Page 84 of Death Warden
He hits me again and again and his question resonates in my head, tugging an answer from my swollen lips.
“Because I love her.”
The next blow doesn’t come. “What?”
I struggle to see him through slitted, swollen eyes. “I’m in love with her, Spectre.” Ah, fuck, there it is. The admission I’ve been keeping locked tight.
I can hear him breathing, ragged and deep. “You fucker.” He grabs the front of my shirt and hauls me into a sitting position. Damn, that hurts. I bite back a cry. “You haven’t slept with her, have you?”
“No. But I wanted to. So many times.”
He releases me and stands. “Fuck you, Curo. Fuck you.” But there’s no heat in his words.
The worst is over.
I hawk and spit out a gob of blood, then run my tongue over my teeth to make sure they’re still intact.
He walks away, hands on hips. “I don’t control her,” he says. “I don’t control your feelings. But do me a favor as my friend. Don’t cross that line, because if you do, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from tearing your head off.”
He strides out of the room and I fall back onto the mat.
Even with my accelerated healing, my face is going to need a serious ice bath.
* * *
SPECTRE
Tanner rumbles in agitation beneath me as we whizz through the streets toward the hot spot. Wendall, Ruby, and Hex flank me on the road.
“You’re agitated,” Tanner says.
“I’m fine.”
“You can’t lie to me, Spectre, we’re bonded. Not in the same way as you and your mate, but we’re road buddies. You need a clear head when on the road. So, tell me what the problem is.”
“I punched Curo in the face. A lot.”
Tanner is silent, waiting.
“He’s in love with Adi.”
Tanner’s sigh reverberates through me as we take a sharp turn onto a country road. “How does Adi feel about him?”
The question draws me up short because I haven’t considered this. I’ve been focused on my feelings and on Curo’s feelings. Adi’s haven’t come into play too much.
“I don’t know.”
“Then you need to find out.”
I grit my teeth. “What does it matter? She’ll be leaving us regardless.”
“Life is filled with phases. If you knew the exact date you were going to die, would it stop you from living your life?”
His question jolts me.
“You can’t stop being her mate just because you know she’ll have to leave. All that achieves is pain now and pain later. Instead, you could embrace the bond, embrace the now and revel in it. At least then you’ll have the memories to sustain you once she’s gone. As for Curo, that decision is up to Adi. Some female hounds need more than one mate. Better it be Curo than some random, right?”
He makes it sound so simple. “When did you get so wise?”
