King of the Asheville Coven (Winterset Coven #1)(17)

Aric paced wordlessly, only a deep hiss in his throat as his eyes stayed on Brock who was hunched over and holding his bleeding neck.

“Sadey, are you okay?” Garret asked from outside.

She tried to say yes, but couldn’t get her voice box to work yet, so she nodded instead. Swallowing hard, she wheezed out, “Come in. All of you come in.”

Garret stepped over the rubble, followed by the others. When he helped her upright, his hand was strong and cold and firm under her elbow. His jet black eyes churned with hatred as he looked at Brock. Then to Aric, he said, “Kill him for what he’s done.”

What? Sadey thought the coven hated her, but here was Aric’s Second encouraging vengeance against crimes committed against her.

Aric shook his head hard as though he couldn’t think straight. “It’s your right,” he ground out, casting a quick, dark glance to Sadey. “Do you want to kill him? Or do you want me to take the burden. I can. I want to.”

But did she want that? Did she want to make Aric a murderer? He cared about life so much—human, shifter, and vampire. Would killing Brock ease his need to defend her, or would it hurt him?

“There’s another way to keep him out of our lives.” She punched each word past her vocal chords, and it hurt, but this needed to be said. “There’s a way that would keep the blood off both of our hands.”

In a moment, Aric’s face transformed to that of realization. His lips snarled back over his long, sharp fangs, as though a part of him still wanted to end Brock’s life. But Aric wasn’t like Brock. He wasn’t heartless, and the more she thought about it, the more she knew Aric would carry this night with him for always if she didn’t keep logical enough for both of them.

“I want him dead for what he did to me, Aric. I do. But a quick death is too easy on him and will echo through this coven for always.” She swallowed hard and clenched her fists. “Wreck him instead.”

Aric’s snarl turned to an empty smile, and he squatted down just out of Brock’s reach. Brock stretched his hand for him, but when Aric twitched his chin, Brock reared back as if he’d been slapped. And then Brock’s bright blue eyes were taken over with the dark color of his pupils as they dilated completely.

She didn’t want to watch, so she followed Garret and the others outside. A few of them asked if she was all right and wanted to know what had happened. She tried to explain in as few words as possible, her gaze never far from the inside of her house where Aric was canting his head the other way, his eyes locked on Brock’s as he put who-knew-what visions into his head.

Brock looked terrified, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open like he was mid-scream. She’d never seen fear on his face until tonight. She tried to conjure a single ounce of pity for him, but couldn’t. He would’ve killed her with his bare hands while he stared at her petrified face if Aric hadn’t come for her.

Aric was talking low now, murmuring something not even her snow leopard hearing could pick up.

“Sheeeyit,” Garret muttered in a gleeful voice, shaking his head. “Our king isn’t playing around. This guy’s f*cked.” He turned to her and frowned thoughtfully. “I hoped Aric’s interest in you would pass. It won’t, will it?”

Sadey rubbed her tender neck and shook her head. “I hope not.”

“Do you love him?”

Her voice pitched to a whisper as soft as a breath as she answered, “I do. Very much. Garret, how did you know to come here?”

He chuckled darkly. “Your man pulled in the entire coven. It wasn’t our choice. Looks like we owe you fealty now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that, shifter. Don’t let the boys see a drop of weakness, or they’ll test you relentlessly. Apologize for nothing. It’s beneath you.”

“Beneath me?” she whispered, staring at the other vamps who stood in pairs talking low.

Garret leveled her with a look, one eyebrow cocked, his chin lifted high. “You’re mated to the King of the Asheville Coven now, Sadey. Chest up, chin out, princess. You are royalty in our coven.”

“Our coven,” she murmured.

She’d never been a part of anything like this. These almost strangers had come to help her. Even if Aric had forced them, Garret had showed her kindness tonight, and the others, too.

Perhaps she’d been wrong about vampires. Perhaps it wasn’t just Aric who was protective and caring.

Inside, Aric stood and crossed his arms over his fire department shirt, puffing out his biceps and chest with the motion. He tracked Brock’s progress as her ex left the house. Brock shook uncontrollably and looked around like a terrified field mouse in the shadow of an owl. When his eyes landed on her, Brock screamed a high pitched, horrified sound. He pinned himself against the porch railing, chest heaving as he sobbed.

“Go on, or I’ll let her have you,” Aric said blandly.

Shoulders shaking with his crying, Brock ran for his car, tripped in the yard, and then crawled as fast as he could through the mowed grass. The murmur of the coven’s chuckling filled the night as Sadey watched Brock blast out of the driveway in the black pickup truck that had run her off the road. He must’ve bought it recently, but if he wasn’t careful, he was going to swerve off the road himself.

She turned around to ask Aric what he’d put in Brock’s head, but he was right there, and he hugged her so tightly it pushed the air out of her lungs. His face was buried against her neck, and she could feel it—the relief.