108

The men caught up with Cassy and Lino in a little while. They were surrounded and it came down to fighting or getting taken.

There was no turning back now. Or running for Cassy. She would stay with Lino and fight it out.

Leaving no time for them to try communicate with each other, they attacked. It was not a fair fight.

Lino held well against them, but they were nine men who were rather difficult to kill. Seven were left with two down. With each swipe against the enemy, the sound of bones breaking filled the air, and Lino stood in front of Cassy, shielding her from the enemy's attack, as they had to be in direct line of sight before the hold of their magic could be strong enough to wreck through them.

He shoved her repeatedly behind him and each time, she felt pain through the mating bond. It hurt like hell, but Lino did not stop moving. He did not let her see his pain or feel it.

He held her in place behind him, ensuring that she was safe, and when they tried