twitched like he was going to reach for her hands. He stopped himself. “Does it hurt?”
She hadn’t felt a thing since his scent had invaded her head. Whatever cologne he was wearing was lovely, powerful stuff. “I’m fine.”
“I could get one of the Sanguinar to look at your hands.”
“No,” she said too fast. “I mean, no sense in bothering them. I really am fine. Speedy healing, remember?”
He stared at her for a long minute. His hazel eyes surveyed her as if he was taking mental notes of her condition. She squirmed under his scrutiny, but even as she did, her skin began to warm and tingle.
This man wreaked havoc on her peace of mind. He was dangerous in the same way that playing with matches near broken gas lines was. One false move, and she knew everything she’d worked to protect would go up in flames. Kaboom.
“It’s late,” she said. “I really should go to bed.”
His pupils flared wide at her statement. She could smell a faint thread of lust trailing from him.
He wanted her.
Some deep, primal part of her woke up and stretched. A slow, steady burn started low in her belly and began to spread.
Lyka stumbled away from him, nearly falling over her own feet. “You should go now.”
His mouth flattened and his wide shoulders seemed to droop. “Are you sure you don’t need a guardian to keep you from hurting yourself?”
“All I need is some time alone. Please go.” Before I change my mind.
He nodded once. “Sweet dreams, kitten. Try not to ruin the furniture with those claws.”
It was all she could do not to purr at the way his deep voice stroked across her senses.
A second later, his phone rang, playing an old Duran Duran tune.
Instantly, he went on alert, heading for the door as he answered the call. “What’s up?”
She could hear a man’s voice on the other end of the line. It was her brother, Andreas. She couldn’t distinguish the words, but she knew that tone. There was trouble.
“Are they on your heels now?” asked Joseph.
A string of four-letter words filled the line. Those were easy enough to hear.
Joseph shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you can’t come here. We have too many humans to protect, not to mention several pregnant Theronai women. We can’t risk their safety. You know that.”
Andreas’s tinny voice rose as he issued commands to whoever was with him. Then he spoke again to Joseph, and the Theronai’s face went pale.
“You brought her with you?” asked Joseph. “Is she hurt?”
Her brother said something else, and she could see Joseph’s mind change before her eyes. Whatever Andreas had told him was bad news all the way through.
“I get it. You’re coming in hot. We’ll be ready. Just hang on.” Joseph hung up, turning to her as he pressed buttons on his phone.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Trouble. You stay here, understand?”
She didn’t so much as nod. Instead, she stood there, her face blank, letting him interpret that as he wanted. Whatever got him out of her way the fastest.
The second he was out of her suite, she flung the closet door open and started strapping on leather and weapons. Her big brother was in trouble, and there wasn’t a thing Joseph or anyone else could do to stop her from going to his aid.
Chapter 5
This was so not good.
Hell was screaming Joseph’s way, and he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t even keep it out, not with his adopted daughter out there, too.
Madoc met Joseph on his way toward the gates of Dabyr. The rest of the warriors he’d summoned were on their way.
“What the fuck is going on?” asked Madoc, his perma-scowl in place.
“Andreas and his men fell under attack. I don’t know all the details, but they have several wounded men. Synestryn may be on their tail.”
“And you’re letting them come here? We’ve got pregnant fucking women here, including my wife.”
Joseph refused to let the man’s ire upset him. “I’m aware.”
“Tell him to veer off. We’ll come find him.”
“I can’t. He’s got kids with him. And Carmen. There’s no way I’m letting my daughter sit outside the walls with demons nipping at her heels.”
“We need to go intercept them,” said Madoc. “It’s too fucking dangerous to open the gates.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” said Joseph. Headlights bobbed in the distance. “Besides, it’s too late. They’re here. Now stop bitching and draw your sword.”
“Fuck!” spat Madoc, but he rolled his shoulders and drew his sword.
Joseph’s phone began singing again about hungry