Max Dread
I f I glared any harder, maybe I’d set him on fire.
As it was, Landon sat there—in my fucking chair—completely unbothered by the hatred I didn’t try to hide. I wanted it to bother him. I wanted him to know I planned to protect Quinn from him.
If it was the last thing I did, I’d get her to see him clearly. I’d make sure she knew exactly what he’d done.
But I couldn’t tell her his secret until The Quest was over.
It gave away details of the next phase, and I’d been forced to swear an oath no one else in this godforsaken place abided by.
My blood boiled.
I wanted to kick Landon out of the cabin.
But, unfortunately, Kingston must’ve decreed he could stay.
Following orders like a puppy dog. Such a good boy, obeying his lord and master.
A growl rumbled in my throat, lifting his head. That nickname belonged to me now, not him or Kingston. I wanted to hear her say it like she had the other night. Only the next time, I wanted her naked and breathless in bed with me.
A place Landon would never be welcome to join us.
I glared at him as he cocked his head to the side.
He scrutinized me, assessing everything like he always did, before turning his head to her door. My eyes narrowed as his features shifted. His whole face changing, morphing into an expression of deep longing.
Fucking simp.
If he so much as thought about going near that door, I’d kick him out. I didn’t give a fuck what Kingston said.
He’d put his hands on her. Left bruises on her neck. Made her fall for his bullshit before standing up in front of everyone and breaking her heart.
I’d watched her as it happened.
Shock in her eyes as the word he’d said loud and clear resonated through the room. Realization that everyone was whispering about her. Acceptance that she couldn’t say anything in her defense.
It lasted the span of a few pounding heartbeats, and she’d held herself together so well in that moment, I almost wondered if I’d imagined her shock.
If they had planned his response together.
And he’d promised her the world and offered to take care of her so she didn’t have to put herself at risk anymore.
Had he done what I wanted to do? What I’d do if I thought for a second she’d take me up on it?
No.
And had she seen it coming?
It was the tremor in her fingertips that gave it away.
The slight twitch of her hand before she clenched it into a fist. Her jaw locking. Chin lifting as she nodded and waited for Kingston to wrap things up before leaving the room.
I’d wanted to go after her then.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. The inhaler he’d thrown at me before it landed on the ground at my feet.
Before it changed everything.
And took me off the board.
Checkmate.
Once I saw that, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I couldn’t pretend I could go through with their plans.
I couldn’t do anything but protect her.
Everything else? My mother?—
“She’s having a nightmare.”
Landon stood up, quickly moving past me to go to the door.
His hand landed on the doorknob, and I snapped. “Don’t even think about it, Golden Boy.”
I was already on my feet and almost to the door when he snapped back.
“She’s having a nightmare, Dread. I’m not leav?—”
“You are if you want that pretty face of yours to stay in one piece.” My knuckles cracked as I leaned in close to get in his face. “Back the fuck off. She’s been having nightmares since we got here, and she doesn’t need you going in there and making it worse. Haven’t you done enough damage?”
He narrowed his eyes, jaw clenching with whatever bullshit he wanted to say. “I’m not the one who left her in a forest to get killed or raped, and I’m not fighting with you when she’s having nightmares because of it.”
A flash of guilt punched me in the gut, freezing me in place. The motherfucker opened the door, ignoring what I’d said, and went straight to the bed. He moved too quickly for me to stop him, and it took a minute to shake off the lingering regret.
Not just over what happened to her.
But over what she’d accused me of in the room with them. When she’d denied what I fucking knew she felt between us, I reacted without thinking. Storming out onto the porch like an ass. Digging my heels in like I needed the admission—like I couldn’t see it written all over her face—like I couldn’t feel it any time we were around each other.
But I wanted to hear her say it.
Instead of letting it go, I’d forced the issue. I’d kissed her—simultaneously the best and stupidest thing I could’ve done—and she’d freaked out about The Quest. Accusing me of trying to get rid of her. Acting like she believed I’d done it on purpose.
Because she had.
That pissed me off more than anything.
And what did I do about it?
I stormed off like a fucking asshole and left her out there. It hadn’t taken long to realize my mistake. A few minutes—five, tops—but by then…
Cursing myself for the hundredth time for leaving her out there, I went into the bedroom after him. I needed to get it through her head that things had changed. And I needed to remove one obstacle keeping her from letting that happen.
But before I could drag Landon out by the neck, I saw her.
Quietly moaning in her sleep as her head thrashed on the pillow. Tears running down her cheeks. A small cry leaving her lips before his hands touched her face, brushing the hair back from it.
She settled.
Her body instantly responded to his touch, his hands drawing circles on her skin, like he was siphoning out the fear from her nightmares. Communicating to her, even in her subconscious, that he was there. That she was safe.
I fucking hated it.
Hated that he could do that for her, even after what he’d done at the Knights’ Quorum. I loathed the ties she held onto with both of them.
Even after they rushed over to help last night.
But my choices had been to either call Kingston for help or call my father, who’d been blowing up my phone with calls and texts as it was.
All of which had gone unanswered.
I knew what he wanted.
I knew what they all wanted.
My expectations had been made perfectly clear. If Quinn Everly was assigned to me for this challenge, I had to do everything I could to make her ask for more.
But if she didn’t?
At the Honor Ceremony, I had to lie and say she did.
After seeing the lengths they were willing to go to get rid of her, I wanted to tell them to go to hell. Shove it up their asses and find a new player in the game to manipulate.
The only reason I hadn’t told all of them to fuck off…
I couldn’t live with the consequences of that choice anymore.