“Cassie!” The sound of him roaring her name was the beautiful thing she’d ever heard.

“Darien!” The crowd parted as he stormed towards her. When the crowd didn’t move fast enough, he shoved them out of the way. Cassie gasped at what she saw. Darien had gone full beast. His lykaen glowed from his eyes bright amber. His chest was rising and collapsing with great big gulps as he panted. His fists were huge masses of angry meat ready to give a pounding to someone.

His eyes fell straight to hers, and she wanted to cry so badly. She never thought she’d see him again. His eyes, somehow, impossibly grew angrier as they fell over her naked form, then to Daniel’s half-naked body.

Daniel snapped his pants back together, then stepped in front of her. Darien growled a warning that clearly said back away from my woman or lose your throat.

Daniel laughed, the sound genuinely amused. “Well isn’t this turning out to be one of hell of a night. This is quite the bang, I must say. You must be the dog that’s been fucking my woman.”

Darien’s hands curled into fists and Cassie heard bones popping. “She is not your woman. I challenge you to the rights of her.” He pointed straight at her, and Cassie’s heart wept with love. Had she even told him she loved him? Because she did so much. She couldn’t remember now. Too much was happening too fast, she had no time to just stop and think.

Daniel crossed his arms and she could hear the laughter in his voice. “You challenge me, lykaen? This is just too good. I accept. Move out clan, give me space to beat this pup to a pulp.” The clan moved back in a wide circle, leaving the bonfire in the center and her near it.

Cassie watched wide eyed as Darien stalked Daniel like a predator, sidling to the side, his eyes narrowed and focused. Cassie couldn’t help herself, she had to say it, had to just in case....

“I love you, Darien!” His eyes shot up to hers, and then Daniel made his move.

Daniel used his incredible speed to get behind Darien and wrap his arm around his neck in a brutal grip. He landed a dozen hard, bruising punches to Darien’s side in under a second. The moves were so fast, the motions were blurred with his speed.

Cassie gasped and winced as Darien yelled and kicked back his head, hitting Daniel square in the face. Daniel lost his grip on Darien and stumbled back. Darien turned to the side and executed one perfect kick to Daniel’s stomach. Daniel flew to the ground, and the predator jumped on top of him with a ferocious growl, landing two blows to his face before Daniel spun them so fast, Cassie never saw it happen.

One second Darien was on top, and then he was on bottom and Daniel was feasting at his throat.

“No!” she screamed. Darien used his incredibly lykaen strength to flip Daniel off. Before Daniel could even land on the ground, Darien was boxing his face with savage, hammering fists. A sharp crack sounded and Cassie knew something had broken. Whether it was in Darien’s hand or Daniel’s face, she didn’t know.

Hope filled her. Darien would win. But then Daniel disappeared. Cassie looked everywhere for him and suddenly he reappeared behind Darien. He hit Darien in the back and sent Darien sprawling to the ground with a heavy thud. Daniel didn’t hesitate to leap on top of him and pound into that same side he’d hit before.

This time she heard bones crack and snap with a nasty crunching sound. Darien roared in pain but managed to buck Daniel off him.

They both stood then, circling each other. Daniel wore a cocky smile and Darien wore a look of grim determination. He held his side with one arm and Cassie saw blood around his lips. Panic the likes of which she’d never felt came over her then. She no longer struggled at her ties. A horrible sickness filled her stomach.

Daniel exploded after him. He grabbed hold of Darien’s wrist and bent the arm backwards, twisting it until a disgusting crack happened. Darien roared and kicked out of his huge, strong legs into Daniel. He went flying back again. Cassie watched him with wide eyes. He didn’t use his speed. In fact he slowly got up, his smile looking more like a grimace now.

Her eyes flickered back to Darien and saw more blood coming out of his mouth and down the side of his lip. The bite wound at his neck was bleeding messily down to his chest, and his arm hung uselessly at his side.

Still he stalked to Daniel as he stood. That determination never wavered, not even for a second. Using his one free hand, he snatched Daniel by his hair and threw him. Daniel went flying through the air and landed in the bonfire. He roared a hideous sound and rolled out of the fire. His skin was charred black and burnt. He rolled on the ground to subdue the flames.

Darien stalked after him with brutal steps. “She’s my woman,” he growled. He stopped next to Daniel who was gasping and shivering in agony. Cassie watched as flesh became blistered and swollen before her eyes.

Darien shoved a booted foot into Daniel’s throat. Daniel gasped and choked under the pressure, and grabbed the foot to try to break the hold.

“You will die for touching her, for every time you hurt her.” Cassie watched slack jawed as Darien leaned close to Daniel’s face and growled garbled words. “She is my mate.” And then he struck. Cassie couldn’t watch. She heard the nasty wet sounds of meat and flesh and blood over a growl.

It seemed like a minute passed until the noise finally stopped.

“Open your eyes baby.” Sweeter words had never been said. Her eyes shot open.

“Darien,” she choked, emotion clogging her voice. He ripped the ropes from around her and only then did she look over to see the torn up throat and chest of Daniel. There was a whole in the cavity of his chest where his heart should be. Her gaze fell to Darien’s mouth, which was surprisingly devoid of blood, but then she saw the big red splotch at the bottom of his shirt that he must have used to wipe his mouth.

No one stopped him as he pulled the ropes off her and picked her up. He was so incredibly warm, she cuddled against him and let him block the nastiness of everything from around her.

“The Justicars will be here. I have won her fair. If you try to stop me, you’ll end up like him,” he said to the crowd. No one moved. No one spoke.

He left on a run. How he could manage to move at the blows he took, she had no idea.

When they got deep into the forest, she finally stopped squeezing him tight. Sobs left her and he stopped running.

He dropped to a seat against a tree and pulled her close. Even more sobs broke out of her.

“Ah, babe, you’re breaking my heart,” he said. His voice was still filled with the lykaen but not nearly so garbled. She half laughed, half cried against his shoulder and held him tighter.

He winced with pain and she pulled back quickly. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Tilting his head to the side, she inspected his neck wound. “My saliva can heal it. It won’t be super fast, but it can help,” she said, her own voice husky. She went to lick it, but he stopped her.

“No, Cassie. I don’t want your mouth where he’s been.” Cassie looked at him with teary eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from wrapping his thick hair in her hands and kissing him.

He kissed her back. There was so much said in that kiss. Passion, words, and emotion passed between them, and she felt the love he had for her. When she pulled back, gasping for breath, she was smiling feeling more giddy than she ever had.

“You love me,” she said, pressing her forehead to his.

His hand stilled over her back, and for a second her heart stopped beating. She slowly lifted her eyes to his. His good arm came up and he swiped his thumb across her bottom lip. She watched his throat swallow hard and then the next words out of his mouth had her trembling.

“Cassie, I love you so damn much.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re my lumara.” He kissed her harder. “My woman.” His tongue swiped across her bottom lip. “My mate.” His slanted and captured her mouth in a kiss that stole the breath from her and breathed it back into her. Giving her life even as he took it.