Page 26 of Wicked Heirs

But then it occurred to me that my voracious intent to go to Alena might be a result of that strange state we’d been caught up in more so thatObsidian’sgoal when it came to her.

So, I stayed where I was and took a beat, before addressing X, “Having you caught up in our plan wasn’t our intent. But I couldn’t tell you about it directly either, considering you’d expressed that you wanted nothing to do with it. It was also a concern that you might interfere to stop what we’d had planned. Asking about your squirrel blood had been my intention to get you clear.”

“You thought I’d start another argument with the cafeteria staff about it, demanding pig’s blood at the very least?”

“Yes. You don’t like public scenes, so you would’ve headed into the kitchen, just far enough away for a three-year-old vampire to not be able to scent somebody being cut.”

“When I didn’t, you should have aborted what you had planned.”

“I would have if she hadn’t reacted as she had, so disrespectfully and with all that attitude toward Tal.”

“You like that in people.”

“It’s different with her. She’s our target.”

“It didn’t look like that when I walked in here. The scent of arousal was beyond potent, Orpheus. So much so that I mistook it for actual sex being had.”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then you’d better get to it.”

I shoved a hand through my hair. “Her magic… it did something… to mine. Then it sparked this intense desire between us, this pull that I couldn’t… I don’t know… it makes no sense.”

“Hell, that sounds off the wall.”

“It was. And until I have some time to get a handle on it, that’s all I’m gonna be saying about it.”

“You should call off your vendetta against her.”

“Absolutely not.” I sucked in a breath. “I’ll handle it.”

Just like I always handled everything.

There was no way I’d allow this little angel to become an exception to that.

There was no way I’d allow her to undermineme.

Today was just a fluke, just something completely out there.

Just a one-off.

And there was no meaning to it, nothing beyond an issue with our magic colliding in an astoundingly strange way.

I didn’t do meaning—not outside of my two comrades anyway.

That was how it was going to fucking well stay.

6

~Talon~

Hatred was a powerful thing.

Just like rage.

It fueled you.

It made you strong.

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