Page 34 of My Eternal Light

The women began to clap as if they were enjoying a sedate lecture.

“I will see you pay for this,” the man wheezed.

“I was defending my…” she looked at the women. “Mate?” They nodded. “I was defending my mate from your attempted kidnapping. Where do you get off thinking you can put your hands on someone and order them about? That was extremely rude.”

“If she keeps on, I’m going to put myself in time-out,” Ari whispered.

“Gods, she’s good,” Priest answered back.

Zadie turned to Ari. “What a wonderful idea. Do you have a place to store… I mean house him until his proper punishment can be meted out?”

Ari turned to Aiden. “Please, please let me, Priest and Gage drag him to the palace?” He folded his hands in front of his face begging prettily.

Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why? Why are the women so violent? Why does my mate feel inexplicably drawn to them?”

“Commander?” Ari pressed.

“Fine! Take him to the palace and advise Malcom he should be placed in a magic suppression cell.” As the man continued to curse them and whimper Aiden sighed. “And find a way to remove that gel,” he paused then grinned himself. “Once he’s situated in his cell of course.”

Ari dropped his folded hands and pointed to the witch. “Grab a foot, let’s go the long way around.”

Grinning Gage and Priest each grabbed and ankle and started heading down the alley that looked like it was heading away from the palace.

Aiden turned to Kendrick. “Is it a lion thing to do that? Declan did something similar in Noctem Falls?”

Kendrick just shrugged.

Meryn walked over. “They’re cats, of course they want to play with their prey.” Her eyes were locked on Zadie’s hand. “What brand is that?”

Aiden paled. “No. No way in hell.”

“It’s for protection.”

“Use your gun.”

Meryn pouted. “That looks more fun.”

Aiden put his hands on his hips and leaned down until he was nearly nose to nose with his small mate. “I would rather heal from a gunshot wound than deal with that crap?”

“Why would I spray you?” Meryn asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, why would you shoot me?” Aiden countered.

“That was an accident!”

He folded his arms across his expansive chest and looked at her pointedly.

“Oh.” She slumped forward looking completely heartbroken.

Zadie watched as the large man waivered. From what he said, she knew, that he knew, that if he capitulated, at some point his tiny mate would spray him with the gel, but it was clear he was weighing which would hurt him more. Being blinded or seeing his mate’s disappointment.

“Fine! But you have to promise to really try not to use it on me,” Aiden said sighing.

Meryn brightened and jumped up into his arms. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For that, we’ll play vacuum later.”

Aiden was instantly all smiles.

Zoe frowned. “How do you play with the vacuum?”