Page 65 of Skyla

Rage contorted the man’s face.

Silver continued. “As far as I can tell, you’ve never known what consequences are. So this should be good.”

“Fucking bleeding heart fae,” the warlock spat at Silver’s feet. “You pretend that you’re so fucking honorable with all the shit you do? Stop pretending you’re better than us.”

The laugh that came out of Silver made me smile, and I saw chills run over Fang’s arms.

“Honor and goodness aren’t the same,” Silver said. “But I wouldn’t expect you to know the difference. We do. If you need any proof, check your own borders.” He took a step forward, separating himself from the three of us, standing alone in a show of strength. Shadows shivered from his skin. “And I’m not better than you, Fang. I’m far, far worse. There is nothing I won’t do to get what I want. There is no one I won’t kill to ensure my power. There is nothing in this world that I won’t burn to ash in order to protect what is mine.

“The difference between us,” he said softly, “is that I actually am aware that there is goodness and innocence in the world. And though I won’t hesitate to destroy it if I must, I’ll try not to. I don’t swing my dick around hitting everything in sight just because I can. Now get out of my sight before I illustrate hownot goodI am by removing your skin from your body inch by inch with a broken handlebar for setting foot in my territory.”

I wasn’t aware humans could turn purple, but there was so much blood in Fang’s face he looked a little like a grape. “You can’t protect everyone, Silver,” he hissed. “Especially these innocents you claim to care about so much. Give us Skyla, or prepare to be responsible for things even you won’t want to claim.”

“No.”

Skyla was our mate. Ourâmmelune. Giving her up was out of the question. No matter what.

Fang only smiled. “I hoped you would say that. I just pray I can see your face when the rest of the city does my job for me and destroys you. Because as soon as you fail to deliver her, I will burn No Man’s Land to the ground. There will be nothing left but fuckingash. Everything. People, property, and everything else.

“And then? Then we’re coming for you. The Iron Shadows have taken too much for too long. It’s time you learned what it means to lose something.”

Striding to his bike, he mounted it and kicked off, the rest of the club following behind him in a roar of engines. Silver didn’t wait, turning and striding through the gates once more.

“When do we move?” A voice called.

“We don’t.”

“What?”

My head snapped to the left pinpointing the voice, which went with a face of fury. Bookend.

“We will not attack them,” Silver said. “Not in retaliation for shit we can’t prove, and not for a joyride which can be spun against us.”

“Silver, you can’t expect us to—”

“Rethink your next words,” Silver said, voice velvet in the quiet. “Unless you wish to challenge me for the presidency and thethroneright this fucking second, you will keep your mouth shut and obey. You will follow instructions and begin preparations for when we willeventuallymove.”

Silver strode over to Bookend, shadows curling off his shoulders and skidding off the pavement beneath his boots. The other members peeled out of his way. “Are you challenging me?”

The dark-haired fae glared at our president, anger clear in every line of his body. But I also saw the submission to Silver’s dominance. “No.”

“You think you can run this club better?”

Bookend didn’t say anything, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“Grave is going to organize more patrols,” Silver called, raising his voice. “In No Man’s Land, and our immediate territory. Defense only. You will not engage unless it is directly to defend yourself or an innocent. If I hear of anything different,” his eyes were on the fae in front of him, “you’ll join the bodies on the other side of the line. Understood?”

“Yes, President,” everyone answered. Even Bookend, though his answer was sullen at best.

Silver looked around him, gaze feral. “Did any single one of you hear me say we would never fight?”

“No.”

He released a wave of power, dark magic shuddering through everyone. “Then stop acting like something about the structure of this club has changed because the Legion is flexing their claws. And if anyone disturbs me again tonight for anything other than life and death, you’ll be cleaning the clubhouse bathrooms with your tongue. Is that understood?”

The echoing silence was a shatteringly clear answer.

He nodded, and everyone began to disperse. Silver looked at me. “You think they’re going to do it all at once? Or the old-fashioned way?”

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