His daughter.
My mate.
“He didn’t spare me out of mercy, Ryker,” she said, as if sensing my thoughts. “He sent me back. To you. Told me to stay close, to undermine your rule from within.”
“And did you?”
I couldn’t help the growl that coated my words.
“No. I was never working for him. I was only trying to survive, to find a way out.”
Her voice didn’t tremble, but I could feel the apprehension rolling off her in waves. She braced for the worst, waiting for me to lash out.
The urge to shake her, to let her see how much it fucking hurt that she hadn’t trusted me, almost overpowered the rational part of my brain.
Because I deserved her mistrust.
It had been my actions that had driven her need to escape. If anyone was to blame here, it was me.
I skimmed my palm over her cheek, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Is that all?” My tone was quiet, but it still held an edge that made her pause.
“No. There’s more.”
I waited, and she shifted on my lap, uneasy under the weight of my stare. I dug my fingers into her sides. Not to hurt her, but to offer comfort.
Before Cadence could stop herself, the words spilled from her lips. She told me about the assault on the palace, how her father had orchestrated it to draw attention away from his actual goal: reaching her.
She spoke of the refugees, of how she’d helped them sabotage the food convoys, creating chaos with the hope she could slip out of my grasp undetected.
But when she named Fallon Thorne as the traitor and revealed how he’d propositioned her... fury unlike anything I had ever known surged through me, hot and violent, spreading like wildfire in my veins.
“He’s fucking dead.” I jumped to my feet, dressing quickly as Cadence did the same.
“Ryker, wait,” she called, her hand gripping my arm to stop me in my tracks.
I hadn’t even realized I’d moved.
“The second you go after Fallon, you’ll be sending a message straight to my father. We can’t let him know you see through his plans.”
I stared at Cadence, my chest rising and falling like I was holding back a godsdamn tempest. My jaw throbbed as I ground my teeth, considering her words.
Play the long game.
It made sense, but every instinct in my body screamed to rip Fallon’s throat out with my teeth, letting her father know exactly what happened to traitors. But if I acted now, the Crimson Enclave would smell blood. And I’d lose my one chance to end this war on my terms.
I forced myself to take a breath as I stared down at her.
“I don’t like it, but you’re right.”
Cadence craned a brow, that damn smirk gracing her lips once more.
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” I said as I stalked toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To plan.”
My hand gripped the doorknob, and I peered over my shoulder to where Cadence stood, her brows furrowed.
