Page 323 of Primal Bonds

She hugged Brisa closer until her niece squirmed to be put down.

Cleia appeared, Dion on her heels. Her brother had apparently been coached by his mate because he didn’t ask a single question about her trip, just said, “I hope you had a good time.” When Rosana said yes, he nodded, and with a glance at Cleia, turned the conversation to other matters.

So that was that, Rosana thought as she got ready for bed that night.

Even if Adric survived the night fae, he wasn’t going to choose her over his clan. So it would be just like always. She’d see him maybe once or twice a year—at the Full Moon Saloon or one of the sun fae parties. Cleia usually invited Adric and his sister. She believed that if Adric and Dion just got to know each other, they’d realize they weren’t so different after all.

Her mouth twisted sardonically. If she was lucky, she might even get to spend a few minutes alone with him without their respective clans breathing over their shoulders.

But Goddess, it hurt. A whole life stretching ahead of her without Adric.

Chapter 12

Langdon woke at dusk as the black-out shades slid up to let in the last feeble rays of the setting sun. He pushed the silk duvet down to his waist and folded his arms behind his head. Above the four-poster bed, a handful of fae lights glowed on in iridescent shades of lavender and blue. The colors within spiraled around each other in a slow, hypnotic dance.

At his side, Fleur stirred. Her attentiveness to his moods was one of her most attractive qualities.

She propped herself on a forearm and trailed a glitter-tipped nail down his naked chest. The duvet sloped across her hips, leaving her upper body bare except for the black star medallion that marked her as a priestess of the night.

“Good evening, my lord.” Her carmine lips curved, the dark eyes above watchful. One of her small, moon-pale breasts sported a nasty crescent where he’d bitten her earlier before taking her, hard and rough.

He’d been in a vile mood for months, dating to when his son Tyrus had disappeared, his body never found. But then, Fleur liked it rough. When he’d closed his teeth on her soft, delicate flesh, she’d merely sucked in a breath and, when he’d commanded her to beg, crawled in a most satisfactory way.

“Do you require anything?” Her hand slipped under the duvet to his half-hard cock.

A lock of shiny black hair had fallen over her shoulder. Looping it around his fingers, he tugged her closer. “You pleased me this morning, love.” He sank his teeth into her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

She made a small sound, and then her eyes drifted shut. He felt her excitement, knew she wanted him. In her own way, Fleur loved him.

But right now, he wanted her distress. Because he was a night fae.

He released her and left the bed, strolling to the bathroom without a backward glance. He knew by the time he returned, she’d have ordered his breakfast and then left for her own lair. After all, he’d trained her himself.

After showering, he donned a black silk bathrobe embroidered with silver moons and stars. His coffee, croissants and a bowl of hothouse peaches awaited him in the breakfast room, a small octagonal space off the living room. Taking a seat at the linen-covered table, he unfolded his napkin and set it on his lap.

A flick of a finger and the silver coffeepot floated off the table to pour coffee into an eggshell-thin cup, followed by a dollop of cream from a pitcher. His croissants were still warm. He broke off a buttery piece and put it in his mouth.

The Baltimore alpha was cannier than Langdon had expected. Adric had managed to dance around the fact that an earth fada had killed Tyrus. But they both knew the truth.

Langdon sipped his coffee. Frankly, his middle son had needed killing. He’d poisoned his older brother, and then sent assassins after Langdon’s half-human son, Silver. Tyrus’s men would’ve also slain Merry Jones, the daughter Silver had had with an earth fada, if Rui do Mar hadn’t saved the child and taken her back to Rock Run.

Langdon had been furious with Tyrus. That he’d dare kill children of Langdon’s own body. If it had been anyone but his son—and only remaining heir—Langdon would’ve executed him on the spot. Instead, he’d banished Tyrus from New Moon, and set a protective spell on Merry’s quartz.

But his son hadn’t stopped there. He’d joined forces with an exiled Baltimore earth fada and tried to stir up trouble between Baltimore and the Rock Run Clan.

Which was why Tyrus was dead.

It had taken time for Langdon to unearth the truth. Adric had covered his tracks very, very well. But all trails led to Baltimore.

So Langdon had started to harry Adric, politely, relentlessly. The alpha hadn’t broken, but a few months after Tyrus’s disappearance, Langdon had finally Seen his son’s death.

But not at Adric’s hand, as he’d believed. No, it was Marjani Savonett who’d killed Tyrus.

Langdon knew damn well that his son had deserved it. Tyrus had come into Adric’s territory, looking to stir up trouble. Sent assassins after Adric’s people. Invaded Jace’s den and kidnapped him and his mate.

Still, Langdon couldn’t allow a fada to get away with murdering one of his sons.

Marjani Savonett had to die.

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