Page 36 of Queen Takes King
She sighed as if bored to death with this discussion. “What does shewant?”
“Um. She wants her sibsback.”
“That’s what she sent you here to tellme?”
“Either she wants her sibs back, or she wants you to accept me as your thirdBlood.”
I felt a moment of relief in Shara’s bond. They had no idea how many Blood she’d managed to take already—so they couldn’t hear and see everything through Daire. Then she felt for Xin, bringing my attention to her newest Blood. Through her bond, I could see him. He fucking hovered behind Kendall so close that I had no idea how the man couldn’t sense death breathing on hisnape.
Shara leveled a hard look on Kendall but she didn’t call her power. “Or…?”
Kendall’s eyes flickered and I could almost sense his internal conversation with his queen. Sweat dripped down his forehead and his hands trembled. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “My queen says,” he rasped out. He paused to clear his throat harshly. “You might be too… Um…” He looked up at me, daring to finally meet my gaze headon.
He was fucking terrified. He knew damned well if he said what his queen had told him, he wasdead.
She knew ittoo.
And she didn’tcare.
He was only a pawn that she’d sent to judge how hard she’d have to play this game against a new, untriedqueen.
Shara sat up and gave Daire a gentle but firm push to get him off her. “Goon.”
“You might be too ignorant,” he said softly, his eyes locked on herface.
“Too ignorant to get my own Blood without her help? Too ignorant to know a spy when one’s sent to me?” Her voice rose slightly, her power humming through our bonds. “Or too ignorant to know how to deal with another queen since I wasn’t raised in anest?”
Kendall’s nostrils flared, breathing in her power. Though she held back the bulk of her strength. She didn’t want them to sense how powerful she really was. Hopefully he wouldn’t scent that she was breedingtoo.
“All theabove.”
She leaned forward, looking deeply into his eyes. “Can she see and hear menow?”
The pulse thumped so hard in his throat I could see it from feet away. Sweat poured dripped off him and his muscles quivered as if he would shift. I whispered to Xin.:He shifts into alion.:
:Understood, alpha. He won’t get a claw onher.:
“Yes,” Kendallwhispered.
“I’m Shara Isador and this is what happens to other queen’s Blood who come into my territory.” Through our shared bonds, she said,:Xin.:
Xin materialized against Kendall’s back. One hand wrapped around his throat, the other shoved up into his back. The tip of the blade he used jutted through Kendall’s ribcage. Xin held him, tucked against his back so that Kendall had no idea who’d killed him, so his queen would only know that Shara had a third Blood. Not who… or what… hewas.
Blood trickled from Kendall’s lips, his breathing a loud rasp. “You. Will.Pay.”
Shara stood and took a step closer, staring fiercely into the dying Blood’s eyes. “Don’t fuck with my Bloodagain.”
Shara
Two days… two bodies to dispose of. “This is gettingridiculous.”
Daire grinned and grabbed the dead man’s feet. Guillaume took his shoulders. “At least Xin’s kill didn’t spray you thistime.”
I looked down at myself and grimaced at the blood I’d dribbled all over myself. Handling fangs were going to take some getting used to. “I’m still messy. What are you going to do withhim?”
Guillaume replied as they carried him toward the door. “The easiest way to get rid of an Aima is to feed thethralls.”
I shuddered at the thought. “We haven’t seen any thralls sinceGreyson.”
