~~


    Artem


    ~~


    I rushed forward in my rage. When Howard the half warlock half demon called me a fool after having told me that all of Star''s love for me was fake I lost control once more. I ran at him and grabbed the thing that he had be by its left hand.


    There was genuine shock and surprise in the demonic eyes that Howard was looking at me with. This was the first time that I truly paid attention to them, but both of his eyes were red with a ck slit pupil like a snake or cat. He truly was a monster.


    When I had a hold of the thing that he had be I turned and pulled him along with me, throwing him over my shoulder. That was the point that his one demonic wing unfurled and tried to p defensively. Every part of him on the right looked human but everything on the left was exactly like a demon, he wasn''t lying when he said he was a half demon. Literally only half.


    I couldn''t help it then, Iughed at him and the ridiculousness of what he looked like. It also didn''t help myughter that Howardnded unceremoniously on his back, crumpling his one wing and emitting a pathetic whine.


    "I thought you would put up more of a challenge, Howard." Iughed again. "This is going to be easy."


    "You think so." Howard sneered as he red at me. "I have not begun to fight back. You merely took me by surprise because most people do not have the nerve toe near me when I am in this form."


    "You think you''re stronger and scarier than you are, but you''re nothing but a cowardly wimp."


    "Don''t call me cowardly." He roared angrily as his entire face, well the human looking half, turned red. The demon half of his face seemed to be growing more red fur that made it look more red. Was that his demon equivalent of blushing?


    "You have a problem with coward but not wimp?" Iughed. "So I guess you really are a wimp then."


    "I am not a fucking wimp or a coward you prick. I am the son of a great warlock and a demon. How could I ever be weak?"


    "I don''t know, you seem weak to me." Iughed as I twisted his arm in my grip.


    I must have twisted his arm harder than I expected that I had because with a sickening wrenching sound his arm twisted right out of the socket. Howard the half demon screamed in pain as the blood started to flow from the empty hole where his arm used to be.


    The demonic limb, with its elongated ws and bulging bicep was of no use to me anymore so I tossed the useless thing to the side and heard it thunk against the wall.


    "I am going to kill you now, Howard. I am going to end you for havingid your filthy hands on my mate."


    "No, I will not let you ruin my ns. This is my time to shine, this is my n." There was definitely a whining attitudeing out of those words. "No, no, no."


    He struggled to pull himself out from under me then, trying his best to sit up and move in any way possible.


    "Astraia, kill him. Don''t stop trying to kill him even if it kills you." He screamed the words toward the bed where Star was stillying. I watched in horror as she finally started to move for the first time since I came into the room.


    Star rose to her feet and looked at me with anger filled eyes. She curled her body forward and crouched with her hands ready for a fight.


    "Star, don''t do this. You know me. You know who I am. You know that I love you." I needed to talk her out of this, I could never raise a hand against her, ever. I could never hurt Star like that. "Star, I am your mate, you know that. Try to listen to your wolf, listen to what she is trying to say to you. You can break his hold on you, I know you can. You are strong, Star, you''re so strong."


    I felt my heart skip several beats when she started to walk toward me, a snarling from between her lips. But, she seemed to be stopping and starting, her steps halting every second or two. And her steps were so small and hesitant. Had I gotten through to her? Could the real Star hear me? Was she fighting for control of her body?


    "Come on Star, fight this." I called out to her again as she seemed to stop altogether. She grabbed her head then as if she was in pain, like she was fighting against herself.


    "Stop hesitating, Astraia. Stop wasting time and just kill him already. He will not fight you, he will not stop you at all, just kill him."


    "Fuck you Howard, you son of a bitch. You are a goddamn coward for using a woman, and my mate at that, to fight for you. You should be fighting me like a man, you piece of shit." I punched him in the side of the face and saw a bloody gash open along the side near his eye.


    "She is mine tomand and use how I see fit." He growled through the pain he was feeling. "She is my wife, she took a vow to do as I said."


    "The body may belong to you right now, Howard, but the mind is hers and hers alone. And no one, not me or you, will ever make decisions for her ever again."


    "NO!" Howard roared at my words. "She is mine. MINE! MINE! MINE!" He seemed to be having a tantrum beneath me.


    "Star, sweetheart, please sit back down on the bed, please break his control over you. Do what your wolf is telling you to do."