Beautiful. Exquisite! Light, color, vibrancy. She brought all of it into his world. She fit the role of Regina superbly. No one matched her grace, the fluidity in her walk, the firm tone in her commands. No wonder his father wanted her, the epitome of sheer perfection! He understood everything now!

Adrian watched Erza from under the brim of his cap. She showed concern and compassion for his sisters, as well as her Warriors. Her large and giving heart shimmered in her charmingly mismatched eyes.

Something dark, hot, and bubbling churned his stomach when she entered the lavatory with the Horse. The boy didn't deserve the privilege of polishing her sword, let alone touching her pristine alabaster skin. He thrilled at the small, masculine cry of pain emanating from the thin door. It soothed the roaring green monster in his belly. Whipping boy fit the Colt better than the position of his Lioness's lover.

Adrian continued to watch the bathroom door as he politely helped his sisters board the plane. They bickered and argued with each other, not sparing a glance for the man in the starched uniform. Satisfaction swelled his chest. They didn't realize their enemy tarried in their midst. None of his siblings had ever met him. Anonymity was one of the few blessings of his upbringing.

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Erza's rich, lilting laughter drifted through the plane, wrapping his heart in chains, strangling him with their tightness. His gaze traveled to the back of the plane. Cano and Miller both stared at the bathroom door. Their faces bore twin expressions of admiration and longing. The roaring green monster returned and blanketed Adrian's mind with visions of carnage.

He restrained himself knowing he wouldn't survive if he attacked the Warriors alone. He couldn't lose Erza, but he couldn't touch her, either. Not yet.

He hissed orders to the small garter snakes hidden in his clothes. They slithered out of the bottoms of his pant legs, and hid themselves among the party's baggage. Their orders were clear: find a way to destroy the Warriors and Dr. Miller. Especially Cano and Miller, but keep Erza alive. Always keep his darling Regina alive.

He slipped a tracking device onto Jo's vest as he brushed by her. The moderate group seemed close; those who survived his familiars would not abandon each other. He would find a way around his father. He would have the Regina for himself. Nothing could come between him and his beloved Erza.