“How did you feel using it?”
“Like an idiot. It’s clearly not for me.”
The poor kid looks dejected, and I’m not made for hurting kids. Give me an adult, and I’ll point out every mistake until they cry, but if one of my kids cries, it twists me up like a pretzel.
I sigh. “Look, I get it. It is cool, but what’s cooler is staying alive.” I hand the sword back to Luke. “Go put it back. This time, pick something that complements your skill and strength.”
He turns, shoulders slumped. “And Luke?” He looks back at me. “If you really want to learn, I can teach you how to use a sword properly.” His eyes light up, glassy with emotion. “Butafteryou master your signature weapon.”
The pout on his face is so pathetic, I want to take it back and start teaching him how to wield a sword right this second. I pat his head twice and sigh in relief when he perks up like a puppy before running off to choose a new weapon.
These kids are the future of the Tetrad kingdom. They don’t understand the gravity of their choice yet, but they will soon.
Sure, warriors are born with grit, but they are shaped by pain and determination. I would never want any of them standing on a battlefield on the worst day of their lives, feeling like they weren’t prepared… like they weren’t enough.
If I can shape them into warriors even the mightiest would hesitate to face, then I’ve done my job right.
2. Hey, trouble
Dean
That siren is going to be the death of me.
I stomp down the halls to my office, cursing my beautiful mate for pulling yet another prank. After her second stunt, I had the foresight to stash essentials all over the castle because Hazel’s pranks were getting out of hand.
I still don’t remember how I ended up in a prank war with my gorgeous, fiery, and scary as fuck mate. It’s been a month of constant stress because I never know what she’ll do next. I’m also not sure if I love or hate that she’s winning.
I slam my office door behind me, gripping the towel at my waist. I thought I won this morning after flicking Hazel’s cute little nose, but then I stepped out of the shower to find every damn drawer in my room sealed shut with my siren’s magic.
Every time I think I’ve found a way to pull us out of this game and into something real, Hazel reminds me how much she hates that we’re bonded.
I’d probably be more upset if this weren’t the only way she communicates with me. Most of the time, she acts like I don’t exist unless she’s making my life miserable.
I love her fire. Her spunk, her attitude… they’re my favorite things about her. I just hate that she uses them to keep me at arm’s length instead of letting me in on whatever crazy, messed-up shit goes on in her head.
I don’t know why she’s so scared to give us a real chance.
If you ask me, she’s the luckiest woman in the universe. I’m a fucking catch. I’m funny and cool. My face is perfectly symmetrical, and my smile is lethal... Fates, the list goes on.
Does any of that make my mate run into my arms and confess her undying love? Not even close.
The day she stepped into my home with her bags, she looked like Anxo had sent her to her execution. I couldn’t watch her squirm like that, so I gave her a separate room because, Fates forbid, I accidentally touch the killing machine. I’m pretty sure she’d stab me before I got close enough.
I know she’s not scared of me. Anyone with her strength wouldn’t be. But I think she’s scared of what this could be...whatwecould be.
But if she thinks her little pranks will keep me distracted forever, then she really doesn’t know me at all.
I waited decades to find my mate, and now that she’s here, under my roof, I’m not letting her slip away.
Khatri, my Warriorhead and close friend, knocks just as I finish buttoning my shirt.
He’s once again wearing a blazer that makes me look underdressed. No matter how many times I tell him to stop dressing like a bodyguard, he keeps showing up in dark, fitted suits.
The hard lines on his face relax as he watches me fish out a pair of socks from my desk drawer before walking to the floor-sized curtains where I hid an extra pair of shoes, not even trying to hide the mirth dancing in his eyes.
“What did she do now?”
“Sealed all my drawers shut,” I mutter.
