Free My King (Two Prince's Book 1) by Mary Martel

internal switch, shutting them off. Abruptly leaning into me she lowers her voice and hisses, “He’s told everyone that you were all dead. That Vampires came in and killed you all. No, not killed, but slaughtered the three of you. Nobody saw the bodies because he said they were so gruesome he felt it would be a dishonor to your father, to our King, to allow his people to see him like that. We have been mourning the loss of our King and our Princes for ten years . Ten long years of that depraved motherfucker sitting on your fathers’ throne, your throne. Where. Have. You. Been?” When she is done speaking she is out of breath and her chest is rising and falling frantically, her eyes are bright and shining fiercely.
    All I can see is rage boiling in the depths of her eyes.
    Rage that is obviously directed at me.
    And this seriously pisses me off.
    “How fucking dare you speak to me like that!” I shout in her face.
    “Holy shit,” Shayne whispers from behind me, her voice trembles a little. Great, now I’ve scared her again. Unacceptable behavior on my part.
    A myriad of emotions flash across Collette’s face - shock, hurt, concern. Then her rage from five seconds before firmly settles back in her features.
    “You abandoned your people,” she accuses me.
    I draw my arm back so I can strike her down for her words, words she has no business saying to me. I am stopped when a small hand wraps around my forearm, causing me to pause.
    “Ian,” Shayne whispers in horror, her small hand desperately clutching to my arm, “stop it. Haven’t you been telling us we have to be careful? You are causing a scene and it is bound to bring attention to us. You need to calm down. Please.”
    Frantically she tugs on my arm, trying to pull me away from Collette. I don’t budge.
    “Our Queen is very wise,” Collette murmurs. Her eyes are assessing and locked on my fucking mate.
    That fucking assessing look in her cold eyes does it for me.
    As gently as possible I remove Shayne’s hand from my arm. “Go and sit back on the bed, sweetheart.” I quietly order.
    To my utter shock and delight she actually does what she’s told and she does it without saying a word. 
    Who knew my girl had it in her?
    Before she knows what’s happening, I wrap my large hand around Collette’s slender throat and forcefully drag her into the room. Without bothering to look, I kick the door shut behind me with my boot.
    I give her throat a slight squeeze before shoving her away from me. She stumbles backwards, landing ass first on the floor.
    I watch her sit there, rubbing her throat, not saying a word, glaring balefully up at me in shock, hurt and, it pleases me to note, a little bit of fear. All traces of anger now wiped clean from her expression.
    “Ian,” she croaks.
    I hold up my hand to her letting her know I want her to be silent and she immediately complies. This, too, pleases me. You’re below me on the food chain, sweetheart, it’s time you acted like it.
    Playtime is over, brother. We have a visitor. I use my telepathy to speak to my brother.
    I’m on my way. No way are you hogging all the fun this time . He replies.
    “Umm… is this another shifter thing? Throwing helpless women around? Like with the cannibalism?” Shayne calls out from behind me.
    Christ.
    I shake my head in exasperation.
    “Quiet, baby.” I murmur, glancing at her over my shoulder, hoping she gets the gist of how serious this is from the stern look on my face.
     
     

Chapter 10
    Shayne
     
    After he called me baby the room fell into an awkward silence. No one moved. No one spoke. The woman, still on the floor, sits there, staring up at Ian speechless. Ian stands about two feet from her, hands on his hips, lording over her, a fierce scowl on his face, staring right back at her. I, personally, would hate to be on the receiving end of that look. No thank you, sir.
    And me, well I had to try really hard not to piss myself. The way he grabbed her and threw her