Page 3 of Blood So Brutal

His lips turned up in a scowl. “But you should!”

“Why? Because I’m supposedly the secret heir to the throne?”

He leaned in so close, I could feel his breath as he whispered, “Because you are more powerful than any of them. You are the vampyre queen, Huntyr. Your blood, it?—”

I cut him off before he could get the rest of the words out. “Don’t you dare start telling me about my blood. I should have never let you drink from me. I should have let you die in that damn forest.”

Ice flooded our bond. “Don’t say that.”

“What about now?” I asked. “Who have you been feeding from up there in the shambles of The Golden City? More innocents? Are you part of this, Wolf? Did you help your father take over The Golden City?”

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed.

“Why should I? I don’t want you here, Wolf!” The dam of tears I held back for weeks slowly pushed open. “I don’t want to look at you. I don’t want you to bring me food. I don’t want you saving me. I just want to be left alone.”

My chest heaved as I tried to channel the fighter who Lord trained, the vampyre assassin, the heartless killer. I wanted her back. I didn’t want tofeel.

And I sure as hells didn’t want to feel Wolf’s emotions, either.

“You can hate me all you want,” he whispered, “but this is fucking real.” He moved so quickly, I couldn’t pull back before his hand snuck through the bars and wrapped around my forearm. He tugged me forward, sending us both tumbling into metal.

I gasped and tried to free myself, but he held tighter. Warmth radiated from his skin—his entire body, actually. I could feel him, his energy, his essence.

It was a feeling I grew accustomed to back in Moira, but now?

“Feel that?” Wolf whispered. “Because I can. I feel everything, Huntyr, even if you’re trying to fight it.”

The fierceness in his eyes returned with a vengeance. I stopped trying to pull away but said nothing. Instead, I focused on mustering as much hate as I possibly could up to the surface, throwing it through the bond.

I hated him. I should have hated him all along. I was a stupid, naive girl to think I could trust anyone.

Lord would beashamed.

“Eat. Rest. My father is insisting on discovering what type of power you possess, but if you want out, you’ll act clueless.”

“Iamclueless,” I retorted. “I have no idea what power I have. I could barely summon magic in Moira, remember?”

He smirked, his eyes flickering down my face. “I remember everything, but I tasted your blood, too. Trust me, there’s something special running through your veins.”

This time, when I pulled my arm away, he let me.

I continued picking at the bread in my hands as I waited for him to storm away, but he remained standing in front of my cell.

“I would cut my own wings off for you any day, Huntress. Do not think I’m done doing everything in my power to keep them from touching you.”

And then, he was gone, leaving me and my growing pit of despair alone in the dungeon of the enemy.

Chapter 2

Wolf

It took all the self-restraint I had left to drag myself away from that dungeon. I couldn't lay eyes on Huntyr again without doing something very, very idiotic.

Like breaking her out of there and burning this whole damn place to the ground.

So, instead of putting both our lives in danger again, I made my way to speak with my father.

I climbed the stairs to his chambers and quietly pushed the door open. I was late to the court meeting, but I didn’t give a shit. I didn’t give a shit about anything, actually, other than saving Huntyr’s life. It took me days to get out of bed after my wings were sliced off, and even longer than that to gain the energy to walk. She was down there all alone with nobody to look out for her. Strengthening myself enough to see her had been my only focus.

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