Once and once again -- The scarred prince's human mate

Letter openers

Silas

Killian Artesian. He and Khai used to be joined at the hip. Now my twin’s oldest, estranged friend is getting into a fighting stance when several armed guards storm down the stairs. Why couldn't we just quietly check the basement? Why did he need to be the one who waited for us at the bottom of the stairs? Hell, he's even wearing a ski mask and has a 'my murder kit is in my bag' kind of backpack on. And why the f*ck did Khai have to shout like a lunatic and draw attention when we definitely didn't want it?

‘Just grant, thanks Khai.’, I scoff.

‘Not my fault, Si. Now quit moping and help.’

I snort again and throw myself at the one coming straight for Greer.

‘Thanks.’

‘Nothing really to thank us for. We will always protect them.’

Leander is irritated by my brother’s comment, but I nod, forcing my wolf back and pushing my shifted claws into the next of the guys. That’s when there is a loud noise, and I see Killian disappear through what must be a door. And a hidden one at that. I am about to push the one I held onto to the ground before turning to my family members.

Greer knocks out the third guard while Dad and Luca each take one, with Khai commenting on how to use certain moves better. Jordan gets fed up and knocks Khai flat out before snapping the neck of the one Luca is holding onto.

I go in and do the same to the one Dad has his arms slung around, pressing him into the wall closest to me. That’s when it hits me again, my hands dropping immediately. Dad sags a little under the dead weight of the lifeless body in his arms.

‘Do you smell that?’ My nose is in the air, and I can’t help that comment slipping.

‘Yeah, smells terrible.’ Khai ratchets, sitting up, glowering at a smirking Jordan. And I furrow my brows. What is he talking about? This is literally mouthwatering. Following the small trail, my nose finally manages to pick up, my pace does too. I round a corner off the hall we stumbled into Killian in, and my gut twists.

I step as lightly as I can. Something is off here, and I don’t know how I know, I just do. The next corner I peek around first. A burly man is standing in front of a door in what must be the back of this basement. Is there someone in there? Maybe he’s guarding valuables?

“NO!”

My spine stiffens almost painfully, feeling like icy water has just been dropped into my stomach. With a growl, I can’t help my hands shifting into claws, and I’m throwing myself at the guard before I know it. My heart is pounding in my ears, and I have never been so scared and furious in my life, and I don’t even know why. I can’t pinpoint the source, but it’s the most debilitating feeling ever. Hot and cold and breathlessly angry.

I snap the guy’s neck after a quick back and forth and ram my shoulder against the door once. Crashing in, I stumble a few steps, and then my head rears from one side to the other, surveying the room.

“N-No!” That voice. The huge back turned to me looks like it’s dusked in a dark red huge.

‘He wants to hurt her’ I have never heard my wolf sound as dark. ‘Kill. We need to kill him.’

I grab at the thick neck and yank as hard as I can. A strangled noise comes from the meat sack that tumbles against me with the force of my pull.

“What the— ugh.” Grabbling in my direction, the man catches hold of my jacket's lapel, pulling it. Pushing down his hand, I take another step back, taking him with me. Away. Away from that corner of the room. Away. The next tug almost sends me flying backward when the bastard plants his feet in the ground, trying to trip me and almost succeeding. His hands grab in the direction of my neck until—

“F*CK dich Arschloch!” Warmth splatters my face, spreading over my hands. That voice. Sends a shiver down my spine once more. The sweetest and most vile tone I have ever heard in another human. My eyes snap up to meet deep brown ones. They are so big, I’m sure you can drown in them. Yeah, definitely.

In awe, I drag my eyes over the rest of her beautiful face and follow the slender line of her neck down to her shoulder. Continuing over her arm further down, I see her hand tremble around the letter opener- stuck in the neck of the man wheezing in my arms.

She lets go, and a second later, I drop him as well.

‘MATE!’

I don’t know who says it, Leander or me. One of us definitely is. Out loud. In my head. Screaming it into the void in my soul, trying to convince every cell in my body to get on board. My heart pounding louder and louder the longer I look at her.

The lashes rimming her doe eyes are long, the plush lower lip so full it looks almost painful. Her cheeks would be called chubby if the rest of her—

I huff when she suddenly jumps me, her hands tightening around me. I have never been gripped so tight. It’s like she’s holding on for dear life.

“Thank you.” The strangle makes bile rise in my throat. My hands immediately going to her lower back. And then I freeze. Leave it to me not to notice until now that my mate is naked. Fully in the nude. I stiffen, at a complete loss for what to do next.

‘Take her, tell her she’s ours, and she no longer needs to be scared.’

Don’t think that is how this works. Not now. Not when I can feel all of her perfect (f**k they’re perfect) curves press against me. Her shoulders shake a little like she’s shivering.

“I—

She pushes back, interrupting me in my stammered attempt at talking to her.

One of her small hands lifts up, and I hold completely still. The tips of her fingers brush over what I know are three of the ugly, ragged-looking scars on my left cheek. Her eyes never leave mine, though, and I’m mesmerized by the warmth I see in them.

“Przystojniak…”

She swallows a little, then shakes her head. And suddenly, it’s like she shifts— changes in front of my eyes. Hers turn hard, her gaze frantic. She lets go of me, wringing her hands. The void she leaves puts a hole right through my chest. Of course, she wants to get away. She-

“Noe." Her voice isn't much more than a whisper. "Sh*t. I have to find her. I— Do you know where she is?”

I gape at her. Is she...

“Work with me here, handsome!” I love the lilt in her voice. However, the nickname has a sour aftertaste to it. I know I’m anything but handsome. But I’ll let her mock me a little. Just for now. Later, I will—

“Hello!”

Snapping her fingers in front of my face, her brows are drawn together in irritation. I grab her hand away from in front of me and have a hard time ignoring the buzz that sends down my body. Looking at my hand, she shivers, and Leander prances around in the back of my head. Until she pulls her hand back with quite some force and takes a step away from me.

“C-Can you…Do you understand me, handsome?”

“Yes.”

Blowing out a long breath, her gaze never leaving mine, she nods. “Good. Where are the others? Did you see them?”

I want to stay here with her as long as I can, but the agitation that has every muscle in her tensed, her eyes raking over my form, trying to figure out if I’m a friend, makes it painfully obvious that’s not an option.

So I point to the door, and as soon as I do, she shoots me a look and moves faster than I thought possible, never turning her back on me. Grabbing the sheet of the daybed and hurrying down the hall.