“Free Connor,” he ordered.
I was too busy feeding to see who had come, but I heard their footsteps and then the clink of metal as they helped Connor unwrap the chains.
I rolled my eyes in their direction, finding Anton carefully lifting the silver over Connor’s head as my brother slipped under them. Everywhere the chains had touched left blistered and bright red skin.
The careful way Connor moved showed how much pain he was in as he sat on the ground, massaging his limbs with a grimace.
Anton held out his hand to help him up. Connor took it with a grateful nod.
Thomas was still focused on his earlier question. He pointed at Alches. “Were you aware of this?”
Liam’s deadpan look was his answer.
Thomas put his hands on his hips, his face upset. “This is going to be a problem.”
I swiped my tongue over the wound on Liam’s wrist to close it up. “Can’t we claim not to have seen where Dominick went after he ran away?”
After all, there was no body. Nor would anyone ever find one. As humans would say—no body; no crime.
Thomas sent me a repressive glare. “There’s no hiding this. His sire would have felt his death.”
“Technically, you didn’t see what happened. You could plead ignorance,” I pointed out.
Thomas did a very good impression of a man channeling patience as he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was counting backwards from ten.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Thomas. If Alches hadn’t eaten him, he would have killed Connor and me.”
I was really glad that hadn’t happened so I didn’t regret his death. It was a pity it might cause problems for us, but that was it.
I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I don’t see what the issue is. You would have killed him in the challenge anyway.”
Thomas frowned. “I wasn’t going to kill him though.”
I stopped to raise my eyebrows at him. He wasn’t?
“I planned to torture him a little before taking him captive. He would have been leverage against his sire.”
“That would only have worked if Vitus held any attachment to his progeny. We both know he doesn’t,” Liam said, glancing over as Eric arrived. The only sign the enforcer had been in a battle was a tear in his shirt and the slightly messy state of his hair.
Thomas acknowledged Eric with a nod, still focused on our conversation. “Maybe, but he wouldn’t have been able to weaponize Dominick’s death to force the council to move against us.”
“That is a problem.Yourproblem.”
Thomas gave Liam a dirty look. “You always leave the mess for me to clean up.”
Liam suppressed a smile. “You wanted to rule. This is the price.”
Thomas scoffed. “That’s rich coming from the former clan chieftain who taught me everything he knew about ruling.”
Liam inclined his head. “Unlike you, I learned early how overrated it is being in charge. Nothing but one massive headache.”
Thomas made a disgusted sound as he pinned me with a look. “What about Ahrun?”
I shook my head. “I was unconscious when he left me here. Connor said he took off without a word.”
“It’s good he didn’t kill you,” Thomas said.
I shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t like the taste of my blood.”
