25. Choices
~ VOSKI ~
I fought like an animal, my chin and cheek ground into the stones, because Gil forced my face down. But it was Ronen who leaned down, kneeling on my shoulder, and snarled in my face.
“Voski, shut up and control yourself! We can’t fight for her as long as we’re fighting you!”
I shuddered as the truth in those words settled in my bones. But my heart slammed against my ribs, and shudders rocked my body.
Ronen held my eyes—my eyes that pinched with tears of pure rage.
“She’s my mate,” I said hoarsely.
Ronen swore. “You weren’t making that up?”
“No.”
“I found them last week. It’s real,” Gil murmured from his place on my shoulder.
Ronen cursed again. “I knew something was going on! Why the hell didn’t you tell us?”
“I denied her… sort of. I know how foolish it was. I see it now. But Ronen, I need her. Kham needs Koa. You can’t let them go. Her parents trapped her in this contract. It’s just that bloodline shit.”
“You said she’d been betrothed, but why didn’t you explain that he was still looking for her?”
“I meant to. But everything was so fucked up, I just lost track.”
“Lost track? You lost track of a highborn marriage contract?!”
I winced and shuddered again, the bond shrilling, screaming at me. I needed to fight! He couldn’t take her from me!
Thank God for Donavyn, who’d clearly heard the ruckus, and come to intervene.
The brothers not holding my limbs were inching toward the men and Grace, and I prayed they’d surround them again.
Don’t let her go. You can’t let her go.
Over my head, Ronen and Gil exchanged looks.
Gil cleared his throat. “If you can keep them in the Keep for the night, I can take care of him—”
“No. Absolutely not,” Ronen hissed. “That would just draw different attention. We can’t have Lords and Ladies of other kingdoms disappearing when they conflict with our Furyknights.”
I knew he was right, but the panic in me only screamed harder.
Then Ronen looked down at me and ground his knee harder into my shoulder. I winced.
“Can you remain under control if we let you go?” my squad captain asked me skeptically. “Give me a chance to help?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Voski. If I’m going to step in, I need to trust you won’t pull a blade or throw a punch the moment the conversation doesn’t go as you’d choose.”
“I’m thinking more clearly now. I’ll keep myself in check,” I said reluctantly.
He and Gil met eyes again, but then both sighed and hauled me back to my feet.
Gil didn’t let go while I rolled my shoulders and neck, loosening knotted muscles and trying to shake off some of the pain of hitting the ground. Ronen growled at us both to keep our mouths shut, then turned and marched over to the little cluster around Grace and the noblefuck.
“You good?” Gil muttered.
“No.”
“I can still kill him. Ronen doesn’t need to know.”
I was oddly touched. “Creepy fuck,” I muttered, without telling him no, and clawed a hand through my hair to push it out of my eyes. Gil clapped me on the back and we followed him.
When Breckon saw us coming, he drew back, still pulling Grace with him—and I fought a storm of rage in my chest that his hand was still on her.
He’d leave bruises.
“You control that little shit. This has nothing to do with him!”
Donavyn opened his mouth, but Ronen raised a hand. “No need. He’ll control himself.” Then he fixed eyes on Donavyn. “Sir, we need to speak. Urgently. Regarding this matter. I have new information, and our Flameborne cannot be allowed to leave until you’ve evaluated the whole picture.”
To my intense relief, Donavyn nodded.
“There is no authority by which you retain me—”
“The horses are a risk with the dragons so agitated,” Donavyn said, tipping his head toward the carriage, that was rocking, because the footmen fought with the lathered horses who’d taken fright at the dragons, now swooping lower and shrieking.
“I’d hate to see the animals harmed. Grace may remain with you, but you’ll both be ushered to a comfortable sitting room until I sort this out.
You won’t leave with one of my soldiers unless the queen releases her. ”
“Soldier? She’s hardly—”
“With due respect, Lord Breckon, you are unaware of what has passed with Grace and her training. She is very much a soldier—and her dragon will not allow her to be removed against her will. The judgment belongs to our queen.”
“I don’t abide by your queen,” Breckon snarled.
I opened my mouth, but Gil gripped my jacket again, as Donavyn said calmly, “Perhaps not, but I do. And these men—and their dragons—abide by me.”
My heart rose as our brothers circled them, and Breckon eyed them. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in his gaze. But then his jaw tightened, and I wanted to tackle him to the ground as his resolve became plain.
Please, God. Don’t let him take her. You can’t let him take her.
But Donavyn was no fool. He saw the man’s intention as clearly as I did.
“The choice is yours, Lord Breckon,” he offered casually, but with increasing edge.
“I’m offering a very gentlemanly walk with me to a comfortable sitting area, bringing your betrothed, so we might discuss this with the queen.
Or I will take the choice from you with a far less restful passage, ushered by a series of guards, and Grace left here until she’s called. So… which will it be?”
~ GRACE ~
Every alarm in my body shrieked as Breckon faced Donavyn down. Reeling, but breathing deep to center myself, I found myself assessing, remembering the presence of the blade at my belt, and the skills I’d been practicing.
I could kill him.
My skin went cold.
His hand tightened on my arm so that my hand began to go numb, and I tensed, bracing myself—but then, to my shock, he nodded.
“A gentlemanly stroll—but none of this bullshit with your men. We go directly to the castle, where I’ll speak to your queen. And my betrothed remains with me.”
“An excellent choice,” Donavyn said. I didn’t know if Breckon noticed his surreptitious hand-signals, but the men around us spread out to open a path toward the castle, but kept us bracketed either side, and behind.
My racing heart soothed, just a hair. They weren’t going to let him just take me. I wouldn’t have to kill him. Yet.
My hand tingled, beginning to numb as we walked, because his grip cut off blood flow. But I stopped pulling away, praying that the queen would have some care to keep me here, praying Donavyn’s influence over her would win, or something.
Overhead, Koa screamed as she spiraled in the sky. ‘I am safe,’ I sent shakily. ‘For now.’
‘I will not leave you.’
‘I know. Thank you.’
‘The mates… they will not leave either.’
Tears pricked my eyes, and I swallowed them. ‘I know.’
Then Bren weaved between the men to appear at my shoulder. I gave her a grateful look and she nodded, her expression serious, but calm.
“He’ll handle it,” she said, her eyes cutting to Donavyn off to our right and slightly ahead. And the joy and admiration that shone in her gaze then made me swallow again. “Just stay calm. He’ll beseech the queen personally. He has that access.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Donavyn glanced at us—he must have felt her approval and confidence—but then his eyes cut to something over my shoulder.
He stopped walking, sending the men ahead, and Bren and I both turned to watch him walk back to where Voski prowled, like a chained wolf, between Gil and Ronen, his eyes locked on me.
My heart flipped and I pushed love and fear and gratitude and caution through the bond.
But then Donavyn stepped between us, with a hand up. And the three men stopped.
“No,” I breathed.
Bren squeezed my hand. “Trust him. You’re one of us now. He’ll fix it.”
We continued walking, but I looked over my shoulder every few paces, my heart sinking as I watched Voski, clearly arguing with Donavyn and Ronen, and being blocked by Gil, who stood at his side, but held onto his arm.
Then Donavyn leaned in and said something, and Voski froze.
His head snapped toward me, and our eyes locked once more, his expression horrified.
What were they saying?
I reached for him in the bond. ‘I love you. I won’t go.’
I felt his heart rise, but no words as his attention was shifted back to the men. Had he heard me? Or only sent me love because our eyes met?
I wished I could speak to him as easily as I did with Koa, but that foggy haze between us made it difficult over distance, so I was forced to send feelings. It seemed as if my chest stretched toward him—and to my shock, found him.
Light blazed in my heart and for a moment, I heard him as clearly as if he stood in front of me.
‘—coming, don’t worry. He won’t take you. I won’t allow it, Grace. I love you. He can’t change that—’
I stumbled, then gasped as Breckon jerked me upright and pain sang through my arm. My heart thudded against my ribs when I turned back to look at Voski once more, to find him intent, and dark, staring at where Breckon gripped me.
And though he wasn’t as clear, I could hear him, as if he whispered in my ear.
‘You’re mine. You have nothing to fear. I won’t let him take you. No matter what, Grace. Do you hear me? No. Matter. What.’