I kneel beside Marcus, taking his hand in mine as pain wracks through the alpha. I turn to Rad, tears in my eyes. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because, beloved, you are myprize, and I don’t share. When I win you, youwillbehave.”
“Your prize?” Realization strikes me like a bolt of lightning. “You don’t give a damn about building an army!”
Rad chuckles as he crouches beside me. He strokes my cheek with his thumb, and I glare up at him.
“So, youdohave an affinity. Just as I thought. You’re right. I couldn’t care less about the project or my part in it. You are my prize, and I will take you, even if I have to do so by force. And when I claim you, saints, all that brilliant power inside you will bemine. What alpha wouldn’t want that?”
My phone rings in my handbag and Rad stands, crosses the locker room and kicks it toward me. “Answer the phone. If it’s one of your alphas, I hex him again.”
I let out a breath of relief that I left my burner phone at home, and scramble to dig my other phone out of my bag, swiping to answer it.
“Willow?”
“Juniper? What’s wrong?”
I know Rad can hear her voice on the other end of the phone.
“Nothing. We were just congratulating Kelvin on a game well played. Fairhaven won the homecoming game. It’s a shame you had to miss it.”
It’s a shame she wasn’t here to help protect me, weak, cowardly thing that I am.
“A shame,” my sister agrees, some emotion in her voice I can’t quite place. “I’m calling to let you know that I’ll meet you outside Fairhaven’s front gates at nine tomorrow morning for your courting date with Mr. Radcliffe.”
I cast Rad a quick glance out of the corner of my eye as I catch his thoughts.
Her surprise will be delectable.
Saints, what does he have up his sleeve? Can it be any worse than what he just did to my honor guard?
I murmur my agreement and tell Willow I’ll see her there in the morning, then end the call.
My hands shake so hard I nearly drop my phone as I shove it back into my purse.
“Get this pathetic alpha out of my sight,” Rad tells me, glaring down at Marcus in disgust.
I scramble to help Marcus stand, my shoulder under his arm, one of my arms around his waist. But my honor guard is weak, and his knees give out. I catch him, letting out an “oof” with the effort.
Rad steps forward and strokes my cheek again, running his fingers through the frightened tears that have collected on my skin. He rubs his fingers together in approval.
“Until tomorrow, beloved.”
He watches us go but doesn’t follow. I cast another strength sigil on Marcus as soon as we’re out of sight, but it only helps him a little.
We make our slow way to the infirmary, skirting the party raging on Fairhaven’s quad. Distant bonfires dot the horizon as we walk from the lacrosse stadium, Marcus leaning heavily on me.
Doc springs up the moment I shoulder the infirmary doors open. The long ward is quiet and dark, empty of patients, and her footsteps ring out on the wooden floors as she races to help me ease Marcus into a bed.
I’ve never seen my honor guard look so frail. He trembles with pain and his face has taken on a sickly pallor.
“What happened?” she asks as she hoists Marcus’ legs up onto the bed.
“He was hit with anagoniahex.”
The young healer unwinds her stethoscope from around her neck and presses it to Marcus’ heart, listening for a moment, before letting out a sigh of relief.
“His pulse is a bit weak, but that’s to be expected.”
