Page 43 of The King's Man

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Even if the men left in camp now were thebetter ones,I knew. I should have thought…

It had come home to me that afternoon as I watched the panic pass, but her eyes go feral, that she felt like prey. Because she was. In this place, among my people, she wasprey.

And I had put that target on her back. Claiming her. Displaying her. I’d told them all that she was strong.

And now she was being broken.

The blind rage that had filled me when I followed her shrieks to that tent and found that monster pinning her while he freed himself from his leathers, on thecuspof taking her—God, I’d almost slit his throat without a word. But she needed to see him die. I knew she needed to see that. Toknowhe was gone.

Yet, it still wasn’t enough.

She was haunted.

Hunted.

Refusing to talk about it.

Pretending she was fine.

But the body didn’t lie. She lay there, next to me,thrummingwith tension.

“Diadre—”

“Go back to sleep, Jann. I’ll be fine.”

She didn’t realize, I hadn’t slept a wink. Not out of fear, but out of sheer self-loathing, and the terrifying prospect of what she might do if she had another shock.

I needed to be here.She was my mate.

I closed my eyes for a second, instinctively wanting to push that word away, but I couldn’t.

Icouldn’thave a mate. Surely God would never be that cruel, to either of us?

Gah.It didn’t even bear thinking about. My skin itched and I curled my hands under my fur to stop myself reaching for her.

Yet, I couldn’t deny it—Ifelther. I’d felt her at the Palace. I felt her anger when we returned. I felt her abject terror when that bastard put his hands on her.

I felt her because she wasmine.But I couldn’t say it.

Not like this. Not while she was so afraid.

So, I was trapped. Caged. Unable to look away, and unable to reach out. Head spinning—all the ways this would be the end of me. All the ways this would be the end ofher.

A clock had appeared over my head.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

I didn’t know how to do this, or where this would end, only that itwouldend.

And that no matter what, I would stand between her and the fires of hell until my last, gasping breath.

But what then? What the fuck was she going to do when this curse finally took me?

What a fucking mess.

18.Don’t Look Down

~ DIADRE ~

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