Page 41 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

Kier offered the losing fae a hand, and pulled the guy to his feet before clapping him on the back. The other guy left the cage, and Kier turned back to the crowd, holding his arms out as he roared, “Who will challenge me?”

The crowd’s yells and screams grew even more ferocious.

“Do it,” I whispered to Nissa, nudging her with one of my shoulders. “Challenge him. You know you want to roll around with all of that.”

Honestly, I wanted to see his reaction to her doing it, though I didn’t think there was a chance she would.

Her face reddened. “No thanks.”

“He would ravage her,” Eisley threw out.

I snorted.

Nissa fought a laugh of her own.

Eisley grinned at both of us before turning back to watch the fight.

My bicep had stopped aching, so I assumed Ravv was moving closer to avoid the pain, and to avoid me making good on my threat.

Kier noticed Nissa against the cage, and gave me the possessive reaction I’d pretended to be looking for. His gaze jerked to Eisley, and he snarled so viciously I could almost hear it over the sound of the crowd.

My eyes squeezed shut when his next challenger came out. I imagined he was beating the other man to a pulp, with his anger driving him. I’d seen firsthand how a king’s anger could make him fight, and it was vicious.

A pair of massive hands landed on my shoulders and wrenched me backward. They held me upright before I could fall, and Ravv’s intense, dark purple eyes collided with mine. “What are you doing here?” He inhaled deeply again, and then snarled, “And why do you smell like another male?”

“Neither of those things are any of your business,” I shot back, frustration welling inside me.

He snarled again, then threw me over his shoulder and stormed away from the cage.

My ass landed on Gleam’s back. The king pressed me tightly to his bonded idorr as she carried us away from the fight. Ravv was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling as he gripped Gleam’s fur like it could keep him sane.

I didn’t think it could, though.

And for the sake of my revenge, I hoped it couldn’t.

Chapter 9

Laeli

Gleam ran until we were back in my room in the castle. My dress was still on the floor—and I hoped my undergarments were still tucked beneath the blankets on the bed.

Ravv set me on my feet before stepping up right in front of me. His hands gripped my face, and he tilted my head back so my eyes met his. His grip was tight, but loose enough that I could’ve broken free if I really tried.

“What in the veil were you thinking?” he snarled.

“I was thinking that I wanted to watch the fae warriors fight, and—”

He cut me off by lowering his nose to my mouth and inhaling.

His responding roar was loud enough it nearly shook the damn ground.

He released me in a heartbeat—and then he was storming toward the door.

Elwynne appeared in the doorway before he made it out, and her massive bonded idorr was behind her. “What happened?” she demanded, looking between us.

Ravv tried to get past her, but her companion stepped in front of him, making him snarl at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and didn’t budge. “What’s going on?”

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