Page 45 of Promised in Blood

“Then seek him out. But do it quietly.”

“Of course.”

I bristle at the ease with which he acquiesces to my request, given his obvious hatred of his nephew. “If you take his head, I will take yours, brother.”

His blue eyes flicker with dark intent.

“I mean it,” I bark. While he is the older brother, I was a foot taller than him by the time I was sixteen and have always been the stronger one of the two of us. And as our father’s chosen heir, I outrank him. It was a source of great dishonor for him in our younger years, but one I hope no longer plagues him. He possesses other talents that I do not, and his lessened responsibility to House Drakos has granted him a measure of freedom that I will never experience.

He dips his head in a show of respect. “I would not dare take that honor from you, brother.”

I sit forward and place my hand on his knee. “I value your counsel more than any other, Giorgios. Thank you.”

A half smile quirks his lips. “You are most welcome, brother.”

For all our differences, this is the man I trust more than any other. I know of his pain. Of losing Elena. Even though she was my wife and my bonded mate, I believe she was the only woman he ever truly loved. There has never been another before or since who captivated his heart in such a way. Lucian took her from both of us.

Thus, I understand his need for vengeance. But Lucian took my innocent daughters too—a crime so heinous that my brain shuts down every time I try to make sense of it. Yet still, I cannot bring myself to denounce him as my son. My love for him, though charred and blackened by his evil deeds, is still rooted within the deepest recesses of my heart. There is only one creature in this entire universe who could make me turn my back on him, and she is far too kind and pure to ever ask me to.

Chapter

Eighteen

MALACHI

Thucydides Library is quiet as usual. In all my years at Montridge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than five or six people in this cavernous space at any one time. I crane my neck to peer at the gold embossed titles on the books on the top shelf, certain I will find the one I’m looking for here. Since Ophelia’s revelation that she and Alexandros can talk to dragons, I’ve found myself fascinated with discovering why they left the mortal realm to live in the netherworld.

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen you in here, Malachi.” His voice sends goosebumps skittering over my forearms.

I spin around, my teeth bared in a snarl.

He leans against the bookshelves, legs crossed at the ankles and arms folded over his broad chest, a smug grin on his face. He always was an arrogant asshole. Star quarterback and next in line to be Alpha of the Brackenwolf Pack, one of the oldest and most powerful packs in North America. But I was willing to overlook his massive ego because he was also smart and funny and insanely hot. “You’re not still holding a grudge?” He narrows his eyes. “It was sixty years ago.”

“Sixty-two actually. And it could be six hundred years ago, Osiris, and it still wouldn’t change what you did.”

He shakes his head and sighs. “I thought that at least now you would understand.”

What the fuck does that mean? “Understand how we were almost inseparable for two years, and then you just fucking left without so much as a goodbye?”

His dark brow furrows in a deep scowl. “I graduated, Kai. I had responsibilities. My father needed me.”

The memory of him leaving still feels raw, but it wasn’t his actual leaving that broke me. It was how he did it, and what happened after. “You ghosted me for six fucking years. Six years when I didn’t hear a single word from you.”

He takes a step forward. “Kai.”

I move back, wanting as much distance between us as possible. “Don’t fucking call me Kai.”

He snarls now too. “Do you think it was easy for me to walk away from you? You were my best fucking friend. I…” He licks his lips.

“You what?”

“I loved you too.” He takes another couple steps so he’s standing directly in front of me. Regret and sadness ball in my throat, and I force them down on a hard swallow. “But wolves and vampires do not bond.”

I take a deep breath through my nose. “You broke my fucking heart, Osiris.”

“I know.” His voice is gentle. Tender, almost. “But when I left, know that I broke my own too. And I don’t think it has ever been the same. Maybe it never will be.”

I glare at him, wanting to stay pissed, but seeing the pain in his eyes, plus knowing he speaks the truth about wolves and vampires… We are not a natural pairing, and wolves only mate for life with their fated mates. “Why did you come back? Why didn’t you stay with your pack?”

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