Page 27 of Blood Day: Part Two

The question was, would he play it? Or would he leave it for another day?

Chapter6

Cedric

There weretwo ways I could approach this: pretend I didn’t give two shits about Lily and present a stoic façade, or reveal all my cards.

One look at Khalid this morning had me choosing the latter. Not that I ever fully intended to go with the former. Perhaps I would have with Silvano. But the moment he touched Lily, the façade would have fractured.

Which was a problem.

This whole situation was a problem.

Yet I couldn’t find a single ounce of guilt within me. Not even when I considered what this would do to Lily.

Because it all felt too right to deny ourselves the intimate pleasure of the bond.

A fucked-up assessment, one I should feel bad about. Alas, I’d lived a very long time, and I wasn’t going to reject something that made mefeel.

I placed my palm against Lily’s lower back, expressing my claim as I held Khalid’s burning gaze. His irises had shifted from turquoise to dark brown orbs, suggesting the mug in his hand wasn’t coffee this morning. His prospect sat beside him with her blonde head bowed, the fire from yesterday nowhere to be seen.

“Mmm,” the prince murmured. “Seems you had an eventful day.”

I pulled a chair out for Lily, then took the seat between her and Khalid. “It’s been an eventful few months.”

“Indeed.” Khalid glanced at his prospect and set down his mug. “Well, my darling, it appears you won’t be eating dear Lily for evening breakfast today.” His dark eyes returned to mine. “Unless, of course, you wish to share?”

The words were a test, one I couldn’t pass.

If I agreed, I would risk a strongly possessive reaction that might result in physical harm to someone in this room.

If I refused, I was admitting my weakness.

But hearing Lily’s whispered thoughts—all of which centered around my pleasure and not her own—had me replying, “No. I do not wish to share.”

“A sentiment that I’m sure Silvano will adore,” Khalid mused. Then he leaned forward to steeple his fingers together against the dark wood table, his expression turning serious as he evaluated me and then Lily.

I said nothing. Because there really wasn’t anything to say. I knew the danger of my actions. Just as I knew how my kin would react.

Khalid possessed the authority to take Lily from me right now, bend her over the table, and demolish our bond.

I could react. I could attempt to save her. But it would be at the expense of her life, and potentially even mine.

Yet I wasn’t sure that cost would actually stop me. Already I could sense my irritation at Khalid for just being in the same room as Lily. The notion of him touching her had me wanting to kill him without question.

It was a thread he seemed to sense because his eyes narrowed in blatant warning.That won’t end well for you, he seemed to be saying.

Try me,I replied with a look. He might have been deadly, but so was I. And I had more to lose than he did at the moment, which made me even more dangerous than usual.

Lily’s hand found my thigh, the touch sending a jolt through my heart. She was seeking comfort in the midst of the aggressive storm unfolding around her. Yet she was also providing support, too.

She confirmed with a whispered thought that she would do whatever she had to do to ensure our survival. Including letting Khalid have her.

Which I immediately shot down by telling her,That’s not going to happen.

I wouldn’t allow it, something I knew firmly now that we were sitting here, staring each other down.

He would have to hurt me to be able to touch her. And I wouldn’t go down easily.