Page 58 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“You’re welcome!” I shouted. “And thank you,” I sighed, hoping Gunner could still hear—though I knew he was no longer with me.

Luca hopped down from the wagon, pulled my eidris from the male’s neck, and kicked him aside. He ran the short distance to me, ignoring the remnants of the battle, which was being won handily by our rebels.

“I thought you were supposed to stay put?” he asked, pulling me into his blood-slicked arms. In other circumstances, it would’ve been appalling, but my body was buzzing with the high of battle and the lingering effects of sprite ash.

“Are you really going to reprimand me when I just saved your life?”

“That’s beside the point. You completely disobeyed orders. What do you think your punishment should be?” he asked, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“I think saving your ass negates any punishment I would have otherwise deserved. And besides... there was a moment when I think I saw?—”

“And I think seeing you with a weapon gives me a terrible cock stand,” he interrupted. The story of my encounter with Gunner completely vanished from my mind with that lewd comment. “Maybe you’ll indulge me and let me have a little bit of fun?” He picked me up, his hands cupping my ass, holding me against his hardness as he spun me around.

I giggled—an unconventional reaction with the scent of blood still in the air, but my life now was anything but conventional.

My feet hit the ground as his lips met mine. It was fierce—the two of us giving into primal instincts. He captured my lip, dragging it between his teeth before sweeping his tongue into my mouth, stealing a moan from my throat. His hand landed in my hair, wrapping my thick braid around his palm, holding me in place.

“Don’t you have a raid to finish?” Nico said after clearing his throat.

I tried to pull away from Luca, but he kept me pinned to his chest. I looked over at Nico, my cheeks flushed from the kiss—and being caught. But they turned absolutely scarlet when I realized Nico hadn’t bothered to dress after shifting back. Luca had awakened my need, and Nico was adding fuel to the fire. I drank in the sight of him, biting my lip as my gaze drifted over the v-cut at his hips, drawing my eyes directly to his cock.

“You’re just jealous I got to her first,” Luca said.

“Jealous?” Nico laughed, shaking his head. “Merely playing my cards right. Mic, are you alright? Or is this brute trying to take advantage of you in the woods?”

“I’m fine. Really,” I rattled off, sinful thoughts running amok in my head.

His eyebrows raised when my gaze made it back to his eyes. “Good. We’ll share a drink later to celebrate. But right now, we need to collect the money and clear out.”

Lu joined us, wiping a bloodstained blade on his pants. “Are you good, Dove?” His question echoed in my head.

“I’m perfectly fine,”I said, trying to sound nonchalant and not think about the fact that I’dkilledsomeone. Now wasn’t the time to listen to Lu brooding over my safety.

“Are you hurt?”

“None of this is my blood,”I assured him.

“Lucius, if you two are about done,” Nico said, interrupting our silent conversation, “I assume everything has been taken care of?”

“Yes. Sawyer’s collecting the goods. There’s more than we expected. Carrying all of it home will be quite the feat. I think we’re just waiting on Jase. He’s taking his damn time collecting Johan’s pawn.”

“Don’t let me hold you up, Lu,” Jase snarked, stepping out from the bushes, the torchlight catching on his naked body. A pining ache resonated in my chest at the sight of him. He hadn’t touched me since that first night. He’d barely even spoken to me. And that damn bond that tethered me to him felt like a vice around my heart, desperate to pull us together. I absently wondered if he felt it too.

“Where’s the emissary?” Nico grumbled.

“My bear got a little too excited. But don’t worry—I didn’t kill him until after he spilled his guts,” Jase said, rolling his shoulders and tilting his head until his neck cracked.

“Are you serious? You knew we wanted him alive and yet you killed him anyway? Why the fuck are we bringing you on missions if you can’t follow orders?” Lucius barked. His patience with Jase was thin—bordering on nonexistent—and he took every opportunity to scrutinize his actions. I’d have to broach the subject with him at some point. I was getting tired of all this dick measuring between the two of them.

“That wasn’t the plan,” Nico huffed. “But at least fill us in on what you found out?”

“It was blood money. Johan was paying the House of Lycaon to get the nobles to increase conscription numbers.”

“More conscripts? Damn, I think we’ve hit a nerve!” Luca laughed. “I bet Johan’s squirming in that stolen throne as we speak. It’s almost time, brothers.”

“Does that mean we’re close? To getting Finn and Hunter out?” I asked.

I hated the hesitant glances that passed between them. I wasn’t sure how long I could handle Hunter’s screams bleeding into my dreams. It was eating me alive.

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