Page 68 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

Liam leaned toward his brother menacingly, eyes glowing. I guess he believed he could make comments like that to me, but his brother couldn’t.

I tried to ignore the acrid taste of bitterness lingering in my mouth. How dare he think to defend me when Gunnar was saying the same words Liam himself had said?

“Why do both of you have to be such giant assholes?” Mirrelle smacked her palm on the table, making her plate rattle.

I clamped my hand on Mirrelle’s thigh, keeping her in her seat. She patted my hand lightly, like it was no big deal.

She quickly gave Brahm her sweetest smile. “I meant no offense to you, dear Drótinn. I was speaking to your sons. The younger one pulled this same sh—uh, the same stunt at our last dinner together.”

I denied the urge to turn towards Liam to see his reaction to Mirrelle’s words.

Brahm’s eyes twinkled. “No offense was taken. But I do ask that you try not to kill them both.”

Is he enjoying this?

“How about just one?” she winked.

Brahm chuckled, sitting leisurely and eating his dessert, unaffected by the tempest raging around him. He cut into another piece of the fruity dish, savoring the bite with relish.

"This is exceptional," he remarked nonchalantly, as if we’d been engaged in pleasant dinner conversation rather than a heated argument.

Mirrelle laughed, the sound a welcome relief from the escalating tension. Brahm lifted his goblet to her in acknowledgement, a smirk playing on his lips.

Gunnar set his sights on Mirrelle. "Laugh all you want. It won't change the fact that you're blindly defending someone who has brought nothing but turmoil to our family."

"Your issues are with your brother and her parents, not Raina," Mirrelle shot back, her eyes flashing with anger. "Stop using her as an excuse for your own resentment."

“Watch yourself,dove. I’d hate to snap a wing.”

Brahm’s expression darkened, and I knew we'd reached the end of his patience.

"I grow bored of this bickering. Everyone back to their rooms to rest. I expect to see all of you at the training grounds at first light.”

“Training grounds?” Liam asked.

“Yes. I'm going to knock some fucking sense back into each one of you." The words hung with unmistakable finality.

With a deep breath, I stood. As I turned to walk away, Liam moved to follow, concern etched across his face. But Mirrelle was quicker, shoving him out of the way to position herself between us.

"Back off, Liam," she warned, her voice low and fierce. "I won't let what transpired after the last shit show of a dinner happen to Raina again. And if you pull thatmistakebullshit one more time, I will personally cut off your balls."

Gunnar's laughter rang out like a cruel taunt, but Mirrelle wasn't finished. "Then I'll shove them so far up your brother's ass he'll taste them."

I continued walking, trying to ignore the barbs being thrown around behind me. But when I heard Brahm's belly laugh and what must have been his affectionate slap on Gunnar's back, my mouth twitched despite myself.

At least someone found humor in this mess.

For so long, my heart ached for the love and trust I'd once shared with Liam, but I knew it wasn't that simple anymore.There was a thin line between love and hate, and it seemed we were precariously balanced on it .

Someday I would figure out how to keep myself from being thought of as a disgrace, from being in the position to be hurt or to cause hurt. For now, though, I could only put one foot in front of the other. And pray I wasn’t walking to my doom—or anyone else to theirs.

Speirhaus

Fifteen

Liam

The burn of overworked muscles was a sensation I'd come to respect. Hells, sometimes I even enjoyed the reminder of strength earned through sweat and perseverance.

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