Page 32 of The Huntress

She smirked, ignoring the discontent that rippled through their audience. She was being a smartass, but he did irritate her. Then again, his twinkling gray eyes denoting his peaked humor didn’t please her, either. She hated him with the passion of a thousand suns. This level of hatred surprised her. He took the canister from her, made her endure two full treatments, and still managed to convince her sister to attempt suicide. If he’d cost her Val, then she supposed her hatred was justifiable. She wasn’t one to blindly hate, though. Or so she’d thought.

“Has she agreed?” Syl faced Gabe even though he addressed the crowd.

“Yes.” Callie raised her chin to project her voice. Time to step out on faith. Gabe had asked her to agree, and if it wasn’t to her liking, whatever this rights nonsense was, she’d give him more than a piece of her mind.

She wouldn’t humiliate Gabe by debating this in front of his people, specifically in front of his too-cocky-by-far asshat brother. Syl winning so much as an argument was unacceptable. Besides, how bad could claiming be?

Honorable.

Is there any way I can get you to shut up?She huffed.

Syl approached her. “Come forward, Devereaux.”

Gabe guided her to the front but kept her pressed to the length of him. Her back rested against his solid chest, the heated strength of him warming her. As she stood before Syl, she added a layer of reinforced steel bars to her mental wall. It wasn’t working since the telepath wouldn’t shut up, but she was stubborn.

She held Syl’s gaze, determined to be strong for Gabe, for her survival. Syl puffed up as Darius had done, mesmerizing her.

A scent surrounded her, one that was like Gabe’s—forest, grass, and masculinity, but with hints of grapefruit. The scent wasn’t one she liked or disliked. It simply wasn’t preferable.

Gabe’s hold on her arms tightened, and she assumed what Syl was doing wasn’t to his liking, either. She studied Syl, her focus unwavering. Yes, he was handsome, but he lacked…muchness.

She giggled…muchness?She did feel as if she’d fallen down a rabbit hole.

Syl’s eyes widened at her laugh. A chuckle came from the side, a sound familiar to her. Before she could search for the man, Syl’s voice drew her attention.

“What, pray tell, do you find amusing?”

“That you puff up your chest and expect me to swoon at your feet.” Her laughter rose from her belly, deep and joyful.

It felt good to laugh, the warmth unexpected and freeing. Val’s impending death had dampened any joy she found, but now she had a second chance at life.

“It’s as I suspected, I didn’t affect you at the docks either,” Syl said. “Nor in your sister’s apartment.”

“I don’t ally myself with criminals.” Callie glared.

“Criminals? I like her, Gabriel,” he said to his brother. “May I?” he asked permission, something which was unheard of, judging by the audience’s strangled gasps or barks of outrage.

Get a television, for fuck’s sake.

“If she allows it,” Gabe said, placing the decision upon her.

Had he not, she might have become belligerent. She nodded, the quicker she did whatever, the quicker she could see Val.

“Callie, would you allow me to scent and taste you?”

That Sylwasasking made an impression on her. He could take what he wanted, and she would be helpless against him.

She looked to Gabe for guidance. His nod was slight.

“If it ends this farce.” She stepped forward, her left hand still clasping Gabe’s, the touch of his fingers a safety anchor.

The realization she was the only doe amid a hall filled with hunters had her heart skittering and her cinched lungs limiting her ability to breathe. If the shit hit the fan, she needed to be close to Gabe.

The crowd watched in breathless silence. She frowned. These people were weird. What did it matter if the suckblood-sire tasted her? There wasn’t enough blood in her body for them all to sample her. And damn it, Gabe better make sure that didn’t happen.

Syl met her halfway and buried his face in her neck. He moaned, the sound deep and penetrating, reverberating through her. It was too appreciative for her liking.

“Shedoessmell good.” He searched for someone behind him before leaning back to study her, taking her right hand into his.

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