Page 74 of A Shadow of Betrayal

“Is it that obvious?” Jordan finally asks, and I smile softly, turning to face him.

“No. I think I only saw it because of how often I’m with you two. But what's the big deal? If you have feelings for him, you should say so. I'm pretty sure he would return them,” I say confidently. Theo’s small touches are growing bolder when he thinks I’m not paying attention. It's cute as hell.

“It’s not that simple,” Jordan grumbles, looking excited one moment and then sad the next.

“Why not?” I ask when he starts walking again.

“We would get in trouble. It's not technically against the rules, but the Seniorem would never allow us to be together. About twenty years ago, the birth of Hunters with the sight had plummeted, and the Seniorem created the breeding rings. That's not what they called them, I think their official name was the Bloodline Compatibility program. Basically, they tested every Hunter and paired them with a person they were most likely able to produce a Hunter with. But as you can imagine, that quickly turned into a bad situation, and there were several hunters, both male and female, that were forced into arranged marriages. The breeding rings were shut down, but it hasn't even been a year yet.”

I gape at him in horror and shake my head. “You know what? That doesn't surprise me, which is almost scarier than the fact that the old geezers were forcing people to have kids based on their genetic compatibility…. Why is the Seniorem so fucking corrupt? Isn't there a way to take them out of power?” I ask, thinking back to Valen, then the humans, and now the breeding rings. These men are fucking awful and need to be stopped.

Jordan gasps and grabs my arm, yanking me close to him as he dips his head to whisper in my ear. “Never say that, Meyer. You don't go against the Seniorem. It's one of the highest laws. You can be marked as a rogue and then hunted for that offense.”

“That's even stupider!” I hiss at him, making his eyes flick up and down the long, gray stone hallway. “They are evil; you know that, right?” I want to tell him about the humans so freaking badly, but Lennox said not to mention it. And as much of an asshole as that man is, I think he may be right. I don't want Jordan to be caught up in whatever… this is. “If we can’t question them, who keeps them in line?”

Jordan grimaces and shakes his head.

“And how does this have anything to do with you and Theo liking each other?” Jordan bites his lip and looks at his feet, crossing his arms over his massive chest and looking way too vulnerable for my liking. Stepping up, I hold my arms out, offering a hug which thankfully puts a smile on his face.

“Thanks,” he whispers, stepping forward and letting me squeeze him tight. “If the Seniorem found out about us… either one or both of us would disappear. They don't tolerate gay or bi-sexual Hunters. It's our job to find girls and produce more Hunters in order to keep our numbers up. Theo technically has a betrothed,” he says, his voice breaking a little.

My arms tighten around Jordan. “But I thought the breeding rings were shut down?” Jordan nods.

“Yeah, but try telling that to Senior Drakos. He’ll force Theo into that marriage. I’d put my life on it.”

“Fucking dickwad,” I snarl under my breath, resting my head on Jordan's chest. I can feel him chuckle as he pulls back. “What about your parents?” I ask, and Jordan smiles, his face red and blotchy.

“I had a betrothed, but she was killed in a Demon attack six years ago. They never found a replacement, and Mom was glad that the rings were shut down. Unfortunately, dad doesn't have the sight, so he was never involved in choosing my future.”

“You do realize this is all wrong. That the Hunters should have a choice in their lives. Theo will be forced into a life he doesn't want, and no one can do a damn thing about it,” I point out, and Jordan frowns.

“You have to stop, Meyer. They will find out if you start doubting them. I’ve seen it too many times. Drop it and move on with life. There is nothing we can do. Maybe there will be a change once a few of them kick the bucket. I know Elaine is trying her hardest, and she is actually making a difference. She’s the only reason why female Hunters are now allowed to train with the males. Ten years ago, that wasn't the case,” Jordan says.

“Is that why all the people in power are guys? Are they sexist?” I say bitterly. Jordan nods.

“Sexiest, racist, homophobic… basically everything that might be different and cause a stir in the ranks of their hunters is wrong,” Jordan explains. “Thankfully, we are slowly getting new Seniors that don't have the same viewpoints. Like Regalis. He may be an ass, but he's not like the others.” I nod in agreement. I may hate the overbearing Viking, but Jordan has a point. I have seen the anger in his dark green eyes when he found that human and when he talks about the Seniorem. Lennox hates them as much as, if not more than I do.

“So you're saying all we can do is live like this… being told what to do and having no say in our future until some of the old fuckers die?” Jordan shrugs and then nods. I shake my head and purse my lips, defiance sweeping through me. “No. Nope, that isn't going to happen.” I reach out and lace our hands together as he starts walking back down the hall. “I want to live, Jordan. Don’t you? To be free to love who you want… to be who you truly are?”

“Of course I do… But I want to stay alive, Meyer. And going against the Seniorem is dangerous.” I keep quiet because there is no arguing with that fact, but I also can't imagine letting a bunch of crazy old men control my life for years to come. I nod and let Jordan's hand go just as someone steps up at my side, nearly making me pee my pants in surprise.

“Dammit! Umbra Regalis. What the hell?!” I snap, putting a hand to my chest when I turn and find the cloaked man standing next to me. But it's not me he’s staring at; it's Jordan. “Jordan, I'll see you in class,” I say quietly, wanting him to leave before the Hunter in front of me tries to kill him. I'm still on the fence about the whole Razar being a killer. He definitely has those murderous vibes, and he doesn't talk much. But I haven't seen him do anything that would make me think he would actually harm someone. This morning he was a dick, but I’m quickly coming to realize that just runs in the Regalis bloodline.

Jordan looks at me hesitantly before looking back at Razar, probably trying to figure out the best thing for him to do. Slowly, he reaches his hand out for mine.

“I think you should come with me. Billy is going to teach me a few things with our Kalis blades. It would be beneficial for you to learn,” Jordan starts. But before his hand can reach mine, Razar has a blade out and pressed to Jordan's neck. My friend's lips form an ‘O’ shape, his eyes tripling in size as my heart skips in my chest. Grabbing my one Kalis that is sitting in its sheath, I draw it and press it to Razar's throat, making Jordan curse and look at me like I’m insane.

“Let him go,” I snap, my heart thundering in my chest. Razar’s eyes are shadowed by his hood, but I can see his lips twitch up in a small smile as he slowly lets the blade pressed against Jordan's neck fall to his side. “Jordan, get your ass out of here,” I demand. Jordan hesitates, and I lose my cool. “Now, Jordan!” I snap, making him huff in irritation and throw his hands up in the air.

“Fine, but I’m telling Umbra Regalis that he’s here with you,” Jordan rasps, then turns on his heel and dashes down the hallway. The moment Jordan rounds the corner of the hall and is out of sight, my shoulders relax, but not for long. One moment I have my blade pressed to Razar’s neck, the next, it's in his hand, and I’m being shoved up against the rough stone of the wall behind me.

“Really?” I ask, as he twirls my blade between his fingers, then brings it to my throat. I swallow hard, not liking the way the shaped blade feels against my skin. “Creed is going to be pissed when I tell him you did this,” I rasp, trying to find a way to get the unhinged man away from me. Razar scoffs, but after a long, drawn-out moment, he lowers the blade and steps back from me.

“You’re nothing but a pawn to them. If you were smart, you’d stay away,” he grinds out, his raspy voice sending chills of dread down my spine. Razar holds my Kalis out in front of him, but before I can grab it from him, he drops it, making it clatter across the ground as he spins and walks down the hall.

“Fucking creepy Hunter,” I grumble. I reach down and grab my Kalis, sheathing it at my hip, then glare at his back until he disappears. Turning in the other direction, I make my way back toward the cafeteria, then turn right, moving through the Castle and making my way outside in search of the one Regalis brother that I actually like. “I take it back. He’s definitely a serial killer.”

Walking down the stairs and heading into the courtyard, I wrap my arms around myself, wishing I had thought about grabbing a thicker coat. Last night there had been a pretty nasty storm, and there are still a few Rangers out here shoveling out our pathways. I give them a small smile as I walk to the barn, looking around for Creed. After walking through the entire barn twice and looking at the small stalls and in the larger horse pens, I frown.

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