The first crash of iron rips through the quiet of our sleep. My ears snap straight up, twitching toward the sound before my eyes even open all the way. The guildhouse corridors are thick but distance doesn’t matter, iron on iron, boots on floors, doors splintering somewhere far down the hall whilst shouts follow, sharp and panicked.
I’m already moving.
My tail lashes low as I uncoil from where I’d wrapped myself around master, chest to his back, legs tangled, one arm slung possessively over his ribs. The bond hums warm between us, whilst his thoughts drifting lazy.
Suddendly though in the doorway the guild master steps over with his face all flushed red with fury and something close to terror. Two of his Sapphire guards stumble in behind him, swords already drawn, but their eyes are wide, darting. He doesn’t even look at them. His gaze locks straight on my MASTER. on the shape of him under the blankets.
He takes one step toward the bed. My snarl starts somewhere deep in my chest and rips out before I even realize I’ve moved. I launch off the mattress in a single silent bound, claws fully extended, tail whipping behind me. He barely has time to register the blur of blonde and dark blue before I’m on him.
My knees slam into his chest. We hit the floor together, him backward, me riding him down,a shame it has to be him below me but still my left hand pins his sword arm to the rug, my right claws go right under his chin, digging in.
“Touch him,” I hiss “and I carve your spine out through your mouth and wear it like a necklace.”
His mouth opens, closes, opens again. Confusion crashes across his face and behind him master lifts his head just enough to peer over the edge of the pillow. “Not now,” he mutters, voice thick with sleep. “We’re resting.” He then flops back down, dragging the blanket higher over his head whilst rolling onto the side facing away from the door.
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The guild leader struggles under my grip. His free hand claws at my tail but I squeeze harder whilst clawing at his throat, bleeding it slightly for even daring to touch me at all.
“The, the Cartel. They sent a strike unit. After your little stunt with Warehouse 12. They’re inside the walls. They’re killing my men. They want you two.” His eyes flick toward the bed again, desperate. “They want both of you."
My laugh is short and one of the guards takes a hesitant step forward, sword rising. My head snaps toward him. He freezes mid stride, “Move again,” I tell him softly, “and I’ll use your friend’s head as a hat.”
The guard swallows. He doesn’t move. I then turn my attention back to the guild leader “You think this is about the warehouse ? About Crimson proxies and alchemical crates ?” My tail then tightens around his throat. “This is about you forgetting your place. You paid us. You used us. And now, when the wolves come sniffing because of the bone we tossed them, you think you can just collect us like stray animals ?”
His face purples. “They’re they’re carving through the lower halls. My best men are down there bleeding. If you don’t..”
I cut him off by dragging one claws slow and deliberate along his chin. “If I don’t what ? Help you? Save your precious guildhouse ?” My lips curl baring fangs “Maybe I let them finish the job. Maybe I help them. Maybe I sit on this very bed and watch while they gut every last one of you who ever looked at my dear master like he was merchandise.”
The leader begins pleading “Please,” he rasps. “Please. Help us. I’ll, I’ll pay double. Triple. Whatever you want.”
My ears flick forward. I tilt my head, considering him like a mouse that’s finally learned to squeak properly. “Triple,” I repeat slowly “and an apology to my master for waking him up and to me for thinking you could touch what belongs to me.”
I then instantly prowl back to the bed, vaulting lightly onto the mattress nuzzling hard against the side of masters throat, fangs grazing skin just enough to remind him that I’m here,
