Page 36 of Bite The Power That Feeds

“I never left Raventower my whole life.” She continued to look up. “It’s nice to see new places…near and far.”

I admired the side of her face, seeing a woman so thoroughly enthralling I couldn’t get enough of her. When I first saw her, I’d felt literally nothing, but now…damn.

She must have felt my stare because she looked at me.

“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, sweetheart.”

“What else is there to see?”

“So much more,” I said. “And we have all the time in the world.”

For the first time, throbbing pain didn’t flash across her eyes. A subtle smile softened her already rose-petal features. “I look forward to it.”

* * *

It was a journey that should have only taken a day, but it took much longer than that.

“Good thing we ate before we left,” Viper said as he came to my side.

“Yes.”

He looked at Cobra and Queen Clara up ahead, the two of them on the top of the hill to admire the surroundings. “You think she’d have some idea…”

“She’s only been here once,” I said in her defense.

“For something so important, she should have remembered every little detail,” Viper said coldly. “Unless this is all a ruse. Just for us to think she wants to destroy it, but in actuality, she has no intention—”

“Viper.”

“What?” he snapped. “They can’t hear.”

“Clara is here to stay, so you should make an effort to like her.”

His entire face tightened in annoyance. “You’re telling me you trust her?”

“She told her people she would destroy it.”

“That’s what she says…but who knows.”

“Her people wouldn’t have tried to kill her otherwise.” The moment rebels turned against her and tried to burn her to death, I knew Clara had spoken the truth, had been fully transparent with us since the beginning. “Yes, I trust her.”

Viper looked away, releasing a heavy breath.

“And our brother is clearly smitten, so we need to make every effort possible.”

“Don’t pretend your request isn’t tremendous.”

“You gave Larisa a chance.”

“Larisa?” he asked incredulously. “There is no comparison between the two. You insult your own woman by using both of their names in the same sentence.”

“You inherited Father’s stubbornness.”

“And Cobra has inherited Mother’s naïveté.”

“Viper.” I deepened my tone. “I believe she’s truly lost. I also believe she’ll find her way.”

He continued to stare up the hill at the two of them, watching them converse about their surroundings.