Page 144 of The King has Fallen
I closed my eyes and took a breath. He wasn’t going to look away. I needed to just do this, as quickly as possible. I’d go for the spear because his arms were longer than mine and it would give me better reach—
Gault laughed. “I know you claimed her, Melek. If it helps, I will tell the men you gave her to me as a parting gift.”
I was shaking, starting to turn as if I’d face him, but mentally aiming to whip around and grab that spear—just two steps away and—
Instinctively, I froze.
She was not property. She wasmate.
She would not be defended in subterfuge. He would know that I stood for her, and that he paid the price.
I straightened from the bed, hands open and ready, body tensed, and Yilan gasped.
“Melek, don’t—”
“She is mine,” I growled. Gault’s eyes flashed. “She is not for sharing.”
His chin dropped, but he smiled. “I am King. What is yours is mine. I will share her with whoever the fuck I want.”
“No, you won’t,” I said, taking one step forward, just one more to the left and this would begin.
Gault’s eyes lit up. “Are youchallenging me?”
“Only for her, but the result will be the same.”
“I knew it,” he breathed. “I knew you and yourfucking honorwere all an act. A ploy to win the men.”
I darted aside for the spear and in the same blink Gault turned, drawing a two-handed sword from somewhere I hadn’t known it was secreted and whirling smoothly to bring it upEn guard.
There was a flash of fear in the bond as Yilan watched us stare at each other.
The area where we stood was only about fifteen feet wide, leaving both of us very little room to swing. And yet, we both knew the other was restricted as well.
We began to circle, weapons wide—I forced him towards the bed and away from the other weapons I could see, though it was clear he had them hidden in places I didn’t know all over this tent.
“She belongs to me,” I growled. “I’ve taken her. And kept her. She doesn’t need your dirty prick.”
“Oh, but she needs yours?”
“Yes.”Mate. Soulbond. Mine.
Gault laughed and swung the sword, I blocked it once, his sword clanging against the butt of my spear—shaving a sliver from it—and shoved him back, then we began to circle again.
“This is perfect. I knew you were far more cunning than you let on, but I thought you were too cowardly to actually challenge me. ThegreatGeneral Melek,” he purred. “Always full of surprises.”
“No, just strength and certainty.”
Gault sneered and the sword flashed—but when I stepped in to block again, he instead whipped to his left and clamped a hand on her ankle.
Yilan yelped and grabbed for the furs as he began dragging her off the bed, holding the sword up towards me. My heart screamed as she was dragged backwards, grasping, but unable to get a grip on anything substantial until he had her almost off the bed. And because she was halfway between us, it restricted my options for attack.
I growled and danced aside, trying to get access myself and keep him farther from her. But Gault kept turning, dragging her across the corner of the bed to keep her at least partly between us—but then she finally clamped her hands on the footboard and, for a second, she stopped his retreat.
I roared forward, darting, stabbing with the spear in a flurry of whirls and thrusts, forcing him to let her go and bring the sword up in both hands.
The impact of the weapons rang through my arms as surely as the blade of the sword sang in the clash. But at least he wasn’t touching her anymore.
Yilan was scrambling back over the bed to get behind me as I pushed him back, deeper into the tent, teeth bared and snarling.
