I scoffed.
I’d give him something to really run from.
“Don’t torment the pathetic shifters,” Scorpius drawled in my ear as his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck and squeezed.
Orion walked up to my other side and whispered, “Do you think she’s going to forgive us?”
He stared at our Revered with wide, unblinking eyes. Unlike Scorpius, he probably hadn’t noticed the shifter that I’d shoved to the ground, because he was solely focused on Arabella at all times.
I took a deep, calming breath and drew strength from my Protectors.
All of us were together.
We still had a chance to fix this.
She’d just been writhing beneath us and moaning with pleasure.
“Yes,” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel and dropped the pile of bags for them to carry.
Cracking my neck back and forth like I was getting loose for battle, I slowly approached Arabella. I stood beside her, facing forward. We were about a foot apart.
Minutes passed.
Neither of us spoke.
With painstaking slowness, I sidled closer.
Inch by inch.
She shivered and subconsciously swayed toward my warmth. A soft sigh of relief released through her parted lips, and I couldn’t hold back my smirk. Smugness filled the chasm in my chest.
I was serving my Revered.
I fought the urge to release my flames and scorch the mall to the ground. It would fill me with joy to burn all the useless shifters just to give her warmth. My fingertips tingled as flames danced and the urge to explode mounted.
I smiled as I imagined how good it would feel, scarlet pouring onto the marble floors. I bared my teeth as a shifter swore and stumbled away from me. Exhilaration filled me.
She would never forgive you.
My smile dropped.
The flames extinguished.
As the mall buzzed around us, I stood silently beside my Revered and studied the scrolling neon words like I hadn’t worked with the High Court on each sentence.
“Why?” Arabella whispered so quietly that I almost missed it.
I turned and stared at her side profile.
My Revered was breathtaking and fragile, and I would protect her from everyone who dared to harm her.
Her voice rose as she asked, “Why does it say that the Queen of the Fae is being courted by three handsome fae who have pledged to serve as her hounds, and why is there a picture of the three of you?”
She turned to glare at me, and her eyes were a shade of blue that was so fierce it was hard to maintain eye contact.
I held her gaze and took a step closer.
Using my size to overwhelm her personal space, I said, “Because we’re your hounds and we’re here to serve.”
She tilted her head back. “You aren’t fae.”
“Neither are you, Your Majesty.”
Her face scrunched. “Explain yourself. Why would you have this drivel published? What game are you playing?”
She stared up at me like I was manipulating her, and my hackles rose at the assumption that I was doing anything but protecting her. It was unacceptable that she was doubting my competency as her Ignis.
“There’s a reason nobody knows the full truth about angels and devils.” I shook my head. She was too smart to act this dumb.
Her eyes widened as she remembered those closest to the sun god were mostly hidden from the masses.
True power was unexpected.
How better to serve your god than to walk among the realms overpowered and overlooked?
I thumped my chest. “Now everyone in the fae realm knows their queen has protectors. They will hesitate before they come for you.”
Her lush lips parted, and she looked so angry it was adorable.
Lately words like cute and sweet were filtering into my internal vocabulary. There was something about her rage that amused me.
It was the reason I’d listened to that idiot Sadie and gotten Arabella’s name written across my toes. She’d blushed prettily and sputtered when she’d saw what I’d done.
For a split second, before she’d rebuilt her shields, she’d looked at me with softness.
I’d do anything for that expression.
I uncrossed my arms and tried to sound calm. “I didn’t lie. I’m your hound, and now everyone knows it. We’ll stand in front of you as shields and serve you, in this war and beyond. We won’t let anyone hurt you—ever.”
She exhaled a cloud of smoke. “That’s exactly why we’ll never work.”
“Excuse me?”
She grimaced. “You keep missing the point—I don’t need anyone to protect me.”