Chapter 26 Playing Your Cards Right
Playing your cards right
KADE
Zara stretches and pushes her ass into me.
My cock’s already hard and I groan under my breath, irritated it’s keen to sink into her but unable to get any relief.
For some reason, I want to respect her space and instead of fucking her in her sleep, I’m waiting for her to wake.
I’ve considered fucking my fist, but my hands want to hold the girl whose softness conceals the hardness lurking beneath.
“Morning,” she breathes.
Thank the Gods. It’s been a long night and although we’ve fucked several times, I’m still not sated.
Her voice soothes the tension in my chest, but my hunger for her is as relentless as ever.
Last night wasn’t enough. It’ll never be enough.
Zara isn’t just under my skin—she’s in my blood, in my mind, an obsession I’ll never recover from.
I want to devour her, but her sleepy smile and the way she presses her face into my chest remind me that this morning isn’t just about lust. It’s about figuring out what the hell is happening between us.
“Morning,” I murmur back, brushing my lips against the curve of her shoulder. Her skin is warm and velvety, and I can’t resist trailing my fingers down her arm, feeling the shiver I provoke.
She stretches again, her body melting into mine, and the tension in my chest eases just a little. For the first time in too long, I’m not waking up truly alone. And for all the chaos Zara’s brought into my life, the thought of her not being here feels worse than any nightmare I’ve faced.
I don’t like this.
But I care about her, and I’ve got to figure this out. Quickly too, before she or anyone else takes advantage of my predicament. I stare at the girl next to me, certain she’ll use anything she can to get her way, and I know I’ve got to get a fucking grip and fast.
The door slams open with a thunderous bang, shattering the fragile peace. Zara jolts upright, clutching the sheet to her chest, and my body moves before my brain catches up. I’m on my feet, standing between her and the threat, growling low in my throat as Galen strides in like he owns the place.
“What the fuck?” I snarl, the dark energy rising off me in waves.
My power crackles in the air, and I see Darius follow close behind, his expression colder than usual. The tension in the room spikes, the scent of sulfur and burned flesh mingling with Zara’s steady heartbeat.
“What the hell is going on?” Galen snaps, his boots pounding against the floorboards. “Whispers about you and some witch are flying around all over the fucking place.”
His eyes don’t even land on Zara at first, his rage fully focused on me, but Darius’s gaze sweeps over her. His mouth twitches, and I can’t tell if it’s amusement or disgust.
“Knock next time,” I bite out, stepping closer to them.
I let my power rise until the walls feel like they might buckle as I try to prepare for whatever happens next.
My brothers’ intrusion is unwanted and it’s happening far sooner than I’d have liked.
I’m not ready and I doubt Zara is, either.
She doesn’t speak, but I feel her behind me, her energy coiling like a snake ready to strike as Darius and Galen close in on us.
Galen sneers, his lip curling. “Knock? When you’re in here playing house with the woman who’s been a thorn in our side? You’ve lost your fucking mind, Kade.”
Darius tilts his head, his tone deceptively calm as he stamps his staff on the floor. “She’s the witch who broke the sigil. We sent you to kill her, not fuck her.”
My fists clench, but I keep my voice steady. “She’s powerful.”
“Clearly,” Galen spits, his gaze finally landing on Zara. “She’s pretty, Kade. Her cunt may be warm and wet, but there’s plenty more of that around. What the fuck are you thinking?”
I’m already moving before Galen finishes his sentence, swinging out of bed to plant myself firmly between Zara and my brothers.
My jaw tightens as I glare at them, daring either of them to step closer.
The weight of my power increases in the room, dark and heavy, crackling in the air like a storm about to break.
More magic sparks, and the smell of sulfur and burned flesh taint the air as all four of us reach for our power, preparing to use it if necessary.
The air in the room drops several degrees as my power surges, a sharp crack of energy splitting the air.
“Back. The. Fuck. Off.”
My words are slow, deliberate, and laced with venom.
The air pulses, heavy with unspoken malice. His power flickers just beneath the surface, dark and simmering, and for a moment, the room feels like it might collapse under the weight of what’s left unsaid.
“You need to follow through, brother,” Galen snarls. “Do what needs to be done, or I’ll do it for you.”
“What the fuck do you think I’m doing?” I ask, turning back to face them, my voice cold enough to chill the room. “You don’t understand what she is.”
“She’s a witch,” Galen spits, his fists clenching at his sides, his magic crackling like static in the air.
“A particularly dangerous one. You’re jeopardizing everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve built…
She’s a threat to all of us and she needs to be put out of her misery. For all our sakes.”
For a moment, neither of them speaks, their tension mirrored in the flicker of their power. Finally, Galen’s lip curls, his frustration barely held in check.
I glance back at Zara, who hasn’t said a word but is watching the exchange with narrowed eyes and a tilted chin that screams defiance.
She’s still holding her own in the face of my brothers’ fury, and something about that makes my chest tighten with pride.
I want her with me, not against me, and I want her to share her power with me willingly.
I don’t want to force her or steal it from her, and the dread of knowing I want her to give me this freely sweeps through me.
“She’s powerful.” My voice drops to a chilling whisper, cold enough to pierce the suffocating heat as I try to manipulate my brothers. “I can harness her power. Control it. Make it mine and use it to do my bidding. She’s mine now, and I will protect her.”
“Protect her?” Galen’s laugh is sharp, biting. “You sound like you’ve already lost. She’s a fucking witch, Kade. She’s dangerous.”
“She’s a fucking dangerous weapon,” Darius cuts in, his voice harsher now. “She’s a liability. A threat, Kade.”
Zara’s heart races, the rapid thrum echoing through our bond like a warning bell.
I feel her uncertainty, the flicker of fear she’s too stubborn to show.
It tightens something in my chest, pulling at the thread tethering us together.
But when I meet her gaze, there’s no submission in her eyes.
There’s only fire and steel. She’s unsure of me, but she’s not weak, and she won’t give herself away.
“She’s more than a weapon,” I snap, turning back to Darius and Galen. “She’s the key to destroying everything that stands in our way. I’ll protect her, break her if I have to—but I won’t let her go. Not now. Not ever.”
Zara shifts behind me, her breathing steadying as her resolve hardens.
I don’t need to turn around to know her expression is set, her defiance sharpening to match my own.
She seems to have guessed the game I’m playing and she’s following my lead, treading carefully as I mix lies with truths as I try to calm my brothers.
“You don’t understand,” I say, glancing back at Zara again.
Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the room falls away. There’s something between us, something raw and unspoken, and it’s stronger than any bond I’ve ever known.
“She’s mine.”
“Yours?” Galen sneers. “You think you can tame her? Control her?”
I turn back to him, my jaw tightening. “I don’t think. I know.”
The room is silent for a moment, the tension so thick it’s almost suffocating. Finally, Galen exhales sharply, his frustration barely held in check.
“Just think how powerful we’ll be when we channel her magic,” I add. “You wanted heirs, Galen. She’ll give me powerful ones. She’ll ensure our dynasty lasts. When she’s ready. She’ll make the perfect wife.”
For a moment, the room is deathly quiet.
“You’re marrying her?” Darius asks.
I nod. “She’s too powerful to let slip through my fingers. She’s mine now, and I won’t give her up. I want her power and she’ll adapt. I’ll make sure she knows her place and stays there.”
The tension crackles like a storm about to break, but after a long, heavy silence, Galen exhales sharply and takes a step back.
I close my eyes a moment longer than necessary, hoping Zara realizes I’m using Galen’s thirst for power against him, and saying whatever it takes to get him on side and that she won’t hold it against me later.
Galen’s jaw tightens, the flicker of his power dimming but not entirely retreating.
“You’re out of your fucking mind, Kade,” he snaps. “You think putting a ring on her finger makes her any less of a threat? She’ll turn on you the first chance she gets.”
Darius crosses his arms, his icy glare unwavering. “You’ve done reckless things before, but this?” He gestures toward Zara, the disgust in his voice barely concealed. “This is suicidal. Marrying a witch doesn’t make her ours. It makes her your problem.”
“She’s not a problem,” I bite out, my tone sharp enough to cut. “She’s a solution. A fucking good one, too.”
Galen’s sneer deepens, a cold glint of contempt in his eyes, but he doesn’t speak.
He just stares at Zara as if trying to strip her apart with sheer will.
His gaze is a toxic blend of scrutiny and disdain, scanning her as if trying to find a weakness, a flaw, or anything he can exploit.
The intensity of his stare makes the room feel suffocating, like a threat waiting to materialize.
“And you’ve agreed to this?” Galen snarls at Zara, his voice a venomous hiss.