"Hurt me," Hewes said, his voice still rough but gaining strength, "and she's dead. Not wounded. Not captured. Dead. Do you understand?"
This was the trap. This had always been the trap.
He'd known I would try to kill him. Known that the moment he mentioned Merrilee, I would lose control. He'd planned for it. Set up this exact scenario so that when I finally snapped—when I finally let my rage override my caution—he would have the one thing that could stop me.
Her.
My strength meant nothing. My training meant nothing. My years of survival, my carefully honed instincts, my ability to kill with brutal efficiency—none of it mattered.
I couldn't kill him. Couldn't even hurt him. Because the second I did, she died.
And I couldn't let her die.
Not for revenge. Not for justice. Not for anything.
"I'll take your silence as a yes." Hewes straightened, adjusting his collar. He cleared his throat and it sounded painful. Good.
"Here's how this is going to work," he instructed "You're going to lose your fight against Korroth. You're going to make it look good—I don't want Persico getting suspicious—but you're going to lose. Korroth will win Merrilee."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then she dies. Right now. While you watch." He gestured to the screen. "Your choice, Ahrick."
Every instinct I had screamed at me to kill him. To rip his throat out and damn the consequences. To end this monster before he could hurt anyone else.
But I couldn't.
Because Merrilee was on that screen, alive and whole and unaware of the weapon aimed at her spine.
"Fine," I said, the word tasting like poison. "I'll lose the fight."
"Good." Hewes smiled again, that same cold, satisfied smile. "I knew you'd see reason. You Vaktaire are so predictable when it comes to your mates."
My hands clenched into fists. "How did you—"
The word died in my throat.
Mates.
He'd said it so casually. So certain. Like it was obvious fact rather than the secret I'd been guarding with every breath, every careful glance, every measured word.
I'd been so fucking careful. Never touched her where anyone saw. Never let my gaze linger too long in public spaces. Never positioned myself too close, too protective, tooanythingthat might give away what she was to me.
And yet somehow, this bastard had seen through it all.
"Surprised?" Hewes' smile widened at whatever he saw in my face. "You shouldn't be. I didn't get where I am by being unobservant." He circled his desk, clearly enjoying my shock.
My jaw clenched so hard I heard my teeth grind.
I've been watching you two for weeks. The way you look at her. The way you position yourself between her and any potential threat." He leaned forward, grinning. "You're not as subtle as you think, warrior."
I said nothing. There was nothing to say.
Hewes tapped the screen again, and the feed shifted. Now it showed the fighting pits. The schedule. "There will be another fight in a couple of days. If you survive Korroth and win that fight, you can have Merrilee back."
"If she's still alive," I said flatly.
"Exactly." His smile widened.
