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“Ah, but you did, Dove. You did. Maybe not consciously, but you did. Which is why this is so confusing to me.”
He steps around Dashel and Gael and comes to me, lifting my chin with a finger.
And for the first time, I want to pull away.
“You, of all people, know what a cruel, unyielding father demands. I’m to take his place, and that can’t happen until I’ve reached my potential, according to his signposts. Things like perfect grades in the only demon-run school in the realms and cultivating a winning personality and sparkling smile.” He draws a finger down my cheek. “Mating the most powerful demoness.”
All the parts of Axe’s personality come into focus as contrivances of his controlling father, and I’m suddenly heartbroken for him.
I reach up, touching his bruised cheek. “Did he do this to you?” I ask in the softest whisper.
The shell of anger breaks open, revealing the wounded, scared demon within. “It started when I failed to further our relationship. Then when I didn’t bed you fast enough and continues now that I have and remain without a true form.”
My chest caves inward, hardening like the crystalline walls of the lair. “Axe, I’m?—”
“There’s nothing you can say that will help, Dove,” he snaps.
I step back, and he takes a second to collect himself.
“Every time I brought up yourfriend, who we all knew had to be more than a friend, he insisted that keeping Gael out of the group was the only way. Then beat me with stolen fae magic that makes the wounds slow to heal toencouragemy success. Every time,” he repeats.
My eyes sting, and I go to him, but it’s Axe who backs away now.
“I’m so sorry, Axe. If I had known?—”
“If you had known, you’d do the same, because I’d convince you there was nothing that could be done. So it went on, for weeks. Weeks you kept your distance while I spent most of my time in the palace, trying to convince my father to release Gael because it was what you wanted. Because if you had what you wanted, maybe you’d also give me what I needed.”
Axe’s gaze shines with unshed tears as he stares at me.
“When you fell intoustrues,I thought it was finally over. That my freedom was on the horizon. But you chose Dashel over me.” He shakes his head. “I can’t tell you how much that hurt, Dove. But when we were all together again, and no one changed, I knew I had the key to convincing my father to release Gael. It’s when I realized Gael wasn’t just your lover, he’s another mate and one we needed to advance all our power.
“Father agreed, and now you’re out ofustrues,and I’m out of time, Dove. This was the condition he set if I was wrong.”
I shake my head. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out.”
But there’s a shift, a change in Axe. The fear and pain, gone leaving only anger hardened to a weapon.
“If bringing the fifth mate to your bed didn’t bring my change, then I was to eliminate him and make you change me.” His words are barely in the air before Axe spins around, grabs Gael by the chin, and snaps his neck.
Gael falls to the floor, lifeless and staring.
A scream builds in my lungs, but Axe is already kneeling.
He’s got a vial.
And a blade.
“NO!” I wail and throw myself at Axe.
He deflects me with a flick of his wrist, and in my crazed madness, I throw myself on top of Gael.
“If you touch him, I’ll kill you!” I scream, covering Gael’s chest with my body.
“And if I don’t, Lucien will kill me.” He grips my waist and throws me off Gael.
I crash into the wall but get my feet under me in seconds. “Help me!” I scream at the heirs.
They don’t move.
