Page 16 of Clash of Kingdoms

I will protect your mate, Aureliasss.

My eyes shifted to the snake. “Thank you, Fang.”

I will crush bonesss. I will feassst on flesssh. I will kill them all.

I gave a nod. “Never doubted you.”

And then I will?—

“We got it,” Kingsnake said quickly.

“I know you have your own wife to protect, Kingsnake,” I said. “To ask you to look after another?—”

“I know she would be your wife if circumstances were different, so I’ll protect her like she’s one of us. It’s no burden.”

I dropped into the armchair by the fireplace, my elbow curling so my fist could rest against my chin. “Thank you,”

“Hopefully, by the time you return, Father will have landed on these shores.”

“Yes…hopefully.”

Kingsnake moved to the other armchair, and that was when Fang slithered away to curl up in front of the fire like a faithful companion. My brother crossed his ankle over the opposite knee and stared at me. “You said her family were good people, but her father seems like an asshole.”

“He’s not.”

“After you saved his wife and his kingdom, he should be kinder to you?—”

“If someone had kidnapped Larisa, would you ever let it go?” I turned my head to look him directly in the eye. “Is there anything that person could ever do to make up for that monstrous terror?”

Kingsnake remained quiet.

“Now you understand…”

He stared ahead, massaging his bare knuckles because his gloves had been removed. “You can’t expect us to stay strong for HeartHolme without adequate sustenance.” His eyes remained on his hands. “We can wait until you return to discuss it, but we need to come to some sort of agreement.”

“You can feed, but only if it’s voluntary.”

He turned to look at me.

“But keep it quiet. He doesn’t want us to parade it around.”

He cracked a subtle smile. “I thought you looked better than last time.”

I avoided his gaze.

“But if you aren’t feeding on Harlow, who are you feeding on?”

Huntley needed a night of rest after his arduous journey, so we planned to leave the following evening. I went to the bedchambers I shared with Harlow and grabbed my belongings.

“What are you doing?” She’d just stepped out of the shower, her hair damp, a thin towel barely covering her gorgeous curves.

I released an irritated sigh, dreading the fight Harlow was about to put up. “I can’t stay here while your father is in the castle?—”

“You aren’t going anywhere, Aurelias.” That fire burst from her eyes, incinerating everything around her. The bedchambers were immediately engulfed in flames. “We’ve already talked about this.”

“It’s disrespectful?—”

“Says who?”

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