Page 66 of Hawke

“Kill,”my wolf snarled. “Kill them both.”

I choked, feeling my soul dwindle inside me. I clawed at my uniform, the buttons scattering across the pale pink carpet. I continued to scratch and claw my way through until I hit my bare chest, ripping the skin until it bled.

“Were you forced?” I heaved out a breath. “Did he force a mark on you?”

Forced marking was punishable by death. The opposing party would have their assets seized by a high-ranking warlock from the council in compensation to remove the mark. It could be done if the full bonding had not been completed.

This male that hovered over my mate’s shoulder was unmarked. She could still be saved because a return marking must be done of her own free will.

My mate’s normally braided hair was undone, messy and thrown over the pillows her eyes staring wide in horror as she stared back at me. The male‘s protective presence was palpable, surrounding her like a shield.

It was my job to protect her, not his!

I stepped up, my chest bleeding and dripping over the once immaculate room. My mate shook her head and then sunk her teeth into the male’s chest.

My wolf let out a ferocious snarl that echoed through the room before he jumped onto the bed. He pushed the male to the floor, blood still dripping from his wound. His cock was wet, sprinkled with her innocence. My wolf curled his lip and spat on the princess we once called ours.

My wolf began his shift, fur falling from our once beautiful coat, and howled painfully. We were becoming rabid, mangey, and we would no longer be beautiful in this form again.

My wolf wanted blood spilt, he wanted to destroy both of them because now, I would suffer the price of being alone, dying alone, my soul disintegrating into the spirit world.

My wolf hovered over our mate, his fangs dripping with venom mere inches from her neck. He licked his lips, ready to end her. It was the ultimate betrayal, to reject a mate, to reject everything I was ever taught.

“Was she taught nothing?” my wolf snarled. “Did the king not teach his own daughter?”

The heat of my breath curled the small hairs surrounding her face. I once thought of her as beautiful, now I saw her as nothing but a hollow shell of lies. She held no ties to me, no commitment, no love. Was I that blind to not see the web of lies and betrayal she’d woven to cover my eyes?

I wanted to scream at her, chastise her for her ignorance while my wolf wanted to rip out her throat so she could experience the same sort of death that would befall my wolf and me.

But I pulled back. I maintained control of my wolf. I had trained my wolf to completely obey me, so I was utterly in control. I leapt off the bed. The code of a soldier and guard was too ingrained into my human mind; I couldn’t take the life of a princess. I would be seen as a traitor and an enemy. That wasn’t what my father, my family, would have wanted.

Instead of snarling, howling, letting my wolf take control of my body and killing the blasphemous couple, I stood tall. I puffed out my chest, ready to meet my death as a rogue.

I was now slowly dying.

Warm hands rubbed my cheek.

I blinked, bringing me back into the present to find my mate standing instead of cradled in my arms. I was sitting on the bed, and she was straddling me, holding my face in her hands.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

I scoffed, rubbing the tops of her hands. “You passed out after I told you what I was, and you are asking me?” My eyes softened, and I pushed my face further into her hands.

I soaked in her warmth. She held me so gently while I was breaking. I had never known that feeling before.

My parents could be cruel, telling me I was not good enough. But to Delilah, I was everything to her. And she didn’t give up on me when she should have so long ago.

She shook her head slowly and sighed, her breath ruffling her hair. “This might sound crazy, but…” She licked her lips. “There is a little voice in my head.” She tapped her finger on her temple. “She’s never steered me wrong, and she told me to trust you. I also get this feeling in my stomach, like when I know danger is near or something is a bad idea. Plus, long story short, Journey said that Grim had fangs a couple weeks ago, and I didn’t believe her then.” She laughed.

I cupped her hand as she rubbed my cheek.

“So, if you say you are a wolf and I say there is some creepy voice in my head, that means we are even. Right?” She giggled nervously.

I pulled her to my chest, both my smell and hers completely entangled with one another. “Yes, we are even, little human.”

“That makes it sound like you are an alien. A wolf sounds cooler.” She broke away to stare at me once again. “Wait, does that mean I can call you puppers?”

“Um, no.”

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