Page 45 of Wedlock

“Jaguar is not your concern,” I growl, spinning back to face her and clenching my teeth as she opens her mouth to beg for his life, yet again. “If Viper is dead…”

“He is.”

I nod.

“If Viper is dead, as you claim, andifJag is the one who killed him, then Jag must answer for that.”

‘But just whether Jag did do this, or Spider, or the fucking Free Men, who knows at this point? All this and more I need to find out. God, she smells so good…’

“But Viper held me under a thrall! You said it yourself that’s not in dispute.”

“It could be that he was forced to do so,” I shake my head as much to oppose what she’s said as to clear my thoughts. “We don’t know what the circumstances were. We can’t know now.”

“The circumstances? I’ll tell you the fucking circumstances. He was working with Spider to take your title. He bit me to help fast-track that. He and Spider wanted you to turn against me, and your best friend. Hell, they even worked together using Giselle’s sister to try to kill your mother. They were trying to take awayeverything and everyone you care for. What part of any of that is difficult for you to understand?”

I stare at her, frowning. She seems so sure of this union, and yet I have absolutely no proof in this regard, and neither does Wolf.

“There’s no evidence of any alliance between my brother and Spider. Unless there’s something you haven’t told Mother that might link the two, or you know of anyone else who can corroborate this treachery?”

For a second I see something in her eyes, something she wants to say, at least it appears that way, but she shakes her head and looks away quickly.

“It’s obvious…” she starts.

“No,” I shake my head, “it’s conjecture. Viper should have had the opportunity to speak to the claims made against him and clear his name, or seek help if he required it. Now we’ll never know. Now we only have Jag’s word.”

“A word you once trusted explicitly,” she says quietly.

“That was before he fucked my wife!”

“Falcon, please,” she shakes her head as I walk to the door and open it, gesturing for her to get out. “His heart was always in the right place. He brought me back to you,foryou, even though I begged him not to. He was prepared, even thinking the baby was his, to have no part in the child’s life. He always cared for you first, put you first.”

“Yes,” I snarl. “He cared so much for me he would have had me raise his bastard as my heir. Clearly I’m misunderstanding something!”

‘She begged him not to return her to me? God, how she must loathe me.’

“That’s not what I was trying to say. It’s not…”

“Angelina,” I shake my head, my fangs running out. “Even the mention of his name makes me want to rip all before me into confetti. If you value your life. Leave now.”

“You know,” she snaps, rising from the chair and walking towards me, her face inches from mine, “I’m so used to death threats now, I’d almost welcome the release. I know you’re planning on killing me to marry that insane royal bitch. I know you don’t care that I was a fuck-robot for your brother for a year. You don’t care that your son is asleep upstairs, your title safe, and you sure as fuck don’t care aboutme— but I know, deep down, that you do care about the man who fought by your side for centuries, who’s still fighting for you.”

‘A fuck-robot? Oh, Christ, please don’t say my brother shared her bed too. Not that.’

Looking into her angry eyes, the words come out against my will as barely a whisper, the pain so deep inside me now, I can barely breathe as I await her answer.

“Did my brother rape you?”

“No,” she frowns, her eyes not leaving mine, “he raped animals. But he made me do a hell of a lot of other despicable things.”

I close my eyes for a second, so relieved I can’t even speak, but she either unknowingly or willfully chooses to misunderstand my expression.

“But that’s all you’re fixated on, isn’t it?” She hisses, shoving me in the chest with both hands. “Who’s been between my legs — who’s desecrated the Dragonspur honour by fucking your wife.”

“You are utterly ridiculous,” I snap, grabbing her hands and holding them tight in my own so she can’t strike me again.

“No, you are!” She shakes her head, attempting to pull her hands away. But her struggles only make me want to control her more, and I pull her tight against me.

“Let me go, you absolute…”