“I need to feed. Or I need—”
On cue, Myko coils around me, his massive scales wrapping tight. The second he touches me, I gasp—air finally flooding my lungs. He draws the energy out of me, slow and steady, like pulling venom from a wound. I close my eyes, helplessly addicted to the wave of calm that follows. It’s like a drug—one only he can give me.
“No. You need toseewhy this isn’t something you keep quiet about. We need to bring her back. Now.”
Myko snarls the words—not to me. But he’s too consumed trying to manage both my outburst and Bay’s fury to realize I heard it too. I hate when they argue, but this time—I’m with Myko.
“She’s sixteen! And she’s a royal—she can handle herself if there’s danger,” Bay snaps, planting her hands on her hips like she’s drawing the line. Determined. Unmoving.
She wants us out of Kayla’s business.
Yeah... not gonna happen.
Kayla’s powers can't protect her.
“You forget our enemies already know enough to dart her to sleep and lock her up—just like they did to my mom in the past.” My voice comes out sharp, venomous. “I’m not leaving it to chance. And I’m definitely not letting some guy I’ve never even met put his filthy hands on her.”
Myko finally releases me, and I steady myself as the last of the blue glow fades from my skin.
“He’s as dead as Solas.”
I flash Myko a menacing grin, and Bay lets out a heavy sigh, the kind that says she knows she’s already lost. Two against one—she’s not winning this battle.
“Fine,” she mutters, lifting her hands in mock surrender. “But we follow her quietly first. Let her have something—anything—that even remotely resembles a normal life.”
I roll my eyes. “We’ll try it your way, if it makes you feel better. But the second he breathes too close?” I lean forward to make sure she’s not missing the threat, voice dropping low. “I’m going in.”
“Great,” she grumbles, rolling her eyes right back at me. “The ‘perfect’ brother...” she mutters under her breath as she heads toward the white SUV Pedro gifted her last year—the same year she finally passed her driving test. Honestly, that alone is a public safety hazard.
I shoot a smug smirk toward Myko.
“Looks like we’ve got two souls for dinner tonight. Let’s go hunt the first one.”
Malec
Bay’s hand presses against my shoulder as she parks in front of the small bar Kayla’s at.
“You get out here. I’ll circle to the back and meet you here at the entrance.”
I nod and don’t waste a second. The moment the car stops, I’m out, eyes scanning the street before stepping onto the curb. No risks. Not now. The Russians definitely know by now that we’ve got Solas.
Bay has Myko—she’ll be fine.
But Kayla?
Kayla’s reckless. Too reckless.
She might be a royal, but for some damn unknown reason, she still can’t control her powers. And the worst part? She trusts people too easily. Even if this isn’t a trap, even if it’s technicallysafe—I’m still not letting some random bastard lay a finger on my sister.
“Malec.”
Bay rolls down the window just as I shut the door. Her tone sharpens into full-on mom mode—the same one she uses on her son, Alessio.
“Wait at the entrance.Don’tmake a scene. Clear?”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m waiting.”
That is a lie. A full-on, bold-faced lie I’ll probably get scolded for later.
