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“Shut your fucking mouth.” Cassian’s snarl sends a shiver down my spine, but it doesn’t turn me pliant as I’m sure he intended. Instead, I sink my teeth into his flesh, but he doesn’t flinch. Fucker. “That’s not how duels work, Becca. Addi will not face another during this moon cycle; that’s the rule, and you’ll do well to remember that,” he snaps, aiming his words at my challenger.

Becca. I’ll do well to remember that name. And what’s this about the moon cycle? What does that mean for me? It feels important, even though it’s just a sliver of information, but I tuck it away for safekeeping.

I see Flora gaping at me with pleading eyes, her fingers twitching as if she’s about to do something, and I subtly shake my head. This isn’t her battle; she doesn’t need to get caught in these crosshairs.

“Are we done with the drama now? It’s not what we’re here for,” Professor Tora spits out in annoyance. I blink up at him, mouth still covered as I try to calm the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“We’re going to cut out now,” Kryll states, stepping toward Tora while Brody and Raiden appear at my left, ready to exit. It’s hilarious, the control they think they have. There’s no way the professor is going to?—

“Fine, but keep your bullshit to a minimum or I’ll report back to Mom,” he grumbles under his breath, clapping hands with Kryll as he eyes me.

Mom? Is that his fucking brother? The smirk on Kryll’s face says it is. Why am I not shocked? If this shows me anything, it’s that you really do need connections in a place like this, and I currently have none. Which is why Tora turns away as Cassian proceeds to drag me from the gym.

There’s no point objecting at this stage, not when there’s still an audience. He can have a piece of my mind when we get out of here.

Cassian’s front remains plastered to my back, making it difficult to walk. He must sense the same thing because in the next moment, my breath is stolen as he uses his wolf speed to hurry us along.

Nausea swirls in my stomach, burning up my throat as we come to a stop. Thankfully, he removes his hand from my mouth and takes a step back, giving me some space, but it simply allows me to collapse to my knees, palms pressing into the ground beneath me as I will the sensation away.

“We really need to talk about you assholes doing that,” I bite, eyelids pressed tightly closed. He doesn’t bother to respond, and if I couldn’t sense his presence around me, I would assume he dropped me off and left, but I’m not that lucky.

Once I can see straight, I push up onto my feet, noticing that we’re out by the forest where they first infiltrated my life. Cassian stands with his arms folded over his chest, with Raiden, Kryll, and Brody sitting on the fallen tree.

“What the fuck was that?” he bites, baring his teeth as he glares at me. The audacity of this man. I’m the one getting caught up in his shit left, right, and center, and he’s asking me what the fuck that was? Hell no. Instead of giving him a tongue-lashing, I decide I want him to spell it out.

“What the fuck was what?”

“You don’t just say you’ll tap out and let them win.” Ah, so that’s what has him mad. Good.

“Why not?” I match his stance, folding my arms over my chest as I level him with a deathly glare.

“Because I’m a fucking Kenner.”

“Was,” I point out with a cock of my brow, which only makes him growl.

“Still am.”

I shrug. “It still doesn’t mean shit to me. I didn’t ask for any of this, and I won’t risk my life for some hold over you that I don’t want. If anything, you should be grateful to know that there’s someone out there who doesn’t want to own you in that odd fucking way. No bonding here. You can go and be a free man, as far away from me as possible.”

He drops his arms, tucking his hands into his pockets as a devilish smirk spreads across his face. “Well, you’re stuck with it,” he confirms with a shake of his head, and I scoff.

“I’m not.” The words leave my mouth with such certainty, but seem to fall flat between us as he ignores me.

He closes the distance between us in a flash, forcing me to blink up at him. “I’m going to be watching your every move, every step, every breath. I won’t allow it to happen.”

“I’m worth more than what you’re making me out to be,” I rasp, irritation clogging my throat as my pulse pounds in my ears.

“You’re fucking fae. If anything, I’m boosting your fucking value.”

I rear back at his words, gaping in disgust. “You’re going to be disappointed when the next challenge comes around and I do exactly as I just offered,” I promise. Before I can move out of the way, he grips my chin tightly, holding me in place. He looks deep into my eyes, a breath passing between us, then another, and another until he seems to come to a decision in his mind, nodding to himself as he brings his face to mine so our noses touch.

“You can think what you want, but this isn’t going away until you take your last breath.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

ADDI

One thing this whole mess is teaching me is that I am resilient. After Cassian’s oath that felt more like a threat than a promise, the four of them left without another word, leaving me to walk back from the forest alone. It served as the perfect opportunity to gather myself and get my head on straight. They can play whatever games they like, but I won’t be swayed from my purpose. All they’re going to do is make me stronger. That’s how I’m looking at it from now on.