Page 44 of Blood So Brutal

I wasn’t even sure why I was crying.

“Wolf,” I said, though a sob cracked my voice half-way through. “I’m really sorry about your wings. I never wanted, I mean, if I knew that he would?—”

He spun his entire body to face me and pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me and rocking us back and forth. “Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t even think about that, Huntress. My wings were not your fault, okay?”

His voice cracked too, and I could have sworn I saw his own eyes glistening, but perhaps I only imagined it.

“If I would have just given your father what he wanted—if I would have trusted you?—”

“Don’t.” He stopped rocking us and twisted me around until he could look at my face, holding my chin with both hands. “Don’t you dare give in to him. I don’t care what he takes from me; do not give in to him. Understand me?”

More tears came. More tears fell. “How? How do you let him control you like this?”

Something dark washed over his features. “A lifetime of hatred will make you do crazy things, Huntress. He can take from me now, but I’m working on a lifetime of freedom, a lifetime he can’t take away from me.”

“Tell me how.” I pulled Wolf’s hands into my own. “Tell me how you’re going to stop him.”

I could see the debate in his eyes, of whether or not he should tell me. “You’re already risking too much. I won’t put you in more danger than you’re already in.”

“I don’t care what I’m risking. I want to help you. I can’t—I can’t keep living like this, not knowing who to trust, not knowing what’s going on. I’m trapped in this life, Wolf. I’m trapped in this life, and I can’t get out, and I’m fucking terrified.”

He pulled my body to his again, and I let him guide me until I rested with my back against his chest, settling between his legs.

“I know you don’t want to trust me,” he mumbled against my mess of hair. “I know I betrayed you. I know I broke your fucking heart, and trust me, mine broke that day, too. But I will never hurt you again, Huntyr. This marriage, this trip, this kingdom we’re heading to, Asmodeus is wicked, and he is powerful. He can make us do all these things like we are his little puppets for now, but when this kingdom rises, when things change, when people start seeing you as the powerful, unstoppable queen you are, you will not be denied. Not by anybody, and certainly not by my father.”

A chill ran down my body. Not from the cold of night this time, but from the raw power of his words. What he was saying…it was…

“But you don’t have to think about all of that right now,” he continued. “I’ve already put you through enough. All I want is for you to stay alive. Because I can fight. I can plan and I can kiss ass and I can be the pawn of the kingdom, but without you?” He choked on his words. “Without you, none of this matters. Without you, I don’t give a fuck what happens to me or this kingdom.”

I put my hand to my mouth and stifled a sob. Things were so messy, so screwed up. How did we get here? I was a vampyre, for fuck’s sake. How had I fallen so far?

I leaned back onto Wolf, reveling in his warmth, not caring that I was supposed to hate him, not caring about any of it, actually. Not caring about anything at all.

The next day was just as uneventful as the first, thankfully with no insane cravings for blood, no reason to feed from Wolf, and no attacks from vampyres in the woods.

It was all very calm.

Until it wasn’t.

“Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” I asked. “Have the two of you been here before?”

“More times than I’d like to admit,” Wolf answered from behind me. “These trails are supposed to be confusing. It keeps us all safer when hungry ones and other creatures get turned around in between our kingdoms.”

Interesting. After last night’s kiss, there was no need to pull my body away from Wolf’s. He leaned against me too, whatever grudge he was holding yesterday was long, long gone.

We didn’t talk about it. We didn’t talk about the blood, either, and neither did Jessiah, which I was grateful for.

I didn’t need anyone to mention the fact that I was undeniably a vampyre. I couldn’t hide it anymore, couldn’t pretend it wasn’t actually happening. This was all very real. It was happening. There was no going back now.

“Do you feel it yet?” Wolf asked, breath brushing against my ear.

My senses flared. “Feel what?”

“The surge in your power. Your abilities heightening.”

I took a quick scan of my body. My abilities were always very dull. Even in Moira, I could barely feel my magic unless I was absolutely desperate. That had been an afterthought so far; using my magic or even thinking about it was no use in the house of the archangel.

“I don’t think so,” I admitted. “I feel exactly the same.”

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