“Always.” I grunted and followed after him, blinking when we entered the harsh afternoon sunlight. “I don’t think Bastian will be a problem anyway. After dealing with my father and uncle all day, he’ll no doubt find some warm cunt to sink his cock into.”
After Draven’s warning, I was even more sure I shouldn’t mess around with Bastian. It was bad enough that I’d made the mistake with Ryker. With any luck, Bastian would spend the night somewhere else and I’d have a day to shore up my defenses against him. Avoiding Ryker when we got back to the Alpha stronghold was going to be a problem, but at least I had a few more days to figure out a plan for that.
“Follow my lead on the way back,” I told Draven. “I know where most of the patrol routes ar?—”
I froze half a second after Draven did, his gaze on the tree line as he uncoiled the whip attached to his belt. In a practiced motion, he clasped both hands over the handle, and when he pulled them apart, an identical bloodred whip was in his left hand. It was a somewhat unique trick he was able to pull off using a blend of blood and earth magic.
My palms itched and I wanted to summon my axes, but they wouldn’t help me now. Raising my chin, I glared into the forest. I had yet to spot him, but the breeze carried his scent to us. “What the fuck are you doing here, Bastian?”
Chapter Sixteen
Bastian
It’d finally happened. I’d found someone more infuriating than Warrick.
Rynn had the fucking audacity to be pissed at me when she was the one who had snuck out, almost gotten herself killed, and then had casually thrown out that disdainful comment about my sex life to Draven, of all people?
She and I were going to have some fucking words, but not until I got rid of her Moroi protector. I pulled one of my daggers free and wordlessly handed it to Ryker, who took it and slunk away. He was almost as good as me at sneaking up on people, although Moroi hearing was even better than ours, which meant I needed to keep the prince’s attention.
Fortunately, his weak spots had always been obvious.
With my hands in my pockets, I strolled out of the tree line like I didn’t have a care in the world, stopping ten feet away from them. Ignoring Draven for the moment, I focused on Rynn. “Rynn, beautiful, I’m a little put out, and not just because I’m missing my opportunity to—what was it you said? Find some warm cunt to sink my cock into?” I let out a cruel laugh. “A few nights in my bed and you’re already jealous.”
Rynn’s eyes flashed with anger, even as a blush crept up her cheeks. “That’s not—we didn’t—” She made an adorable noise of frustration before taking a deep breath. “I had some things to attend to today. They’re of no concern to you or the Alpha pack. You’re not needed here.” She nodded to Draven. “He’ll escort me back to the Narchis stronghold.”
My smile widened because her heart rate had just kicked up a notch. Our little wolf was a terrible liar. I’d bet my entire wardrobe that whatever she’d been up to had everything to do with us, but I’d get that out of her later. For now, my only job was to distract.
I arched a brow at her. “All the way to your room in the dungeon?”
The lovely blush vanished as Rynn’s face paled. Next to her, Draven stiffened. “Dungeon?” he asked her quietly, even as he kept his gaze locked on me.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rynn replied tightly. “Bastian is just trying to start shit by dredging up the past.”
“Whatever you say, Princess.” I shrugged and finally looked at Draven. “Your services are no longer needed. Take your toys and run along.”
“No, I don’t think I will.” He flicked his whips across the ground and smiled cooly at me. “First, I don’t trust you with Rynn, and second, I’ve wanted to make you bleed since the moment you stepped into my mother’s court.”
I chuckled even as Ryker silently rose out of the water behind Rynn and Draven. Crazy bastard had gone into the lake. He just needed to close the distance a little more.
“You never did like me.” I tilted my head and tapped a finger against my chin like I was pondering a great mystery. “Was it something I said?”
Red started to spread in his blue eyes like a river fracturing. Rynn looked nervously at him, concern evident in her eyes. For him.
Piercing jealousy slammed into me. Rationally, I knew there was nothing between them other than friendship, but I found I didn’t even want that to exist.
“Or do you not like me because Kieran does?” I smiled wickedly. “He likes me a lot.”
In an instant, Draven’s eyes turned a solid red and his whip snapped at me. I moved, but not fast enough, hissing as a six-inch gash opened up on my thigh.
“Draven!” Rynn shouted in warning.
The Moroi barely managed to avoid Ryker’s slash at his back. I straightened and pulled my remaining dagger free. Draven eyed me, turning slightly so he could see Ryker, who had managed to shove Rynn aside, putting himself between her and the Moroi.
“Both of you, just fucking leave,” Rynn snarled, her hands clenched into fists.
“Your choice, Rynn.” I lunged several feet sideways when Draven struck at me again. Ryker tried to land another hit, only to stagger back when the blood whip collided with his chest, instantly drenching it in red.
The Moroi was annoyingly fast with those things, and it was difficult to determine their reach since magic was involved, but it was still two against one, and Draven was easy to bait.
