Page 128 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

I can’t breathe. I can’tthink.

It was all a lie.

So much betrayal. Was anything ever real?

Glancing down to me, his black eyes change to amber and he reaches for me.

“Kitten—”

An arrow flies through the air, piercing my shoulder and I drop, body freezing at if thrown into the cold, black ocean. Shock hits my nerves, contorting, stalling as I try to pull the arrow free. My fingers touch the wood but my eyes flutter, as my tiredness grows deeper.

Something is pulling me into the dark, an herb, a poison and I don’t fight it. I can’t.

Instead, I let the darkness take me.

Chapter 45

Kaden

Iroar.

Max falls to my side and my instinct is to grab her, shield her from the raiders that would kill us and decimate everyone in my way.

Her head falls back, locks dragging into the blood-soaked mud, her body going still like a corpse.

My beast wails a pitiful noise inside my skull, one of revenge and sorrow and it takes me a minute to realize that noise is coming out of my mouth.Isound like that.

Griffin killed her. He killed the woman I claimed as my mate.

I didn’t even get a chance to explain.

“Kaden.” Fee crouches beside me, voice wary. She tries to touch Max, and I pull her closer, snarling at my sister.

“Don’t touch her,” I threaten, and she backs off. When I look into her eyes, I don’t see the fire of her irritation, but sadness.

It feels like Sose all over again. Except so much worse. So much more pain, my heart feels like it’ll explode.

I can’t lose Max. I can’t.

“She’s not dead,” she whispers, holding my shoulder. “If she was, you’d be dead too.”

“She’s only sleeping, heir,” Griffin mocks from his horse.

Everything in me says to fly across the common area and rip his head clean from his shoulders.

My beast rumbles in my chest with agreement. It’s the first time we’ve ever agreed on anything.

Glancing down at her prone body, guilt and grief assault my chest. What did he do to my mate?

“Explain yourself, King.” I seethe, fury overpowering my conflicting emotions. Anger is good. I can use it to fuel me, like I instructed Max.

Only when the raiders are destroyed, and Griffin is dead, will I give into the pain caving in my chest.

“She’s not dead.” He sighs. “It’s merely a paralyzing poison. As long as the arrow stays in, she’ll be unconscious.”

I grab the shaft, intent on ripping it clear out. I want to see those eyes look at me even if they’re masked in hurt.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says dramatically. “If you remove it without the antidote, she’ll only expire.”