CHAPTER 197
His words cut deep. Ezekiel looked up and saw a threat for her. He didn't hesitate. Instinct, not thought, surged through him. He threw his body over Melisca's, an old reflex that went beyond any command. He bared his teeth in a low, fierce growl aimed straight at Vex. For a brief moment, he embodied everything the Moon Empire stood for—a barrier between destruction and the precious thing he loved.
That moment of action gave madness the opening it needed. Melisca's claws raked across his back, desperate and wild. Ezekiel's breath escaped him in a rough gasp; pain shot through him where her white fur met his skin. Blood welled along the tear and streaked down fur and flesh in bright, angry lines. He didn't cry out; the sound choked in his throat. The world narrowed into a cold haze and the sting of iron on his skin.
