A strange warmth spread through Shadow as he strolled hand-in-hand with Zana. He wasn’t sure he could walk away from her. Returning to the kingdom was a world away, perhaps another life. In the present, he felt more at home than he had in the realm for the past four years. He may have lost Klurt, but he’d found Zana. Maybe he’d been too harsh in his judgment of her that morning. Wasn’t that what he railed against? She’d been stressed over Klurt’s death.

When she plucked her hand free from his, he studied her thinning lips, then followed her path of sight. Two goblins approached. Both had pitch-black hair and could pass for brothers—assuming they weren’t actually brothers. But the taller one sported a weird kink in his lower lip. His grin was wide, and all for show—and it targeted Zana.

The pair stood in his way. Goblins leaving the funeral wove around them, entering the woods, not paying them any heed.

“What the fuck do you want, Carver?” Zana demanded.

If the newcomers elicited such rage from Zana, then something was wrong. Her arms remained locked by her side. “We had an agreement. You don’t come within a hundred feet of me.”

Twisted Lips, or ‘Carver’ as Zana had called him, stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his tailored pants. The sides of his head were shaved while the mohawk on top ruffled in the wind. He bore a healed scar running from an eyebrow to just above his temple. With his pristine white button-down shirt and shiny shoes, the goblin had gone all out in the clothes department. Shadow had taken off his cloak earlier, and was dressed in jeans and a checkered top. It wasn’t like he had packed for a funeral.

“It’s wonderful to see you again so soon, Z.” Carver’s gravelly voice reminded Shadow of a drae he’d once met who had smoked his entire life. Carver studied Zana as if she were prey. It bothered Shadow. Bothered to the point where he resisted the urge to shove his fist into Carver’s face.

Carver’s attention shifted to Shadow, and he tilted his head. Pale irises, like a wolf’s, studied him. Eyes revealed insight into the soul. Zana’s showed an innocent girl behind her tough exterior. Klurt always offered the softest gaze. But Carver was something else. Menace swirled in his eyes, just like those sadistic sons of bitches who enjoyed seeing others suffer.

“And who’s your friend?” Carver’s demeaning emphasis on the last word slammed into Shadow as realization hit. Zana’s ex.

Shadow stuck a hand out. “Shadow. And you are?”

Carver didn’t shake, but glared. If they weren’t at Klurt’s farewell, Shadow wouldn’t hold back. A decent fight always made him feel alive. Shadow dropped his outstretched arm.

Zana broke the stilted silence. “This is Carver, the prick I was telling you about.”

The second goblin laughed, high pitched and strained. “Do you know who you’re talking to, bitch?”

Shadow’s insides ignited. He stepped closer to the duo. “I’ll tell you both this only once. The lady told you to get lost, so you’d better listen or you’ll be limping for a month straight.” Shadow prayed they made a move. Please.

A nerve twitched in the cords of Carver’s neck as he spoke. “Zana is my mate, so you can fuck off. She might not be the most attractive girl in town, but she’s mine, even as a half-goblin. Yeah. I seen you two together in the woods and heard you were together, but that ends now.”

Carver had been watching them?

His hyena friend slammed a hand against Shadow’s chest, hyped for a fight. “Two against one, so step aside, dickhead, and let the love birds chat.”

“There’s nothing between me and Carver,” Zana hissed, pulling at Shadow’s arm to leave. “We’re through. I kicked your ass. It’s over.”

Carver groaned. “Z, my love. You hurt me with your words. Once a male claims a female, he always has a right to her. Or are you waiting for me to court you again?”

“Screw you!”

Under old goblin customs, Carver was correct. Except, in modern times, matings were mutual. Gone were the days of dragging a mate kicking and screaming before claiming her.

“Get out of my way,” Carver growled, breathing his stink all over Shadow’s face. The hyena chuckled mockingly.

But retreating didn’t belong in Shadow’s vocabulary. Considering he’d been unable to stop thinking about holding Zana all day, leaving her at the mercy of those two wouldn’t do. A quick glance around revealed the field was empty of goblins. Only the crackle of fire sounded in the distance from the cremation.

“Let’s go,” Zana said, nudging at his elbow.

When Hyena smirked, rage sped through Shadow’s veins. Enough of this bullshit. He took a deep breath, curled his fingers, and punched him in the face. The goblin crumbled, wincing. Shadow head-butted Carver, sending him reeling. Despite the dizziness taking hold of Shadow’s vision, the damage was worth the pain. Shadow marched forward and grabbed a fistful of Carver’s shirt, tightening the fabric around his neck.

“Look what you made me do… start a fight at my uncle’s farewell. Listen very carefully, because I think you’re having trouble hearing me.”

Blood dribbled from Carver’s nose. The bastard hurled a blow into Shadow’s temple. It barely registered.

“When I trained in the queen’s army, I got beat up by drae three times a day and survived. A nobody like you doesn’t worry me. But you should be afraid, because I’ll rip your throat out if you ever so much as glance at Zana.”

“Y… you don’t scare me. You’re full of words, just like Klurt. Piss off and return to the realm. No one wants you here.”

“The Wart Markets are mine, and I might decide to stay so I can continue kicking your butt.”

Carver swallowed loudly. “When Sivath hears about this, you won’t be spared.”

“Sivath?” Shadow’s grip loosened, and Carver ripped free, stumbling sideways. Since when did the goblin chief associate with shitheads? How much had changed in the past four years?

Hyena joined Carver. They retreated, but not before Carver called out, “Zana will be mine. And no matter where you go, Shadow, I’ll hunt you down like the dog that you are. Heck. I’ll start today.” He unleashed a piercing whistle, then, with his buddy, they both darted into the forest.

“What a fucking jerk,” Zana blurted out.

Shadow paid no attention to their cowardly threats. His mind swam with confusion. Had he been wrong the whole time? Carver was capable of killing Klurt, but those idiots took orders from someone. Besides, Zana would have recognized her ex entering Klurt’s office. They probably needed instructions on how to tie their own shoelaces. Tomorrow, he’d visit Sivath. If he weren’t worried about Zana’s safety, he’d leave right away.

“I should have left town ages ago. Should have known that prick would return.” She chewed on a hangnail. “Let’s go to my place. Carver is up to something.”

Shadow curled an arm around hers, nudging her closer. Her gaze remained focused on the part of the woods where her ex had left minutes ago. “I’ll keep you safe,” Shadow said.

“I don’t need protection.” Her words shook, as did her shoulders.

Shadow brushed aside loose hair strands caught in her eyelashes. “We’ll be okay.”

She pulled back. “Don’t you get it? You’re the one in danger. He works for Sivath, and that’s why I know they’re all corrupt. Bumping into Carver was what my dream was probably warning me about. We need to leave.”

He studied Zana, refusing to believe Sivath could be associated with Carver. But what if Shadow had been wrong? And why wasn’t Sivath at Klurt’s funeral? They used to be close buddies.

Zana gnawed on her lower lip.

A faint growl rippled through the air. They both jerked toward the fire pit, where Klurt’s remains still burned. Povian was there, raising his palms in front of him in a defensive show of peace. He backed away from the biggest mother of a troll Shadow had ever seen. Eight foot in height, twice as wide as Shadow, with tree trunk legs. He wore overalls that only added to the horrendous hillbilly appearance. Was he the threat Carver had hinted at? Wouldn’t be the first time trolls carried out work for goblins in exchange for payment.

“Back away!” Povian yelled at the troll.

“What the fuck?” Not waiting a second more, Shadow raced toward Povian. Trolls were renowned for their quick tempers. The smallest thing set them off, but calming them took hours. And that was after massive destruction.

Burned timber permeated the air. Beneath the smell lay the putrid funk of troll—perspiration and rotten meat.

“Hey, monkey boy!” Shadow called out in an attempt to lure him away from Povian, but the troll stormed toward the minister.

Shadow sprinted up behind the beast and hurled himself onto his enormous back. Shadow’s fingers grasped at the overall straps as he scaled upward. When it came to a fight, there was no honor, no rules, just winning.

Shadow slammed his fists into the enemy’s head. The troll lost his footing and fell forward.

Povian darted to the right, running out of sight and vanishing into the forest. Yes. Get help.

Zana screamed words he couldn’t decipher. Shadow held on as he hit the ground, the troll crashing alongside him, making the ground shake. A puff of dust billowed around them.

No time to waste. Shadow continued his blows, glancing over at Zana, winking. “This’ll be over in a sec.”

A massive hand swatted at him. Shadow ducked, but the next blow smacked him in the face. His vision wavered as the impact tossed him sideways. He staggered up and rubbed his nose with a palm, blood staining his skin. “Damn. He’ll pay for that.”

“Watch out!” Zana shouted.

A huge figure came for Shadow.

He threw himself into a side roll at the last second. The moment he snapped to his feet and spun, a punch collided with his chest. Next thing he knew, he was flying across the field, his lungs emptied of oxygen. He hit the ground, and panic unfurled in his chest. No more messing around.

Bright lights filled his vision, and he struggled to inhale. Each attempt left him wheezing. While he’d never faced off with a troll before, the beast wouldn’t walk away.

The bastard charged, mouth open with a belching scream, his rotted teeth on display.

Shadow scanned the ground for a weapon. He swiped a large rock from near his foot. But the troll crashed into him, bumping Shadow into a tree. He slid to the ground in a heap.

“Bloody hell.” Every part of him ached. He was convinced he’d just broken every bone in his body.

Before Shadow could test that theory, the troll snatched his ankle and swung him back toward the fire. Shadow rolled from the impact, ending up mere feet from the inferno.

“I’m going to rip you apart,” Shadow wheezed.

Zana was at his side, tugging at his shirt. “Get up. We have to leave.”

He never ran. When he pushed himself to a sitting position, blood spotted from his nose and onto his clothes.

Zana dragged him by an arm, pulling him off balance. “Shit, shit. I told you about my dream. Fucking run.” The agony in her voice pierced his heart. He vowed to protect her.

The troll thundered toward them.

Okay. Maybe running was an option… for Zana.

Shadow did the first thing that came to mind. He shoved Zana away and whirled in the opposite direction. He sprinted on legs that wobbled. Just out of reach were the densely-populated oak trees, giving him obstacles to use to dodge the troll. But when an enormous weight bulldozed against his back, Shadow fell face first into the field. His breath vanished. His face pressed into the ground. And, yet, his thoughts flew to Zana and her insistence he’d die.

A paralyzing sting spread through him like icy water. But he wasn’t ready for death. He hadn’t avenged his uncle. Hadn’t done anything with his life.

The compression of the troll on top of him cut off his air, his circulation, his everything. He hung on for those few seconds, waiting for the end. A flash of regret threaded through him. Why hadn’t he returned home earlier? Why hadn’t he made peace with Klurt before he died?