Page 105 of Dragon Unleashed

As I head to his dorm, Farrell’s posh-assed suit marches down the corridor toward me. Thisputastopped Lorelei and me from bonding while he stood among our guests and pretended to be surprised.

I lower my shoulder, charging him.

My shoulder makes contact with his rib cage with a satisfying crunch and together we crash into the wall, sliding down it in a flurry of fists. His hand comes up under my chin, snapping my jaw to the side.

“I know what you did,” I snarl. “Our ceremony. I know.”

Farrell sags. The fight goes out of him. I hit him again, and still nothing. The asshole won’t even block my punches. I rear up, breathing hard, keeping his legs pinned with my weight.

“Hellfire, Chano. I was trying to keep her safe.”

I raise my fist again. He tenses but doesn’t move to defend himself.

“She wouldn’t have been safe from my father with you,” he continues quietly. “If she’d have agreed to stand by my side, I could have kept her safe. And she was never going to agree if she bonded further with you, was she?”

He tried to steal my mate.

“I don’t know why you’re protecting her, Farrell. She’s stealing your rebellion from under your nose and you’reworriedabout her? You’re nothing. A little girl from the slums can steal your army.”

I chuckle deep in my chest at the shock on his face. He really didn’t know.

“What-the-hell?” Farrell splutters.

“She’s training with the rebellion. Silas set it up. It wasn’t just that once,idiota. How much do you want her now?”

A cough beside us in the corridor makes me whip my head around. Naeve.

“Sorry to interrupt whatever this is…”

I glance down. I’m straddling Farrell, our faces inches from each other. We stopped fighting ages ago. I push up in one fluid movement, glaring at her.

“We have a problem. A big problem. Lorelei is gone. She’s not with fae. Her phone is off. And Kai said…”

Naeve’s voice fades into a background prattle.

Lorelei’s gone after the Virrey.

Chapter Forty-eight: Lorelei

I jerk my head up at the sound of footsteps down the long corridor. Rubbing drool from my chin, I shake myself awake. How the hell did I doze off? I’ve no idea how long I’ve been down here. Long enough to have to use that disgusting bucket, twice. My stomach heaves.

The Virrey appears around the corner, dressed in an immaculate suit, a cravat looped elegantly around his neck. Posh depraved asshole. He peers down at me, wrinkling his nose at the smell in the air.

“It does rather give one a little kick, having a powerful aether locked down,” he gloats, peeling off his leather gloves. “Once you’re convicted by the system, I’ll appeal.”

I blink.

“I’ll appeal and have you sent to high security. You know, that place I run? You’re far too dangerous to be allowed to mingle with the general prison population. And I’ll enjoy having you in my unit.”

I lift my lip in a snarl, and he lets out a cackle.

“Oh Lorelei, you’ll be useful to me. Even if you don’t want to be. Your kids too—you’ll provide a powerful dynasty.”

Suddenly the long glances, the hair sniffing, holding me too close in the elevator…Suddenly it all feels even more sinister.

The Virrey continues on like has hasn’t just uttered something truly psychotic. “When you raise kids right, they behave. I’m sure I could do a good job with yours. Just take my Farrell. In fact…” He glances at his phone. “Here he is.”

The Virrey turns away, muttering into his cell, and the words fade to a background drone. I’m never getting out. He’s got some warped idea in his head aboutbreedingme. Bile rises in my throat. I choke back a sob. He can’t win, I can’t let him.

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