Page 21 of Twist of Fate

He pulled Luke tighter, locking his mate firmly against him, anchoring him as he stepped back into the portal he’d opened.

Another attacker lunged.

Keir intercepted and drove it sideways into the wall, but even that didn't slow the surge pressing in from all sides.

The pressure peaked⁠—

Then the portal snapped closed.

CHAPTER SIX

“Let me…whoa!”

Sparkles appeared before Luke’s eyes. He shook his head, waiting for pain to kick in, but none did. Something had happened, though.

Luke blinked to clear his vision because he wasn’t in the alley anymore. Nope. Now he was surrounded by stone walls and ornate furniture with gold accents that screamed old money—or someone really committed to interior design.

Then there were the vines. Bright. Twisting. Moving? Very much not normal.

“Fuck,” Luke muttered. “Concussion it is.”

He dragged his hand over his face, trying to force the world into order…maybe without vines that moved by themselves? Unfortunately, they didn’t cooperate, and the sparkles continued to swirl around him.

Definitely a head injury.

The last thing he remembered was being in the alley. Maybe he’d been knocked out or something? Connal had grabbed him, much to Luke’s annoyance, and then…they were in this room. This sparkly castle room.

Luke barely had time to finish assessing the space before something moved behind him. Make that someone. Because Connal still had his arms around Luke, pinning Luke’s back to his chest, supporting most of Luke’s weight.

Great. Fantastic. Love that life for him.

His body reacted before his mind caught up. He turned, fists already forming…and stopped. Connal looked even bigger here.

Closer.

More solid than anything else in this place, which immediately made him the most dangerous thing in it.

Luke’s gaze flicked around the room, checking for exits, weapons, and obstacles.

No clear exit.

No visible weapons.

Too few obstacles.

And one very large problem.

Because the giant, gorgeous man in front of him had started taking off his clothes.

Luke stared. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Claiming my mate.”

Luke flicked his gaze toward the sword hanging on the wall. No way was he letting this guy claim anything, especially when⁠—

“Oh hell no. No way.”

Connal was big everywhere.