Alec moved fast, his arrows slicing through the shadows.
The creatures shrieked as they fell—blackened figures with hollow eyes and twisted mouths. The Veilborn had found her scent again.
They would never stop.
Another one lunged from the darkness, its jagged fingers reaching for him. Alec twisted, drawing a short dagger from his belt and driving it deep into the beast's throat. It gurgled before collapsing, its body melting into the earth.
He turned his gaze toward the castle. She would be watching.
She always did.
He didn't know if she feared him more than the creatures, but it didn't matter. He had vowed to protect her, even if she never knew the truth.
Because the moment she left those castle walls…
She would be theirs.
---