral grin.
Sally had seen her mate fight. She’d seen him rip four werewolves apart in a matter of minutes. She had no doubt Costin could take the three vampires on and keep her and Titus safe. Her mate was a badass.
“Your confidence in me is a turn on,” she heard him say in her mind.
“Less being turned on and more focusing on the three hissing vamps, please.” Sally huffed, giving him a mental eye roll.
Costin’s head snapped to the left as one of the vampires lunged for him. Sally pushed Titus back as Costin reached out a hand that was suddenly sporting very long, very sharp claws. He slammed his hand into the vampires chest. When he retracted it, there was a bloody heart squeezed tight within his grasp. Well, that was gross. Sally tried to keep Titus from looking around her.
Costin dropped the heart to the ground as the vampire's body crumbled beside it. Her mate snarled at the two remaining vampires. “Tell Ludcarab he can come here. You are not taking my mate away from me.”
Whatever they saw in Costin’s eyes, it must have given them pause because they both backed toward the door. “Your days are numbered,” the vampire on the right said.
The leader vamp hissed at his companion. “We can’t kill him, dumbass. Do you know nothing of werewolf bonds? If he dies, she dies.