“I’m glad you understand that,” I growled. It was the last conscious thought I had before I plowed my fist right into the joint of his jaw where it sent him sprawlingandhopefully caused a great deal of pain and swelling.
With a surprised shout, he staggered down the aisle, arms flying as he tried to catch his balance, but I’d rung his head like a bell, and I went after him.
“Laying hands on a woman? And you call yourself a man of honor?” I snarled as he straightened, whirling.
There was a split second before I caught him that he saw me and registered who I was.
The fight went out of him immediately. “Sir! I wasn’t—”
“Oh, yes you were, you littlefucker!”
Then I was on him.
The stupid kid put his hands to his face and screamed, pleading as I grabbed him by his lapels and turned him to face me.
“Sir! Please! I won’t—”
“That’s right you wont,” I snarled. “You’llneveragain touch her or any woman without her permission or I will slit your throat myself.” My voice was ragged and rage turned my vision red.
I barely registered his cries and pleas as I threw another fist, this time straight into his gut. His breath rushed out of him in a whoosh and he snapped forward—and I caught him again.
‘Excellent shot,’Kgosi rumbled in my head. Usually my dragon’s approval would raise my spirits, but I was drowning in rage. I kept hearing that scream echoing in the stable, seeing the way her fingers clawed at his grip on her.
“You want to beat up women?” I rasped. “Is that what makes you feelstrong,Faren?”
“NO! Sir, I d-didn’t hit her, I was making a point—”
“Me too,” I muttered and punched him again. And again.
The third hit threw him off his feet to the stone where he gasped and bled and tried to crawl away.
“No, you fucking don’t. You want to flatten people, humiliate them. Let’s see how you like it,” I rasped, leaping on him, shoving him flat on his back and straddling him, one hand planted right onhischest as he flailed.
‘Donavyn, take care.’
‘Care? You want me to go softly on a boy who thinks shoving a woman around makes him a man?!’
Faren coughed and pleaded, arms over his face, trying to protect himself.
“I’m a Furyknight, Faren, and Iknowhow to fight. Let’s see how long you last, shall we?”
“No, Sir! Please. I would never—”
I hit him again and his nose spurted blood as he struggled to fend me off. Yet, he didn’t throw a punch.
“You don’t have a blow for me, arealFuryknight?” I taunted him.
‘Donavyn.’The warning in Kgosi’s tone should have been enough, but with every swing, as I told myself it would be the last, I heard thatscream in my head again, or saw the way he stood over her, pinning her there, and the rage bloomed again.
‘Donavyn—take a breath.’
I was about to snarl back at my dragon when I heard another voice. “Oh,shit!”
Several pairs of pounding feet rushed towards us. Someone tackled me just as I was about to take another swing. I was thrown to the stone floor with a grunt, but rolled immediately, trying to get back to my feet, back to that smug little fucker who thought he could touch her like that—
“Sir! Sir, we’ve got it. She’s safe. Sir. Sir, please.”
I got my feet under me, but then I was hit by walls on both sides. Walls that locked my arms behind me and refused to move when I struggled with every ounce of strength available to me, almost dislocating my shoulder fighting their grips before I stopped.
