said.
Adaline huffed. “He will do more than that. He will tear you to pieces. Kill her,” she urged again.
Vaughn took two fast strides toward me, a growl rumbling inside his chest, though his entire body trembled, fighting against the command.
“KILL HER!” Adaline screamed, her face turning red, her teeth flashing like an animal’s.
Vaughn lunged, his huge paws hitting my chest, his weight knocking me to the floor. He roared in my face, wild and full of unrestrained ferocity. I wanted to close my eyes and turn away, but gathering all my courage, I held his gaze. A faint, red light shone inside his dark pupils as the device tried to exert its control.
He opened his maw, angling it toward my neck.
“Finish her,” Adaline ordered.
Fighting against the desire to squeeze my eyes shut, I held Vaughn’s gaze with tenderness, wishing him to know I didn’t blame him. I knew this wasn’t his fault.
“I love you,” I said as his muzzle came a hare’s breadth away from my face.
His body twitched slightly, then he blinked as if clearing his head, and unexpectedly, licked me, his soft, velvety tongue sliding down the length of my jaw. Slowly, he pulled away, and he bared his teeth in what could be nothing but a wolfish smile.
He stepped aside and faced our enemies. I sprang to my feet, marched toward them and, fed up with their feine. In two quick movements, I knocked those savages unconscious.
“There,” I said, dusting off my hands as I’d seen humans do on TV. “Now let’s tie them up and gag them. When they wake up, I want them to realize it was ‘fae filth’ that did it.”
Vaughn laughed with a wolfish chuckle, and it was the best sound I’d heard all day.
Chapter Twenty-Four
We sat on the grassy hill and watched as, down below, the witches prepared the building for demolition.
Our group was substantial: Ronnie and Becca, Kiana and Sinasre, Charlie and Rowan, Disha, and Bridget. Bael stretched his long legs out on a blanket, his face peaceful as he watched birds wheel in the sky, a gentle giant if there ever was one. A few more witches, who’d since completed their assigned duties, sat on a blanket down the hill while others stood and chatted at the top.
Even Regina and Antonio stood near the tree line under umbrellas that the witches had provided. They’d slunk out of the shadows once things had settled down and had been helping us with rehabilitating the survivors. Watching them assist the Habermanns’ victims with gentle care and consideration was one of the highlights of my week, and everything I needed to forgive them for having abandoned us.
Beside me, Vaughn shifted a little as he passed me a metal flask. “It’s good. Try it.”
My eyes met his, and a stirring thrill passed through me. Was this what happiness felt like? Contentment? A feeling of hope that you might be able to find a moment of peace and togetherness with the one you loved?
I smiled and put the flask to my lips.
The drink was both cool and spicy with a fruity tang that complemented it nicely. I took a long pull before bringing the flask down and wiping my lips.
“What is it?” I asked, handing the drink back to Vaughn.
“It’s called The Ronnie Special,” Vaughn said, lifting the flask in acknowledgment to Ronnie who nodded. He and Becca were sharing their own canteen. They’d been inseparable for the last few days, both using magic to help however they could. Ronnie had found a certain skill in helping create and manipulate food, which thrilled the witches and made him a hit at every meal. His buffets were legendary. Becca was amazingly adept at organization and transportation, so the Dean had put her to work pulling useful items out of the building before it was scheduled to be razed.
It had taken us nearly seven full days to complete our tasks, but now all the prisoners, mutated or not, had been healed and returned to their places of origin. The guards had been arrested and transported to the Magical Law Enforcement headquarters to have their day in court. The Habermanns went there, too, though their trial would be much more lengthy and significant. I heard the dean throw around words like “war crimes” and “genocide” but soon the language was too foreign for me to understand, and I gave up trying.
They’d be brought to justice. That was all I cared about.
As for my part, I spent my time focusing