The underling blinked, one foot frozen mid-air, and shook his head from side to side as if to rid himself of the lustful haze spurred by the Breeder's proximity.

“Hold your breath,” his older and wiser comrade choked out next to him.

Kain watched with narrowed eyes as Brethor did as instructed. Clearly struggling with his raging instincts, he stepped back into position before staring into the distance with a tormented expression.

Kain rushed past them and into the building, pushing back the urge to fight the male who’d thought he'd get to mount a female belonging to his Lord Protector. Nothing but wasted time and—eventually—regret would come from slaughtering the man, and all he needed right now was to get the girl up to his chambers.

He went straight for the private elevator, easily holding Selma with one arm as he pushed the top floor's button with more force than necessary. Leaning his head on top of hers, he breathed in her scent. The gentle nature of it calmed his violent instincts, and he nuzzled deeper into her messy hair with a relieved sigh.

“I will take good care of you. I promise,” Kain mumbled in response to the wordless noises the Breeder was muttering into his shoulder and chest. He was fairly sure that her discontent was centered on the lack of sexual stimulation he was providing.

He caught sight of them in the elevator's mirror and grunted in annoyance. They were both splattered with blood, and she was dirty, tear-stricken, and not at all in the sort of condition a prized female should be kept in. It tore at his primitive desires to protect, and he knew he’d need to patch her up and soothe her before he could mount and claim her.

Kain paused in his musings, biting off an angry growl at his easy slip into the role of a male claiming his mate. He was not mounting, nor claiming the frail-looking girl, and unless he got himself moderately in check, he'd kill her with the dark magic emanating from his core in slow pulses.

Even more frustrated with the situation than before, he didn't wait for the elevator to open when the small bell announced their arrival at the top floor. Shifting Selma to one hip, he kicked the doors ajar and stomped through the debris toward the only apartment on this floor of the high-rise. It took him seconds to unlock the front door and type in the code, and then he was finally within the safety of his own walls.

He didn't pause as he strode straight to his bedroom and deposited her on the sturdy California King-Sized bed flanked by four carved, wooden posts.