Page 65 of Protected By the Elf Prince

Dashiel had come. He’d brought everyone with him. And he’d healed me.

My heart stumbled over his words: “I would have come to you, but if I got close to them, we would not have the answers we need to keep you safe.”

He had stayed back because he didn’t want to kill them right away… but now—or soon—he was going to.

I should care, right?

But I couldn’t seem to find it in me to do so. They’d been in their own shady shit and brought me into it. Kidnapped me. Beat me. And refused to listen to anything I said.

If it were my choice, I’d call the police and have them locked up.

But Dashiel wasn’t like me. He was a different species altogether, and they did things in their own way.

Fated mates are cherished.

I remembered him saying this.

To them, the supernaturals, no one hurt a fated. If they did, they had the right to punish those who had.

Which was exactly what Dashiel wanted and probably needed to do… for his own sake.

“You’re staring.” I glanced at Riker, who grinned, then added, “You keep looking at the warehouse like you’re worried for him. But he’ll be fine in there.”

I immediately looked away from the warehouse again and back to the smirking shifter. Even Razor was smiling. Like my worry for Dashiel was cute. Riker bounced on his feet as if he wanted to tease me about it some more to keep my mind off what was going on in that building.

“Shut up,” I told Riker. I tried to sound serious, but my lips twitched.

He snorted. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

He shrugged. “I was.”

Monkey chuckled.

Razor looped an arm around Riker’s waist and pulled Riker against him, while several guards, who all looked alert, lingered nearby. Were they expecting trouble, or were they just being cautious because their prince’s fated mate had just been kidnapped?

Huh, I just called myself Dashiel’s fated mate.

But it was true.

I’d admitted it to myself inside. I was his and he was mine.

And I wanted this bond to be completed.

But Dashiel would be the first one I told.

Riker’s expression changed slightly. “You know,” he said, “I think it’s good you’re letting Dash deal with those men.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

The fox shifter nodded. “Absolutely. Though, I know Dash won’t let them suffer. He’ll end then quickly. Where if it’d been me, I’d slaughter them slowly for touching my fated mate.”

I blinked.

Then glanced toward Razor.

The larger man immediately snorted, which made Riker narrow his eyes up at his mate and snap, “What?”