Page 27 of The Hunt of Night

Flora clears her throat, and I turn my gaze back to her. “I’m saying, why does Cassian get to whisk her away without care for the rest of us?” It’s the truth. It’s irritating and petty, but I don’t care.

“Shouldn’t you be considering what’s best for Addi?” she retorts, cocking her brow as she takes a sip of her water.

I roll my eyes at her. “We all know I’m the least growly. Iamwhat’s best for her.”Duh.

“Is that so?” Raiden grumbles, not lifting his gaze from his plate as he scoffs at me.

“I like it,” Flora states, wagging her finger at me, and I shrug.

“You say that likeshe’sgoing to like it.”

“Oh, she’s definitely not. That’s what makes me like it,” Flora retorts, wagging her eyebrows at me.

“That sounds mean.”

“Mean? Please, she’s my best friend. I’d stand against any of you if that’s what she wanted or even needed, but I’m realistic and…a dreamer, and she needs the four of you just as much as you need her.”

“You think?” Raiden whips his stare to Addi’s friend, a sense of hope drifting from him, just as it does me. Yet all Flora does is shrug like it’s no big deal.

“How do you know that?” I push, giving her my full attention now.

“I don’t know for sure,” she replies with a gulp, slightly backtracking, and there’s no way in Hell we’re doing that. Not after what she just said.

“Don’t give me false promises and try to take them away,” Raiden grunts with a shake of his head while Kryll silently observes Flora, forever quiet and watching.

“How do I make her love me?” The words blurt from my mouth by mistake. I want to backtrack now, pretend I didn’t say it, but the way her eyebrows rise, silently questioning me, I know there’s no chance of that now.

“Is that what you want?” she asks, softer than I expect. There’s no mocking, no making fun of me. There’s suddenly a kindness that seeps deep into my bones.

“Yeah, Brody, is that what you want?” Kryll interjects with a snicker.

I glare at him across the table. “Fuck you, asshole.”

“Dick isn’t my preference, but thanks,” he retorts like he thinks he’s funny.

“Raidy, baby. I was waiting for you to come and see me.”

The table falls silent and still as a shadow casts over us. The familiar voice makes my muscles bunch together in a mixture of anger and frustration as my gaze lands on the vile vampire.

Her blonde hair is pin-straight, making her eyes seem even more narrow. There’s a slight discoloring to her right cheek, but otherwise, she looks every inch the bitch that she is.

“Back the fuck up from the table right now before I put you through it.” Raiden’s voice is dark, deadly, and the sneer on his lips reveals his protruding fangs as he promises her downfall.

Anyone else would scurry away, wilting at his stare alone, but not Vallie.

Never fucking Vallie.

“Raiden Holloway, you promised me?—”

“I didn’t promise you shit. Now, get the fuck away from me before I finish what Adrianna started.”

Vallie stomps her foot, balling her hands into fists at her sides as she bites back a squeal of frustration.

“Are you still thinking about her? Look at what she did to me!” she rages, wincing as she adjusts her cloak and lifts her t-shirt to reveal bandages littering her chest and sides. “You need to keep away from her, Raiden. She’s a lunatic.”

“You’re a fucking mess, Vallie. Do us all a favor and go irritate someone else,” I grunt, completely losing every ounce of my appetite. Her gaze fixes on me as her bottom lip juts out.

“Don’t fucking speak to me, you lowly fucking mage. I’m above you. Remember that.”

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