Page 106 of Primal Bonds

She snorted. “So what’s new?” She blew out a breath. “I’ll do my best, Ric, but you know how tricky iron poisoning is.” She smoothed Horace’s dreadlocks away from his face.

Adric nodded grimly—and then sprang into action. “You stay with Suha,” he told Beau, who was staring down at Horace, jaw tight. “Zuri—you’re with me.”

In the living room, Kyler was on the couch holding an ice pack to his head, while Marjani was pacing restlessly to and fro. Her head snapped around as Adric entered.

“Tell me he’s going to be all right.”

“Suha’s doing everything she can.”

It was a non-answer and they both knew it. Marjani slapped her palm against the wall. A sudden, sharp sound that made Kyler jerk.

“What I want to know,” she ground out, “is how the fuck they got past Jace’s security?”

Kyler made a choked sound. “That was me.”

Zuri had stopped to wash the blood off his hands. He entered the living room in time to hear Kyler. All three of them gaped at the young human.

“What?” asked Marjani.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, I swear I didn’t. I couldn’t stop myself. He—the night fae—made things so fucking bad.” Kyler dropped the ice pack to press his fists into his stomach. “So dark. Nightmares—and the only way to stop it was to let him in.” Shame reeked from him. “He said it would be all right if only I let him in—but it wasn’t. He took Evie, and the earth fada took Jace.”

Marjani’s glare softened. “We’ll find her. I promise.”

He shot an accusing look at Adric. “You said we’d be safe here. But we weren’t.”

His stomach twisted. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. All I can say is that I’ll get your sister back.”

Two young soldiers pounded down the stairs, Ryder and Jamila. Adric ordered them to lock the door after them. “No one else gets in without my say-so—got it? Zuri and Marjani, you’re with me.”

He squeezed Kyler’s shoulder. “I have to go find Evie. Meanwhile, you’re on duty with Ryder and Jamila. A soldier-in-training. Help them however you can. Okay?”

The kid swiped a stray tear from his cheek. “Yeah, of course.”

Adric headed up the stairs, Zuri and Marjani at his heels. Behind him, he heard Kyler asking, “Is my sister going to be all right?” The heavy front door closed, cutting off the response.

“Don’t.” Marjani elbowed Adric as they reached the surface. “This isn’t on you.”

“Like hell it isn’t. He’s right—I’m alpha, and I promised they’d be safe.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re responsible for every fuck-up in the clan. This is Corban’s fault, not yours.”

Adric rounded on her. “I’m the one who let the prick go last year—remember?”

His sister scowled back. “You did the best you could with the available evidence.”

“Tell that to Evie and Kyler.” He shook his head. “One thing I know—this time, Corban’s gone too far. I finally have the proof I need to take him down.”

Marjani’s eyes met his in cool agreement.

“Not even his supporters can argue he wasn’t behind this,” Zuri added. “His scent is all the fuck over our den.”

“Damn right.” Adric bared his teeth. “Far as I’m concerned, Corban Savonett is dead.” He strode toward his bike. “Evie first. It’s what Jace would want.”

He knew he was right, but by the gods, it wrecked him to say it—because if Corban had Jace, they had only a small window of time before his friend was dead.

Chapter 32

Jace fought his way back to consciousness. He was in motion, being jolted around inside an enclosed space. He opened his eyes to find he was in the trunk of a car speeding down a pot-holed street. He braced his hands and feet against the inside of the trunk and tried to think.

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