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Maybe I should’ve felt guilty, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt a fierce satisfaction. Twilight had accepted my blood bond in front of witnesses. She could never leave me now.
“Only I can break the bond,” I added. And I’d take a knife to the chest before I’d do that.
“I know.” She touched my cheek. “I’m not going to leave. I knew what I was doing, and I said yes.”
My gaze snagged on her mouth. Gods, I wanted her—even like this, dirty and tired, with dark smudges under her eyes, my shirt so big on her she looked shapeless.
Even when I wasn’t sure she could be trusted.
Mine.
I gave her a hard kiss and turned to where Cain, Talon and Jasper were huddled on the other side of the room, carrying on a low-voiced discussion.
She halted me with a hand on my bicep. “What about the challenge?” she demanded.
“What about it?”
She didn’t relax. “Prosper is smart and fast—are you sure you can beat him?”
She stated it warrior-to-warrior, and I did her the courtesy of responding in kind.
“He is. And he knows my moves—we’ve sparred on and off ever since I was a kid. But that means I know his moves, too. And I’ve gotten faster in the last couple of years. I don’t think he’s aware of that.”
Her eyes moved between mine like she was trying to see into my brain. Then she gave a short nod and let go of me. “Good. Because if you don’t—.” She bit her lower lip. “Just don’t lose, okay?”
My brow furrowed. The woman was fucking confusing. Maybe she hadn’t lied when she’d said she loved me?
Then I recalled how she’d been concealing the fact that someone had passed her a switchblade for close to two weeks, and my mouth turned down. “I don’t intend to.”
I turned and caught Jasper’s eye. He broke away from Cain and Talon. “Yes?”
“Go to the war room and search the video feed. Someone left that switchblade for Twilight—possibly an intruder. I want to know who.”
“It was a Sunday,” added Twilight. “Not last Sunday—the Sunday before. Sometime between midnight and dawn.”
“I’m on it,” Jasper said, and left.
Next I phoned Avril and asked her to arrange for someone to send dinner and clean clothes for Twilight to my apartment.
“Is everything all right?” Avril asked. “I haven’t seen Twilight all day.”
“Twilight’s fine, but the primus has gone to his grave.”
She sucked in a breath. “So you’re primus now?”
“Acting primus,” I corrected. “Lieutenant Prosper has issued a challenge.”
A pause. Then my typically unflappable PA burst out, “No! He wouldn’t—”
“Just bring the food and clothes,” I said and cut the connection.
Twilight had stayed nearby, leaning against the wall like it was the only thing holding her up.
I frowned. I hadn’t forgiven her, but I hated seeing her so listless and defeated.
She glanced at me and straightened. “Thank you. For the food and clothes, I mean.”
“Sit.” I jerked my chin at a couch.
