Or so I thought.
We hadn’t taken more than a step when Lochlan went crashing forward. Gareth had thrown himself at his unguardedback. He was snarling, his eyes wild as venom dripped from his fangs.
His fangs that were less than a centimetre from the creamy skin of Lochlan’s neck.
I didn’t stop to think.
Grabbing Gareth around the throat, I ripped him off Lochlan. The force I used sent him flying through the air. There was a loud crunch of metal as he slammed into his car, the frame rocking from the impact.
I didn’t give him a chance to respond. Didn’t wait for Lochlan to hold him in place.
No. He’d tried to end Lochlan.
His death was mine to take.
Launching myself at him, I pinned him in place with my arm across his chest.
He tried to shove me away, his mouth falling open in shock when I didn’t budge.
My fangs were out. I was ready.
Gareth’s eyes fell on them and he began to babble. “Ash, you don’t want to do this. You love me, remember? You’re just overreacting.”
“You’re right,” I told him. “Sometimes itisannoying listening to someone else babble.”
I didn’t say anything more before plunging my venom-coated fangs into his throat.
I felt no remorse as Gareth’s form fell still. No regret as I stripped his immortality from him.
He’d risked it all the second he’d gone after Lochlan.
Now he couldn’t threaten either of us ever again.
When it was over, I turned around and walked straight into Lochlan’s embrace. We could deal with the body later. Murder and body disposal was a necessary part of supe life. Without laws to govern us, this was often the outcome of situations like this.
It wasn’t the first time I’d killed, and I doubted it would be the last.
Even so, I was ready to get back inside and forget this had ever happened. It was only as Lochlan held me that I realised how close we’d come to losing this. What we had was new, but it was precious. Necessary.
Worth fighting for.
I peered up at him. The mage who’d listened to me. The one I thought I’d never find. “Hey, Lochlan?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
My words transformed his face. Gone was the fury. The stress. The worry.
It was just Lochlan, beaming at me.
“I love you too, bràmair.”
Leaning against his chest, I let the sound of his heartbeat settle me. “You know, you never did tell me what that means.”
“Bràmair? It has several meanings. Sweetheart. Partner. Boyfriend.”
I snorted. “Hang on, have you been calling me your boyfriend since our first date?”