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It wasn’t energy. It wasn’t power I had over them or some new magic I had just discovered.
It was the thing I had been warned about my entire life. The thing that had stolen my mother from my father and the reason for decades of bloodshed.
But it could not - would not - be. It was the drug. It had to be the spell. Because whatever bond I was sensing between them was just an effect of their presence. There was no way I could be mated to them.
But my heart said otherwise.
As Fillian pulled out of me, my tears returned anew. I prayed they could not see them, that the blindfold would soak them up, hide the evidence of my joy and grief. How could I tremble and desire their touch while fracturing at this betrayal?
If this was real. If this was the truth and not some figment of my imagination, how could they do this to me?
“You think that’s it, princess?” Lucien snarled, his face so close to mine that his hot breath caressed my cheek. “You think one fuck is enough? I’m going to make you weep. I’ll make you pay for what you did to us. I’m going to break every fucking bone in your body and watch you heal just so I can break you again. You-”
“Lucien.” Valko silenced him immediately, though Lucien’s rage burned as he panted beside me.
Fillian released me, but each one of them was still present within my heart.
“We are done here.” I could feel Valko move to my aching ankle, a sharp tug on my leg, and then freedom as he untied me. “Go take care of Fillian.” Valko’s voice was harsh. I could have fought him, but I had no reason left to struggle. If they killed me, so be it.
“And you?” Lucien asked.
“Back to the dungeon.”
There was a sharp intake of breath from Fillian before I heard more movement, shuffling, muttering, and a light moan from him. I could feel the physical distance stretching between us, the sound of them walking away, and my heart cried out for them.
My legs shuddered. The hot flow of Fillian’s release escaped me, and the sharp sting of my wounds abided as the healing process began.
It was gone. All of it. I had nothing left. No right to ascend, no claim to the throne. How was this a punishment to my father when they had given him the very thing he wanted?
I had lost everything and gained it all at once.
FIVE
Lucien
Valko was sulking again. He was fucking annoying when he did this, but we all had a reason to be pissed.And not just because we lost three wolves two days ago.
I found him brooding next to the fireplace in one of the smaller rooms, like he usually did when he was in a mood. He always carved spoons when he was stressed. We had so many bloody spoons that they were clogging up the kitchen. Now all we did was use them as kindling.
He was bent over, the orange light of the harsh fire illuminating the glower and strain on his face, the perfect image of a village woodsman. Thick body, huge hands, a permanent scowl etched into his strong brow, his dark brown stubble hiding the hard grit of his jaw.
He had a wooden stool that he crouched on, carved by the big man himself, of course. It could barely fit his massive arse, yet he insisted on using that tiny three-legged thing despite only carrying him a foot off the ground.
There were curls of green ash spread out around his feet, fuelling the fire. He hacked away at the poor piece of wood clenched in his hand as he growled at his own thoughts.
Or maybe - just maybe - he was pissed at Fillian’s howls tearing through the entire fucking den.
Fil had been pining after the vampire bitch since he first had his cock in her. I was going insane. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t escape him no matter where I went; it was that he was pushing his emotions onto us through the bond.
My shoulder still pulsed. The black poison from her silver blade kept my thoughts stuck on her, along with Fillian’s need, and the obvious problem that Valko was trying so hard to ignore.
It made me sick. I honestly thought I was going to throw up the first time I gripped her hair, saw the sleek line of her throat, nearly overcome by the need to sink my teeth into her.
She was our fucking mate, and it was the worst thing that had ever happened to us.
Another howl echoed through the room, and I grimaced.
Valko hadn’t heard me yet. I didn’t want to scare him when he was in one of his spoon-frenzies, no matter how fun it would be.
