stumbling over my feet.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
I heard grunts from behind, shoes sliding on concrete, flesh and knuckles hitting bone—but I didn’t see a thing. I landed in his arms and when he pushed his nose in my hair drawing in a deep breath I shuddered. Without a thought, I punched his jaw upward and there was an audible click of his teeth cracking together.
He flashed those canines at me and scowled. “Goddammit, you stupid bitch!”
I didn’t even see his arm swing out, but he hit me in the face with a solid fist.
The concrete broke my fall, but I was by no means defeated. Livid might be a better word.
While he distracted himself flexing his jaw, I kicked him in the shin with everything I had. At the same time there was a shout from behind and something heavy hit the ground.
I pushed myself up ready for a fight when he rushed at me, but never made it—Justus launched himself between us and cracked his nose so hard I involuntarily cringed at the deformity.
He roared out in pain, pivoting around and nearly falling over as he took off running. Justus hauled ass after him and got in a few good punches. His friend was splayed out on the ground unconscious. There was no trace of blood.
The attacker sprinted off as if his life depended on it, becoming nothing more than a vanishing silhouette. Justus lingered in the center of the road as if he had a mind to chase him but instead he turned back, stalking towards me with a control and confidence that was distinctly territorial.
He said nothing when he knelt down before me.
“Are you okay?” My voice was husky and out of breath.
“You first,” he mumbled, focusing in on my face with an intimate stare. His expression tightened when it settled on my throbbing cheek. The next sentence was spoken slowly, through clenched teeth.
“Had I known he hit you I would have hunted him down and snapped a few more bones.”
One minute I felt flattered by his statement, and when he spoke the next I only felt the sting of annoyance. “You have a fearless heart, shame that you are weakened by your words.”
“Sorry if begging for my life seemed like a good idea.”
A strange sensation came over me, like poison was pumping through my veins—hot, numbing, and full of adrenaline. I licked my parched lips and searched for a calming breath. Justus reached around touching the back of my neck and that’s when it happened.
His touch. That touch was pulling something from me as if I had an internal magnet that was rising to the surface to meet its match. It was that power I had, that unexplainable thing living inside of me, buzzing in my fingertips. Leaning in—as close as two people could get without an exchange of lips and tongue—he tilted his head and searched my eyes.
“Look at me, Zoë.”
The smooth command of his voice lifted my eyes. A current of energy was bubbling in every nerve ending, snapping at the ends like a hungry dragon. Realizing that I was coming very close to that same sensation that threw a volt of electricity into Adam, I pushed him away. Justus leveled me with his eyes, pulled me close, and put his thumb on my forehead.
“ Mage ,” he breathed. There was nothing sensual in his tone. In fact, his lips curled as if he were staring at the enemy.
My lips parted, confused by his statement. Mage? Maybe this guy was crazy after all.
Justus gripped my arm and shook it—he was angry. Angry? I just got clocked in the face in the middle of the street by a man wearing hubcaps on his teeth and he had the nerve to be angry with me?
“Why did you conceal from me?”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t have a weapon.” I huffed, pulling from his grip but he did not let go.
“Tell me why you concealed, Mage!”
“Don’t touch me, let GO of me!” I pushed my hand against his chest but it merely absorbed my efforts.
Tires screeching in the street pulled my attention away. A door swung open from a beat up Land Rover and I was so
That’s when all hell broke loose.
I heard grunts from behind, shoes sliding on concrete, flesh and knuckles hitting bone—but I didn’t see a thing. I landed in his arms and when he pushed his nose in my hair drawing in a deep breath I shuddered. Without a thought, I punched his jaw upward and there was an audible click of his teeth cracking together.
He flashed those canines at me and scowled. “Goddammit, you stupid bitch!”
I didn’t even see his arm swing out, but he hit me in the face with a solid fist.
The concrete broke my fall, but I was by no means defeated. Livid might be a better word.
While he distracted himself flexing his jaw, I kicked him in the shin with everything I had. At the same time there was a shout from behind and something heavy hit the ground.
I pushed myself up ready for a fight when he rushed at me, but never made it—Justus launched himself between us and cracked his nose so hard I involuntarily cringed at the deformity.
He roared out in pain, pivoting around and nearly falling over as he took off running. Justus hauled ass after him and got in a few good punches. His friend was splayed out on the ground unconscious. There was no trace of blood.
The attacker sprinted off as if his life depended on it, becoming nothing more than a vanishing silhouette. Justus lingered in the center of the road as if he had a mind to chase him but instead he turned back, stalking towards me with a control and confidence that was distinctly territorial.
He said nothing when he knelt down before me.
“Are you okay?” My voice was husky and out of breath.
“You first,” he mumbled, focusing in on my face with an intimate stare. His expression tightened when it settled on my throbbing cheek. The next sentence was spoken slowly, through clenched teeth.
“Had I known he hit you I would have hunted him down and snapped a few more bones.”
One minute I felt flattered by his statement, and when he spoke the next I only felt the sting of annoyance. “You have a fearless heart, shame that you are weakened by your words.”
“Sorry if begging for my life seemed like a good idea.”
A strange sensation came over me, like poison was pumping through my veins—hot, numbing, and full of adrenaline. I licked my parched lips and searched for a calming breath. Justus reached around touching the back of my neck and that’s when it happened.
His touch. That touch was pulling something from me as if I had an internal magnet that was rising to the surface to meet its match. It was that power I had, that unexplainable thing living inside of me, buzzing in my fingertips. Leaning in—as close as two people could get without an exchange of lips and tongue—he tilted his head and searched my eyes.
“Look at me, Zoë.”
The smooth command of his voice lifted my eyes. A current of energy was bubbling in every nerve ending, snapping at the ends like a hungry dragon. Realizing that I was coming very close to that same sensation that threw a volt of electricity into Adam, I pushed him away. Justus leveled me with his eyes, pulled me close, and put his thumb on my forehead.
“ Mage ,” he breathed. There was nothing sensual in his tone. In fact, his lips curled as if he were staring at the enemy.
My lips parted, confused by his statement. Mage? Maybe this guy was crazy after all.
Justus gripped my arm and shook it—he was angry. Angry? I just got clocked in the face in the middle of the street by a man wearing hubcaps on his teeth and he had the nerve to be angry with me?
“Why did you conceal from me?”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t have a weapon.” I huffed, pulling from his grip but he did not let go.
“Tell me why you concealed, Mage!”
“Don’t touch me, let GO of me!” I pushed my hand against his chest but it merely absorbed my efforts.
Tires screeching in the street pulled my attention away. A door swung open from a beat up Land Rover and I was so
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