He’s not,” Fi’on yelled.
Ally kicked the knee of one of the men in front of her. He fell. She vaulted over him. She aimed her foot at the other man but the fallen man grabbed one of her ankles and yanked her to the ground. The impact stole the breath from her lungs.
She waited for the men to pounce, but nothing happened. The hand
on her ankle dropped, and after a moment, she sat up. Jorel and another man fought the two guards that had brought her down. Right now, while everyone was occupied, she could slip away. It would take no time at all to disappear into the trees, to go searching for a doorway home.
The smell of fresh blood sailed across the air again. It burned her nose and caused tears to well in her eyes. She knew that smell. Jorel. All thoughts of escape and hope evaporated. The need to keep Jorel safe became the center of her world. The cop in her made her assess the situation before she jumped in the fight.
Jorel’s arm had just been slashed. Blood dripped down to his hand.
From the look of it, the gash might have hit nerves, which meant he was one arm down. But his attacker’s back was to Ally. She had an advantage.
77
The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown
Jorel was still a threat, so the guy couldn’t afford to turn his back. If she acted now, she might be able to take him out in two quick movements.
Ally closed her yes and sucked in a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and jumped. She knocked the guard to the ground. She stayed on his back, riding him down. The second she heard the air whoosh from his lungs, she wrapped her hands around the sides of his face and jerked his head to the left. The crack that rebounded against the trees told her that it was over. She’d snapped his neck. Killed him.
Death wasn’t like it was in the movies. Wasn’t a quick and easy thing. It lingered as the man’s body slacked into a heap. Her hands shook as she pulled her fingers away from his head.
Jorel reached down, grabbed her hands, and yanked her up. “You
crazy fool. You shouldn’t have done that. I can handle my own fights.” He slipped his hands around her and squeezed her up against his chest. He winced but didn’t let her go. “You need to let me protect you.”
There was a grunt, and suddenly the forest was quiet. Ally looked
over at Fi’on. She hadn’t escaped her fight unscathed, but she was doing a hell of a lot better than her opponent. The young man Jorel brought limped toward them.
Ally breathed a sigh of relief. Thoughts of Fi’on’s earlier comments stole her thoughts.
“Am I pregnant?” She pulled back so that she could see Jorel’s face.
His voice might say one thing, but his eyes would tell her the truth. “Fi’on told them she could smell it on me.”
“I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted you to come to terms with this being your home before you had to deal with this.” He tightened his hold on her as if he expected her to make a run for it.
She’d had her chance. No, she couldn’t have left him like this. Not with his life on the line. And she knew the second he was able to hold his own, he would also do his best to keep her here with him.
Then it dawned on her. He’d known this morning. This morning when she’d told him she wanted to go home. When she’d set out to hurt him so that she could save him. She thought of the pain he no doubt went through knowing that she carried his child or children and yet she said 78
The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown
that she couldn’t stay with him.
The need to explain burned in her. “I am so sorry about this morning. I had to do it. They were planning to kill—”
“I know.” He interrupted her and put a kiss on her forehead. “I know you were protecting me. I knew it the second Fi’an’s husband came and told me what he overhead.”
“So I guess this means I’m in trouble.” Fi’on came to stand beside them. There were claw marks all over her flesh.
“Oh, no. You kept my mate safe. So I
Ally kicked the knee of one of the men in front of her. He fell. She vaulted over him. She aimed her foot at the other man but the fallen man grabbed one of her ankles and yanked her to the ground. The impact stole the breath from her lungs.
She waited for the men to pounce, but nothing happened. The hand
on her ankle dropped, and after a moment, she sat up. Jorel and another man fought the two guards that had brought her down. Right now, while everyone was occupied, she could slip away. It would take no time at all to disappear into the trees, to go searching for a doorway home.
The smell of fresh blood sailed across the air again. It burned her nose and caused tears to well in her eyes. She knew that smell. Jorel. All thoughts of escape and hope evaporated. The need to keep Jorel safe became the center of her world. The cop in her made her assess the situation before she jumped in the fight.
Jorel’s arm had just been slashed. Blood dripped down to his hand.
From the look of it, the gash might have hit nerves, which meant he was one arm down. But his attacker’s back was to Ally. She had an advantage.
77
The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown
Jorel was still a threat, so the guy couldn’t afford to turn his back. If she acted now, she might be able to take him out in two quick movements.
Ally closed her yes and sucked in a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and jumped. She knocked the guard to the ground. She stayed on his back, riding him down. The second she heard the air whoosh from his lungs, she wrapped her hands around the sides of his face and jerked his head to the left. The crack that rebounded against the trees told her that it was over. She’d snapped his neck. Killed him.
Death wasn’t like it was in the movies. Wasn’t a quick and easy thing. It lingered as the man’s body slacked into a heap. Her hands shook as she pulled her fingers away from his head.
Jorel reached down, grabbed her hands, and yanked her up. “You
crazy fool. You shouldn’t have done that. I can handle my own fights.” He slipped his hands around her and squeezed her up against his chest. He winced but didn’t let her go. “You need to let me protect you.”
There was a grunt, and suddenly the forest was quiet. Ally looked
over at Fi’on. She hadn’t escaped her fight unscathed, but she was doing a hell of a lot better than her opponent. The young man Jorel brought limped toward them.
Ally breathed a sigh of relief. Thoughts of Fi’on’s earlier comments stole her thoughts.
“Am I pregnant?” She pulled back so that she could see Jorel’s face.
His voice might say one thing, but his eyes would tell her the truth. “Fi’on told them she could smell it on me.”
“I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted you to come to terms with this being your home before you had to deal with this.” He tightened his hold on her as if he expected her to make a run for it.
She’d had her chance. No, she couldn’t have left him like this. Not with his life on the line. And she knew the second he was able to hold his own, he would also do his best to keep her here with him.
Then it dawned on her. He’d known this morning. This morning when she’d told him she wanted to go home. When she’d set out to hurt him so that she could save him. She thought of the pain he no doubt went through knowing that she carried his child or children and yet she said 78
The Pearl Heartstone by Leila Brown
that she couldn’t stay with him.
The need to explain burned in her. “I am so sorry about this morning. I had to do it. They were planning to kill—”
“I know.” He interrupted her and put a kiss on her forehead. “I know you were protecting me. I knew it the second Fi’an’s husband came and told me what he overhead.”
“So I guess this means I’m in trouble.” Fi’on came to stand beside them. There were claw marks all over her flesh.
“Oh, no. You kept my mate safe. So I
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