It’s a true weariness that drags at my bones. I haven’t rested in some time, and I should check on my other mates. In a pensive silence, I shift into eagle form and make my way up to do a final check on the guard-towers—just to make sure the guards haven’t been slacking off in my absence.
It’s then that I see the roiling shadow travelling towards the animus dorm. With a sharp cry of protest, I shoot toward him, beak at the ready like a spear. The shadow reaches the open window of my pack’s dorm, pausing just outside. I pummel right into him, snapping a piece of shadow and tackling him into the dark room beyond. He shifts into human form on the floor, and I clamp a sharp claw around his neck.“And just where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“I go where the fuck I want, snakelet,” he drawls, the paint on his face glowing white in the low lights of the room.
My mates leap out of bed and surround us, but I wave a wing at them.“Not here, you don’t,”I tell him, snapping my beak at his red eyes.“Get out.”I shift into human form and climb off him, pointing to the window.
“And what if I don’t? Are you going to fight me?” Ghoul asks, extending himself to his full height.
I laugh darkly. “Without hesitation.”
Savage cackles. “I love this so fucking much!”
“I thought we shared a moment before.” Ghoul turns to my mates and says over my shoulder. “We shared afewmoments in your absence, actually.”
Savage gasps dramatically. Lyle growls under his breath. “Did you hear about your friend?” I ask sweetly.
“I saw Katerina’s head sitting on your academy gates, yes,” he says smoothly. “Impressive work, I must say. Suchstyle.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Now you must leave before I hurt you.”
He puts a hand over his heart, the shadows parting to allow his hand. “Who, me? You’d never.”
“We know what serpent court is doing,” Lyle says. “We know Mace is out for our blood.”
“But the snakelet and I have an agreement,” Ghoul says evenly. “She made me a promise.”
“The thought of leaving my mates now makes me want to murder someone,” I say through gritted teeth. “And I will. Don’t test me.”
He scratches the corner of his mouth as if thinking. He takes a step to the right, and I mirror his movement. “So protective,” he hisses. “And all they had to do was be weak enough to get caught?”
“I’m detecting a little jealousy,” Savage pipes as I register the same.
Ghoul’s red eyes flash behind the swirls of darkness. “Do they know you’re carrying my offspring? Do they know you’re my fiancée?”
All the males in the room go still.
“Oh, stop it,” I snarl. Turning to the others, I reassure them. “He’s just joking. I’m not pregnant. I wouldn’t do that withhim.” But it doesn’t seem to help. Scythe’s eyes have gone navy. Savage’s mouth is suddenly full of canines, and Lyle is stalking towards me, his amber irises blown out.
Ghoul cackles. “Wonderful.”
“No,” I say, holding my hands up to Lyle. “Smell me. I’m not pregnant. And I’m definitely not engaged to ageneralof my father’s court!” But Lyle doesn’t stop his advancing, and I have no choice but to step in front of him and block his path with my hand on his chest. “Stop this,” I say. “Listen to me.”
But now Scythe and Savage are advancing forwards, and to my great concern, they are lethally silent. No growl, no snarling. Only deadly focus.
“We’ve fought before,” Ghoul says lightly. “They barely won. Even three against little old me.”
I huff without looking at him. “You’re not helping. What did you come here for anyway? You need to leave.”
“We had an agreement,” the basilisk lord says. “You need to come with me.”
I let out a short laugh. “Not tonight, buddy.”
“Want to know what’s funny about this?” Ghoul says darkly. “You’ll be begging me by the end.”
“What?” I swing around to confront the bastard, but he’s already gone.
Savage, Scythe and Lyle rush towards the window, sniffing and growling in the wake of the shadows. Lyle tries to leap out of the window in pursuit, but I lash my own power around him, shoving him backward into the room. “Don’t mind him,” I say quietly. “I…had to pretend to be his pregnant fiancé to get the heat serum, but it was all just a ruse.”
