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“Cassia?” Rexton grabs my elbows. He looks concerned. I ignore it. “What are you—”

I don’t think twice as I lean in and bite, fully sinking my teeth into his throat. The bond coming to life between us is intense,but my panic outweighs it. All I can think about is the hole in his chest. His blood.

Rexton’s grip on my elbows tightens, but he doesn’t push me away.

I release his throat and pull back, eyeing the mark before lunging forward and sinking my teeth in again. Our bond has already formed. I can feel its warmth seeping through my bones and weaving around every molecule of my being, but you can never be too sure.

Rexton places a hand on the back of my head. “Cassia…”

I release him, then bite down again. The stupid idiot isn’t dying today. Not if I have anything to say about it. I sink my teeth in deep, ensuring there’s no chance of our bond dissolving or breaking apart. I’ve never heard of one doing that, but I want to make sure.

I need to make sure.

Despite having never experienced a bond, the new connection to Rexton feels natural. It already feels like a part of me, and I poke and prod at it until I find Rexton. I can feel his pain, the pulsating in both his chest and back.

“Cassia.” Rexton smooths a hand down the back of my head. “Please stop biting me. You’ve made your point.”

This isn’t about making a point. This is about saving his life. Power can be funneled through a bond, and I have no qualms about forcing mine inside Rexton if it means keeping him alive. Our bond vibrates as I stroke it, and I wait until Rexton relaxes before beginning to shove my power into him.

Rexton hisses. “No.” He curls his fingers into my hair, and I cry out as he pulls the strands, forcing my teeth out of his neck. “I don’t need it.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I feel your fear.” He lowers his voice, his eyes flickering around. “And I promise you I’m not dying. You’re making a scene, and it sends a bad impression.”

I don’t care how I look. Let everybody see my panic. Let them know that Rexton is my weakness.

Androl and the other soldiers are keeping busy, but I’m sure they’re aware of my every movement. They already know I’ve bitten Rexton, claiming him as my mate. There’s no backtracking, and I truthfully don’t want to.

I don’t care if First Unit doesn’t respect me. I saved Rexton’s life, and I consider that a great victory.

Rexton releases my hair, then nudges me away. “Go.”

His chest is already healing. The skin is knitting back together, annoyingly faster than mine did. The spear didn’t hit anything vital, just skin and muscle. I had a few arteries and bones broken, and those are harder for the body to heal.

I straighten up, but I keep a close eye on Rexton as I return to fighting. Androl and the others did an excellent job keeping Greeds away from me, despite the inconvenience I’m sure it brought them.

My anxiety is all-consuming, and it settles only slightly when Rexton vanishes. He’s in no condition to fight, and I refuse to release his end of the bond. I can feel that he’s moved out of the area, hopefully returning to camp and seeking the help of a healer.

I’ll check on him after. I’d prefer to remain with him, but I settle for spying on him through the bond. It’s the best I can manage.

Where is Prince Nolic? I’m going to tear out his fucking spine.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

CASSIA

IT’S SEVERAL HOURS of fighting. First Unit is efficient, but Greeds continue to appear out of thin fucking air. Where are they coming from? I can see the pass from the mountaintop, and nobody has crossed onto Wrath’s borders.

We’ve been carefully monitoring the entire length of our border with Greed, and there’s no conceivable way we’d have missed a unit of soldiers this large. It’s easy for small groups to slip through, like those scouts who attacked me during patrol, but nothing of this scale.

They’re teleporting, though, so they must be beyond Greed’s borders.

It’s something to look into. If they secured an alliance with one of their bordering kingdoms, there will be trouble. Greed is easy to manage. A war with them isn’t a huge concern or strain on our resources, but it will become an issue if other kingdoms begin offering their support.

I ordered two men to alert Aziel and Raum once Greed’s ambush began, and I let out a sigh of relief as new soldiers finally start pouring in. I recognize several of them. Raum has sent the unit I was previously stationed with. It makes sense. They’reclose to the pass and can teleport here without hugely weakening themselves.

Where’s Rexton? I search our bond, panicking until I feel him. He’s alive. He’s alive, and he doesn’t seem to be in any worse shape than he was when he left. This is good. This is very good.