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He gruntedand turned toleave.

“Oh,and have an officer bring Mr. Asshole here another plate of food,please.”

“Now,Mr. Luna, I don’tthink—”

“No,maybe you didn’t. Nobody deserves to be hungry. The food,please.”

He stormed off,and a short wait later, an officer returned with a plate of food. I slid it across the table, and he started to wolf everythingdown.

“Thank you,”he said, his mouth bulging with food. It was actually kind of adorable, watching him stuff hisface.

“You’re welcome, Eat My Asshole.”

“Don’t call me that,”he said as he crunched a piece ofbacon.

“Why not?Eat My Asshole is your name, right? What else should I callyou?”

He sighed. “I hate you.”

“IHate You. Strange name.”

He ignored me.“Alright, Christophe, what are you doinghere?”

“You remembered my name,”I said. I was genuinely surprised, and it put an unexpected feeling in my stomach. I didn’t give a damn about him, so why the hell was I happy he remembered myname?

“Yeah,well, you’re still not gettingmine.”

“That’s fine.Eat My Asshole, I Hate You, I have plenty of things I can call you. I’m fine with themall.”

He polishedoff the rest of the food. “So, what are you doing backhere?”

“Iwantto know what would compel someone to rob the house of a high clan. It’s not exactly the low hanging fruit of targets. And yet, even going through all that trouble to learn how to break into my home—and I know it must’ve been a bit of work, you look like an idiot, but you’re obviously very skilled, at least at getting into places—but out of all the things you could’ve stolen, after choosing such a difficult target, you go for the least important room, with the least valuable things in them. Wallets? The buttons off of a jacket? Those gemstones in the safe were valuable, but I get the feeling that was an afterthought. You didn’t originally plan to go for the safe, and that’s how you messedup.”

He shrugged.“What’s that saying? One wolf’s scraps are another wolf’s banquet? I wasn’t looking to get rich, just to take what Ineeded.”

“Oh, how honorable of you,”I said. “And stealing was the best way of doingthat.”

“Yes,”he said plainly. “You don’t know mystruggles.”

“Okay,well since an honest job is apparently out of the question, why not just rob the store down the street? Or your next doorneighbor?”

“Because,”he said, glaring at me. “They’re suffering just as much as my family is. You and your fancy friends wouldn’t miss any of that stuff. You have plenty more where it all came from. My mom is sick, she can’t work. The fucking Blood Gulch Clan sucks away what little honest money we can bring in just for their protection fees. We can barely afford to survive. You have no idea what it’s like to live in myworld.”

Ifelta twinge of anger at hearing him mention the Blood Gulch Clan. They were one of the high clans, but were notorious for dishonorable members and practices. One of their members had put my youngest brother in the hospital, and I despisedthem.

So,if he was telling the truth, he was stealing to support his family, and taking from the rich because he didn’t want to steal from the poor. He was a criminal, and maybe I should’ve hated him for breaking into my family’s home, but oddly, I suddenly didn’t feel anymore spite towards him. Now that I knew this about him, I felt for hissituation.

Ifit was true.He could’ve been lying, but I was certain he was telling the truth. Or did I just want to believe that he was honest, because I thought that we mighthave…

What?

Some unexplainable bondconnecting us frombirth?

This waswhy Father didn’t believe in things like fated mates. Belief in things like that weakened resolve. It made for poor leaders. And it made you do stupid things. Stupid, unexplainable, nonsensical, impulsivethings.

“You’re right, I don’t,”Isaid.

“Peoplelike you are always going to fuck over people like me,” he said. “Always, andforever.”