Free A Demon's Dark Embrace: An Elite Guards Novel by Amelia Hutchins Page B

in their lifetime, right? He smiled and shook his head; it was the least he could do for them. Synthia had been upset about the sex between them, mainly because she’d wanted Ryder to handle her like she wasn’t made of glass. This would stop the issue, and he had planned to enjoy Ryder’s reaction, which would have to wait now if Ryder was in a bad mood, since it was hard enough to get the guy to speak openly even when he was in a good mood. 
    He left the hallway and sifted to the armory, where Zahruk was creating new weapons with the God Bolts that a Changeling had used on Synthia before Ryder ended his pathetic existence. Ristan was fairly certain he still had a touch of recurring heartburn from that particular soul. 
    “Hey, what’s up?” Ristan asked, taking in Zahruk’s dark blonde head before he lifted his piercing blue eyes to meet Ristan’s.
    “Fucking women, that’s what happening,” Zahruk grunted. “Ryder is giving Synthia and her little Human-ish opinions too much freedom. It’s becoming a bitch to keep her protected and safe in her delicate state.”
    “You and I both know that he is testing her. She has to show them the stone balls she’s carrying around, or we will end up fighting our own people to protect her. She can’t show them weakness, and neither can our brother. We both know that is why he’s hiding his feelings about her because we know how our father was. Those he’s allowed inside our doors would use it to take advantage, and use her against the newly-crowned Horde King.”
    “You know I don’t give a fuck about politics, and I’d protect her. We all would,” Zahruk said as he held out his hand and Ristan absently handed him the mallet that had been beside him on the bench. “What’s going on with the old man? Has there been any news or progress on the relics yet?” Zahruk asked as he started hammering the bolt flat, not even watching his progress.
    That was why he was the weapons expert, and the deadliest of the brothers—excluding Ryder, who was the Horde King and could become a creature with wings that had razor sharp tips which could easily kill immortal beings. Zahruk spent much of his downtime in this armory, improving weapons to protect them from the Mages, as well as other enemies.
    “I need you to order those archives we talked about from the Guild, and check into the activity in New Orleans. I’m starting to think there’s more going on than we suspect. Something is off, and there’s been more movement and chatter in Spokane. Also, I killed a Skinner the other day that made his dislike of Ryder known just before I took its life.”
    “A Skinner in Spokane, really? Shit is getting hairy. Rats bailing off a sinking fucking ship,” Zahruk said as he resumed pounding on the God Bolt with the mallet.
    “That about sums it up. I need to go, brother. Got a doll to watch,” Ristan agreed with a smirk and sifted out in time to watch Synthia receive her present.  He entered the room and stood at the door, watching her silently at first, but his mirth over her reaction gave away his presence.
    “A baby doll—this is a joke, right?” Synthia asked, confusion stamped on her beautiful face as Darynda handed her the newborn-sized doll, which started shrieking with an ear-piercing cry the moment she held it. “How the hell do you shut it off?” she shouted over the wailing thing, which she held up by its leg.
    “Try cuddling with it, Flower,” he challenged. Synthia turned a horrified look up at him. He smiled and shook his head as he watched her, horror replaced by a soft frown.
    “You ass,” she growled as she tried comforting Bob with an awkward cuddle.
    “Here, like this,” he said as he sifted to the bed and took hold of the doll. “Gentleness is universal. Even Fae babes love a cuddle to feel secure; smart little things also like breasts.”
    She lifted a brow at Ristan as he swaddled the doll with a blanket, which he’d glamoured. He held the doll in