Page 175

Ezra steps out and relief flashes across his face at the sight of us. But as quickly as it was there… it’s now gone as he takes us both in… noticing how wrecked we look. His relief turns into anger or something close to it.

Sucks for him though because I do not have the energy to deal with his meltdown.

Our eyes collide and he goes to say something, but I hold my hand up. “Not tonight.”

He looks at me.“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face did.”

Rhett mutters, “She’s getting very good at that.”

I elbow him. Hard.

Then Malakai appears behind Ezra.

The second I see him, something tight inside my chest finally loosens.

Relief.

Not the strange pull of the Harvest or the heat that’s been twisting through me all night.

Just me.

I’m relieved to see him… that notion should worry me more.

I walk straight past Ezra.

“Kai.”

His eyes find mine immediately.

For half a second, something in his expression softens.

Then his gaze drops to my wrist.

His eyes widen, just enough for me to notice before they snap to Rhett.

Whatever relief had been there disappears.

“What happened?”

I reach for Rhett’s arm and hold it up between us.

The red mark circles his wrist, the symbol beneath his skin darker now, almost black.

Kai steps closer. His fingers hover over the mark without touching it. “Given.”

There’s that fucking word again. I fucking hate it.

Ezra grabs Rhett’s wrist and turns it toward the light. “What happened?”

“The Hunt finished,” Rhett answers.

Ezra looks up at him. “How?”

Rhett doesn’t answer.

He doesn’t have to. His eyes flick toward me.