Page 118 of Bonds of Pain
With a roar that tears from my throat, I overturn a decorative table in the hallway. The antique vase that has stood there for generations shatters against the marble floor, the sound echoing my fractured control.
Palace guards stationed nearby studiously look away, pretending not to notice their prince’s breakdown. My lack of confidence in their discretion is the only thing keeping me from destroying every piece of furniture in the corridor.
I pull out my personal tablet with trembling hands, navigating to the palace security database. The identity tag my father provided is easy enough to cross-reference.
When the match appears on my screen, my blood turns to ice in my veins.
The video was uploaded from Ares’s security console in our apartment.
Looks like I need to have a little chat with my head of security.
Chapter Thirty
ARES
I’m up to my elbows in code on the security terminal when Logan storms into my room like a one-man hurricane. His face is a storm of barely controlled rage as he logs into my console, fingers stabbing at the keyboard with enough force to make the keys rattle.
Poe follows close behind him, his expression unreadable but stance tense—ready to intervene if necessary. Something’s seriously wrong.
“What’s going on?” I ask, pushing away from my desk.
Logan ignores me completely, focused on whatever he’s searching for in the system. His golden eyes scan the screen with predatory intensity, jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle twitching.
Poe glances between us before answering. “When Logan came storming into the suite like this, I thought it was a good idea to make sure no one was about to get murdered.”
A reasonable concern, given the look on Logan’s face. The last time I saw him this angry, he’d just snapped Viktor’s collarbone in the arena.
“Where is Maya?” I ask, glancing between Logan and Poe.
Poe’s face remains impassive, but something flickers in his dark eyes. “She’s in the harem being prepared for the bonding ceremony. Cillian accompanied her because no Alphas are allowed.”
I frown, running a hand through my curls. “I forgot about that shit. I hate wearing that damn dress uniform.”
“That’s the last of your worries,” Logan murmurs, still focused on the screen.
“It’s for all show,” Poe comments, crossing his arms. “The king wants a public display, complete with all the traditional rituals. You know how these things go—the more witnesses, the more legitimate the claim appears.”
Logan continues rifling through my security files, his movements precise despite his obvious anger. “Maya needs to be seen as mine—completely, publicly, undeniably mine. No matter the actual truth of that matter.”
The bitterness in his voice makes something twist in my chest. I’m still processing the betrayal myself, but unlike Logan, I can almost understand why she did it. We haven’t exactly given her many reasons to trust us.
Logan finally finds what he’s looking for. He pulls up the video feed from last night, playing it on the main screen for all to see. My eyes widen as the footage unfolds—Maya leading a clearly drugged Logan to bed, methodically stripping and restraining him, then...
Holy shit.
I fight back a chuckle at the sight of Logan tied spread-eagle to his own bed. The laughter dies in my throat when Logan whips around to glare at me, his expression murderous.
“Can you explain to me,” he growls, voice dangerously low, “how this video was downloaded from your personal terminal and sent to a reporter?”
My blood runs cold. “What?”
“This footage was sent to Belinda Farrow last night,” Logan points at the screen where Maya is now climbing on top of his unconscious form. “From your terminal. Using your access code.”
I stare at the screen in disbelief, watching as Maya uses Logan’s body while he’s unconscious. Something uncomfortable twists in my gut—not just because of the obvious violation, but because I have no idea how to prove my innocence.
Logan is my pack brother, but I did just watch him kill another alpha with his bare hands.
“Could someone remotely access your terminal?” Logan demands, his golden eyes bright with fury.
