Page 41 of War and his Queen

I stop, my hand coming to the wound on the side of my stomach. Wincing, I pull away, looking down at my palm that’s stained with blood.

My mouth opens, and then closes, as I fall backward into something hard.

My eyes close as the pain spreads, so I apply more pressure and ride through the pain.

They pop open when heavy footsteps get closer.

I shoot up from the ground, the pain now blinding as I turn over my shoulder, holding my breath. I don’t know who it is. All I know is some asshole hurt me tonight.

What the fuck is happening?

“Fuck, Halen!” Someone is directly in front of me, and I wince from the salacious heat of his body.

Too close.

I reach out to shove him away, but my nipples harden against my bra. This is a problem when they’re both decorated with metal.

“Fuck you. Go away—”

He grabs my hand and forces my back against the tree. “Let me look at it!”

His knuckles graze over the side of my belly and I turn rigid at the impetuous pulse between my legs. It’s enough to distract me. “How the fuck did you do this?”

“Someone—” I say through clenched teeth. His features blur together and I’m pretty sure my skin is cold to the touch. “Am I dying?”

He bites on a laugh. It’s not one he wants to give me. “Finish your sentence.”

I shove him away again, finally over his antics. “You drugged me.”

He knocks my hand away, and when I try to shove him again, he snatches my wrist and forces it up above my head. “Fucking chill! The more you panic, the faster you’ll lose blood.”

“I don’t care.”

His hand comes to my chin, forcing my face up to his. “I drugged you. You were supposed to stay in the fucking car.”

“Why!” I yell, irritation coursing through me.

“Because your brother has gone completely over the edge and doesn’t fucking see you as someone who needs to be protected anymore.”

My mouth closes and the knife I’m holding slowly slips from my fingers. “What do you mean?”

War shoves his fingers into his hair and pulls.

He blows out an exasperated breath as his arms drop to his sides. “You’re an equal now, and when we complete the ritual, it will only get worse than what it is now. You have to do everything that we do, Halen. You don’t get to pick and choose who your loyalty is to. Your old man? He isn’t the knight in shining armor you have grown to think he is. Are you ready for that? To see this side of him? This side of—”

“Of who, War?” His name falls from my tongue like velvet, suffocating his rage. They think I don’t know who my dad is? I know who he is. I’d heard the stories about him when he was young, and that kind of madness doesn’t get put to sleep just because you age and have a couple kids.

Not even for love.

Not even for children. Especially when you’re a King.

But that’s not what he’s afraid I’ll see.

With the blanket of darkness around us both, I lower my tone. “Say it.” I lean my head against the bark, wincing when the distant throbbing returns on my side.

He means Priest.

Vaden.

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