Free Enemy Mine (Mending The Veil) by Kelliea Ashley Page A

intimidate Travis in the least. What bothered him were the man’s skills. He’d seen Ray chase down and snap the neck of a full-sized wolf without breaking a sweat. Challenging his mentor was never a bright move, but he couldn’t help feeling the need to defend himself and Rissa.
    “At eleven sharp. Did your watch break, or did the Witch addle your brain so much you didn’t notice the time?” Ray’s thick arms crossed as he moved away from the tree.
    “I couldn’t get away from her.” He shrugged his shoulders and widened his own stance. “Gaining a Witch’s trust takes time, you know. A man can’t just tell her he has to take a squat in the woods when the time comes.”
    “Oh, I saw you toting her around in your arms. It didn’t look like you relished the idea of leaving her at all. Don’t tell me she’s got you under some spell. Or is it her silky thighs she’s captured you with?” His blond head dipped as his lips pulled up into a lurid grin. “Perhaps, I should give her a go and see if a little Dumain can persuade her to give us some names and locations. After all, I am the senior brother here.”
    Travis felt his nails dig into his palms as his hands clenched into tight fists. Ray was a crude male with an appetite for anything in a skirt. During his seven years of training with Ray and his three brothers, Travis had heard stories of his mentor’s conquests. Some of the women he’d attempted to infiltrate hadn’t lived long enough to question after they were captured. Dumain liked to fuck them up in more ways than the obvious. An image of Rissa’s soft smile in the moonlight made Travis shake his head.
    “She is mine to deal with. Don’t attempt to interfere, Ray.”
    “Are you threatening me, Holt?” Ray’s tone dropped to a tone that meant trouble.
    “This is my first mission, Ray. I’m close to getting what I want from her. You come here, jeopardizing my position and placing me in danger of being discovered. Trust me, you don’t want me to go back to the Elders and tell them that your dick blew this mission for us.”
    “You fucked her, didn’t ya?” A wide toothless leer split Ray’s rugged face. “Well, all you had to do was say so. I didn’t think you had it in you, lad. Tell me, did you keep from throwing up your dinner while you were kissing her?” Dumain laughed lowly, wiping his forehead with his hand as sweat poured off of him.
    “I will do what I have to do to get her to give me what I want. You need to back off so I can do that.”
    “I don’t take too kindly to your tone, boy.” Muscles flexed dangerously beneath the dirty white T-shirt as Ray stepped closer to him. His Guardian eyes flashed blood red as he growled at Travis menacingly. “Maybe I’ll just knock some respect into you, march into that little love nest of yours, and teach that pretty little Witch to sing like a bird. Of course she won’t be so pretty after I’m done with her.”
    “Get out of here, Dumain.”
    “Are you going to try to make me, Holt?” Ray laughed outright at the notion. Travis realized the other man was a Guardian, had been for at least ten years. He was the man who trained others how to fight and in the methods used to kill their enemy. Travis thought of Rissa, alone in the cabin, unprotected and trusting in him to keep her safe. He hoped she obeyed him and got to the river because he didn’t have a chance in hell of stopping Dumain from going after her. The man obviously saw Rissa, realized she was not only young, but was also beautiful, and wanted her for himself.
    “I’m afraid I am.” Travis nodded his head. He was all there was between Rissa Jennings, and this man who wanted to use and destroy her. He had the fleeting thought that he would have willingly stood aside and let Ray have a go at her less than twenty-four hours earlier. Now, he was putting his life and his position with the Guardians in danger just to protect her. What had changed for him?
    The answer was