Page 121 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Fee leans next to me, Reid further back, behind Max.

“I count dozens coming in from the hollow. More are further back with bows.”

“Which means they’ve already taken the camp at the mouth of it,”I add, hand tight to the sword in my grasp. I refuse to check on Max. “Long range arrows by the looks of it.”

I don’t care if I can physically feel her recoil from me. Don’t care that the chain she can feel forming in her body is like a noose around my throat. I’m stuck with her now—there’s no escape.

I’ve laid claim to someone after swearing for decades I would never do it.

It was impulsive and stupid, but I can’t find the regret in doing it. It made hermine.

“Are we going to talk about what you just did?”

“Not now, Fee,” I mutter, nails clawing into the wooden wall.

I can’t talk about it. I don’t regret chaining her to me for eternity, but I can’t handle the guilt and grief at her reaction. How she fell apart at knowing she was completely mine.

How afraid she was of me.

When I tried to take her blood, tried to drain her on the cliffs, she wasn’t afraid. She fought for me, healed me, gave herself willingly to me. Now, knowing that I would be hers forever, is when she’s frightened of me.

Did she not want me?

My beast growls, feeding off my pain and confusion.

“Really? Can’t think of better time. Considering we’re three,” she glances back to Max, “maybe four against an army. Certain to die.” I give in and look too.

Looking back, it feels as if I’ve been stabbed by a sword.

Big blue eyes so dark, wet with unshedtears, burn with a cold fire. Agony. Fear.Hatred. The emotions all simmer in those depths and they’re all directed at me.

“We’re not dying today, Fee. We don’t need to fight, we just need to escape.” Glancing around again, my mind goes over all the possible escape routes.

Nothing quite hits me. Not when all I want to do is hold the blood summoner and explain why I had to do it. Why Icouldn’tlet her go.

The need to rage against her also rises.Shemade me dothis.Shemade me claim her. So now we’restucktogether, no longer an option to let her flee and live a peaceful life.

She has to come with me to the Black Palace. She won’t survive without me.

A loud howl sounds from the front, and instantly I know, it’s Wulf calling for reinforcements.

Shifters descend, all in the midst of changing. Unlike the legends of old, shifters don’t need the moon to change into their true forms. They just need the command of their leader and the ability to do so.

“We’re going to have to fight our way through,” I say, avoiding Max. “Just long enough to escape to the hollow. I don’t see theHadeon.”

“That’s how they got in,” Max finally speaks, voice soft. “Without the Hadeon protecting the village, they came right through.”

“They’ve been watching us,” I agree. Her ruby lips twist into a scowl at my attention. Swallowing my fury and guilt, I look back at the melee. “Following us. They were waiting for a moment to strike.”

“And we led them right to Wulf’s village.” Fee rolls her eyes. “Good luck getting trade deals when this is all finished.”

Around us, raiders are torn to shreds, but a few shifters fall too. Blood runs the length of the village, soaking the dirt as bodies liter the ground. Shouts of victory and defeat ring above us, and the scent of violence hangs heavy over our heads.

In the far distance, I hear the howl of the Hadeon, fighting with the Phoka.

The Crimson Army is vicious with their attacks. The Shadowlands are used to this, but these beings aren’t.

Behind me, a trail of children heads to a vacant cabin, a few matrons hushing them so as to avoid attention.