way. A yeti’s roar made someone screech. Cole lumbered out into the field.
Charity struck forward with her sword, the feeling natural, the choice terrible. Devon dodged and lunged, his teeth clamping down on her sword arm, although not hard enough to break skin. She cursed and dropped the sword, blasting him with barely controlled magic. Only then did those around her come to her aid, swirling their magic around hers. Calming it. But not quelling it. Keeping it vibrant for battle.
Someone out here still knew what warrior blood ran through their veins.
Devon flew through the air, not having moved fast enough to extinguish the spark she’d sent at him. She picked up the sword with her left hand. It felt just as comfortable in her non-dominant hand. Just as dangerous.
With a manic grin, she charged, seeing the shifters spread out behind Devon, stopped in their advance by Steve. The fae, as well—a huge crowd now but kept to the sidelines so Devon and she could battle.
She slashed at Devon, a dummy attack, and sent a spark at his other side. He bit into it, and she lunged. Her blunt sword tip grazed his side.
He took the hit, that wound in real life hurting, but the pain didn’t stop him. He’d fought through much worse. He kept on coming.
She pulled her sword back, getting into position for a strike, but he was already on her. He slammed into her chest, taking her down a second time. This time, though, his weight was centered. His teeth closed around her throat.
He was badly wounded and missing a hand, but he’d claimed the fight.
A proud smile lit her face. Heat licked her core. It had been a good fight. Next time, she’d take him, she’d make sure of it.
But now…she wanted him to take her.
“Take me to bed,” she said in a husky voice.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Devon wasted no time. He rose and picked her up, hugging her tightly to his chest. They’d fought for dominance what seemed like a million times, sometimes with words, sometimes with fists, but it had always been about finding balance with each other, establishing their places in each other’s lives.
It had never felt like that.
That had been…
Words couldn’t express it. Saying he felt like an alpha didn’t do this sensation justice. He felt like a god. And he knew that, without her, he never would’ve risen to this level. He’d bested power even Vlad couldn’t touch. Power that had the entire field of warrior fae gawking.
And now, as he looked into her eyes, and saw her pride in him…
He felt like a man.
Halvor and the Second stood slightly removed from everyone else in the field. Devon didn’t know how much of the sparring they’d seen, but judging by their postures and the smug delight in the Second’s eyes, they’d seen enough to know Charity had something special. Something even a full-blooded fae didn’t have. Moreover, she knew how to use it in battle. Not just on this field with their fake swords and useless competitions—she could rise from near death, in a haze, and still fight demons to save her pack. She was magnificent, and now they knew.
One day soon, they’d tell him his time was up. That he was of no more use, and could return to his life. One day soon, he’d have to face reality.
Today was not that day.
He strode by them without a word.
“You are on the road to greatness,” the Red Prophet shouted, crouching at the base of a large tree at the edge of the field. Her shock of red hair stood around her head like she’d stuck her finger in an electrical socket. “First stop, Bang Train!”
“She is a nut,” Charity murmured as she ran her lips up Devon’s neck. “And you need a shower.”
“I’d love a shower.”
Even with Charity cradled in his arms, the women they passed looked at him with inviting stares. They were very open in their sexuality, and almost aggressively open in their desire to bed a shifter. He found it harder to ignore the complete lack of regard from the men, who smiled and nodded at Charity, then looked away as though she were being carried by a donkey. Except on the battle yard or in meaningless sexual conquests, it seemed the fae were consciously trying to ignore the shifters and their obvious curiosity regarding shifter magic. It was almost like they’d been told the ways they could intermingle, but outside of that, shifter interaction was forbidden.
Something he