Page 12 of Protecting His Treasure

Folding his arms over his chest, Kaede faced Morgan. What?

Morg continued to glare at him. “You do remember that you can speak now, right?”

Shit. Sometimes, when he wasn’t around his mate, he forgot that he was no longer the mute who was cursed to this frozen hell. Kaede nodded.

“Use words,” the vampire standing against the wall said.

Kaede glared at Rhen. Rhen winked. Ignoring the vamp, he faced Morgan again.

“What do you want?” There, he’d used words. Happy now?

Morg sighed. “This is why I didn’t want this job. I don’t want to be a trainer. You told me you needed my help training the new comers. Then you turn around and beat them all up, Kaede.”

I did? He stared around the room. The newbies who’d joined the compound within the last six months were the ones glaring at him.

We blacked out, remember? his dragon reminded him.

He did. And they did too. Kaede bowed slightly in apology.

“You can speak,” Rhen reminded him. “Stop all that bowing shit. It’s very un-alpha of you.”

Kaede stood up and glared at Rhen. “Shut up, vamp.”

“A full sentence, almost!” Rhen clapped. “About damn time. You’ve been silent all day.”

Kaede faced the others. “I apologize. I’m… not myself lately.” The males he’d hurt all nodded, but said nothing.

They’re mad.

“I see. Can you blame them? I was supposed to be helping Morgan train them and instead, I wounded few of them”

That means they need to get stronger.

“That is true.”

“While I wasn’t myself for a moment…”

“Eight men,” Rhen interrupted him. “You put down eight of your own men. You weren’t yourself for more than a moment.”

Let me light his ass up.

“I wish. But, we need his help with protecting the outer village.”

Ignoring Rhen, Kaede continued. “You’re all weak,” Kaede told them, to everyone’s dismay. Their murmurs of disapproval rose up around the room.

“Is he really the leader of the guard around here?” Rhen asked.

You sure we can’t flame him up?

“If he says something else, we will.”

Kaede clasped his hands together behind his back. Standing with his feet shoulder width apart, he spoke to the newbies. “You’re here because we want to make sure you’re ready for what’s coming. Today, we’re supposed to access your skill level. How long did you all last against me?”

James raised his hand. “I lasted three minutes.”

“I lasted the longest,” Morales told him. “Almost six minutes.”

“Six minutes? That was the longest?” The males looked embarrassed.