De-Ella reached out and fisted his shirt. "Just give us five minutes, and we'll remind you what you liked most about us."
"I. Will. Not. Be. Ignored. Time to show you the story," Bride said, and it was the only warning she gave of her intentions. One moment she was beside Devyn, seemingly calm as could be, and the next she had her arms locked around De-Ella's waist, both women soaring through the air.
They crashed into the wall, De-Ella's head and back taking most of the force. When she realized what was happening, Jalyn shrieked and launched into the fray. The three rolled on the floor, punching and biting at each other, clawing and cursing.
"Bitch," he thought he heard Bride growl. She raked her nails across De-Ella's cheek, and blood welled. Pride lanced through him.
De-Ella grabbed a clump of her hair and jerked. Rage joined the pride, and he growled.
"You'll pay for that," Bride snarled before latching onto the vampire's wrist and crushing the bone. More pride.
There was a howl of pain. "I'll kill you! Do you hear me? I'll kill you!" Jalyn elbowed her in the stomach.
More rage. Scowling, he clasped onto their energy molecules, freezing all three in place. They were tangled together, Bride's eyes bright red and filled with the same intense agony he'd seen the first time she'd climaxed for him.
He was moving forward, determined to break them up and ease whatever was troubling Bride. The few punches she'd taken wouldn't cause that amount of suffering.
"No. You mustn't. She must prove her strength." McKell's clamped onto his shoulder, stopping him. "If she doesn't, if you step in, they will be considered the victors, and to the victor goes the spoils. All that is hers will then belong to them. Including you."
As if. "I'd think that would make you happy," he said, shaking off the warrior's hold. "I won't deny it. But Bride's life here would be miserable."
"She won't be living here," Devyn said. "If you'd like me to communicate that through interpretive dance so that you better understand, I'm happy to perform."
One second Devyn's left eye felt fine, normal, and the next it felt tender and swollen again, as it had when he'd first entered the cave. As many times as he'd been hit in his long life, he knew the sensation. And he'd definitely been hit. He'd never seen McKell move, which meant the bastard had stopped time.
Damn if he didn't admire the vampire for it.
"You don't know she'll return to the surface," McKell said as if nothing had happened. "You've seen me, right? Trust me, where I go, she'll go."
"How does she stand your ego?" McKell waved a hand through the air. "Never mind. Don't answer. Just think of it this way. If the king gives her to you, and she ever wishes to return here, which she might, she will be teased and insulted and tormented. They will never leave her alone. Nor will their friends. She will be fair game to the males, considered weak and in need of a master."
For any other lover, he would have laughed, even enjoyed the show. Catfights were fun, after all. "It's two against one." More than that, Bride was hurting.
"Yes, and next time it will be five against one. Unless she proves herself."
Devyn drew in a breath, then slowly released it—and the women. The fight resumed as if it had never paused.
Bride swung her leg around and kicked De-Ella in the stomach. He wanted to cheer. She spun and elbowed Jalyn in the jaw. He did cheer. The older De-Ella possessed a speed Bride hadn't yet achieved and raced behind her, grabbing her around the middle and sinking her teeth into Bride's exposed neck.
When Bride reached behind to grab the vampire by the head and perhaps snap her neck, Jalyn seized her wrist and twisted, perhaps breaking the bone.
"That will teach you to challenge your betters, little Bride."
Devyn stepped forward again, then managed to catch himself. His hands were clenched into fists. His teeth were digging into his bottom lip. She's a fast healer, he reminded himself. She'll be fine.
Bride wrenched free of Jalyn's hold, and even though her hand was damaged, she grabbed De-Ella's head as she'd first intended and jerked. The vampiress soared over her shoulder and slapped into the ground. Bride stomped on the woman's trachea exactly as he'd once wanted to do to Nolan even while dragging a shocked Jalyn to her and viciously sinking her fangs into the woman's neck.
She sucked so savagely, the vampire could not even struggle because struggling only anchored Bride deeper. Soon Jalyn went limp, and her eyes closed. Bride dropped her, spit out the blood, and lowered that gleaming red gaze to De-Ella.
Pride, much greater than before, swam through him. She'd done it. Two against one, and she'd kicked major ass. Oh, yes. That's my girl.
"Do we understand each other?" Bride said, rubbing her chest. Y-yes.
She stomped to Devyn, and halted only when she was a whisper away. The hand at her chest never ceased moving. "Thorns," she said. She sounded more animal than human—or rather, vampire— just then. Looked it, too. Blood was smeared over her lips and chin, and her fangs were longer and sharper than ever.
"Thorns?" He didn't wait for her response, but cupped her jaw, fingers spanning up and tracing over her cheeks, thumbs wiping the blood from her mouth. "Explain, and I'll kiss it better."
"Actually, you won't touch her again without my permission," a hard voice rang out from behind him.
A hush fell over the room. Devyn and Bride turned. Paling, McKell bowed submissively. De-Ella lumbered to her knees. Jalyn was still out cold.
The king had arrived.
CHAPTER 25
Bride struggled to regain control of herself. There was a haze of red behind her eyes, a throb in her neck and knuckles, and a burn in her lungs. The thorns surrounding the source of her buried abilities were savagely scraping against her, harder than ever before.
Despite the newcomer's demand for Devyn to keep his hands to himself, he reached out and twined their fingers, his thumb caressing her wrist in comfort. That helped enough that she was able to subdue most of her pain.
"Majesty," he said respectfully, inclining his head in greeting.
The vampire king, she realized. There was something she needed to do ... something important... She drew a deep breath in through her nose, held it... held it... released it slowly. Her muscles eased their vise grip on her bones, and her gaze cleared. What did she need to— blank her mind! Yes, that was it. Blank her mind because the king, Manus, was a thought reader.
"Majesty," she said, curtsying as she'd seen women do in movies. Her legs shook.
When she straightened, the ruler of her people came into view. He was tall, taller even than Devyn, with pale, shaggy hair and eyes of black velvet. They would have been devil eyes, if not for the thick frame of lashes around them.