Page 69 of Upon Shattered Bonds

Chapter Thirty

Powerful psychic energy abraded Nina’s senses. Without warning, five sovereigns teleported into her Lexington domain, standing shoulder to shoulder before the group centered around the firepit.

The sovereigns of the Zayan, Grant, and Mottro clans stood flanking Perith and Demetrios, the latter standing tall at the center. Had Nina been less fatigued, she might’ve had the capacity to be surprised. As it was, her reserves were diminished, and her mind was weary.

And, given the state of things, she’d expected it.

Equally as disenchanted, Zeke’s sentiments mirrored hers. Projected through their strengthened mating bond, she experienced his hostility toward them as easily as her own. But Zeke didn’t speak, and neither did the woefully overstepping sovereigns who’d intruded onto her territory.

Nina was not at all impressed by their lack of decorum. “You’re unexpected and uninvited. Leave, or I’ll interpret this as an act of war.”

Zeke relocated to stand beside her in a silent show of support. Behind them, Tzuriel, Kaien, and Blair moved to flank them.

While several of the sovereigns before them shifted uneasily, it was Demetrios who spoke. “Your mate bond cannot be allowed to mature.”

Focus sharpening on the other sovereign, Nina grimaced internally. What did their mating have to do with any of this? A thousand thoughts rioted across her mind, but she betrayed none of her inner conflict on her face.

“We’ve given no indication of mating, Demetrios.”

“It has been foreseen.” Demetrios’ dark eyes narrowed, the animosity of the man tainting his classically handsome features. “You cannot deny what Cassandra dreams.”

Perith, his blond hair and blue eyes indicative of his Nordic European origins, nodded from his position beside the other men. “If we allow your mating, you will establish a sovereignty that cannot be overthrown. A union of the two most powerful clans—and sovereigns—in existence. It threatens the very nature of our race.”

A barely concealed growl from Zeke before he spoke. “Our union—or lack thereof—is of no concern of yours. Fulfilling the mating bond would change nothing about how we deal with challengers.”

Fraught with jittery tension, the five sovereigns standing before them reeked of pent-up aggression. All of them were wound tightly, coiled in preparation for what seemed to be a well-thought-out provocation.

“And your intentional disinterest in each other is why we’ve never challenged you before,” Demetrios conceded. “However, that all changed a week ago when Cassandra foresaw the mating.”

Demetrios was the one who launched the psychic attack on my clan, Nina. Zeke’s telepathic voice echoed in her head. His psychic signature was familiar, but I couldn’t place it at the time. Now, I realize, it was similar to Luther’s—his brother.

Swallowing harshly at the disclosure, Nina studied the man whom she’d once considered family. Leveling with Demetrios, she asked, “I assume you’re behind the assassination attempts and the attacks on Zeke’s people. What, exactly, are your intentions?”

Demetrios’ carefully erected façade chipped to reveal a layer of sadistic intent, but it vanished swiftly. “We apologize, Ezekiel, for the intrusion. Our only intent was to lure you away from Nina. To break any bond that might form.”

“And the assassination attempts?” Kaien growled from behind her.

“As we’ve stated, their union cannot be sanctioned.” With a huff, Demetrios began rapidly losing his patience. “We’ll take any and every means necessary to prevent that from happening.”

Tension heated the undercurrents at play, a level of hostility rising as every party began to fray at the edges. Rapidly, this situation was coming to a head, and Nina still had to figure out why.

“Regardless of our mating, rules of New Dominion dictate challenged sovereigns fight alone.” All five sovereigns stiffened at her disclosure, and Nina knew she’d unearthed the root of the problem.

Beside her, Zeke shifted uneasily. My confidence in a non-confrontational resolution is rapidly dwindling. How confident are you in your psychic abilities?

She knew the question was not spoken in regards to skill, but rather her current state of control. Given the complexity of their psychic shielding and the sheer strength of their number, using my destructive abilities would require time I don’t believe we’ll get.

A mental nod. We may need to do this the old-fashioned way.

The rapid-fire telepathy between them took less than a handful of seconds, but Demetrios had been studying them and knew they’d been communicating. He smiled, the picture as chilling as it was foreboding.

And then he spoke in Raethi.

The ancient tongue of their ancestors had been long abandoned, but Raethi was stamped onto their very DNA. The meaning of the words was inherent and understandable by all, irrespective of its current disuse.

A chill washed over Nina’s skin when Demetrios uttered the powerful words, the guttural language deepening his voice and giving it a sinister nature. When the meaning became clear, her mouth dropped open in shock.

Searing pain imprinted on her wrist, immediately drawing her attention downward. There, branded into her forearm, was a stylized numeral two. On Zeke’s, the numeral was mirrored. On the five sovereigns opposite them, the brand reflected a one.

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