Snooke(Demon Warriors 2)(38)
“He, he tried to kill me.” The man had actually tried to break his neck. Snooke’s hands shot to his neck, feeling it to make sure it was still intact. It was a crazy move to make, but he wasn’t thinking too clearly right now.
“Who, baby?”
“I don’t know.” Snooke crawled deeper into Kane’s arms, trying his best to erase what had just happened with his mate’s scent. “Please don’t let me go.”
“I’m right here, shorty. I’m not going anywhere.” He could hear the anger in Kane’s voice. It was strained and low.
“What happened?” Hondo and Rainerio rushed into the bedroom. “Dillon said someone broke in.”
“They tried to kill my mate.”
Hondo knelt down beside them. “Is he okay?”
“No,” Kane growled. “I’m tired of seeing my mate with bruises.” The warrior ran his hands over Snooke’s head, murmuring into his hair as Snooke got his breathing back under control.
“He tried to take me,” Snooke whimpered. “And then when I fought him, he tried to snap my neck.”
“You did good, shorty, real good.” Snooke could feel Kane’s muscles tensing around him. He didn’t protest when Kane lifted him from the floor. “Where are Chris and Dillon?”
“In the living room with Takeo and Phoenyx,” Rainerio answered.
Kane held Snooke close to his chest as he turned all the lights on in the bedroom. Never again would he complain it was too bright. Kane tilted Snooke’s head to the side. “If I find out who did this, I’ll kill him.”
“Does he need me?’ Phoenyx stuck his head into the bedroom.
“No, just some bruising,” Kane replied.
* * * *
Panahasi slowly walked down to the depths of the detention cells. He looked into each room he passed. The sounds of the damned echoed throughout the chambers. Screaming and shrills a constant. He would never grow accustomed to the sounds of the damned.
Offenders were brought here to be judged by the keeper. If they were found innocent, they were set free. If guilty, they spent the rest of their lives reliving the horrors they had committed on the offended.
He continued his walk as he looked in each and every cell. So far all were accounted for. The keeper would know if anyone was set free, but for Panahasi’s peace of mind, he wanted to see with his own eyes.
He stopped at one particular cell and peered in. The sight before him evoked memories of a battle long ago. A battle he’d nearly lost.
He breathed a sigh of relief to see Crypt was still locked away, reliving every horror he had committed. To most inhabitants locked away in the detention cells, it was a torture beyond compare. But Panahasi had a feeling Crypt was glorifying in it.
“He is still locked away.” The keeper, a tall man of unknown age, stepped up to Panahasi’s side. He looked to his right, marveling at the man’s beauty. But it was an illusion. Only Panahasi had seen his true form.
It was something he didn’t care to see again.
“I want a guard put at his door. I don’t trust Marino. He may not know about Crypt, but I do not want to take any chances.”
“I agree.” The keeper elegantly turned and walked away. Within a second, a centaur, standing as tall as eight feet, was guarding Crypt’s door.
Satisfied, Panahasi thought of home and then disappeared.
* * * *
“I’m fine, damn it.” Snooke knocked Kane’s hand away. He knew it was the fear of almost dying and the embarrassment of crying in front of everyone, so Kane ignored his mate’s outburst.
He had tried to console Snooke, but his mate seemed unreachable. For two days now Snooke snapped and growled at anyone who came near him. Dillon had taken Chris up on his offer to stay at his home while Snooke worked through this. Kane had never felt so helpless in his entire life. His mate was hurting, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Kane sat in the chair, rubbing his fingers across his chin as he stared at Snooke balled up on the couch. He knew that if he approached his mate, Snooke would only push him away.
His pulled his cell phone out when it began to ring, watching Snooke stare blankly at the television which wasn’t even on.
“Yeah?”
“How’s he doing?” Panahasi asked. Kane hated that all the warriors had come to check on Snooke and his mate had snapped at them all. He guessed the leader wanted to avoid that situation by calling instead.
“Same.”
“Let me know if he needs anything.”
“I will.” Kane hung up his phone. He watched his mate carefully as Snooke rose from the couch and walked over, climbing onto Kane’s lap. He held his arms wide until Snooke adjusted himself and then wrapped his arms around his little demon.