Page 378 of Primal Bonds

“I look forward to it,” Blaer returned.

Chapter 28

Adric knew, even as he fought admitting it. He’d have taken a blade to the heart rather than believe Luc would betray him like this.

But the wolf fada knew the location of Adric’s den, even if the look-away spell prevented him from finding the entrance. If Luc had been outside when Rosana emerged…

Adric was moving before he realized it. He dropped from the tree, shifting in mid-air to land directly in front of Luc.

The wolf fada was much larger than an ordinary lupine. His head reached Adric’s chest, and his canines were a good two inches long. But Adric was the dominant and they both knew it.

He grabbed Luc by the scruff of the neck, shook him. “What the fuck have you done?”

Orange tinged with gold glittered over the wolf’s coat, and then Luc stood before Adric. He was thinner, all bone and sinew, his eyes burning holes in his craggy face.

His chin jutted out. “I gave that do Rio female to Blaer.”

“Rosana?” Adric gaped at him. Even in the face of the evidence, he’d hoped it wasn’t true. That Luc would have an explanation.

A black fury filled his head. His heart exploded into frenzied beats.

The cat clawed to be free. Stole the mate.

Blood.

Kill.

Adric’s hands shot out, wrapped around Luc’s throat. “You thrice-damned bastard.”

Luc stared back proudly, not even trying to fight. “Did it…for you,” he gasped out. “Lady B…ordered me to…capture you. When I saw Rosana…took her instead.”

“For me?” Blood pounded in Adric’s temples. He gave Luc a hard shake. “You traded an innocent female for me. What kind of a goddamned excuse for a man are you?”

Luc’s eyes flared. “A man…under a geas.”

He didn’t add that he’d accepted the geas to save Marjani. He didn’t have to.

Adric forced his fingers to unpeel from Luc’s neck. Killing the other man might satisfy his blood lust, but it wouldn’t help Rosana, and the wolf had intel that he needed. With a frustrated growl, he shoved Luc away from him.

The wolf stumbled back a few feet before catching himself. He brought a hand to his throat and eyed Adric, breath sawing in and out.

“Where is she?” Adric rapped out.

“Inside.” Luc jerked his head in the direction of New Moon. “Lady B took her to the prince. An offering. She’s trying to buy her way into the court.”

Adric’s lip curled. “I don’t fucking believe it. You gave Rosana to that fae bitch after what she did to Jani. To you.”

Blaer had caged not only Marjani, but Luc. And then she’d enslaved him.

“I did it for the clan, too,” the wolf retorted. “If the fae get hold of you, the clan would never recover. We—they need you.”

Adric’s fingers flexed. Gods, he wanted to wrap them around Luc’s throat again.

“Fuck what the clan needs. There are some lines you don’t cross. Ever.”

Luc’s gaze slid from his, but he didn’t apologize. He clearly believed he’d done the right thing.

Adric shook his head in disgust. He’d known Luc since they were both cubs, but now he wondered if he’d ever truly known the other man at all.

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