Page 27 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal

I gave the phone a skeptical look.“So you have a solution?”

“Nora gave you an option,” Jared said.

I frowned.Nora was sitting across from me.She set her phone in the middle of the coffee table between us.

“I meant it when I said to call my father,” she said, her voice cool, almost detached.She wanted nothing to do with Lehr.Neither did I.

“That’s not happening,” I said.

“It is the obvious solution,” Jared replied.He sounded distracted by something.

“No.I will never go to Lehr for help.”

“I share your lack of admiration,” Nora said.“But you don’t even have to speak to him.Start a rumor.Make sure he knows the time and place you plan to meet the night king.”

I just shook my head.Why had I expected them to have any ideas other than bloodshed?

Nora sniffed.“You’ve barely taken any lives.The few you have somehow managed to kill deserved to die.”

She didn’t understand.This wasn’t about the paranorms.It was about me.I was human.Murder wasn’t acceptable in my world, and I didn’t want to become someone who defaulted to violence.

“You must overcome your hesitancy to kill,” Jared said.

“I need another solution,” I said.

“There are none.”Jared sounded dismissive, as if this conversation was unimportant.Like he had better things to do.

Something sizzled on the stove.Anger burned in my chest.I clenched my jaw to hold back the words I wanted to fire at both Jared and Nora.Lashing out wouldn’t help Garion.

Needing a moment, I looked toward the kitchen.Both Melissa and Christian were watching me.Melissa’s gaze was sharp, but Christian’s held a crease of concern, like he thought my vehemence toward Lehr and killing was more than the situation called for.He didn’t know Lehr had forced me to kill Shelli.No one outside the pack did.

“Let’s focus on the bargain,” I said with Oscar-worthy calm.“Maybe there’s a loophole or a way to convince Canyon to change it.”

“There isn’t,” Jared said.

“There are always options,” Melissa piped up.She’d drifted closer to our conversation.

I acknowledged her words with a nod, hoping that would be enough for her to stay quiet because Jared would justlovethe idea of a fledgling vampire offering her advice.

She didn’t get the memo.

“Astrid has a full coven,” Melissa said.“You have the token and the Null.”

“Who is that?”Jared demanded.

“Christian’s sister,” I replied, but my thoughts drifted, something she said tugging at me.A coven, the token, the Null.The words pointed to something obvious that I couldn’t quite see yet.If I just focused harder—

“Kill the fey or kill Garion.Those are your only options.”

Kill Garion?Jared’s words raked down my spine like claws.

“How dare you.”My whisper rolled through the room like a shock wave in slow motion.The air turned crisp, brittle, and absolutely silent.Melissa leaned back a fraction, not retreating but no longer eager to insert herself in the conversation.Christian tensed like he was ready to put himself between me and whatever came next.And Nora just tilted her head, assessing me like a new blade.

When the atmosphere allowed sound again, it came from Nora’s phone in the form of static punctuated by distant voices.

“A moment,” Jared said.I didn’t know if he was talking to us or to the others with him at the compound, but I needed a hell of a lot more than one moment to calm down.

“I don’t need help,” I said, my voice tight.“I’ll find a way to protect Garion and—”