it to work, but his body shifts as he turns slightly to look at me. He’s still angled to protect me from the others, but I take a step to move into the gap.
“Vaeril,” I call as my eyes land on him at the same moment he sees me. Eldrin throws out his arm to block me from moving any farther forward, and at the same time, Vaeril surges forward.
The two of them collide like a clash of boulders, the sudden movement causing Eldrin’s arm to knock me backwards. Had I been more prepared, I could have stepped out of the way or absorbed the hit. However, it completely takes me by surprise and knocks me off my feet, and my head slams against the wall behind me. My vision blanks for a second, the pain radiating through my skull as it takes my breath away.
“She’s. Mine!” I can hear Vaeril hissing and the sounds of grunting. My vision clears, and I see the two of them grappling. Vaeril is trying to get around the larger elf to reach me. There’s now a gap between them, so Naril slips past and kneels at my side. I notice he’s very careful not to touch me and positions himself so his back isn’t to the elves.
“Are you okay?” he asks in a low voice, genuine concern flashing in his gaze. Nodding, I close my eyes as the world tilts and pain flares again. Gently, I place my hand on the tender part of my scalp, only to grimace at the damp patch I find there. I know when I pull my hand away, I’m going to see blood. Naril curses when he sees the red coating my fingers.
“Eldrin!” he yells, glaring at his brother’s back. “He can probably smell her blood. Let him past, you’re making him worse by keeping her from him.” His scolding seems to do the trick, and both of them pause as they turn to me, their eyes narrowing on my blood-covered hand.
“She’s bleeding?” Eldrin shouts, his eyes wild for a second. Vaeril uses his distraction to race to my side, glaring at his friend kneeling beside me.
“Move,” Vaeril orders, and to my surprise, he does. Staring down at me for a second, I can see his shoulders moving as he tries to calm his breathing, his hands clenching and unclenching as he works to control himself.
“What in the Mother is going on?” I query quietly, not taking my eyes from the elf before me. Naril is hovering just behind him, and I get the impression he’s ready to step in if necessary. Eldrin is silent now, but I can feel his presence and heavy gaze from the other side of the room.
“It seems like Eldrin set off Vaeril’s protective instincts,” Naril explains with a carefully neutral tone.
Frowning, I mull over what he just told me. His explanation doesn’t make sense to me. “Then why was Eldrin trying to protect me if that’s all Vaeril was trying to do?”
“That’s what I want to know,” he comments, and I quickly pull my eyes away from Vaeril to glance at Naril, who’s got his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed on his brother. “Fae, elves in particular, are very territorial and protective of their mates, both fated and otherwise.” Although he’s still explaining everything to me, he doesn’t turn from his twin.
“I thought Vaeril might hurt her. I was protecting her.” Eldrin’s response comes quickly, defensively, and even I don’t accept his excuse. When I turn to watch him, our eyes lock, and I have to pull my gaze away from his face because the intensity in his eyes is too much. His body is practically trembling with tension, and I know he’s forcing himself to stay put.
Vaeril growls slightly above me, and I immediately turn to look up at him, seeing his face lined with tension. “Keep looking at me,” he instructs, but his voice is losing the sharp edge and starting to sound more like the Vaeril I know.
“That wasn’t normal, and you know it,” Naril continues, practically glaring at his brother now. “That was mating level protection.” His voice is accusatory, and I realise he sounds hurt, like Eldrin had been keeping something from him.
“I would never hurt her,” Vaeril snarls again, his control wavering for a second. Taking a few steady breaths, he rolls his shoulders and straightens his back. “Besides, you were the one who caused her to bleed,” he growls, his eyes