“He’s a god,” Malik argued. “Who just popped up out of nowhere.”
“I asked Reaver to return to Iliseeum to see if anyone could help Poppy.” I confirmed what the Primal had said, not missing how his head jerked slightly when I said her name. “Clearly, that’s why he’s here.”
“That’s what he says.” Malik stepped in close. “Andclearly, there is more going on than what you’ve said. Cas—”
“It’s fine,” I assured him, pushing my impatience down. My brother was worried; I could understand that. But we didn’t have time for this. “We’ve got this.” I let out a rough breath. “I need to get back to Poppy.”
Malik was still for a moment, then his jaw flexed, and he stepped back. Inhaling sharply, he turned to the Primal. “I don’t give two shits what you are,” he said, his voice low. “You fuck with my brother, I’m going to fuck with you.”
The Primal tipped his head to the side. “Noted.”
“I won’t be far,” Malik said to me.
I nodded, quickly glancing at Emil. His nostrils flared, but he gave me a curt nod and followed my brother. Delano hesitated, but I knew it was for a different reason. “You know I won’t let anything happen to her,” I quietly reminded him. “Go.”
For a few moments, his blue eyes remained locked on mine. Then, he rose, darting off and quickly catching up with the other two.
Kieran came forward with a frown, his observation of the Primal almost clinical.
“I understand their reluctance,” the Primal said, snapping my attention back to him. “They should be wary. You?” His shrewd gaze roamed over me. “You don’t seem wary at all.”
“I’m not,” I replied. “Because if you fuck with us or her, I won’t fuck with you back. I’ll rip your fucking heart out and then feed it to you.”
The glow of eather behind his pupils turned his eyes a luminous shade of quicksilver. “The one that looks like me. He’s your brother,” the Primal said after a moment. It wasn’t a question. “But he doesn’t feel like you.” He glanced back at Kieran. “And you don’t feel like a normal wolven.”
“Is that so?” Kieran asked, crossing his arms.
The Primal’s half-smile raised my hackles. Mainly because I now knew what I looked like when I gave that same shit-eating smirk. “Your brother is worried about your safety.” Silver eyes lit by eather locked on mine. “That’s the only reason I let him speak that way to me.” He stepped toward me. “But you?”
Kieran tensed.
“Clearly, the female beyond that door isn’t just a Queen to you,” he said.
“She’s not.” I held his stare as we stood toe-to-toe. The aura of power he let seep out of him coated every surface in the hall. “She’s my everything.”
“Which is the only reason I’m letting you speak to me like that.” Streaks of eather flashed across his irises. “But my tolerance has its limits. I hope that won’t become a problem.”
“As long as you know I have no tolerance when it comes to her safety, no.”
A muscle ticked…right in histemple. Fuck, it was eerie to see that.
Seconds passed. Neither of us moved or spoke. Our eyes remained locked. I knew I was pushing it.
“Casteel,” the Primal said, breaking the tense silence as he spoke my name for the first time. “Reaver was not exaggerating in his description of you.”
I could only imagine what that fuck had said. “It appears he left some details out, though. Like the fact that we’re related,” I drawled.
“That he did. And more.” He looked at Kieran. “Which makes you the wolven.”
“I have a name. It’s Kieran,” he replied. “And you are?”
“Someone you likely haven’t heard of.”
Kieran raised his brows. “Why don’t you indulge me and find out?”
“We really don’t have time for that.” The Primal’s gaze went to the door.
I moved to the side, blocking his view. While I believed Reaver had sent him, he wasn’t taking a step toward her without me knowing something about him. “What’s your name?”
