Page 76 of Blood of Ancients

If I couldn’t play to his logic, maybe I could play to his hubris.

His jaw went slack, chewing slower. “Are you seriously telling me I would be prettier if Ismiled more?”

I chuckled. “I’m not hitting on you, mate, I promise. I’m simply saying—”

“I know what you’re saying. I also know you have no room to condescend or criticize me. You may act the lovable teddy bear, but we both know you’re one mistake away from snapping like a wildfire.”

My smile vanished. Leave it to Sven to steal any breath out of a room. He always had to be such an asshole.

“Your dramatics are tiring, wolf.”

“Fuck you, Grim. I didn’t ask you to sit here. In fact, I’d prefer if you left me alone.”

I sighed, wondering if Sven realized how much he sounded like the old me. The me that existed before Ravinica brightened my world.Is he truly going to let his family spat get in the way of the love he shares with that amazing woman?

He was squandering his chances. His aura of resentment would only lead to a mutual feeling from those around him—those whotriedto call him a friend.

I was no therapist, but I reckoned Sven Torfen could have benefited from the use of one more than any of us.

“I know what you’re feeling,” I said lowly, leaning forward, trying to take on his gloomy, heavy air and give his situation the gravity it deserved. “I’ve been abandoned by kin as well, in case you’ve forgotten. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, and despite it all, and how unexpected it is, I don’t want to see the same thing happen to my . . . friend.”

Despite my heartfelt words, he kept his head bowed, finishing his meal with a scoff. “We’re not friends, Kollbjorn.”

A cloud of anger flew over me, so sudden I had to catch my breath before I said or did something regrettable. I tried again, determined not to give up on him. “Losing yourself to ragefeelslike the only answer. It feels like it will complete you and make everything better—justify your awful actions. I’m telling you it won’t. It will only leave you emptier.”

His head shot up, a twitch to his upper lip. “Why are you talking so much? I like you more when you shut the fuck up.”

The man’s jabs had little effect on me. Nothing Sven could say would push me to the brink of my rage or bring out the berserk spirit inside me, as much as he was trying to hurt me. When would he understand that?

Nonetheless, it was clear he was not ready. The hurt was too recent. The betrayal too bright. Only time, I feared, would callous his heart from this situation.

I simply worried he’d be too lost by then. It was best to fix a dog’s bad habits before they became engrained and permanent.

And that was what made me realize my plan here was folly.I can’tfixthis man. Wolf shifter he might be, he’s no dog to train. The only person I can think who might get through to him, if he’s willing to have an honest conversation, is Ravinica.

It was obvious he didn’t want to have an honest conversation withme. I had to respect that. I hadn’t asked his permission to bring up these feelings, and I could tell he resented that and wasn’t taking kindly to my tactics.

I drummed my fingers on the table with a heavy sigh, resigning myself to defeat.

“Sven Torfen.” The voice rang out at the entrance of the mess hall.

Every face in the hall whipped over to the sight of Eirik Halldan standing in the archway, eyebrows arched angrily. His hand was on the hilt of the sword at his hip.

Sven sneered, his handsome face growing uglier, more disgusted. “Oh, thank the gods. Somethinginteresting.” He stood up, plate clattering. “What’s the get, Halldan?”

At one point, Sven and Eirik had been tenuous allies. They had teamed up for certain trials during their initiate year. They understood each other.

That was before Ravinica came here. Clearly, a lot had changed since then, from our first term to our third term.

Around Eirik, his three comrades—Tyrus, Gryphon, Ayla—swarmed in to surround him. They had their hands near their weapons, stern looks on their faces.

Cadets around the mess hall were beginning to clear out, noticing the bad blood they sat between. It was like an old Western, the tavern emptying out as the opposing cowboy gangs met up for a shootout. All we needed was some stray tumbleweed rolling between us.

“My family put you up to this, Eirik?” Sven called out, just as the last handful of students were leaving the room to let this impending brawl play out.

Eirik tilted his head. “I don’t give a shit about the Torfens, Sven. I never have. Idogive a shit about my brother. And you laid hands on him.”

Sven lifted a finger, wagging it. “Technically, I laid hand on his girlfriend.”

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