Suddenly,everyonefreezes in place, and the magic of the Hunters surrounding me screams so loud I choke on my own breath in pain.
I spin around to my worst nightmare.
The king of Goreon has snapped into the hall, and his large hand is clasped around Gracie’s delicate neck, pinning her in place. Pale Hunters and hissing vampires focus on the king.
Her face is etched with terror, and gold threads morph into pitch black within me—panic, warning, despair.
My magic’s fear is potent and harrowing as the king clutches the Heir, his sneer aimed at her throat.
“She’s unbitten. Ibegyou,” I snarl, and my soul prays to the gods.
“I’m so glad you’re still here,” the king drawls. “I was afraid I’d wake up to a mess to clean, but what a pleasantsurprise this is.” His red eyes flick to mine, and the yards between us are maddening.
“I can’t believe you brought a human warrior with you,” he continues into her neck, lips grazing my wife, and I want to rip his fucking head off watching him touch her. “Such a sweet-smelling one at that,” he says, fingers trailing down Grace’s neck.
I take a step toward them, furious, and on the edge of releasing every dark, merciless part of me.
Rhett is behind them, the same distance as I am, with Sam’s arm slung over his shoulders. Eyes clear and mind lucid, Sam’s focus is now on his sister, his magic pushing him to protect the Heir, just like all of us.
“Unhand her,” Sam growls, and the king’s attention swivels.
“Youare supposed to be mine. I sent a note and everything,” he says haughtily.
This vampire is fucking insane.
The king sighs, rolling out his neck as he drags Grace to his front, wrapping an arm around her chest.
“No matter, you were about used up, weren’t you?” the king says, eyeing Sam.
In the next blink, Sam is on the ground, throat slashed and eyes empty, and the king grips Grace by the neck again, her body bent over in front of him.
My rage burns, and everything hurts under the weight of death and desperation. I can’t shift my focus from Sam, locked in disbelief, heart—empty.
His life just … gone.
Chaos brims like a raging monster gnawing through the chains that hold it.
Grace whimpers as she stares at her dead brother, gasping in shock.
Rhett drops to his knees, shaking his best friend.
And I force myself to focus on theonething I have left.
My Gracie.
I won’t risk her life with bloodshed against a king who’s faster than I can track or a negotiation with anything less than what she’s worth. I drop my stakes, splaying my hands wide. “Spare her, and you can kill me,” I growl, my soul and magic spinning with desperation. “A life for a life.”
“No!” Grace screams, trying to wrench away from the king. “This wasmychoice, Kade!”
I catch her eyes with mine, pouring every ounce of adoration I possess into my look. “There are no conditions to my love, Grace. Including death.”
“Ah, I see,” the king says through a grin, then tsks at me. “But yourlife, Hunter? For yourwoman?” He scoffs, tipping Grace’s head back and assessing her like a prized mare. “Not very becoming of a Hunter to choose his woman over his sworn duty.”
My eyes narrow.This king has no idea who Grace Hull is.
“I agree to your terms, Hunter. Withoneamendment.” The Goreon King points a taunting smile at me, and my muscles tremble with restraint.
But instead of speaking, the bastard sinks his fangs into Gracie’s perfect skin.
