Page 71 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“If you trust me, then believe me. Taking a witch is the wrong choice for your mate.”

I did not think it was possible, but he somehow looked even more angry with me. Offended.

“You have never treated me like a fool before, Orion,” he growled in utter disbelief. “Have you lost faith in me? Has my absence made you question me?”

“Absolutely not!” I hissed.

“Then tell methe truthof things. And do not claim to have some wisdom on the matter after careful judgement. You have been against me in this from before you had even set eyes on her. In fact,” he added in realization, “you have been adamantly set against the concept of my mate from the beginning. You declined interest in helping me choose one and now you refuseher without even the opportunity to get to know her. And without so much as a word on the truth of your aversion to her,” he accused me more angrily than I had ever seen him with me before.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I could not muster the words. I was losing him. I could feel it.

He turned when I did not respond, and this time he did not stop or look back, and all I could do was watch him stalk furiously away from me. It felt like my heart was breaking, tearing out of my chest to go with him, and I did not know how to stop it. I did not know how to swallow this bitter hatred and jealousy before it cost me my friend. Cost me myskiáand my heart. Cost meeverything.

Chapter twenty

YOURS WITHOUT RECOURSE

Amira

The fey seamstress that Sofia brought me to was worlds better than the stuck-up bitch that had come to my room earlier. The pretty river nymph not only took all my measurements and allowed Sofia to browse through her best materials. She ensured that I was fully outfitted for the next few days while she worked on my new clothes.

We were on our way back to the gate to fly home when a horn blared across the city. I was initially nervous as it sounded quite ominous, but then I saw people raising their eyes to the sky to search the horizon. Soon enough, I saw what they were all so eagerly anticipating.

A large group of griffins appeared over the closest mountain range and began to fly over the city. Cries rose through the streets, and although I could not understand their language, the joy and happiness was radiant.

“The king is returning,” said Helena with great pride, and my heart soared. I could not wait to get back to the Metropolis to see Riordan and learn what he had found out at the northern village. I was about to hoist my skirts and pick up the pace, but then Isaw a single griffin fly up to meet them. I was not sure how the griffins were able to communicate in animal form, but several warriors broke away from the group to descend toward the city.

Ares shouted, and the crowd seemed to obey him when they cleared the street, although they still jostled for a good view. I tried to move as well for whatever was about to happen, but Helena put her hand on my back to prevent me from joining the crowd. As everyone else made their way to the edges of the street, I was left standing in the open with her and Sofia. We had managed to blend in before, but I could hear the eager whispers begin to ignite around us as they likely speculated over who we were.

I would always recognize Riordan in his griffin form. Most of the other griffins looked too similar for me to tell them apart yet, but I had spent the better part of a year with my mate in this body. The sight of him as he landed, all that familiar feline grace and power rippling through his animal body, brought a smile to my face. It was all I could do to stop myself from running to him and burying my face into his soft fur and feathers.

Like all the others, Riordan was wearing the pleated golden armour which shifted with him so that he was still wearing it in his humanoid form.

The crowd gasped and surged, held back by the voices of Orion, Theo, and Iris who had accompanied Riordan, as well as by Helena, Ares, and the city guards. My king was covered in smudges of ash, and he looked so tired, but at least the splatters of green blood on him were not his own. I knew his blood was red like mine.

We were not in the Metropolis under the judgemental and watchful eyes of the Imítheos, so I decided to give in to the impulse to rush for him. I ignored the crowd as my hands slipped over him to make sure he was uninjured, although it wasdifficult not to become distracted by the strong body under my hands.

“You’re not hurt?” I verified, but Riordan merely gave a throaty chuckle and brushed a stray strand of my hair back with his knuckle.

“Careful. If you insist on touching me like that, I might forget that we are not alone,” he cautioned me.

“Oh?” I asked him teasingly, tilting my head up to him, and his eyes dropped to my mouth.

“Riordan—” Orion began to object from behind.

“Step. Back,” my mate growled at him, body abruptly tensing under my hands as he forced the words out.

I had never seen him become so upset with hisskiá,and while there was a part of me that was pleased and relieved to see Orion put in his place…

There was another part of me that was immediately concerned that something had happened between them.

“There are spies,” hissed Orion back, those fierce eyes catching mine with his disapproval, but he also seemed to be pleading with me to reason with Riordan. “Ares says they have been watching her since they entered the—”

“Ido notcare, Orion. My choice is made,” growled the king firmly, and my breath hissed out of me in a helpless reaction to the delicious tone of possession in his voice.

Riordan noticed immediately, and it drew his attention back down to me. He initially seemed worried that the assertion might have upset me, but all it took was a quick glance at me for him to deduce the truth. And he seemed to instantly forget his anger as he refocused on me.

“Do you like hearing that, Amira?” he asked with a tilt of his head that was somehow teasing and provocative. “Does it bring you satisfaction to know that I am yours? Wholly and without recourse?”

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