Terak straightened at Michael’s tone. If he had been in gargoyle form, his wings would have flared out. “I am her protector, and you will not touch her in such a way again.”
“Terak,” Larissa whispered, placing her hand on his back. “He was worried about me, and he didn’t hurt me at all, I promise. You won’t find a mark on me.”
Michael had to step up the tension though. “Oh yes, the oh-so-great protector my sister loves to talk about. Got a question for you – if you’re such a great protector, why couldn’t my sister get hold of you today?”
Terak stood his ground. “There seems to be a problem with the magic. Though it should never have come to that, in the end it matters not. I would have returned soon. You should have waited for me. It was foolish of you to take her alone to meet with Guild members.”
Michael’s hands came to his hips. “I’m a cop, who the hell are you to talk to me about going into danger? Besides that, I don’t try to control my sister.”
Larissa would have snorted at that if she wasn’t trying to keep attention away from her.
“So instead you willingly lead her into danger?” Terak bit back.
“Guys!” Larissa stepped out from behind Terak to get between the two males and pushed them apart. “Stop posturing. What’s done is done. All we can do is learn from this and decide if we’d do something different next time.”
Michael looked like he wanted to say more. Actually, he looked like he wanted to punch Terak. Probably the only thing stopping him was the fact that even in human form, it looked like punching Terak was more likely to cause him to break his fist than cause any damage to Terak. “I need to talk to my sister, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to do it privately.”
Terak crossed his arms over his chest. “I will not leave her.”
It was a stare-off of epic proportions. Neither was backing down, and she was the chew-toy between them.
Then Michael’s eyes flickered, and he stared hard, taking them both in – her hastily donned clothes, Terak’s too-small shirt, her had-to-be swollen lips and lovemarked neck. As if a light switch had flipped, Michael now appeared a little green around the edges. “Did I interrupt something?”
Why did she feel like a teenager caught necking? Oh right, maybe because that was darn close to the truth. “Michael, that is none of your business.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face, reeling away from them. “Oh gods, I did.”
Well, this was awkward.
Terak stiffened behind her. When she turned his eyes were closed and his brow furrowed. “Terak?”
His eyes opened then, at first unfocused before returning to awareness. After he came back to himself he gave Michael a hard stare – which her brother handily returned – before he pulled her into the doorway of her bedroom, still in Michael’s sight but beyond his hearing range. He put his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Malek has called me. There is need for me.”
Terak looked none-to-happy. “Is anything wrong?”
His mouth thinned. “While I was not given details, there must be. Malek would not call otherwise.”
Michael had the good manners not to try to listen in to their conversation, but he didn’t leave their line of sight and his glare was focused on Terak.
She didn’t want Terak to leave. Selfish, yes, but after the night she had she didn’t want him anywhere out of her sight.
And after what had been going on not ten minutes ago, she wanted to finish what they had started. She was wet and achy, and thoughts of his mouth on hers and his cock pounding inside her took most of the available space inside her brain.
But his people needed him, and as much as the upcoming conversation would suck, she really needed to speak with Michael. “I promise I won’t leave. You need to go and learn what’s happening with your people.”
He shook his head. “You are not safe here alone and I will not risk you again.”
“Terak, your people need you.”
“I need you to be safe.”
The war was clear on his face. That he placed her welfare on the same level as his Clan humbled her, enveloped her in a warmth much gentler and sweeter than the inferno he had ignited in her minutes ago. “It would hurt me to know your people did not have you near when they needed you because of me. Go.”
His mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out. His hands reached down and enveloped her face and he brought his forehead down to hers.
She brought her hands up to cover his. “Come back to me when you can. I’ll be waiting.”
His head lifted a little, his eyes opening and looking into hers. His gaze was clear and he allowed her to look at everything in him, past his barriers. It hurt, this gift of himself, but it was a welcome pain. “I will always come for you, little human. Never doubt that.”