Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“That wasn’t your decision to make,” Hawke said. “If I was afraid of bloodshed, I wouldn’t wear the Onyx Assassin title. You should’ve spoken to me, to any of us before you made a decision on our behalf.”
I glared at him, half contemplating stomping across the room and slapping him across his face. “I did what any of you would’ve done!”
“I would never agree to marry—”
“You would!” I cut him off. “If it came down to the lives of those you love and a marriage, you would absolutely agree to it, Hawthorne.” My chest rose and fell with my rushed breaths.
“There has to be another way,” Alek said, ignoring the silent battle Hawk and I were waging with our eyes. “We woke the Hunters for help with the unrest our kind are suffering at the hands of the Sons. I knew Saint was bad when they went into stasis, but I had no idea he or Samuel had such ill-will for our family.”
I wrapped my arms around myself like that could help hold my breaking heart together. “Samuel treated me with kindness,” I said. “He made sure Saint never came near me and kept me fed, comfortable.” I shrugged. “He’s trying to walk the line between helping his brother and helping us.”
“Yeah, the male who helped kidnap you is a real fucking angel,” Hawke snapped.
Valor, Jocelyn, and Olivia looked at me, then Hawke and back at me again. I knew I owed them a better story, the longer version, and I silently conveyed to them it would come soon.
“I didn’t expect a political coup from either of them,” Alek admitted, reaching up to grip Lyric’s hand. His eyes met mine. “I’ll call a meeting tomorrow. We’ll find a way out of this, Avianna. While I appreciate your efforts to avoid war, this decision should’ve been discussed in length before you made it.
Hawke grunted his agreement, and I rolled my eyes.
“You won’t find a way out of it,” I said. “I’ve tried. There isn’t one unless you want to go to war. Which I don’t.” I looked down at the gloves covering my hands, Hawke’s mark practically burning now that I showed him. Somehow, it made the pull I felt toward him ten times stronger, regardless of his aversion to it.
“Nothing is final,” Alek said. “Lachlan, Ransom, Benedict, and Hawke. I’ll need all of you with me tomorrow. And the Hunters. This could get messy if not handled correctly.”
Each of the Assassins nodded their agreement.
“None of you are listening to me,” I groaned. “There isn’t—”
“Do you want to marry Samuel?” Alek cut me off.
My eyes immediately darted to Hawke before looking back to my brother. “Excuse me?”
Alek arched a brow at me. “Do you want to marry Samuel?” he asked again. “It’s a simple question, and perhaps the one I should’ve asked first. If your heart lies with him, then that is another story altogether.”
Benedict shifted on the leather couch where he sat, his forearms exposed.
“No,” I said, even though I probably should’ve lied. It would be easier if they all believed this was something I wanted instead of dreaded.
Benedict glanced at his arms–no new ink–and nodded to Alek.
“Then we will have a meeting and I will do everything I can to get you out of it,” Alek said.
“Samuel gave me a month of freedom,” I said, blowing out a breath. “And time is almost up.”
“I will never stop fighting for your freedom,” Hawke said, and my heart clenched.
He’d fight for my freedom but wouldn’t feed himself. Stubborn ass.
“So it’s okay for you all to fight to save me, but it’s wrong when I do it?” I shook my head. “You realize how hypocritical that is, right?”
When everyone remained silent, I headed toward the door. I’d bared my truth in two ways tonight and they’d both hurt like hell.
The girls followed me, their silent support every bit of the strength I needed to turn back and lock gazes with Hawke.
“I did this for you,” I said, then glanced at the others in the room. “For my family. I will not apologize for that.”
Then I turned out the door, my girls following me as I walked away from the brother who wouldn’t listen to me, and the mate who didn’t want to acknowledge me.
3
Hawke
“I’d rather die.” The words came out through my gritted teeth as we stood behind the door that led to the Conclave chamber.
A muscle in Alek’s jaw popped.
It wasn’t often that I defied my king—maybe once in a century, but I’d be damned if I was walking into this meeting with Avi’s kidnappers unarmed. Fuck that.
“You know I can just pop into your head and force you to hand them over.” He cocked an eyebrow at me.
“You won’t.” Our king had unparalleled power—the ability to control minds—but he’d never use it against his own assassins.