His shadows turn his head, cheeks red, eyes bulging. “Apologize to my queen.”
Oran shakes, tongue stuck. He mumbles something, but he canbarely breathe, let alone speak. Kaden tsks, bored. “Not good enough.”
His shadows surge, and his head bends at an unnatural angle.He snapped his neck.My eyes widen, hand to my mouth, as Kaden wraps his magic around him. The body disappears into nothing, forgotten to time.
The female at my side whimpers and shrinks when Kaden turns to her. Pulling on his jacket, he adjusts his cuffs as if he didn’t just kill a male Fae over something trivial.
This is not my mate. Can he be cruel and ruthless? Yes. But he doesn’t kill without pause. He doesn’t kill innocents.
“Don’t make the same mistake your brother made, Oleander,” Kaden says darkly. “Run along.”
She trips over her skirts to get away. Kaden grabs my waist, spinning me so I’m pinned to the wall where he just killed a Fae, and he leans over me. His amber eyes return and I swallow, unable to look away.
This Kaden feels chaotic—different. He’s usually composed, his darkness carefully contained beneath the surface. Now, that restraint is gone. Everything twisted he’s done is laid bare.
This is the Kaden I refused to believe could exist.
“You killed him,” I whisper, voice shaking. “You killed him in front of everyone.”
“Do you think I care if anyone is watching?” He leans close, the horns of his mark scratch my jewels. “Hetouchedyou. No one gets to touch my wife.”
“And that means he should die?”
“Yes.” It’s swift, brutal. “If I could bring him back fromSetiand kill him again, I would.”
Lifting my chin, his hips push against me. “Do not act as if the carnage doesn’t make you wet, kitten. I can smell how aroused you are.” His fangs lower over his lip, a daring and delicious sight. “You like me at my most callous. You want me to show the world you belong to me. And if I have to kill a few brainless Fae who think they can take liberties, then so be it. You love me like this.”
“I love you, but not pointless deaths.”
He snorts. “It wasn’t pointless. It sends a message.” Grabbing my throat, he pulls me close. “That only I can have you. No one else stands a chance.”
“And if Aoife finds out you killed one of her lords?” Kaden winces, as if nails are digging into his back. “What then?”
“I do not care.” His eyes flash again and I freeze.
Something is not right.I cannot describe it. Is this who truly Kaden is without the worry over the curse to control? Is this my mate without any masks? He takes the concerns of everyone into consideration and he rarely strikes unless it is necessary.
What changed?
“But that is not why you’re mad.”
I scoff. “I can assure you killing someone for no reason is certainly why I’m mad.”
He grins, slow and seductive. “No, it’s not. You’re mad that we’re still here.”
My silence makes his smile grow, and he nods. “You’re mad that we came to this ball. That I submitted to Aoife’s request.”
Anger licks at my chest, searing and uncomfortable. It surrounds our bond like another anchor. “You said we were going home. Your curse is broken. We are needed to protect our kingdom and yet, we are here, dancing.Drinking. Killing Fae.”
He crushes me to the wall and I’m furious to hear the soft moan leave my lips. As angry as he makes me, my body still craves him.Damn bond.
“We are here because an ally asked us to be.” His thumb rubs my bottom lip, tipping my head further back. “Because to return, we need support. We have guards and the lords have armies, but Griffin has more. We need the help.”
Glaring, I shove at his chest. “We have each other. We have Fee. We have magic on our side. We do not need Aoife.”
Didn’t I have the same fears? We are limited in our people, but there must be a better way than depending on Aoife.
He winces again.Odd.
