“Put the gun down, Dad,” she ordered, her hands planted on her hips, “you’ve taken this too far.”
“No chance, Kitty Kat, move out of the way,” he grit out, “just because you lost your nerve, doesn’t mean I’m leaving here empty-handed.”
“Katherine, please step behind me,” Lucian said with deadly calm.
He hoped Kyle Daxton wouldn’t hold a gun pointed at his daughter but it appeared that he had no intention of lowering the weapon.
“Dad, you need to stop. You won’t win, you might think you’re being smart but there is no way you’ll be able to beat Lucian,” she ignored Lucian’s request and held her hands out and took slow steps forward, “please, just drop the gun and we’ll talk.”
“Lucian,” her father scoffed, “Oh yeah, I forgot you got nice and cosy with him. Shame I don’t see those bite marks you promised.”
“Katherine?” Lucian asked quietly, the threat of betrayal stabbing at his heart.
She turned and looked at him, her golden-brown eyes filled with regret and sorrow.
“I thought if I did, I’d be able to get back control over my life and I’d be free to focus on my future. I didn’t want to be in love with you, knowing that you’d only get bored of me eventually and then I’d have nothing,” Katherine explained, turning her body to face him, “but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do that to the man I love.”
Her honesty swept over him like a balm. She could’ve gone through with her father's plan last night, but instead, she had stopped him from sinking his teeth into her. He reached out his hand to her on instinct, wanting to pull her near and reassure her that he would never, could never get bored of her, that he wanted her for all eternity. Only she was snatched out of his reach.
“Love?!” Kyle spat with a humourless laugh, “I thought you’d just opened your legs for the guy, but love? That makes this even easier,” Kyle sneered and tugged his daughter back against his chest in a punishing grip, before pulling the gun back and placing it at her temple.
Katherine became utterly still and Lucian’s heart flooded with fear.
Her wide and frightened eyes tore at his soul and he swore he would kill her father for threatening her.
“Let her go,” Lucian grit out between clenched teeth.
Outside a crack of thunder shook the ground, the rumble vibrating through the great hall making the journalist yelp and then curse. Yes, he had lost his temper and Mr. Daxton would feel his fury.
“Now, Mr. Daxton, or so help me God-”
“I’ll let her go when you give me my money. Then you and this little slut can get on with whatever sick and twisted shit you get up to and I’ll be on my way.”
“Daddy?” Katherine whimpered.
“Don’t ‘Daddy’ me, you double-crosser. You’re no daughter of mine if you chose this monster, this beast over your own flesh and blood,” Kyle hissed angrily in her ear, dragging her backwards again with a brutal shake.
“He’s not a beast, he’s a million times the man you are,” she bit out, trying to twist in his hold, “you’re the only monster here.”
“Katherine, please darling, try to keep still,” Lucian begged, his heart in his mouth as he watched her father continue to press the barrel of the gun into her temple. If she didn’t keep still, her father might accidentally pull the trigger before he could get to her.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucian saw the journalist trying to silently get his attention. She held her bag aloft and a second later she dropped it with a clatter to the floor.
Kyle immediately looked over his shoulder at the noise, giving Lucian the opening he needed, within an instant, he had pulled the gun away from Katherine’s head and pointed it at the sky. The sound of a bullet being fired rang out in the great hall, followed by the scream of the journalist who had crouched to the ground with her hands over her ears.
Katherine shoved her way out of her father’s hold and Lucian wrapped his free hand around his throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. The crunching of bone was swiftly followed by a strangled howl of agony and the clatter of the gun being dropped to the ground.
Kyle’s free hand scratched and scrambled at Lucian as he continued to hold him. He bared his fangs as his claws extended and sunk into the man’s neck, blood instantly oozed down his hand. The rage that filled Lucian was all-consuming, he would destroy the pathetic man for daring to threaten his love. He would tear him limb from limb until there was nothing left.
“Lucian, please.”
Katherine’s soft voice, pleaded in his ear her hand reached forward and held his wrist, her father’s blood, running down over her delicate fingers.
“Don’t kill him.”
“He would’ve killed you,” he snarled, his voice dripping with the darkness that was his innermost companion.
“That doesn’t mean you need to become a killer,” she reasoned, her voice steady and unwavering. She slunk in under his arm and placed her hands over his chest as she snuggled into him. Her presence between him and her father again, made his heart pound at the potential danger. The need to wrap her up in his protection overwhelming. He threw the man across the room, his body hitting the ground with a scuffling thud.
Lucian growled possessively and pulled Katherine in tightly to his chest, bending his head to breath in her scent, reassuring himself of her safety.
A squeak of sneakers drew his attention and his eyes flicked up to meet those of the journalist as she tried to sneak towards the door.
“Miss. St Clare?” He called, capturing her attention, her eyes held his, which was exactly what he needed. He threw his influence into her and watched as her eyes glazed. “You need to stay where you are until I tell you otherwise.”
She
