Page 64 of X'nath

“You’re a liar, Garbock,” I said, my voice low and cold.

What else had he picked up from the traders—what other vials of concoctions he might be brewing in his cave. Love potions, perhaps? Something stronger to try and pull Gracie away from me? The thought made my fists clench. No one would steal what was mine, not while I still breathed.

His grin faltered for just a second, but he quickly regained control. Too quick. That was all the confirmation I needed.

Vakgar stepped forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over Garbock as he moved into the firelight. His voice was low, but the threat in it was unmistakable.

"If you think you can play games with a warrior’s mate, you’ve made a grave mistake," Vakgar said, his tone colder than the mountains that barricaded our village.

Garbock swallowed, his calm façade cracking slightly as he tried to step back, but Vakgar was quick to close the distance, his large hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

Before he could respond, my gaze caught something on the floor—something that shouldn’t have been there. A scrap piece of fabric that I recognized all too well. One of Gracie’s human undergarments.

The torchlight flickered, casting harsh shadows on Garbock’s face as I slowly crouched down to pick it up. Her scent lingered on it, unmistakable and strong, with the addition of what looked like fresh male spend.

My blood boiled.

Garbock’s eyes darted to the evidence in my hand, his calm demeanor faltering, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “That’s not what you think it is. See, I found it. I mean, it was on the ground and I happened to pick it up?—”

My hand shot out and grabbed Garbock by the throat, dragging him flailing behind me out of the entrance of the mine. He wouldn’t be allowed to slink away like the coward he was. No, he was going to face his punishment where the gods could witness it.

“X’nath,” he choked out, struggling for air.

But I was beyond the point of listening. I dragged him in front of me and lifted him off the ground with a snarl. “You chose to play a dangerous game, Garbock.”

If he thought he could manipulate her with his concoctions and witchcraft, he had another thing coming.

Vakgar emerged from the mouth of the mine shortly after, his nostrils flaring. “I would tell you that you’re lucky I didn’t find anything tied to Kelly, but X’nath here might disagree.”

My grip around his throat tightened until one of the blood vessels in his left eye popped, making me grin. I slammed his body onto the hard ground, an audible crack reverberating around us as Garbock moaned in pain, stunned for a few moments.

Vakgar circled around him, pulling out a jagged hammer, ready to bash his head in. I signaled for him to wait, coming up with a much better idea, one that will follow him for the rest of his days.

“Start a fire,” I instructed Vakgar, who looked at me perplexed.

“Right now?”

"Yes, right now," I growled, never breaking my gaze from Garbock as I drew one of my smaller blades from its sheath.

Vakgar quickly did as instructed and watched with curiosity as I began to heat up my blade. The moment I commanded him to rip off Garbock’s pants, his own grin grew.

I signaled to wake him up and Vakgar proceeded to kick him until Garbock’s eyes fluttered open.

“Wha—Ahhh!!”

The scent of burnt flesh wafted into my nars as I sliced my heated blade through his sack, making sure he would never pose as a threat to anyone’s mate again.

Vakgar took a step back as I finished him off, pressing the flat of my reheated blade against the wound to double down on his punishment. Garbock’s screams were short lived as consciousness quickly fled from the intensity of the pain.

Wiping my blade against the fabric of my pants, I bent down to grab the scrap of fabric that once belonged to Gracie, now tainted.

“I wouldn’t want to leave you without a proper thank you for the tea, Garbock, so I won’t take this back. Gracie wouldn’t want it anyway,” I taunted, shoving the item into his open mouth, hoping he choked on it before his consciousness returned.

38

The Tension of Silence

GRACIE

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