Page 17

I may have attempted to wrap my arms around her a few times today. Maybe more than a few. I lose count considering she has had my cock aching for her since she first glared at me and told me not to do any of my wooing today. I have never been so certain of a challenge in my life. If she did not want my pursuit she would not offer me such fun games.

“I’m serious,” she huffs and holds out her hand to push me away. I’m too far, and her hand swats at the air. She stares at it for a long moment as though the air itself has done something wrong and then throws an accusatory glare up at me.

“Would you like me to step closer so you may push me away?” I don’t expect a response, so I am not surprised when she makes a groaning sound much too loud and much too whiny to be anything other than adorable. She stomps past me to the open doors of the great hall.

All of the other brothers have gathered in the dining hall. Many of my brother’s tribe are curious about the newest males to join their tribe. Most made it last night so there is just a handful of us who are now joining them. I was told by Almaac when I first arrived that the newest males were allowed to sleep in the great hall for the first night since they arrived so late, but no one was to speak to them until they were given a moment to rest and take in their new home.

“Do not touch me. Do not make wooing eyes at me. And do not call me your mate,” Simone says as we enter the great hall.

Some of my brother’s tribe are standing along the walls, wary and unsure of the new males joining their tribe. Others are already mingling with my brothers in an attempt to get to know them. I know the males we have chosen will be good males to the human females. I hope they are good brothers as well. It would be unfortunate if they did not get along.

“Why am I doing all of this pretending?” I ask. I do as she says, though. I make sure to keep my hands down by my sides, my eyes are straight ahead, and the word mate has not left my lips at all. “Your tribe knows you are my—“ I stop myself before I fail at her requests so soon. “They know you are mine, and so do my brothers. Why pretend?”

I get my answer in the way Simone’s eyes harden into icy dark pits, how her jaw flexes, and how her nose crinkles at the bridge like she wants to bare her teeth. This is not the fury I receive from her. No, the fury I get, I am now realizing, is only a fraction of her potential.

I follow her gaze to a peculiar-looking creature sitting next to Ralleth. A creature with glowing white eyes that seem to be staring at me with the same anger that Simone is glaring at him. I am not a stupid male. I know who this male is as soon as I see how Simone reacts to his presence.

As much as Simone and I bicker and fight, we also have conversations about our lives. So I know who Vex is before he has a chance to be introduced to me. I know who he is and what he did to my mate. It is clear almost immediately that none of the others know.Ralleth would not have Vex sitting next to him as though they are friends if he knew how my Simone was treated by the male.

“Rallan and Rallan’s mate,” Ralleth stands as I near where he is sitting with his mate. His creature stands as well, her eyes moving between all of us as though she’s trying to gauge what’s about to happen.

Simone doesn’t correct Ralleth for calling her my mate, but I think it is because she is too busy killing Vex with her thoughts to have noticed. He notices, though, and the glowing in his eyes becomes brighter. Simone told me of this as well, so I am not concerned when I see how different he is from her and me.

“Ralleth, Ralleth’s creature, Vexarionaxnoryndrik,” I say the male’s name as if to show him that, yes, I know who he is, and I do not feel threatened by him. It also makes it clear his name has been shared enough between Simone and me that I can say it easily. He has a claim on the other half of Simone’s soul, but even that I am not worried about. I am not threatened because he does not deserve that claim.

“Rallan, Simone,” Vex doesn’t seem shocked to hear me use his name and doesn’t even hesitate to use Simone’s.

“Don’t say my name,” Simone snaps. Her words are harsh and dry as they crack through the air. Heads turn in our direction, at least the few who were not already watching because of how Vex is glowing from his eyes.

“Don’t say your name?” Vex shakes his head, fingers going to his temple as he presses against his face. When he stops, his eyes stop glowing and now resemble a pale version of Simone’s. “Are you serious right now?”

My teeth grind against one another as I listen to how he interacts with Simone. Does he enjoy her bristled edges as I do? Does he offer her banter and jokes in the same way as me? The idea of it has my stomach rolling because I do not wish to be anything like this male who has hurt my Simone.

“I’m not doing this right now,” Simone says as she takes a seat across from where Ralleth has sat with his mate in his lap.

I do not think Simone will allow me to pull her into my lap, so I sit in the chair next to her and purposefully throw my arm over the back of her chair. I do not touch her, and I have yet to look at her for more than a moment, so I am still following her rules for this conversation.

“Please, just give me a chance to explain.” Vex begins to reach for her hand, which is placed on the table.

This causes me to say some things I maybe should not say.“She has told you she does not wish to discuss it now. Are you to discard her wishes as easily as you discarded her?”

There is no sound, no reaction, for a brief pause, and then everyone moves at once.

“Brother,” Ralleth says to me.

Simone turns to look at me with a mixture of fury, and what I am almost positive is appreciation.

Olivia shifts in Ralleth’s lap and he discreetly moves her to the other side of him until she is standing and stepping away from what is happening. Ralleth whispers something to her.

Vex is standing from the table. His chair is forced back so hard that it hurtles across the room until it crashes against the far wall.

“I did not discard her!” Vex shouts loud enough that brothers outside the walls can probably hear it.

I stay seated, my hand falling closer to Simone’s shoulder. I want to reach out and stroke her skin to soothe any worries she might have. I know it would soothe mine immensely. I do notonly because she has explicitly asked it of me. I cannot discard her words when calling out another male for doing just that.

I do relish being able to keep my voice calm when Vex very obviously cannot. The sound of others leaving the dining hall barely registers in my mind when I feel like my mate needs to have someone held accountable for how she was treated.

“What would you call it?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. My voice is level and even, but it is still filled with as much venom as I can muster.