Page 52 of Blood of Ancients

I let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry to put this on you so soon after waking, little sneak,” Grim murmured. His voice brought me back to the present. “We all are.”

“It’s okay,” I choked out. “I’m the one who should be sorry.” A dismal feeling washed over me—depression mixed with the cold of the underground. I needed to snap out of my funk, but I knew it would be tough.

I also need to allow myself to sit with my feelings for a while.

I had come to a moment of self-reflection I didn’t like about myself. That was always tough.

Sniffling, I smiled around at the faces of my friends “I’ll be okay, gang. I promise. I’m sorry . . . again . . . for my stupid actions. It’s jeopardized everyone. Now I have no idea how we’re going to help Corym.”

“What you need to do, little menace,” Sven pointed out in his rough tone, “is stop putting the weight of the world solely on your shoulders. You can’t do everything alone. Let ushelpyou.”

He was right. My aggressive, egotistical, possessive wolf shifter mate was right. And when Sven fucking Torfen was showing me the pragmatic,reasonablething to do, I knew I was in serious trouble.

I gave him a small smile. “Okay. I’ll try to let everyone in more.”

He clapped, as if he’d bested me. “Good. Then on that note, tell me how you want him dead.”

My eyes bulged. “W-What?”

“Damon,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You want his entrails ripped out? His head on a platter? How about his heart? I’ll bring you a heart if you want a heart.”

I gawked as he spoke so casually about brutal murder. Everyone around the bed gaped at Sven too, with varying looks of disbelief. This wasnotwhat I had meant about letting him in.

Grim said, “You’re fucking impossible, wolf.”

Dagny and Randi both started to say something.

I sensed the room about to fall into chaos, so I waved my hands in the air to shut everyone up. “No, no, no,” I yelled above the din. “No one is killing Damon, dammit! Do you understand?!”

The room died down. Sven looked at me blankly, like he didnotunderstand, and he didn’t even know who I was.

With a heavy sigh, I put my hand on my forehead and scratched, wincing.With friends like these . . .“Look. I appreciate all the talk of retribution. Truly, I think your heart’s in the right place, Sven—”

“Damon’s heart will certainly not be in the right place when I’m done with him. It will be at your feet. Where it belongs.”

“—he’s still mybrother.” I circled my wrists at our surroundings. “This is already looking eerily similar to the Astrid situation. I don’t want a repeat of that. See?”

“Not really. Astrid got the fate she deserved. She got the fate your brother deserves.”

I couldn’t believe he was being so obtuse. So purposefully argumentative. Gritting my teeth, I said, “I will deal with Damon how I deem fit. You are not to touch him. Is that clearer?”

Sven flared his nostrils. He hated being challenged.

The wolf gave a curt nod, then turned around to push past Grim and Randi.

“Where are you going?” I called out.

Sven glanced over his shoulder. “I need to break something. Or someone. I’m trying not to lose it for your sake, menace, but you’re making it difficult. So I bid you farewell, for now, to rest.”

With that, the wolf shifter up and left the damned room.

I was flabbergasted. “Did everyone else just see that? What in Hel happened?”

Grim snickered. “I think he’s trying outempathyfor a change, little sneak.” His smile hit the corners of his mouth. “I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble. Or at least too much trouble.”

“Would you please? I already have an elf I need to figure out how to rescue. I don’t want a wolf in the same mix.”

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