The touch of her hands seemed to act as a grounding wire for Weijie's lightning-hot rage.
He stiffened, his chest heaving as he fought the urge to simply snap Deimos's neck.
He looked down at Ningning, seeing the tears of genuine terror swimming in her eyes, and the fire in his own gaze flickered.
Slowly, agonizingly, Weijie loosened his grip. He didn't just drop Deimos; he threw him.
The black-scaled man hit the dirt with a graceless thud, coughing and gasping for air, his dark scales dusty and dull.
"Get out." Weijie commanded, his voice trembling with the effort of restraint. He stepped back, wrapping an arm protectively around Ningning, shielding her body with his own. "Get out of my sight. If you are still within the boundaries of this tribe by sundown, I will not ask my father's permission. I will hunt you down like the vermin you are."
