Canavar, a draken who fought like a possessed beast, and he was HUGE!
Finally, Canavar pinned me with a knee to my chest, breathing evenly while I kept wheezing.
“You done?” he asked.
“I—gasp—hate—you.”
He smirked.
I stilled.
“He needs it,” Kieran huffed. “Not used to having someone bigger than him around.”
Nerissa and the new draken snorted in unison.
Smoke shot from my nose, my bloodmagick begging to be let free.
“You’re not angry at Ronan,” Nerissa continued. “Not truly.”
Ice slid through my ribs, smothering the fire.
“You’re terrified,” she continued, lowering his voice. “That’s different.”
Canavar stilled, releasing his weight off of me. I sucked air into my lungs, shocked when he held out a hand to help me up. After a short beat, I accepted.
He grunted. “Losing your mate? That kind of fear claws at you. Makes you want to blame someone. Anyone.”
My breath caught. His voice was rough and his speech rudimentary as though he didn’t use it much.
Wren’s screams sliced the air above us.
Canavar lifted a brow. “Your mate will need you after the birth. All of you. Together. Peacefully. And she’ll see right through this rage of yours.”
Nerissa knelt on my other side. “Forgive the bookworm, Benedict. Before the child comes. Don’t make her carry this.”
My eyes burned. I swallowed.
I didn’t want to forgive him.
Kieran watched silently. He’d already said his piece.
“Fine,” I rasped. “I’ll talk to him.”
Canavar raised a brow. “Talk?”
“Punch him less?” I compromised.
He snorted. “Good enough.”
A sharp cry sounded from the treehouse. We all froze. Canavar stood first.
“Go,” he said. “Your place is up there now.”
My legs shook as I rose. I took the stairs, not trusting my wings. Kieran leaned over the railing, motioning frantically. I ran up the ladder, up the platform, toward the door where my future was waiting.
Chapter Nine
RONAN
