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Authors: Leila Brown
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couldn’t stand there and willingly let him do it.‛
Barrick gave her a curt nod and turned to the king.
‚You voided the peace agreement and shot down a ship in the
Neutral territory. You kidnapped my mate and have marred her skin. I
claim the Rite of Challenge.‛
The queen’s gaze swung up to her husband’s. One of her hands flew
to caress the skin at the base of her neck. ‚Surely things are not so serious.
Those are only minor scratches. You would not be foolish enough to fight
to the death over something so inconsequential.‛
‚That is my right. You can’t deny me this time. He had to know she
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The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown
was mated. And yet he still put her on display and marked her.‛ Barrick
turned and looked directly at the prince. ‚Do you accept the Rite of
Challenge?‛
‚From a half-breed?‛ The prince sneered at him.
‚You can concede and admit your guilt,‛ Barrick said, crossing his
arms in front of his chest.
‚I accept this little challenge. But, when I win, she will become my
pet again,‛ the prince said, ripping off his pants.
Barrick looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. Was she willing
to take that chance?
She nodded her head at him. She would stand with him. She might
have deserted him on the ship but she would stand with him now. He’d
come for her even though she didn’t deserve it. The least she could do was
put her faith in his fighting ability.
He shrugged out of his clothes, becoming totally naked. He took off
his watch and handed everything to her.
‚If I do not win, press the green button and you will transported to
the ship. Autopilot is set up so, as soon as someone boards the ship, it'll go
directly back to the station.‛
She tiptoed up and kissed him full on the mouth. He stared at her
but did not say anything.
‚If you’re done?‛ the price taunted as he laughed and shifted.
‚Don’t rush to your death.‛ Barrick shifted into the tigon. Barrick
definitely had a size advantage but, from what she knew about the prince,
that might not be enough. This royal family fought dirty.
A female voice sounded from behind her. ‚Two men fighting over
you. What a display.‛
She turned her head slightly. Fi’on. Alycia moved to take a step
away from the female.
‚Oh, no, you don’t,‛ the tigress said, grabbing Alycia’s wrists. ‚Just
a little insurance.‛
Alycia dropped everything but the communicator when Fi’on
pulled her hands behind her.
‚I thought you didn’t like the prince,‛ Alycia said, twisting against
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The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown
the other woman’s grasp.
‚Oh, this has nothing to do with him. I’m doing a service for the
crown. A service that will be highly rewarded,‛ the woman whispered in
her ear.
The sound of furniture breaking shocked her. She snapped her head
back to the fight. The prince jumped at Barrick. Barrick kicked him onto
one of the tables. The table crumbled like a box of toothpicks.
Barrick pounced on him and the prince reared up. They slashed at
each other with their large paws. They snapped at each other’s necks but
they were evenly matched.
Barrick shifted back into his humanoid form. He snapped two quick
punches at the tiger’s throat.
The animal backed away but didn’t shift back into his humanoid
form. The prince lunged at Barrick. Barrick side stepped it and kicked at
the animal’s knees. He missed one but connected with the other. The
animal roared its pain. Barrick raced around the animal and grabbed it
around the neck.
‚This is over. Concede and I won’t have to kill you.‛ Barrick
elongated his nails. Blood streamed through the animal’s fur.
Fi’on whistled sharply. Barrick’s head snapped up.
‚Let him go or I kill her.‛ The woman stuck her hands into Alycia’s
throat. If she decided to draw her claws, Alycia was dead.
"Let her go."
"No. You let him go first."
"Fine," Barrick said, pulling his hand
Barrick gave her a curt nod and turned to the king.
‚You voided the peace agreement and shot down a ship in the
Neutral territory. You kidnapped my mate and have marred her skin. I
claim the Rite of Challenge.‛
The queen’s gaze swung up to her husband’s. One of her hands flew
to caress the skin at the base of her neck. ‚Surely things are not so serious.
Those are only minor scratches. You would not be foolish enough to fight
to the death over something so inconsequential.‛
‚That is my right. You can’t deny me this time. He had to know she
57
The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown
was mated. And yet he still put her on display and marked her.‛ Barrick
turned and looked directly at the prince. ‚Do you accept the Rite of
Challenge?‛
‚From a half-breed?‛ The prince sneered at him.
‚You can concede and admit your guilt,‛ Barrick said, crossing his
arms in front of his chest.
‚I accept this little challenge. But, when I win, she will become my
pet again,‛ the prince said, ripping off his pants.
Barrick looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. Was she willing
to take that chance?
She nodded her head at him. She would stand with him. She might
have deserted him on the ship but she would stand with him now. He’d
come for her even though she didn’t deserve it. The least she could do was
put her faith in his fighting ability.
He shrugged out of his clothes, becoming totally naked. He took off
his watch and handed everything to her.
‚If I do not win, press the green button and you will transported to
the ship. Autopilot is set up so, as soon as someone boards the ship, it'll go
directly back to the station.‛
She tiptoed up and kissed him full on the mouth. He stared at her
but did not say anything.
‚If you’re done?‛ the price taunted as he laughed and shifted.
‚Don’t rush to your death.‛ Barrick shifted into the tigon. Barrick
definitely had a size advantage but, from what she knew about the prince,
that might not be enough. This royal family fought dirty.
A female voice sounded from behind her. ‚Two men fighting over
you. What a display.‛
She turned her head slightly. Fi’on. Alycia moved to take a step
away from the female.
‚Oh, no, you don’t,‛ the tigress said, grabbing Alycia’s wrists. ‚Just
a little insurance.‛
Alycia dropped everything but the communicator when Fi’on
pulled her hands behind her.
‚I thought you didn’t like the prince,‛ Alycia said, twisting against
58
The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown
the other woman’s grasp.
‚Oh, this has nothing to do with him. I’m doing a service for the
crown. A service that will be highly rewarded,‛ the woman whispered in
her ear.
The sound of furniture breaking shocked her. She snapped her head
back to the fight. The prince jumped at Barrick. Barrick kicked him onto
one of the tables. The table crumbled like a box of toothpicks.
Barrick pounced on him and the prince reared up. They slashed at
each other with their large paws. They snapped at each other’s necks but
they were evenly matched.
Barrick shifted back into his humanoid form. He snapped two quick
punches at the tiger’s throat.
The animal backed away but didn’t shift back into his humanoid
form. The prince lunged at Barrick. Barrick side stepped it and kicked at
the animal’s knees. He missed one but connected with the other. The
animal roared its pain. Barrick raced around the animal and grabbed it
around the neck.
‚This is over. Concede and I won’t have to kill you.‛ Barrick
elongated his nails. Blood streamed through the animal’s fur.
Fi’on whistled sharply. Barrick’s head snapped up.
‚Let him go or I kill her.‛ The woman stuck her hands into Alycia’s
throat. If she decided to draw her claws, Alycia was dead.
"Let her go."
"No. You let him go first."
"Fine," Barrick said, pulling his hand
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