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I cringed at that. Did I want to sit with them, with Draevyn? When Nikkos scooted over, patting a spot beside him, I felt as if I had no choice. I carefully extricated myself from the cape I was using as a blanket, doing my best not to disturb the girls, and I quickly padded over to them, the cool night air sending a chill skittering across my spine. I sat beside Nikkos, thanking him when he draped a warm wing over my shoulders.
The brothers were picking meat out of their teeth with the ends of thin bones while passing around a silver flask. I didn’t want to think about what was in that flask. I frowned, pushing the flask away when Nikkos offered it.
“It will warm your bones,” he said with a wink.
I pressed up against him. “You warm them enough.”
If his smile was flame, he could’ve lit a thousand torches.
“Were their fathers killed in the Lupine attack?” Blaze asked.
“Yes,” I answered, looking across the fire at Blaze while strategically avoiding staring at Draevyn who sat beside him. I didn’t bother explaining to them that Tari’s mates were possibly alive based on my father’s speculation. I couldn’t risk the girls finding out and getting their hopes up until I was absolutely sure.
“You’re not being truthful.”
I shot Draevyn a glare as firelight danced across his stoic features. “Excuse me?”
He gave me a long, dark look as if he was staring deep into my soul. “I can tell when someone’s lying.”
“Drae!” Blaze smacked his brother’s head with the end of a bone.
“Oh, can you?” I snapped.
Draevyn slapped the bone out of his brother’s hand with a snarl. “Yes.”
Crossing my arms, I imagined my eyes were arrows, and I was shooting his smug face full of holes. “My parents weren’t lying when they said they didn’t kill your parents, yet you refused to believe them.”
He pointed an accusatory finger at me. “There were numerous witnesses the night they killed our parents.”
I stiffened at that. “It’s impossible for anyone to lie to me when I use my siren voice.”
“Maybe your magic isn’t as strong as you think.”
“Drae!” Nikkos snapped, throwing a bone at him. “Enough!”
Was that all my other mates were good for? Throwing bones? Rage boiled my blood. That prick! “Would you like to wager on that?”
Drae jumped up when Blaze tried to hit him again. “Sure,” he said with a sneer, his wings outstretched, “as soon as you tell me the truth about their fathers.”
I threw up my hands. “You’re a bastard. How’s that for truth?”
“A bastard would imply I was born without a father,” he said with a hiss, “and I had a father untilyourfather killed him.”
I shrank back as if he’d slapped me, and as I looked into his rage-filled eyes, I swore I felt a fissure tearing through my heart. What had I ever done to make him hate me so?
Blaze stood, balling up his fists. “Drae, that’s enough.”
He snarled at his brother. “I’m only just getting started.”
Nikkos jumped to his feet, shaking a fist at his brother. “You can’t blame her for her father’s sins.”
“She’s as much his victim as we are,” Blaze added, his voice rising. “In case you’ve forgotten, he tried to steal her memories.”
Draevyn clutched his hair by the roots, a wild look in his eyes. “And yet she wouldn’t let us kill him.”
“He’s still my father!” Tears stung the backs of my eyes as I stumbled to my feet and began to pace. “I need to find a way out of this bond. I cannot mate with you.”
“You already said that today.”
