they can flex their muscle and control you from across the ocean.”
“Traitor! The Ministry is going to have your head,” Mara screeched. She started to launch herself at Ronan, her hands outstretched with fingers curved into claws, but stopped suddenly.
Everyone stopped when a long blade seemed to slice right through the air between them and turn toward Mara.
“What magic?” she breathed in horror.
The blade was quickly followed by the rest of Winter and his mate, Fox. Grabbing Ronan’s arm, the witch pushed Ronan backward, putting more space between him and Mara, while Winter turned the blade on the woman currently seething at them all.
Ronan risked a glance over at Aiden to find that he was now standing, a look of barely controlled rage digging lines into his face. Marcus had stepped closer to his father, looking more than ready to jump into the fight.
“Just stay back here with me,” Fox whispered. The witch waved his hand in front of both of them, and Ronan swore there was a new tingle of energy in the air. Something shimmered in front of him. He reached out and touched the electric blue film.
Fox shivered and smacked his hand. “Don’t touch it. It doesn’t feel good.”
“Sorry,” Ronan murmured, turning his attention to where Winter was holding Mara and Michael at bay. His mind was absolutely spinning. Winter and Fox had been there the entire time. They jumped in to save him. He could have handled Mara and Michael with little problem, but the fact that they’d acted to protect him was…well, it was confusing and kind of wonderful.
“How dare you threaten us! I’m an emissary of the European Ministry. I—” Mara shouted but Aiden cut her off.
“You are nothing here!” Aiden roared. “The European Ministry has no power here. You are permitted to be here by my tolerance, and after you attempted to shed blood in my office, in my domain, without my permission, my tolerance is at an end.”
“You have no idea the power the European Ministry wields,” Mara hissed.
Aiden chuckled. “You have twelve hours to safely leave my lands and return to the Ministry. The clock is ticking. Do not test me.”
Mara glared at Aiden for a couple of seconds before turning her ire on Ronan. “The Ministry will have your head for this betrayal. You swore your allegiance to the European Ministry.”
Ronan snorted. “There was no oath. I’m a paid sword. I’ve always been a paid sword for them. They knew how far my loyalty ran.”
Mara tried to take a step closer, but Winter was right there in front of her, his grin growing wider and more wicked, as if he were taunting her.
With a final huff, Mara spun around and marched to the door that opened as she reached for it. On the other side stood a lethal-looking woman and a man who was both taller and wider than Michael.
“Lola, Ryder, please escort our guests from my property. See that they return directly to their hotel,” Aiden instructed. His glare turned on Ronan, and Ronan’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. “I will see to the final member of the envoy.”
A frown pulled at the corners of Ronan’s mouth, but he forced down his growing worries. That didn’t sound promising at all for him, but at least Aiden knew the kind of danger he clearly faced. Keeping Aiden safe was the only thing that mattered to him.
Chapter Twelve
Aiden watched as Lola and Ryder escorted the emissaries from his home. Rage boiled in him at the audacity of the woman, of the European Ministry. They thought that he could be manipulated. That he would dare bow to the wishes of the European Ministry and place his family in danger.
And then Ronan risked his life like that. It was all too much for him to hold together.
Marcus rushed around the desk to close the door while everyone remained perfectly still as if they were holding their breath. The second it closed, his family released the air trapped in their lungs. Winter shoved his knife into its holder and grinned at his mate.
“Excellent job, babe,” he said.
Fox dropped the protective shield and left Ronan to wrap his arms around his vampire’s waist. “That was pretty smooth, wasn’t it? Idiot there needs to learn not to touch the shield. Sends feedback through my fingers,” he complained with a jerk of his head toward Ronan.
Ronan looked like he wanted to argue, but Aiden couldn’t hold in his anger and frustration a second longer. When Mara