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nRETH

nReth wanted to tear every man's throat out, but for the first time, Elia seemed to find a coherent thought. She turned her head as one male trailed his fingers through her hair. She was searching for something. Reth swallowed, silently pleading with her to look in his direction.

nAnd she did, finally, her eyes catching on his and widening, just as another male—one of Behryn's warriors—stepped between them, so tall he blocked her view. He swayed for a moment and seemed to lean into her ear, but then she appeared, stepping around him, her steps loose and a little shaky. Another man slid into her path, his hand at her waist, and neck and she paused, looking up at him, distracted. But as he rolled his hips and pulled her in, she slipped around him and came forward again.

nAgain, and again, the men tried to tempt her, to distract her, to seduce her. But like a thread braided between sticks, she always found a way around them, or between them, until there was no doubt she was walking towards Reth. And with every step her eyes cleared, and her legs became stronger.

nSensing the shift in her, how she'd found her focus, the males stopped stroking and tempting her, and instead began to circle, creating a barrier she would have to struggle to get through to reach him. The first time she tried to slide between two of them and they closed the gap instead, she glared up at them and pushed one aside.

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"Good girl… that's it,

" Reth murmured under his breath, letting her see him watch, letting her see him want her close.

nBehryn clapped him on the shoulder and chuckled.

"Good luck, my friend,

" he said.

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"For what?

" Reth said, without taking his eyes off of Elia.

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"For surviving the wrath of that woman when she sees you pawed by half the city,

" he laughed.

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"I'll—wait, what?

" Reth tore his eyes away from Elia to find Behryn grinning at him, tipping his head to their right where a dozen females prowled closer with every breath.

nDamn. He'd forgotten about that part.

nWhen the first female reached him she was a lupine, of course. The wolves were always the first to stake their claims. She didn't immediately touch him, but instead, looked up at him through her lashes, and swayed in a way that brought her body close to his, her breasts just barely brushing his abdomen as she turned, then let her backside rest against his groin as she arched back against him, humming her approval.

nReth had thought himself virtually untouched by the smoke, but his skin responded to the touches. Dramatically. He groaned as the woman growled in her throat and slid one of her hands between them. He caught her wrist only just in time.

nBut even as she snarled her displeasure at his rejection, four other hands landed on his shoulders, his back, even in his hair.

nWhere the males had tried to seduce Elia, to tempt her, the females were far more forward, knowing, he supposed, that his flesh would betray him. One of them had even approached bare from the waist up, one hand circling her own breast as she stared at him with a wicked smile.

nReth groaned and tore his eyes away, searching for Elia, still navigating her own sea of bodies, but now almost through the men so that those at the back were giving up and beginning to stand back and watch.

nBut then, just as their eyes met and Elia's flashed with relief, Reth felt a hand between his legs and he snarled, whirling to find the violator.

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