Page 248 of Hunters and Prey

Again, Revik seemed undaunted.

Motioning towards him sharply, he spoke in a deep, anger-filled voice, punctuated by angry clicks.

“You made it our fucking business,” he said. “Just now. We need her in here. Moreover, you just massively pissed off a good friend of mine… someone to whom more people owe their lives and light than you could ever pay back in a thousand fucking incarnations.”

Revik’s voice grew harder, and a touch louder.

“…and he’s not someone it’s easy to piss off. Balidor is so laid back, it’s a fucking accomplishment to piss him off, frankly.”

Pausing, he added, harder,

“…You also disrespected his wife.”

Before Black could speak, Revik motioned towards him with a near-aggressive flick of his wrist, pointing towards a structure in Black’s light.

“You’ve completed the bond,” he growled. “I get that you’re a pup, but this isn’t some half-bond shit you’re struggling with… she’s your mate. You’re fully together. But everything in your light says you’re mad at her. Moreover, I’ve seen you be a dick to her… twice, now… without even seeming to know you’re doing it. Both times with other men’s mates, incidentally. Both times with a kind of surgical idiocy it’s pretty hard to pull off without some forethought…”

Black felt his face growing hot.

Before he could open his mouth, the older male cut him off.

“Normally, I wouldn’t give a shit,” Revik growled, motioning sharply with a hand for Black to be silent. “Other than to kick your ass if you ever looked at my wife like that again. But under the circumstances… and given how goddamned young you are… too fucking young to know how to behave properly with your mate, apparently… I’m going to give you some free advice, young cousin.”

“I don’t want your fucking advice––” Black began angrily.

“Too goddamned bad,” the other snapped. “Go talk to your wife, little brother. Figure out why you’re punishing her right now, and fix it. Before Balidor decides to hit you for staring at his wife’s tits… or I decide to beat the living shit out of you for staring at my wife’s ass.”

Pausing, maybe to let his words sink in, he motioned around the cave-like room, adding,

“All of this is for her. You do realize that, right? These holy seers? The construct they created in here? They came down from the caves for her. Some of them broke thirty-year meditations for her. They did it to save her damned life… and yours, incidentally… before one of these dimensional jumps gets her killed. Or does that not matter to you anymore, cousin? Maybe you’re bored, yes? Since you seem to make it a habit of eye-fucking other men’s wives, we have to wonder if saving her life is still your priority?”

Black felt his anger turn into a harder rage.

His skin flushed hot, even as his hands curled into fists.

Revik clearly didn’t give a shit about that, either.

Not waiting for Black to answer, he shoved lightly at his chest, his words a lower growl.

“Whatever your problem is, deal with it. Now. And stop fucking lying to me. And to her. And to yourself. Every seer in here just saw you do that… and every single one of them knows you did it to hurt your wife.”

Still staring at Black’s face, at the look that must be forming there, the Sword grunted.

“…Everyone but you, apparently,” he added coldly. “So maybe while you’re looking for her out there, you should think about that… and think about why you’re giving her reasons to retaliate, when you should be fucking helping her right now. Gaos.”

Black felt his face grow even hotter.

Even so, the other male’s words were slowly sinking into some part of his brain, almost against his will. Going over his own light, Black replayed what he’d just done, how he’d been staring at the famed Adhipan general’s wife.

He felt his own light, his own motives.

As he did, his jaw grew harder still.

He replayed what he’d been thinking, what his light had been doing when he’d been staring at the Bridge, up in that house on the hill overlooking what had been––and really, still was––Baker Beach in San Francisco.

As he did, he realized there was some truth to the other’s words.

“Sometruth?” Revik grunted, still glaring at him. “You might as well have punched her in the face, little brother.”

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