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Ronin’s lips trembled, almost pulling back into a snarl. “No. He would never have made you any offer. He certainly wouldn’t ever have doubted that I could end you.”
Teague arched a brow. “That so? Then why did he always step in whenever me and you almost came to blows as adults in the tavern? Think back. He told you I wasn’t worth your anger, that you should focus on yourself, that you shouldn’t give me the satisfaction of a reaction. You backed off every time, just like he intended. Why would he have intended it if he was positive that you’d win? It certainly wouldn’t have been that he cared whether I lived or died, would it?”
Ronin gave his head a fast shake. “He had complete faith in me. He had none whatsoever in you. He saw you as weak and a shame to his name. It disgusted him when you joined the Dark Host—he said there was no place for you there.”
“I’m sensing that you think this will hurt me. I don’t know why. I don’t give a rat’s ass what he thinks about anything; I never did.” Teague had never made a secret of that. “It was only you who strived to earn his pride.”
“Because you knew you couldn’t have earned it, no matter what you did.”
“No, because I don’t want or need it.” Teague slanted his head. “I pity you, Ronin. When you’re not living in the past, still focused on loathing me and my mother, you’re living for someone else—living their dreams, their wants, their goals. Is it really worth it just to have Soren pat you on the back and say, ‘Good job, son?’ ”
“I’d say no, T,” interjected Archer. “He wouldn’t be here pursuing a personal vendetta if he was happy with his life. I would have thought the Wild Hunt would have better things to do anyway. We sure wouldn’t have had the time for something like this when we were huntsmen.”
“Our time was very much eaten up by our job.” Gideon let out a wistful sigh. “Still, I almost miss it.”
Tucker smiled. “We did have our fair share of fun, didn’t we?”
“The Wild Hunt isn’t about fun,” Ronin sniped. “It is about serving the Dark Host.”
Slade’s face hardened. “It’s not about tracking down your half-brother—who’s in a whole other realm, minding his own business—to wipe out him and his clan.”
Teague nodded. “Then again . . . I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to know that, Ronin. I was told that you couldn’t cope with the role you were given. Such a shame.”
Every muscle in Ronin’s body seemed to tense. “Either you are lying, or your source of information was lying.”
Teague mock winced. “If I were you, I wouldn’t accuse Vine of being a liar—he really wouldn’t like it.”
“He paid us a visit,” Leo added. “He told us you were doing a piss-poor job of being Master Huntsman, Ronin. He also said something about Zagan threatening to have Teague replace you if you didn’t buck up.”
Teague didn’t bother biting down on a smile as his half-brother’s face flushed a deep red. “And that’s when I understood why you all of a sudden wanted me dead. You weren’t going to allow me to take that role from you. You weren’t going to suffer that embarrassment and have Soren see you be outshined by me. You weren’t—”
“You could never outshine me,” Ronin burst out. “You’re the embarrassment. A product of an affair. You should never have been born.”
Teague barely resisted rolling his eyes. “So you’ve said a million times before. It didn’t bother me then. It doesn’t bother me now.”
His nostrils flaring, Ronin went to take a step forward, but then Hugo growled. Ronin blinked, surprised. And then his mouth curved into a mocking smile. “Oh, he’s cute. And soon to be dead. He’s absolutely no match for my hounds here. Your little group as a whole is no match for the force you’re up against.”
“Before the going-up-against begins,” Saxon cut in, “I’d like to state for the record that Teague actually said no to Vine’s offer. But I don’t suppose that will placate you, Ronin. Particularly since I think it’s safe to conclude that you’ve officially lost the job. It would explain why there are no shadowkin here. You can’t direct them anymore.”
Slade looked at each of Ronin’s men. “He convinced you all that we’re taking your positions from you, didn’t he? That’s why you came. You mean to kill us in an act of spite. It’s senseless, since we all turned down the offer to rejoin the Hunt.”
The men exchanged unreadable glances, stiffening slightly.
“They’re lying,” Ronin told his unit. “Once they’ve gotten their Earthly affairs together, they’ll be returning to hell.”
The males flanking Ronin lost their tension and once more inched up their chins, clearly choosing to believe their previous leader.
