Page 64 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

I was almost starting to like him.

Chapter 23

Kaden

Dropping to the log, I kick my feet out, staring at the small raging fire in front of me. Shoulders dropping, my jaw unhinges, calm descending as I pop my knuckles and listen to the hissing flames. Inside my skull, my beast roars, more alert, awake than it’s been in years.

My eyes dart across the clearing, to the reason why. The woman eases next to her witch friend, both sharing a tense conversation. It’s because of her that my beast has been harder to control. I just wish I knew why.

I need to figure it out. Otherwise, it’ll ruin my plans.

“Still feeling beastly?” Fee asks, sitting cross from me, our brother missing.

“Fuck off, Fee,” I curse, throwing my boot at her head. She easily ducks it, lips twisting into a mean smile. I’m in no mood for one of her teasing fits.

“Touchy.”

“You would be too if you dealt with what I did,” I say darkly.

She has no idea what I go through every day just to stayme.

Every day, my control has to be perfect—I have to be perfect.Every step planned, every risk calculated and avoided. It takes intense mental strength to keep my beast caged.

One small mishap and I revert—into what our ancestors became before I learned to leash it.

She doesn’t understand the toll it takes, how some days I wake up in physical pain from wanting blood that I lock myself away in my chambers. How terrified I am of failing—her, Reid, my people. But how could she? She was born second. It’s a curse only I know.

I throw the other boot. “Or having to talk down your siblings from stabbing you. Did you really pull your sword on me?”

“You wouldn’t have died.” She shrugs. “We both know the beast wouldn’t have let me kill you. But we needed a way to break through its control and reach you. All that blood was doing something to you.”

Glaring, I ignore the beast roaring in my head. He wrestles in his chains, and my fangs elongate as if he controls them.

Silently, I exhale, pushing the beast away.

I wish it was only the blood that triggered me.

“Which brings me to my next point.” She stabs her sword into the air, as if to poke me. “You don’t lose control like that. Especially in battle. Especially when your life is in danger. What inSeti’sHellhappened to you?”

My sister is astute. She knows blood wouldn’t be the real reason my control would falter.

Somethingis different.

My eyes drift from my sister back to the woman with cold blue eyes and bloody fingers I want to watch work. Heads bent toward the Witch, they smile with each other, whatever slight from earlier gone. They share food and I see the slight crack of a smile.

Growling, I shift, pulling away. I don’t like seeing her with another male—and I liked it even less when his scent surrounded her. It fucking boils me from the inside knowing he ismarkingher.

The monster growls, as if agreeing, pulling at his mental chains. He’s never been this unsettledbefore—and never over a female.

If I’m going to charm her, get her for my father, I’ll need to find a way to better control him. He can’t think we own the woman—that would have devastating consequences.

Ruthlessly, I shove down my need to have the blood summoner and focus on my sister.

“Kade?”

“It’s nothing.” I sigh, looking over again. Serafina follows my line of sight and curses, kicking a rock at me.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”