Page 17 of Blood So Brutal

“Come on, Huntress. You trusted me. We were good together.”

Weweregood together. That was the part that sucked the most. Our training, our fighting, it was almost as if he became an extension of me. He knew my next move before I did, and he executed it ten times better than I could. He was so similar to me, yet so different in the ways that counted. At least, that’s what he made me believe. I was still trying to piece together what was real and what wasn’t. What parts did he make up, simply to trick me into falling for him?

“Don’t remind me,” I sighed. I lifted my chin and stared into his bright blue eyes. “Look where that got us.”

“You have to start trusting me again, Huntress.” His hands on my waist practically burned. They radiated heat through my entire body, making me painfully aware of every inch of our chests touching. “I know you don’t want to, but I am trying to help you. Feel it through our bond.Feelthat all I want to do is protect you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath at the emotion he sent flooding toward me. It was warm, predatory, sharp, like he would truly end anyone who dared hurt me. I threw up my shields, blockingout that emotion before I could let myself be tricked again. “It doesn’t matter what you feel, Wolf. It matters what youdo.”

Both of us had been drinking. Neither of us were taking logic into account here, not when we were this close, our bodies swaying to the music together.

“Then tell me what to do,” he whispered. He leaned down, brushing his lips across my ear and making me shiver. “Tell me what to do to make you trust me again.”

“There isn’t?—”

“Don’t say that, Huntress. Don’t tell me there’s nothing.”

“I don’t know, Wolf, okay? I spent my entire life being taught to trust no one. You knew that. Lord made sure I would be protected from everyone and everything, and then you showed up, and you—you?—”

“I what?”

“You know damn well what you did.” My voice cracked, and I tightened my grip on his shoulders as he did the same to my waist. “You made me care for you in a way I had never cared for anyone, and it nearly got mekilled.”

“I swear to you, Huntress, I’m getting us out of this.”

My chest heaved, and I let him pull me even closer. “How? Your father will kill me if I don’t do what he wants.”

His eyes searched mine. Desperate. Needy. “I need time. But I swear to you on my own life, I’ll figure it out.”

I stared at Wolf, the damned ale making me forget all the reasons I was supposed to hate him. He made it easy with his dark hair and his electric eyes. He made it so fucking easy to forget the pain, the agony, the betrayal.

But there was a wall up now, constantly protecting my heart, a shield I was certain I would never lower again.

I owed myself at least that much.

“I want to go home,” I whispered.

His hand slid up my waist to the side of my face, caressing me lightly. “I know you do.”

My throat tightened. Tears I thought I buried deep, deep down began to surface. I was so fucking tired. Tired of being strong. Tired of being betrayed. Tired ofhurting.

I leaned forward and rested my head on Wolf’s chest as he continued to sway us to the smooth music. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me to him.

To be honest, I would have stayed there all night. Days, even. Because as much as I fucking hated it, I still found the smallest sliver of safety in those arms.

Someone shouted outside. Wolf tensed and stopped dancing as I lifted my face from his chest and turned to the door. “What is?—”

“You!” Jessiah stormed into the pub. “I’ve been looking for you two everywhere! What do you think you’re doing? He’ll kill you if he finds out you took her here!”

Everyone in the pub stopped, staring at us now. Even Voiler watched us with wide eyes.

“It’s not a big deal, Jessiah,” Wolf sighed. He turned to his brother but slid his hand into mine and held tightly. “Nobody here will say a thing. We’re safe here.”

“And what about her?” He didn’t even look at me as he said the words. “You thought bringing her here would be a good idea?”

I looked to my feet, not daring to meet his gaze. Wolf lowered his voice, though, dragging me with him as he stopped two feet from his brother. “Watch what you say here, brother.”

“Right,” he said. “You have no problem taking theblood queenout in public, but as long as nobody knows who she really is, she’s safe, right? Tell me, brother, what if they did know? It’s not hard to piece together why he is so obsessed with her. She’s his coveted weapon.Everyonehere is a danger to her.”

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