Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Escaping the Beasts

A Hybrid Trilogy

Aleera Anaya Ceres

Copyright © 2018 Aleera Anaya Ceres

All Rights Reserved

Cover by Imagine Ink Designs

No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the author. Any unauthorized use of any portion of the book is prohibited.

This book is a work of fiction. Any names, places, characters, events, and/or incidents are the products of the author's imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer: This book is a reverse harem romance and as such contains scenes that may not be suitable for those younger than the age of 18.

Acknowledgments

To those battling beasts of their own…

You can brave them.

You can escape them.

P.S. A huge thank you to my Facebook friend, Brianna Masson, for the gift of River's last name.

Chapter One

The room was entirely too ominous. Darkness pressed around corners, chased away by the harsh glow of the fluorescent light that illuminated the figure sitting before me on his high backed black throne. Spikes hammered into the chair jutted out from all around him, framing the back of his head like a vicious crown.

He may as well have been wearing one.

The prince of the Ruined City.

Akir Murtaugh.

My fiancée.

"Hello, lass." His smile was a cruel thing on his face. He was surprisingly more handsome than I thought he'd be. Dangerously attractive. His gaze boring into mine filled me with both hatred and lust.

I pushed those feelings aside to glare at him.

"I confess, I never imagined our first meeting quite like this." His voice was dark, gruff and accented. His hair was so light a brown it was nearly blonde, his eyes a piercing blue. He stroked long fingers against his beard in thought as he looked me over. "You look different in person."

I sneered at him. At the scar down his eyebrow. At the kingly manner about him. Arrogance and danger was what he breathed, what he projected like waves of heat.

I knew I couldn't show weakness to him. I tilted my chin up defiantly. "Perhaps it's because I'm tied up? But don't worry yourself over giving me a warm welcome. I expected nothing less from Ruined City filth." I jerked at the bindings at my wrists.

Akir rumbled out a laugh and leaned back in his chair. The leather jacket he wore opened at the lapels, revealing the hard panes of his chest. Muscles covered in spiraling ink of tattoos. He spread his knees wide, the jeans tightening against his thighs. My mouth suddenly went dry.

"Is that any way to speak to your future husband, lass?"

Behind me, Lex made a surprised choking sound.

A malicious grin spread over his face. "Besides," he continued as if Lex and the other men weren't there at all. "What type of welcome did you expect when you killed ten of my men?"

I pulled at the knots of the ropes. The scars that ran from my shoulder blade to my hip pulsed in discomfort with the action. The gunshot wound at my upper arm burned and blood trickled down in a warm line. His eyes followed the trail briefly but he said nothing, assessing me instead. His gaze was entirely too challenging.

"Release me, prince." I demanded. "And maybe I'll let you live."

His entourage laughed. Akir didn't. He looked at me thoughtfully, intensely. I glared at his group. At the snarky woman with purple dreadlocks and the men with colorful Mohawks. I took them in, every detail. They were but a few feet away from me. The men were armed, guns holstered at their hips.

I moved before they could blink.

I let the bonds I'd patiently undone fall from me and then I jumped up. I made it to the Mohawk guy. He reached for me but was too slow. I sent my fist flying to his face. His nose crushed beneath my knuckles. He fell back at the same time I reached for the gun at his waist and turned to point it at Akir's forehead. I cocked the weapon and smiled at him. But there was no joy in the gesture. Only rage.

Behind me, Lex chuckled.

That satisfaction lasted only momentarily. The guards behind us cocked their guns. I felt the heat of them aimed at my backside. I didn't even flinch.

But neither did Akir.

His lip curled into a vicious smile that chilled the length of my spine. He leaned forward on his throne, causing the gun to dig into his skin. I almost faltered at the movement. I didn't. Even if my throbbing wounds begged me to.

"Brava, lass." His hands came together, forming a slow clap. He was mocking me. The bastard. "I was told you were capable of incredible things."

"You thought your little ropes could hold me?" I pressed it harder against him.

He didn't even blink.

"I figured they wouldn't hold you."

"So why tie me up in the first place?" I asked.

His smile widened. "I wanted to see if all the rumors regarding the Ferguson Princess were real."

Rumors? I wondered with a little bewilderment. The Ruined City had rumors about me? As if I needed just another reason to hate this place.

"So you know I won't hesitate to kill you, then."

He chuckled. Up close, I noticed how much fuller his bottom lip was than the top one. I tried not to stare at them. Too late. He noticed where my gaze lingered and his tongue darted out to lick his lower lip in an all too suggestive gesture.

"I would really like to see you try, lass." He challenged.

At this, I faltered. He wasn't afraid to die; I could tell by the look in his eyes. He wasn't afraid that I might be willing to pull that trigger.

But he knew I wouldn't.

Not if I wanted to get my mother back safely.

"Do it." He whispered, tantalizingly.

My finger itched against the trigger of the gun. We may not have had many of them back home but I was well read enough to recognize a revolver when it was placed in my palm.

I put the slightest bit of pressure on the trigger.

His guards tried storming forward.

He glared at them with a blazing fury that had them standing down instantaneously before his gaze went back to me. "When you really want something, lass, you take it. Damn the consequences. I wonder, what do you want?"

His bright blue eyes looked like they could strip my soul raw and bare me naked to them all in this room. It made me nervous. It made me angry. It made me ache.

"I want my mother," I confessed breathlessly.

"Then kill me." He commanded. I blinked at that. Even his entourage appeared uncertain. He noticed my hesitation. "Kill me and you will get your mother back. All you have to do is pull the trigger."

"How do I know this isn't some trick?" I asked with uncertainty. "What's to stop your men from killing me and my friends once I kill you?"

Akir smirked. "Jay," he called out. One of the guards stepped into the line of my peripheral vision. "Are my people obedient?"

"They are, sir."

"If I commanded you to pick up a gun and shoot yourself with it, would you?"

"I would, sir." There was no hesitation. There was nothing but pure certainty that had me believing every word.

"And if I tell you that, should Princess Keanna kill me now, you are not to harm her or her friends afterwards, will you comply?"

The guard paused. My eyes flickered over to him a moment to study his posture, his expression and the truth in his next words. "I would."

Akir grinned from ear to ear. "See, lass? No one will harm you. Now," he spread his hands wide. "Kill me if you ever want to see your mother again."

His words were so simple. One little act and I'd have my mother back. We could walk out of this place and never have to look back. All I had to do was pull the trigger. But could I? Could I kill Akir? I'd killed wild animals before on hunts. But never a person.

I sucked in a breath. Akir smiled. I forced myself to look him in the eyes as I squeezed the trigger.

Chapter Two

The gun clicked.

Nothing happened.

I squeezed it again.

Nothing.

Where were the damn bullets? The blood? Why wasn't he dead?

Akir smiled and reached out a hand to grasp my wrist. He squeezed until it hurt but I didn't cry out. I kept my eyes on him. He reached out another hand and pried the gun from my fingers, tossing it back to the guy with the broken nose.

I glared at him with burning hatred. "The gun wasn't even loaded?"

He smiled cruelly. "A game of roulette, lass. Don't take it personally, I just wanted to see if you had it in you." Then his fingers went to the inside of the waistband of my pants and he pulled me forward. I tried keeping myself steady so I wouldn't fall into his lap. His other hand went to my lower back, rough palm splaying across my exposed skin. The pads of his fingers were rough against the flesh of my throbbing scars.

"Get your filthy hands off me," I demanded between clenched teeth.

He chuckled low and slow. "Now why on earth would I want to do that?"

My face heated as my blood boiled. So many emotions rebelled inside of me. The urge to slap him. The urge to cover my body with his. My traitorous blood longed for him. As if our souls had magically interwoven the moment our engagement had been decided. But mostly, I wanted to kill him.

He read the murder in my eyes. He must have. Because when I reached my fist out to slam it across his face, his hand was already there, catching it.

"Now, now, wife," He tsked and gave me a shove. I fell backwards, off the dais and onto the floor, landing hard on my ass. The impact vibrated through the entirety of my body, making me wince. His whole party laughed. He didn't.

I stood up, saving my dignity, and glared at him. "Where's my mother, Akir?" I asked menacingly. "I know you took her. I want her back now."

His party laughed again as if I'd just told some cosmic joke. But I didn't look to them. They weren't in charge here. Here, they didn't matter one bit. Only the king and his princes mattered. I didn't know where the king was; in fact, I didn't even think about the king when this prince was so close.

Akir leaned forward, resting his forearms against his thighs. He observed me coldly. Then he said, loudly and clearly, "You are in no position to be making demands."

"And you and your people had no right to sneak onto our territory and kidnap my mother. Not when an alliance between us was already underway."

He sighed with exasperation. "Lass, you have no idea what you're talking about." Then he turned to his guards. "Release her…" he gave a small pause as he looked towards River, Kael and Lex. He sneered. "... friends and escort them to individual rooms. Also, post armed guards near them at all times. Get them a warm bath, a meal and a change of clothes."

I turned to see the guards cutting loose the ropes off River, Kael and Lex. They all stood up and rubbed their wrists, looking at me with uncertainty. The guards pressed their guns against their backs in warning.

I didn't want to let them out of my sight. Didn't want to be left alone. Didn't want to risk them going missing here, too. But what choice did we have? We were outmanned and outgunned. And, I didn't have a plan yet.

I nodded at them.

The guards escorted them out.

I waited until they'd disappeared before I turned back to Akir. He was looking me up and down. "Helga," he said. The girl in lace undergarments with purple dreadlocks stood lazily from the floor by his throne. "Take my fiancée to my rooms. Get a bath started and get her something to wear that's more appropriate for the Ruined City." His eyes never once left mine. He added with a sarcastic smirk, "Your outfit looks atrocious."

I shot him the finger before Helga came to me and pulled me by the upper arm out of the room.

Away from the man I'd been desperate to avoid.

Away from Akir.

I contemplated taking Helga down and making a run for it. There were no other guards around us and, though taller than me, she was a skinny little thing that I was sure I could overpower easily. But I couldn't. There'd been a reason he sent her with me. Maybe she was stronger than she looked. Maybe she had hidden weapons inside of her boots or, gods forbid, inside of her underwear. Whatever the case, I did nothing but follow her dutifully through various hallways and staircases until we came to a stop on front of a massive door. Helga opened it and stepped aside so I could get through.

The room was huge. Even bigger than the throne room. A bed, larger than any I'd ever seen before, took up the centermost part of the room. The wood of the four canopy posters was black, with steel gray draperies and silky looking sheets. There was an enormous closet and a vanity table, a leather couch, a large table with chairs, and on the furthest wall, weapons of all kinds were hung in decoration.

Assault rifles, handguns, revolvers, AK-47's, hand grenades, machetes, katana swords and various daggers. But my eyes were drawn to another weapon entirely. A modernized bow and arrow set. The bow was metal. The arrows were sharp shining steel. Compared to every other rusty weapon there, this looked new. And my hands itched to touch it.

"It seems…" I struggled to find the right word, "...cozy?"

Helga chuckled. "Akir had it redecorated when your engagement was announced," she stated simply. Her accent was thick. One I was beginning to identify as Ruined City brogue. "It was filled with a single bed before and nothing but weapons everywhere. He thought you'd be more comfortable like this." She made a sweeping gesture around the room, making a point to let her hands linger near the bed and vanity table.

Still, I startled at that announcement. He'd redecorated for me? How...accommodating of him. The bastard. I tightened my hands into fists and walked deeper into the room. My gaze was still on the wall of weapons. Maybe I could get one down and make my escape.

Helga distracted me from my thoughts by noisily throwing open a door. Curiosity got the better of me and I followed her into a bathroom. I blanched at it.

She went over to the claw footed bathtub and turned it on. Clear steaming water came out of it and began to fill it. They had a real bath! With plumbing!

"Take as long as you'd like in the bath," Helga said. "I'll be just inside the room should you need anything. Leave your clothes outside of the door. I'll burn them for you."

I jerked my head away from the hypnotic sound of filling water to stare at her. "What?"

"I'll provide new clothes for you. Those old ones are smelly."

My face heated. Nothing like a good reminder that I smelt bad. Still, I eyed her own clothes warily.

She read my discomfort and smirked. "I will get you something suited to your tastes."

Finally, I nodded and she left. Slowly, I began stripping. Once naked, I crept over to the door, cracking it slightly to toss my clothes out before closing it again.

When I turned, I caught my reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized myself. My hair was ratted around my shoulders. Honestly, it looked more like a bird's nest than actual hair. I was dirty all over. My face was covered in ash and blood and my arm still throbbed and bled from where I'd been shot by the city officials. I turned in the mirror and caught a glimpse at the scars on my back. Three enormous claw marks stretching from my right shoulder down to my hip. The wounds were slightly dirty and swollen against the rest of my unmarred flesh. I turned back with a sigh.

I looked a mess.

No wonder they'd laughed at me.

I shook that thought away. What did it matter what the Ruined City filth thought of me? I stepped into the warmth of the tub. My eyes involuntarily went to the door, as if I could see through it and into the bedroom beyond.

To Akir, my comfort had mattered enough that he'd changed his room for me.

No!

I refused to think kindly of him. How could I? Our clans had been enemies for centuries. In fact, there wasn't one clan out there that didn't dislike the Murtaugh's. Their reliance on technology, their otherworldly fashion and their overall manner made them seem entirely too primitive.

He'd also had my mother kidnapped. To ensure that I went along with the wedding? To break the alliance? Were these his actions? His father's? Or a few city rebels?

I had to know.

I turned off the faucet and reached for soap that was neatly aligned on a rack next to the tub. I began lathering it over myself, careful with my wounds. When I finished, I poured shampoo and conditioner all over my head and began combing the rats out with my fingers. I scrubbed my body again until my skin was raw and red and rinsed out my hair until it shone.

When I finished, I drained the water and stood out. There was a towel hanging on a rack and I used it to dry off. My arm wound was still bleeding. I was careful to avoid splitting it open even further.

I took a quick look at myself in the mirror before I left. I was clean now. Good. I went out into the bedroom and to my surprise, found Kael sitting before the table.

My heart lurched at the sight of him. He was cleanly washed and wearing new attire. Tight jeans and a simple gray knitted sweater.

"Kael," I whispered.

He stood up and looked at me. His eyes roamed over my body. Not lustfully, but to assess that I was in one piece. "Princess," he breathed a sigh of relief.

I ran to him and fell into his arms. He wrapped them around me protectively, gently before pulling away to palm my cheek. His hand was smooth against my skin and it calmed my nerves instantly. He always had that effect on me and I couldn't quite possibly fathom why. Was it his hypnotizing beauty or just his gentle caring? Maybe both. It didn't seem to matter in that instant. All that mattered was that he was there. And he was alive.

"I was worried about you guys." I kissed the inside of his wrist. He shivered.

"Don't worry about us, princess. We're fine. They took us to their doctors for revision and blood samples to check for possible diseases in our systems. They've been surprisingly accommodating, giving us rooms, baths and food." He shrugged a shoulder.

"They didn't hurt you?" I gripped his wrist tightly. If Akir or his men had hurt mine, I'd kill them.

"Rest easy, princess." Kael kissed my forehead, calming the fire that had built up in me. "The only thing damaged is River and Lex's pride."

"And yours?"

He chuckled and the sound was low and tantalizing. "My pride is rarely wounded," he confessed.

I nodded and pulled away, looking him over. To double check. To make sure he was truly fine. He appeared to be whole and healthy. "How did you escape?" I asked.

"I didn't escape. They let me out to see to your wound. Now come," he tugged gently at my arm and sat me on a chair at the table. I noticed the medical kit there for the first time. It wasn't his. He'd left his kit back at the train station when we'd arrived. He looked my arm over, making worried clucking noises before digging through the bag to pull out the necessary supplies. "You'll need stitches," he explained. "Luckily I don't have to pull any bullets out. I wish they'd let me get my own kit back. The cream would have patched this up quicker than stitches will." He shrugged absently and then he got to work.

His hands were gentle on my skin. Even when he stuck the needle through me and sewed up my wound, he was ever so careful.

I watched him from behind hooded lids as he worked. I liked watching him. His dark lashes were long, curving on the tops of his cheeks. His brown skin was smooth, so smooth I had the sudden urge to press my lips to it, to dart my tongue out and lick him over every inch.

He was so engrossed in his actions. His fingers worked with expertise. It made me realize how little I knew about him. How little I've spoken to him.

"How old are you, Kael?"

He tightened at some stitches and answered smoothly, "Thirty-one, princess."

Thirty-one. I mulled the number over in my mind. He was certainly older than my twenty-one and River's twenty-three.

"Well, you don't look ancient." I pointed out.

Kael chuckled slightly. "Amazing what regular exercise and a healthy diet can accomplish."

"Huh," I mused, "and why are you a healer?"

Kael didn't pause. He didn't even blink. He remained concentrated on the task and didn't answer until he was done.

"When I was younger," he began, putting the needle and thread to the side, "my village became infested with the yellow plague."

The yellow plague, I knew, infected the host giving them sickly, yellow skin, fever and had them withering away until they died a painful death. Without the help of technology and vaccines, it was a deadly thing.

"I lived with my parents, but they soon became infected. They put all the sick in the hospital. For some reason, I was immune to the disease." He shrugged and began putting the supplies back into the kit. "The healers needed as much help as they could get, so I volunteered. I'd hoped that if I did, it'd heal my parents."

He was quiet a long moment, prompting me to ask, "Did it?"

He looked at me sadly. "No."

I reached for his hand for comfort. If my parents contracted the plague...I couldn't even imagine what he'd felt. And so young. I intertwined our fingers and he gave me a squeeze.

"But their deaths gave me motivation to learn the art of healing. The doctor ended up training me and when I learned all I could from him, I traveled from village to village, helping those I could, and learning from those I could."

That's what I liked most about Kael. He was selfless. Kind. Caring. Gentle. I'd never been attracted to that type of man before. The sensitive, quiet kind. But Kael was different somehow. And I didn't even know why.

"Does it bother you?" I whispered, stroking my fingers against the back of his hand.

"Does what bother me, princess?"

I shrugged a shoulder, not even knowing why I asked what I did. I'd vowed not to explain myself, not to demand answers for my attraction to all of these men. But here I was, wondering why sweet Kael would tolerate it.

"Does it not bother you that I feel an attraction to so many men?"

I held my breath and waited for his response. It seemed to be a long while before he answered, his voice as leveled and as soft as ever. "I told you before, princess, that you do not need to feel ashamed. The feelings coursing through you are entirely normal."

I snorted. "Right, normal."

"They are. You may not believe it, but humans are a lot like animals, who often seek more than one mate. It is only in our nature."

I pondered that for a moment. I supposed he was right. My attraction to them was nothing I should be ashamed of. "And you don't mind, do you? Being my mate?"

The side of Kael's lip quirked up into a tiny hint of a smile. "I can assure you, Princess Keanna, I would not be here if I did not want to be with you."

The breath caught in my throat before I leaned forward, framing his face between my hands and pressed my mouth against his. It was a soft mesh of lips that suddenly became more passionate. He opened his mouth to me and I delved in deeper, letting my tongue tangle with his. I was in control of the kiss.

His hands went to my waist, pulling me closer. He moaned, hands fisting into the material of the towel around my body, so tightly I thought it'd fall from me entirely.

"Is her wound fixed, then?"

We broke apart quickly and I turned, seeing Helga by the front door of the bedroom, one long leg propped up against the wall and her arms crossed against her chest.

I wondered how long she'd been there.

Kael cleared his throat, though not awkwardly. "Of course," he said quietly and closed the medical case. He cast me one last smile before taking the case and walking out of the room where I was sure guards were waiting for him.

Helga stared at me, a mysterious twinkle in her eye. I had no doubt she'd be reporting back to Akir what she'd seen. And I wondered how he'd react. Violently? Would he be angry that his fiancée was involved with not one but two other men? I wasn't sure what was between me and Lex, if there was anything between us at all. There was chemistry there, certainly, but we hadn't so much as kissed.

I vowed if Akir did find out and get upset, I'd not feel guilty or struggle to explain my life to him. Not when he'd kidnapped my mother for whatever deranged reason he'd done it.

"Let's get you dressed then, princess." Helga detached herself from the wall and went to the closet. She threw the doors open and pulled out a bundle of clothing that she tossed to the bed. "Put those on quickly and I'll do your hair and makeup."

I stood and walked over to the bed. "I don't do makeup." I stated, stopping just at the edge. I lifted up the clothes she'd picked out and frowned at the offerings. "There's no underwear," I pointed out impatiently.

Helga merely chuckled. "I guess Akir didn't think you'd need them."

I scoffed, tossing down the towel to get dressed. "Doesn't seem like Akir does much thinking…" Grumbling, I pulled on the black leather pants. They were a tight fit and hugged my every curve. I'd never worn something so snug. The top wasn't much better. It was a leather vest, cut off at the waist to reveal my stomach. I zipped the front of it up, though it wouldn't go up all the way.

"Let me help you." Helga came up before me and began pressing her hands all over my chest, unzipping the vest and pushing my breasts up before zipping it up again.

I stared down at the curves of my swollen breasts. "That's better, is it?" I muttered sarcastically. She'd told me she was going to get me clothes suited to my tastes. She'd obviously lied.

Helga ignored me and pulled me over to the vanity table, sitting me before it.

I stared at my reflection and at Helga in the mirror as she began pulling out an assortment of makeup and brushes and then got to work. I wanted to protest. I didn't wear makeup and wouldn't start now but any complaints I'd make would only fall on deaf ears. My protests didn't matter.

I was just a prisoner here.

After what felt like hours of being pulled and poked everywhere, she was finally done and I couldn't help but gape at my reflection.

I'd never worn makeup before so the sight of me in it was rather dazzling. I tried not to be impressed. I tried not to be happy at the change in me. At what I looked like in Ruined City attire.

My usually nappy hair had been fluffed over one shoulder, the curls spiraling and bouncing. Helga had braided the other side, tucking them behind my ear.

My face seemed not my own. Freckles still dotted over my skin by the dozens. But Helga had taken black kohl and rubbed it around my eyes. It accentuated my bright blue eyes...made me look fierce.

I looked so different.

"Now you look the part of a future queen, lass."

His words rippled down the length of my spine like the whisperings of a dark promise. I turned slowly and found him standing by the door. His arms were crossed, shoulder leaning against the door frame. His piercingly bright eyes looked me over, lingering on my breasts.

He reeked of danger. And arrogance. And it tightened my insides entirely.

"Leave us," he demanded.

Helga cast me a wink before she sauntered out; Akir closed the door behind her and took a step further into the room. He didn't blink as he took me in. As he detailed my every crevice into his brain. His gaze was all too challenging, daring.

"If you're done staring at me, can we cut to the chase?" I asked rudely, standing from my seat. I didn't want to admit that he made me nervous.

"Then by all means," he gestured towards the table. I moved past him and went straight towards it, but didn't take a seat. I'd brave him standing.

Akir came up beside me and I tried not flinching back from his proximity. His body was warm. I moved discreetly away from him just as he pulled out a file from the backs of his jeans and tossed it onto the table. Papers scattered across it, drawing my eyes to them and the images printed on them.

Photographs were rare.

And all of these were of me.

I placed my hands at the edge of the table and leaned over it to get a better look. Dozens of photographs of me at my village. I looked them over. Some were of me in my best velvet dressing gown at the harvest festival, though most of them were shots of me in shorts and jeans surrounded by my father, my brothers and one of me and River. In one photo, I was holding my bow and arrow in the woods, aiming at my kill.

I remembered every instant of these pictures. What I couldn't recall was when they'd taken them. Or who. No one in my village owned a camera.

"What is this?" I whispered.

"Keanna Ferguson, age twenty-one, first born descendant of Kyle and Mary Breanna Ferguson," he recited, spreading the pictures further across the wooden table. His finger stayed pressed against the picture of me and River. It was an innocent enough photograph. River was leaning over me, hands resting on my shoulders and I was laughing at something he'd said. "The princess proves to be a skilled archwoman and is considered the best shot in her village. She is an expert in combat and a great tracker and huntress."

My face heated at the praise, at the way his deep voice curled around each word. "You've stalked me," I said, my voice a husky rasp.

He looked down at me. "You didn't think I'd marry just anyone, did you, lass? I had to see."

My eyes caught his and held them. "See what?"

"If you were worth it."

I had to turn my face away from his then. It suddenly hurt to look at him. I looked over the images on the table again and picked one up. One of me and my mother. My fingers went to her face. Stern, demanding like she always was. My throat tightened.

"Why did you take my mother, Akir?" I asked, looking back to him. Looking at her picture hurt worse.

Akir never once tore his gaze from mine. His voice was soft and sincere when he replied, "I didn't take your mom, lass."

Chapter Three

"Don't lie." I tightened my fingers around the picture, grinding my teeth. The sadness, the pain inside me sunk as another emotion surfaced. Rage.

"I'm not lying."

"Stop. Lying."

Akir looked at me with pity. "Why would I lie, lass? We are meant to be married. What benefit is it to me if I'd taken your mother?"

"I don't know!" I threw my hands up in frustration. "To make sure we went along with the alliance? To ensure that we didn't back out of the marriage?"

"The engagement had been decided nearly four months ago. If I'd wanted to kidnap your mom, I would've done so then."

I staggered at his words. Four months. Four months it had been decided I would wed into the Murtaugh family and I'd only heard about it days before. They'd kept so much from me. But being angry with them seemed impossible now.

"I don't know if I believe you…" I said with uncertainty.

He sighed with exasperation. "Think, lass. If I already thought the alliance was set, why take her? Why risk it?"

"Because you're Ruined City filth and you need no excuse to do the things you do."

He was whipping me towards him before I even breathed the last word. There was fury in his eyes that he did not control. Fury that frightened me and made my knees tremble. He pushed me tightly against the table so I was trapped, my lower back digging painfully into the wood. He caged me in, placing his arms on either side of me.

"Don't you ever speak ill of my kingdom again. Do so and you will not find me quite as lenient as I have been."

I gulped, feeling the threat stab to my core. He meant every word. I didn't doubt it. "We searched for her." I felt panic in my chest. If he didn't have her, then who did? "There were motorcycle tracks…"

"And only those in the Ruined City have motorcycles?" He scoffed and my face heated.

"But, Lex said-"

"Lex," he interrupted. "This is the same fool who led you straight towards my officials when you were meant to keep a low profile? How very reliable." His face bent lower until it was only inches from mine. "But I am under the belief that the bigger idiot is that who follows another idiot."

My hand shot out so fast, he didn't see it coming. The slap resonated around the bedroom. My breathing was erratic and angry, harsh. He eyed the rise and fall of my chest before smiling. It only made my rage boil hotter.

"Don't ever speak about me or my companions like that again. Filthy bastard."

His own eyes flared hotly and that, not my own rage, was what melted my insides into liquid. It made me suddenly too aware of his presence, of his proximity. Of the danger he radiated and most of all, I was all too aware of how much I wanted him in that moment.

"Get one thing straight now, wife," he said menacingly, lowering his mouth until I felt the whispering warmth of his breath against my lips. "I am not River. Or Kael. Or Lex. I will not bow to your every whim and wish. And," his lips brushed across mine and I felt the molten fire ignite within me at the contact, "I will not be gentle." And then his lips came crashing down to mine.

The scrape of his beard against my skin was rough and welcomed. His tongue in my mouth was violently demanding. The clash of teeth, mouth and tongue was rough and angry. And I accepted every bit of it. Every bit of him.

I arched and writhed against him, hands going inside the lapels of his leather jacket to touch at the skin there. First with my fingers, then my nails trailed pathways down his chest, circling his nipples, going around to his back.

Akir broke away from me, his breathing as rapid and uncontrolled as my own. His hands went to my hips, bare skin against skin that had me shuddering. Then he whipped me around so he was behind me and pressed his chest to my back.

My gasps froze in my throat.

His hands fisted my hair, digging into the roots. He tugged so my neck arched up and then his lips were there. Tongue trailing down my sensitive skin made me tremble despite myself. He chuckled triumphantly against me.

"Bastard," I gasped.

His reply was to grind his hips into my ass. I felt the hard press of his erection through my clothes and my mouth went dry while warmth pooled between my legs.

I jerked back into him and then he was bending me over the table. I sucked in a breath of surprise, pressing my palms against the surface of it to keep me steady as one of his hands went to the front of my pants. He unbuttoned them with surprising dexterity and began pulling them past my hips.

I cursed lowly.

His fingers tightened in my hair. "Call me all the names you like, lass," he rasped from behind me. "It won't matter in the end." His fingers trailed lightly over my sex, brushing my clit just before he shoved his fingers inside me. I cried out, tightening my hands into fists as his fingers moved inside of me. I moved against him, riding his hand in desperate need for release and nearly wept when he removed his fingers. "Because in the end, you will always want me."

I opened my mouth to argue. To curse. To groan. I wasn't sure because somehow, he was out of his own jeans already, hot and slick against my ass. It made my head reel.

And when he thrust inside of me from behind, I felt my composure shatter. I gasped as he began thrusting his hips roughly against me, holding my ass steady with the calluses of his fingertips with one hand and tugging at my curls with the other.

"I'm going to make you scream, lass," he promised darkly.

And I believed it entirely. And I couldn't think of much else. Not with him, so hot and thick filling me to the hilt, pounding into me. Already, I felt my body flying on the edge, teetering on a tightrope.

I hated him. I wanted him. And I hated myself for the desires coursing through my every nerve. He thrust into me as if it were my punishment.

"Scream, princess." He breathed heavily, tugging at my hair harder, pulling me up so my back hit his chest. "Tell me how much you hate me," he whispered in my ear before taking the lobe between his teeth and tugging.

His movements weren't gentle but rough against me, hands pressing hard enough to bruise, only fueling my flames higher and higher.

"I hate you," I gasped.

"No, you don't." He thrust. Harsh. Violent. And I loved every bit of it. Akir pressed a kiss to my neck and whispered the words that sent me spiraling down into open air, "But you wish you did."

I screamed, banging my head against his chest. My cries seemed to shatter him as well. He went faster against me, faster until he grunted and came inside of me.

We fell into the aftermath of what we'd just done. Harsh and ragged breathing mingled into a song that I wasn't familiar with. My whole body hummed with the pleasure of my release. And Akir was still hard inside me.

"I do hate you, you know," I muttered breathlessly. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of anything.

A rumble of laughter vibrated down my back. "Give me a bit, lass, and I'll change your mind again." He tossed aside my hair to bare the back of my neck. I shivered when his beard scraped against my skin and the hot wet trail of his tongue followed. The action ignited me all over again.

"Don't," I pleaded, even as his hand went to the front of me to grope my breast, I placed my palm over his hand to urge him on.

"Don't what?" His fingers found the zipper there and pulled down, letting my breasts fall free from their restrictions. His hand was there, kneading me, pinching my nipples so that I arched and gasped. He relished in the sounds of my cries, smiling against my skin as his hands torturously moved over me. "I told you I'd change your mind."

His other hand slid down my stomach and lower still. I moaned when his fingers went to my clit. To torture me. To make me ache for more. He moved his hips, his dick hot and slick inside of me. With each thrust, he played, squeezing my nipples, teasing my clit. The wait was agonizing. Needing the release was painful.

"Bastard," I cursed him. He was doing it on purpose. He was sending hot sensations, heightening every sense and nerve slowly. He wanted me to suffer.

"Beg me, lass," he demanded, slowing his movements, leaving me panting...wanting. His lips were on the back of my neck. "Beg me to fuck you over this table again."

I groaned at the words. At the threat in them. At the promise that I so wanted fulfilled. "Go to hell," I rasped.

"Oh, I'll go there all right." He thrust once, twice. I gasped. So close, So terribly close. "But I'm taking you with me." He stilled and I cried out. "Now beg me."

I didn't want to beg. With Kael and River I never begged. I took and they gave. But Akir wasn't either of these men. He was more dangerous. More demanding. More in control. He took the reins from me only to drive us over the edge of a cliff. He was wild and untamed and in these few glimpses I'd gotten of it-of him-I found I never wanted to let him go.

"Akir," I rasped. He bent me over the table again. I didn't think I could sit at one ever again without thinking of him. His thumb swirled over my clit and I cried out. "Please," I nearly sobbed at the torture. I wanted him. Damn it all, I wanted him.

"Yes, lass?" He asked, almost absentmindedly.

To hell with my pride."Please, Akir, fuck me now."

I could feel his triumph crash down on me in a terrifying wave but I didn't think about it. Not when he began thrusting hard and fast inside me. His fingers teased and moved against me. And I lost every coherent thought in my bliss of euphoria. My body tightened, just before Akir took me over that edge once more.

My cries were unmuffled and echoed throughout the room. Akir's soon followed then faded until the only sound was that of our breathing.

Akir pulled out of me. There was a terrible ache between my legs that had everything to do with wanting him nestled there once more. I heard him fastening his jeans behind me so I straightened and pulled my pants up, securing them in place once more.

I turned to face him, forgetting that my leather vest had also been undone. "Let me," Akir's fingers were suddenly there, zipping it up. The curves of my breasts swelled at the top and his fingers stopped there. His eyes were flaring as he took them in, as if he hadn't had the time to truly appreciate them earlier.

"Are you done staring at me?"

He looked up at me and smirked. "I'll never be done with you."

My cheeks heated at the words. So much for proving strong. I started to turn my face from him but he gripped me tightly at the chin, pulling me back to stare up at him. His eyes flashed darkly.

"Don't ever turn from me, Keanna."

I swatted his hand away impatiently. "You're not my keeper," I snapped. "I do what I want."

He smiled. "There's the fire that I love. Now," he turned so abruptly, my mind barely registered what he'd said, "are you ready to meet your kingdom?"

Chapter Four

My kingdom.

The Ruined City.

It was entirely more impressive at night than in the day. And it was much more alive.

The Ruined City danced to the beat of its own savage drum. The streets, though dead and crumbling, breathed with life. The electric lights were dimmed so that the world shrouded in darkness. The only illumination was a blinking distraction of colors in yellows, blues and purples.

"Strobe lights." Akir offered from beside me as we made our way to the town center. To the heart of the party.

I glared at him. "I knew that." I hadn't known that. He chuckled at my prideful response and kept walking. I'd feel the occasional touch of his hand on the small of my back but other than that, he kept distance between us.

Surrounding the both of us were what I assumed his personal guards, including Helga-who had changed into a tight leather skirt and bra. The other woman took one look at me and smiled a knowing smile that I had to quickly look away from.

Before we'd left his room, I'd demanded a weapon. What had happened between us in no way warranted trust. And I definitely didn't trust him or his city-yet.

Akir didn't argue. He merely went to his wall of weaponry and pulled down a handgun and a knife and a leather strap.

He walked over to me and bent to his knees. His big hands went to my thigh, circling it. I watched his movements in fascination and with a dry throat. He worked with such precision and sensuality, I immediately felt the effects of it between my legs. He worked one strap around my thigh then another, connecting a detachable leg holster to the hooks. Then he placed the gun and dagger in it, securing them in place.

The gun bounced against my thigh now. It wasn't a bow and arrow like I was accustomed to, but I trusted my aim. And if all else failed, a dagger would have to do.

We arrived at the heart of the city.

Here, the music was loud and vibrated against my skin. I looked around. People were everywhere. People in bright colors and leather. People with tattoos and piercings and dreads. They danced around an enormous bonfire, thrusting their bodies in some strange parody of making love.

It was all fascinating.

I stared with awe and appreciation at the moving bodies. At the openness in which they flaunted every bit of skin. At the women who appeared almost as savage as Akir, as in control of the men as I'd been with Kael and River.

At our approach, the music died immediately. Bodies stopped swaying, and everyone turned to look in our direction. I felt their stares like arrows piercing my skin, but I tilted my chin up defiantly. I'd not be cowed by these people.

Beside me, Akir chuckled, so low only I could hear it and started forward. I followed, not behind, but at his side and anyone who looked at me too long was gifted with my smoldering glare.

We walked around the bonfire and came in view of a raised stone dais. On top sat two plush cushioned, high backed chairs. Thrones. Surrounding them on the floor were mounds and mounds of pillows.

Akir walked straight towards the thrones and stood before one of them, turning back to look down at me.

I froze at the bottom, my throat hot and tight. Akir gestured to the throne at his side. I swallowed and walked up to it. It looked massive up close. And frightening. I turned and looked out at the crowd. At the people of the Ruined City looking up at us. At me.

"Welcome to your kingdom," Akir said darkly.

All together, the people bowed to us.

Akir sat down and I followed his lead. All at once, the life was breathed back into the city. Music resumed its earlier beat, bodies stood up to dance again and even the cackling fire sounded louder than before.

"You see what my people have to offer now, lass?" Akir drawled. I turned to look at him. His elbow was on the arm of the throne, chin propped on his hand leisurely. His gaze was humorous, his smile wide.

"Dancing and parties?" I asked, slightly skeptical.

He shook his head. "Power," he whispered. I felt the word curl around me enticingly. "And freedom."

Freedom.

The one place I'd been convinced would steal my freedom away from me entirely was the one thing Akir was offering me like a boon. A cat, dangling a scrap of cheese in front of a starving mouse. And I was taking the bait. Thirsty for it.

"I'm a princess," I reminded him softly. "Princesses don't have freedom."

He reached a hand out to push aside a stray curl from my cheek before quickly pulling away. He raised an eyebrow. "I am a King," he said. "And royalty can do whatever the fuck they want."

I blinked at his words, as if that could push aside the rush of excitement that thrummed through me at the prospect. But then I pierced him with a hard look.

"King?" I asked.

His expression shuttered. The humor and arrogance disappearing from it caused a bad feeling to curl around me.

"You aren't the only one who lost someone, lass."

My hands tightened against the arm of the chair. I knew that the Murtaugh children were without a mother. He'd been only a child when his mother had died giving birth to her third son. Surely he didn't even remember her now?

"Your father?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "After the engagement was announced, he went missing." His expression was all hard lines.

And I understood his loss too well. I reached across the space between us to hold his hand. He appeared startled by the gesture but didn't pull away.

"What happened?"

"The same thing that happened to your mother." I tensed and he threaded his fingers through mine to keep me in place. "He disappeared without a trace. The only evidence left behind were the markings of tire tracks."

My mind whirled at this new information. Another royal taken under mysterious circumstances. It couldn't be a coincidence.

The question was, why?

"So you see now, lass? We need each other." His words seemed to hold a double meaning that curled sensually around me. I shivered and pulled my hand away from his. "Tonight, don't worry about it, my queen," he whispered. "Tonight, we dance and revel. Tomorrow, we'll need the huntress. For now, enjoy your freedom."

I sat back in the throne, looking out at the people. At the people that would be mine. Queen, he'd called me. But I wasn't his queen. Not yet, anyway. I wasn't even sure I wanted to be. I'd come to him because I thought his people had taken my mother, only to show up and realize that his father had been taken, too. But Akir's father had been missing for months. My mother only for a few days. The circumstances were similar, but our homes were too far apart. What was going on? I needed to find out.

"Drink, my queen." Akir's voice brought me back to reality. To the party. The music. Right. Tonight, I'd dance and revel. Tomorrow, I'd worry.

I took the goblet he was offering me, frowning at him as I did so. "I'm not your queen," I clarified, bringing the cup to my nose and sniffing. Strong stuff.

Akir raised an eyebrow at me. "I'll not call you that if you don't wish."

"I don't." Because I wasn't sure if I wanted to be.

"Fine." He held his cup up as if giving a toast and took a long swallow. I watched the workings of his throat, watched as the liquid dripped from the corners of his mouth. I had the sudden urge to lap it up with my tongue. But he brought the cup back down and handed it to a server I hadn't noticed before.

"So, where are Kael, River and Lex?" I asked casually, swirling my finger around the rim of the cup.

I hadn't thought much about them since arriving. In fact, I hadn't thought about them at all. I'd been too busy worrying over my mother and being ravished over a table that I hadn't even bothered to worry about them. Guilt should have shamed my cheeks but another part of me screamed that they were big boys. They could take care of themselves. But I had dragged them all into this. The least I could do would be inquire about their well being.

"Your boys are alive and well." He practically sneered the word boys. I cast him a glare that he ignored and turned to one of his personal guards, who were all lounging about on the pillows beneath the thrones. The guard nodded and left. "What do you see in him, I wonder?" Akir drawled on lazily when he turned back to me.

"In who?" I dared to ask.

"In Alexander O'Reilly," he smiled cruelly. "Even I could see the appeal in the dark, handsome one: Kael Lycan. Intelligent, soft spoken, older gentleman, a healer. Your own personal doormat, I suppose. With River McCoy, you have history. A childhood shared, someone who would sacrifice it all for you. But I cannot seem to wrap my mind around Lex's appeal."

I tightened my hand around the cup, glaring at him. At the harsh words he spoke of them. "I see you've done your research on them quite extensively." I tried not to let my anger bleed through my words, instead opting for a too sweet tone.

"I've made it my business to know all about the doormats you ally yourself with." He gave me an innocent sort of smile that threatened to send me over the edge.

"They're not doormats," I hissed, losing the facade.

"Of course not. But I bet you like having control over them." He gave me a knowing look that sent my blood into a boiling rage.

I stood from the throne. I couldn't help what I did next. The angry impulse drove me to dump the contents of my cup all over him.

Akir gave a startled cry and stood from his own seat, bumping into me. I nearly lost my footing but he gripped my elbow, pulling me against his hard, wet chest.

"Let go of me, you bastard." I yanked my arm away but his grip was like solid iron. And his face was terrifying fury.

His grin was a wild thing on his face as he pulled me forward, holding me in place by the back of my neck. Even as I struggled against him, my efforts were futile. He didn't budge. "I told you, lass," he bent down to my level. I smelt the alcohol on him, could probably taste the very essence of it if I stuck my tongue out. "I told you I wouldn't be gentle." That was all the warning I got before his lips crashed against mine, tongue forcing my locked lips open for easier access to my mouth. I groaned, my hands moving to his naked chest to dig my nails into his skin. He didn't move.

His tongue and teeth were rough against my own. Nipping, taking in unforgiving movements. My nails on his skin only seemed to fuel him, caused him to kiss deeper, harder. I wanted to hate it. I wanted to hate him. But he had a mysterious magic that made me forget everything but the feeling between my legs. Right now there was no party. There was no music. There weren't even people watching us. In that moment, it was just me and Akir, our tongues battling in anger. Our mouths fighting violently. He was punishing me. And I, I was a masochist.

"Get your hands off her!"

I barely registered the voice, the words. How could I when Akir's mouth was on mine? When his fingers were slowly zipping down my vest. All I knew was that one moment he was pressed against me and the next, I was being hauled backwards and away from where I desperately wanted to be.

I was pulled down the dais by strong, familiar arms and held in a tight grip, forced to look up as Lex stepped between me and Akir.

Akir's face, the earlier passion, challenge and danger in his expression had been completely wiped away. It was replaced instead with a sort of quiet anger. And that made me fear for Lex's life. Not the guns of the guards that were suddenly all aimed at his head, but the murderous look in Akir's eyes.

"Stay away from her." Lex demanded in a voice angrier than I'd ever heard coming from him.

Akir crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly unthreatened by the skinny boy in front of him. He just raised a brow, his lip quirked into a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Or what, little boy?"

Every guard cocked their guns at the same time, the noise made louder by the now lack of music. Everybody had stopped to stare at the scene.

I could hear Lex gulp from here.

"Oy!" I called out from below. "World's biggest idiot! I suggest you shut your mouth now." I turned to look up at River, who was still holding me locked in place. I glared at him. "And you had better let me go before you regret it."

He hesitated, eyes darting every direction to assess the dangers but finally released his hold on me. I walked up the dais and grabbed Lex by the back of his collar and pulled him down. He made a choking noise that I ignored. Instead, I looked at Akir and his still hardened gaze.

"Don't mind him," I waved off their guns. "I'll talk to him and put him in his place."

"I don't-" I shot Lex a death glare as he started to interrupt. He clamped his mouth shut again.

I looked back at Akir. His gaze hadn't softened one bit. Bastard. "I promise I'll be back, Akir."

He rolled his eyes and sat back onto his throne. "Whatever you say, lass," he muttered and then looked away.

It somehow hurt, that small bit of rejection but I sobered and pulled Lex the rest of the way down the dais. The music had started up again and I pulled them away from Akir, though close enough where I could still see him.

"What's the matter with you?" I hissed at them. At all three of them.

I hadn't noticed before but only River and Kael wore the Ruined City fashion. Kael still wore the same jeans from earlier but his sweater had been replaced with a tight leather vest that left his muscled arms bare. River was dolled up in tight leather jeans and a tattered T-shirt.

"You look ridiculous," I said to my guard, chortling a laugh.

"Apparently it's all they had." He glanced down sheepishly at the attire.

"Yeah, we're fine, thank you," Lex snapped angrily.

I looked at him. Still in his nomad outfit, as if wearing leather was entirely beneath him. His blonde hair was ruffled, his eyes downcast and livid.

I glared at him and his tone. "I just saved your ass, thank you very much."

"Really?" He looked at me. "I thought I was the one saving yours."

Kael sighed with exasperation. "I told them you were fine, princess. They refused to listen."

River shrugged a little shamefully. "We were worried about you." He gave a pointed look at my chest. "I guess we shouldn't have been."

I looked down to see my breasts practically spilling out of the vest. Sighing, I zipped it back up.

"Look, you have no reason to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, I can see that," Lex said with irritation.

I ignored him. "Anyway, Akir is an okay guy… He didn't kidnap my mother. In fact, we think his father was kidnapped by the same person." I went on to explain. When I finished, they looked a little less angry. Except Lex. "Tonight we can take a break. Tomorrow we will go back to investigating."

Kael nodded. River looked slightly skeptical. Lex just scoffed. "Whatever," he said and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I demanded.

He didn't even turn around. "Away from this stupid party."

"Stay out of trouble. And don't get caught in a trap," I called after him. He feigned laughter and then disappeared into the crowd.

"He seems to have had a vision of him saving you from your evil fiancée." Kael explained, as if that could forgive his behavior. "He's still nursing his wounded ego."

"I don't care."

I turned away from the spot where Lex had been standing and made my way back to the throne.

Back to Akir.

Only to find my fiancée surrounded by women.

Chapter Five

Women draped around his throne and in his lap. Some pouring alcohol into his mouth sensually, giggling as it fell from the sides of his mouth. She bent almost as if to lick the drops from his face in a way that I'd craved earlier.

I scoffed at the sight and an emotion foreign to me seared straight inside me like a hot rod. It was ugly and violent. I had the sudden urge to reach over and yank her from his lap and hiss at the other women in a very possessive way.

"Your highness," I sneered at him.

Akir seemed to notice me for the first time. He smiled slyly. As if this were all some sort of a game. As if he hadn't been thick and hard inside me only an hour earlier.

I knew, logically, I had no right to be mad. Why? I had River. I had Kael. A part of me even had Lex even if nothing had been set entirely in stone with him yet. I had an abundance of men. Akir by all rights could have had an abundance of women if that's what he desired.

But the rage was still there.

His rough calluses were imprinted on my skin. The bruising of his love making was there. It was in the ache between my legs, in the swelling of my lips.

And I wanted that for myself.

"Princess," he acknowledged with a nod. The girl above him giggled.

Ugh, I tore my gaze from them and sat on my own throne. Kael sat on the mound of pillows to my side. River stood a moment, taking in Akir and the women. I recognized the expression on his face so well. The judgmental frown, the wrinkle between his eyebrows. I reached out to touch his hand and he turned to me.

"Can we leave?" He pleaded, as if it hurt him more than it hurt me to see Akir in someone else's embrace. Or maybe he wanted to spare me the sight. Ever the protector, he was.

"No," I refused to let him chase me from this party. I was here to have fun. To forget. To let go.

To be free.

I waved to a server close by and he brought me a drink. I downed it in one go and asked for another. I drank half of it and stopped. It was strong. Too strong. My head was already spinning slightly.

"Keanna..." River looked at me worriedly.

I ignored him and jerked my gaze back over to Akir when I heard him groan. The girl had the lobe of his ear between her teeth. My face heated with rage.

Dropping the cup, I stood up lightning fast and took the few steps over to his seat and yanked the girl by the arm. She fell from his lap and onto the floor with a cry.

"Get lost," I demanded. I looked up at the girls draping the back of it. "All of you." There must have been murder in my eyes because they all scattered without comment.

As soon as they were gone, I plopped myself into Akir's lap. I swiveled so I was looking into his eyes. His mouth was set into a smirk.

"What is it, lass?"

"Shut up, bastard." I wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

This time, I took control. This time, I punished him. My tongue teased and took. He tasted of alcohol and sin. And I was drowning in the flames of hell, dragging him down with me. I was the beast he couldn't escape from.

I broke apart finally to glare at him. "If you truly want me as your queen," I began breathlessly, "then you'd better fucking treat me like one."

"You said you weren't my queen." His fingers went to my cheek and stayed there.

"You're supposed to be convincing me otherwise."

"Fine," he turned me around in his lap so my back was to him. "Then watch the real fun begin."

The loud blast of music died down first, followed by the dimming of the fire. Things went dark and ominous as music started up again. This beat different than the last. It was the steady pounding of drums echoing against the night sky to rattle stars. The beating continued. Faster and faster.

And then bodies silhouetted against the backdrop of the bonfire. Bodies I only caught flashes of whenever the strobe lights flashed. And what I saw was enough.

The people danced. They revelled. Tearing their clothes from their bodies with each turn until they were naked and twirling. And then they broke off into groups, closing in together. Their bodies pressed closely together, mouths gasping, hips thrusting.

I watched in fascination at the revelry. At the joining of bodies, at the open sexuality. I watched a woman get to her hands and knees and a man penetrate her from behind just as another thrust into her mouth from the front.

I gasped.

"This is the freedom my kingdom can offer you, lass," Akir whispered against my ear. I felt the words slide slowly and deliberately down to my core. I felt wet just watching. Just listening. "All you have to do is tell me you want it."

"I want…" I gasped when I felt his hand slip into the waistband of my pants and slide down the center of my folds.

"Hmm?" He pressed a kiss to the side of my neck.

"I want…" I couldn't think beyond the spinning of my head. All that was on my mind was this. His fingers against me. The feeling of needing more. "I want Kael and River," I rasped. His hand stilled. "I want you to watch us and do nothing. I want you to feel what I felt when I saw those women on you."

I was playing with fire, I knew. But I didn't care. Not when it coursed through my veins. When I was its wielder. When I was the one in control.

Akir pulled his hand from my pants and leaned his forehead against the crook of my neck. "You're a cruel woman. But if that is your heart's desire, I will not take your freedom from you."

I shuddered in pleasure at his words alone and stood from his lap. "Kael, River," I whispered. They came forth obediently, looked me over with desire in their eyes. They were as affected by the display as I was. As empowered by it. They needed me. And I needed them. "I want you both," I whispered. I didn't take my gaze off Akir. He'd leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs and watched as Kael went behind me and River to the front.

I held my breath as Kael, gentle Kael, placed his hand against my neck, trailing circles against my skin with his thumb before bending down to kiss my flesh. I arched, leaning into River.

River's hands were at my hips, tracing feather light touches over the front of my body, stopping just over my breasts. He squeezed me in his palms and I briefly cursed the leather restrictions before he kissed me.

His lips were slow against mine. He took my bottom lip between his teeth and bit down.

I gasped.

Warmth and pleasure assaulted me from every side. Sandwiched between the two, I felt everything. I felt their every inch over me. And still I wanted more.

"Take it off." I tugged at River's shirt desperately. He pulled away from me and complied, tugging it over his shoulders. I watched the workings of his muscles, of every ridge and bump shadowing against the flicker of orange light.

The warmth at my back left for a brief second as Kael pulled the vest from his body. I stole a glance at Akir. His eyes flared as they took me in. I wondered what it was he was seeing. What it was he thought. But my thoughts flew when I felt River's hands at my chest again, pulling the zipper down and pushing aside the lapels to bare my breasts like a feast before him.

He bent and took a nipple between his teeth, suckling on me in torturous movements. Just as I started to gasp and pant from that pleasure, I felt a new torturous sensation tease me from different angles.

The buttons on my pants were undone and Kael was pulling my pants over my hips from behind. He got to his knees, tugging the material off me, over my legs. He made quick work of tugging off my boots before pulling my pants completely off.

If I'd expected him to stand back up, I'd been wrong.

Kael stayed on his knees behind me, hands gripping my hips, trailing down to my ass and squeezing.

My knees nearly buckled.

But Kael held me upright from behind until I found steady footing. He slid his body up against my back, causing me to shiver. And as he slid up, River slid down, his tongue trailing down the valley between my breasts, down my stomach and lower still.

It was like they were in sync with one another, with me. They knew what I wanted. What made me pant, shiver and what would make me beg.

And then I felt the hot rasp of River's tongue at my center and Kael's fingers flicking my nipples. He teased them to torturous peaks, pressing lovely open-mouthed kisses to the back of my neck. River's hands gripped the outsides of my thighs, his tongue parting my folds to delve in.

I cried out, digging my fingers into his scalp at that contact. At what it made me feel. The wet, hot rasp of his tongue was heaven. He dove in and out, swirled, working with every gasp and whimper, moving so expertly against me. I wanted it faster. I rocked my hips against his mouth, urging him on.

Meanwhile, Kael tilted my head up, kissed along the edge of my jaw until he found my mouth. His tongue was hot on my lips. I moaned as I took him in. As I kissed him desperately, rocking my hips against River's mouth while Kael devoured my own. It was breathtaking. It was...it was…

I tore my mouth from Kael's to gasp. I was high on that painful edge. So close. I wanted to fall into the drop below.

River's fingers ran over my clit then his tongue and teeth were there, sucking, pulling me to the edge of insanity.

I turned away from Kael, to Akir.

He was still there. He was staring at me. His eyes were flaring with desire but he gave no notion that that's what he felt. And I think it was the look in his eyes, the dark half-smile that he gave me that sent me over the edge, spiraling down...down...down…

It was sinful.

It was right.

I melted against the man kneeling before me. The one behind me held me up. I was aware of their bodies. Of their presence and masculinity. Of the beating of the drum pounding through the air. We were invisible on our dais. We were our own little world.

Slowly, deliberately, Akir stood to his glorious height. His eyes never left mine. That was his challenge. To see who would break first and look away. But I would not.

He peeled the jacket from his body and dropped it on his throne. The naked planes and ridges of his chest were revealed to me. His tattoo spiraled from his chest to his arm. I couldn't make out the design. My ears rang too loudly. My mouth was too dry.

He stepped down, eyeing me like his next prey, like he meant to devour me whole. And the anticipation was killing me.

"It's my turn, now," Akir said darkly, dangerously.

Kael chuckled lowly, pressed a kiss to my neck before stepping away. River was more reluctant to go but eventually he parted and went to sit at the throne beside Kael. To watch. As soon as they were gone, Kael seemed to growl at me. "On your back. Now."

Because I otherwise felt I might fall if I didn't, I complied. The ground was cold on my backside but that didn't matter. I'd soon be warm.

The vibrations of the music shook the floor, making it look like I was trembling. Akir bit his bottom lip a brief second and I lost all sense at the gesture.

He kicked off his boots, undid the button of his jeans, then the zipper. "If you thought to piss me off with your little display, sorry to say you'll be entirely too disappointed." He pulled his jeans down and off his body then stood before me. Proud. Dangerous. Erect.

He let me take my fill of him. And I stared. Stared at the impressive length jutted up against his stomach like a strong pillar. At the thickness of his thighs, the strong arms, the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen.

"Mine," I whispered.

Akir smirked and came down to lay on top of me. I welcomed his heavy weight. The feel of his skin on mine. I hadn't appreciated it earlier in our rough, angry joining. I hadn't the time to explore, to tease. The look in his eyes told me I wouldn't get to do much exploring this time either.

"You want to know what I felt while I watched them pleasure you?" Akir asked, trailing a finger down my cheek. I nodded. "I felt desire. I felt it like a flame inside me." His hands slid down to cup my breast. I groaned, arching into him. "You're beautiful when you moan, when you come. I didn't get to see it earlier." I felt his cock against my entrance. I wanted him there. I wanted him inside. "I'm not like your other men, lass. Do you understand?" He nudged his tip inside, ever so slightly.

"Yes," I moaned.

"Good." He replied. "Because I'm in control now."

And he thrust to the hilt inside me.

Chapter Six

A map marked up in red covered the entire wall; photographs of tire tracks, of men and women I didn't recognize and places I'd never been to were tacked up alongside it.

Akir stood in front of the maps, his back to me. He looked refreshed this morning, his hair still damp from our early morning bath. My back still ached from where he'd pressed me against the tub.

We sat around a table, River, Lex, Kael and I as well as Akir's personal guards and his two younger brothers.

His brothers, Braxtyn and Cole Murtaugh, looked a bit like him, if a little less worn down by life. They were free of scars and beards but were covered in piercings and tattoos.

Cole, the youngest and smallest of them had a spike running straight through his eyebrow. He wore mauve leather pants with a looped chain dangling from his pocket and a black, too-tight shirt that showed off his biceps. The tips of his short, blonde hair were dyed an electric blue.

Braxtyn appeared to be the more serious of the three. A man as tall and as muscular as Akir, his face was prominently grave, bright eyes stern and judgmental. His clothing wasn't as eccentric as Cole's, but simple in jeans, boots and a T-shirt. The moment I'd walked in, he'd glared at me.

"Tell me what you've found," I said to Akir.

He turned slowly to face me before he waved a lazy hand over his mysterious cork board of information.

"My father disappeared on the outskirts of the city." He gestured at the map of the Broken World. A place once so grand, billions of people had lived and thrived from it. Now, it was nothing but ruins, a world divided into clans with uneasy relationships. "He'd been missing for hours before we noticed and went to investigate. Tire tracks were found near burnt into the ground here." He pressed a finger against a spot on the map. "Along with my father's collar." He procured from his back pocket a snapped leather collar, the kind Helga wore, and tossed it onto the table.

I stared at it like it was a bad omen, remembering my own mother's necklace. A necklace I had to remind Akir to give back to me.

"What was your father doing on the outskirts of the city alone?" River asked, tapping the tip of his dagger against the table. He was looking at them all suspiciously, as if he still hasn't decided whether to completely trust them or not.

Braxtyn eyed the dagger, a crease forming between his eyebrows. He looked at River judgingly, angrily. "He wasn't alone," he stated. "I was with him."

River stopped his tapping, gripping the handle tightly. I didn't miss the way he edged closer to me in a protective way. I doubt Akir missed it either.

"Really," River drawled. His voice held a strong edge of disbelief. Like he couldn't quite fathom why two royals would wander that far away without their personal guards.

Braxtyn glared. "What are you implying?"

My guard shrugged. "I wasn't implying anything. Your tone, however, is quite suspicious indeed."

"How dare you-"

"Enough," Akir didn't need to shout the word. There was enough commanding power in his whisper alone that had everyone clamping their lips together. He looked to my guard. "Watch your tongue and take care on how you speak to my brother. He was with my father that day to check our backup generators when they were attacked."

"Attacked by what?" I asked Braxtyn directly.

His high cheekbones flushed. "I don't know," he ground out. "I didn't see anything or anyone. I got knocked out from behind."

"How convenient." I heard Lex mutter. I knew River was thinking the same thing. I thought the same thing. How strange that he'd been attacked but not taken.

"It was hours before I came to. By then, they'd already taken my father. Akir found me minutes later, disoriented and confused."

"We had an expert mechanic photograph pictures of the tire tracks and examine them." Akir went on. He pointed to the wall, to the photographs of pavement with dark markings like the ones in the forest back home. "A lot of tires have different patterns. Do these particular ones look familiar to you?"

I nodded at Lex. He saluted cockily and stood up, walking to the front near Akir to get a better look at the photos. He wasn't the only one who'd looked at the tracks that night. But he was the only one who knew enough about tires and technology to recognize the pattern. To me they'd been nothing but indents in the dirt.

"A perfect likeness," Lex said and went back to his seat.

Akir nodded gravely. "I thought that'd be the case." He gestured at the photographs of people, of a man with a mop of black hair and dark eyes. "Samuel Tilly, abducted two months ago on the outskirts of his homeland. Signs of disturbances at the scene of the crime along with vehicle tracks." He pointed to another photograph of another man, this one rounder, with blonde hair and a beard. "Francis Griffin, also taken from the outskirts of his village one month ago. Same signs of struggle and tracks." He turned to me, his bright eyes near burning. "What do all these men have in common, lass?"

"They're royals. Kings of the major clans of the Broken World."

He nodded in approval. "And a few days ago, your mother was taken."

My hands tightened into fists.

"If whoever did this is kidnapping royal men, why take her mother?" River asked.

"Because we were under lockdown." I said, realization dawning. Akir was looking at me with raised eyebrows and a half smile. As if confident I held all the answers. "They didn't have a chance of taking my father within the walls. But I left. No one was supposed to go out. But I did. My mother followed me and the people who took your father and the others knew who she was and took her instead."

My chest heaved with emotion. I knew, I knew it had been my fault before. In my stupidity and stubbornness, I'd left the village and had doomed my mother. But now, knowing that this was the work of someone who had been planning, plotting, waiting, made me feel worse somehow.

"That's not the only thing I found, lass," Akir continued. I looked up at him. "My sources informed me that the day of or before the attack there were sightings of things. Creatures like none they'd ever seen before near the areas of each kidnapping." He turned to the map. To the markings in red and pointed to the land of the Murtaugh's, to the land of the Tilly's, the Griffin's and finally the Ferguson's. The territories marked a perfect circle. And in the center circle, marked in bold color was a star.

"What's that?" Lex asked.

But I knew already. I'd studied so much history about the beginnings of our times, had suffered through numerous nags and ear yankings, courtesy of my mother, for not paying attention. But this I knew.

"It's the lab where it all began," Akir answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's the lab where the hybrid creatures were created."

"Wait, wait, wait." Lex sat up straighter, waving his hands about. We all turned to look at him. "If royalty is really being taken, how come no one's heard about it before now?"

Akir and I looked at each other. It was strange that the one person I'd hated, the one person I'd refused to meet was now the one I looked to. The one in the room I was on the same wavelength as. It was probably because we were both royalty. He knew what I felt. He understood.

"Because it'd be a sign of weakness to admit that their kings have been stolen," I answered. "They'd fear other clans would use the disappearances as an advantage and attack." It was why we hadn't heard anything regarding Akir's father or anyone else in the royal family. Relationships between the clans were always so strained.

"That makes sense," Lex murmured but just as quickly looked at Akir with narrowed, distrusting eyes. "How exactly do you know?"

"Lex," I warned. I didn't like his tone. Didn't like what it implied. I didn't want this to become some kind of battlefield between all of us. Since we'd arrived, Lex had been acting out, being passive aggressive towards Akir and me. He'd even isolated himself from Kael and River and we weren't even sure why.

"What?" He didn't bother holding his tongue or hiding the blatant disgust from his tone. "I just find it odd that they're the only ones who know about these happenings." He splayed his hands across the tabletop dramatically. "Don't you find it rather strange, little red, that he happens to have all of the answers? That he knows exactly who's gone missing and when?"

A day ago, I would have thought the exact same thing. But I'd seen the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his missing father. It was a pain that mirrored my own, so raw and vulnerable and aching that it left no room for questioning. I knew he was telling me the truth. In my gut, I knew . And regarding everything else, well, the Murtaugh's had spies. I wasn't sure how they'd infiltrated our own clan or who he'd paid to spy on me-I made a mental note to ask him about it later-but it'd been a good thing he had. I was closer to the truth now. Closer to finding my mom.

"The complexities of royal politics may be beyond your comprehension, nomad." Akir smirked but there was no humor, no friendliness in the action. There was nothing but dangerous warning.

Lex stood from his seat then, the chair scraping and falling to the floor behind him from the sudden movement. Akir's personal guards were suddenly at attention, cocking their weapons and pointing them in Lex's direction. As if the nomad would have been stupid enough to lunge across the wide space for Akir. Braxtyn and Cole sat up straighter, reaching for their own weapons holstered at their hips. Meanwhile, Akir stood with his arms crossed against his chest and stared my friend down.

Lex realized his disadvantage but his muscles seemed to tighten, as if he was holding himself back from throwing a punch. I sighed loudly and stood from my own seat.

"Lex, a word with you, please?"

It took a moment for him to visibly relax but when he finally did, he turned and nodded. I followed him out into the hall, closing the door behind me so they wouldn't hear what I was going to say to him.

"What is wrong with you?" I demanded as soon as the lock clicked. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

He gave me a tight smirk. "Why else do you think I try so hard to get caught in traps?"

"This isn't funny, Lex," I ground out. "What is wrong with you? You've been acting like an ass since we've gotten here!"

He scoffed and pressed a hand to his chest in indignation. "I've been acting like an ass?" He shouted. "What about you?"

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline and I placed my hands on my hips. "What about me?"

"You and Kael and River are the only one's acting weird." He ran a hand through his hair with seeming frustration. "It's like the Ruined City has contaminated you, made you one of them."

"What in gods' names are you talking about, Lex?" I was starting to feel exasperated with him. He was wasting my time with his whining when I could have been inside with the rest of them, plotting to find the missing royals. Instead, I was out here trying to nurse Lex's broken ego. I could have left him to his devices. I could have let him suffer alone and ignored it. But he'd saved my life. He'd accompanied me on this journey. And I wanted to keep the peace between all of us.

"I'm talking about your little orgy last night," he spat.

My face flamed at his crude words. "What-"

"Don't try to deny it. I saw you. I saw all of you."

He'd seen us pressed together. He'd seen Kael behind me, River on his knees in front of me all while Akir watched before taking me for his own. Lex had witnessed the revelry. I should have been embarrassed that he'd seen me that way but I wasn't. The Ruined City valued sexual freedom and the people had partaken in the festivities all night long. It had been so empowering, so liberating. And I refused to feel guilty about it.

Guilt tried to overpower me nearly daily. I'd felt guilty at wanting my freedom. Guilty for what had happened to my mother. Guilty for thinking so ill of Akir. Guilty for wanting all these men.

I wouldn't feel that way any longer.

"Is that a problem for you?" I asked with a forced smile on my face. "Seeing a woman fuck so openly and freely?" It'd been a shock to me at first. The one place I'd thought would take away my freedom, had given it to me entirely. Had opened my eyes to it. And I loved every second of last night. I loved every second of the Ruined City.

"Did it bother me?" He laughed mockingly before turning and punching his fist against a wall. I didn't even flinch at his actions, just watched as he let out his frustration. When he finally stopped his violent fit, he turned back to me and blew out a breath. "Of course it bothered me," he said more calmly.

I sighed loudly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you really?"

"Yes. I'm sorry you had to watch from the crowd when you would have been more than welcome to join us-" I didn't get the rest out because Lex was growling and then pushing me up against the wall. I let out a surprised gasp from the sudden contact before his hands were framing my face and he bent down to kiss me.

His kiss was eager, desperate and demanding.

But it was also unwanted.

I pressed my palms against his chest and gave him a harsh shove.

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded breathlessly. I saw his eyes shatter at my rejection, the depths cracking like ice. It hurt to see. It hurt to push him aside when a part of me wanted him. I did. But not like this. Not when he was doing this like some type of revenge, like I was a possession. Like this was some type of contest to win me.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, nearly pulling it from the roots. "I don't know," he admitted with frustration. "I don't know what it is about this place...what it is about him..." He practically spat the word.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Who?" I observed him, reading his reaction. His eyes darted to the room we were just in. "You mean Akir?" He tensed but finally nodded. I threw my head back and laughed. He looked mutinous at my reaction but I brushed it off. I knew what this was about, why he was so upset. And honestly, I didn't have time for it. "You're jealous?" I laughed again. "Lex, that's why you're wasting my time? You have a crush and you're pissed that I've been paying more attention to Akir? Is that it?"

"Why are you laughing?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because I don't have time for your nonsense, Lex. My mother is missing and so are the other royals. We were in there trying to make a plan to get them back and you have me out here discussing your feelings. I'm really sorry but your feelings aren't my top priority right now. So either suck it up or get over it."

And just like that, the Lex I knew changed before me. His features twisted and reformed. He was no longer the happy, goofy man I'd come to know and like but someone else entirely. Rage, pure and raw was so violently etched on his features that it stole the breath from my lungs.

"Fine," he said quietly, so quietly. "You know, I don't have to be here."

"Then leave!" I shouted. My patience was already worn thin. Anger was bubbling up inside me. He was acting like a child. He was always acting like a child. He'd gotten us caught in a trap the moment we'd stepped into the Ruined City like I knew he would but still I'd trusted him. I'd trusted him as our guide to get us here. I'd placed everything in his hands and now he was acting like I was a stranger, acting like I was leading them to their doom by trusting Akir. By wanting him. But that was just his jealousy speaking. Besides, if he'd wanted to discuss his feelings, he could have done so yesterday. Not now. Not during the meeting.

Lex looked wounded by my words, but he masked the sentiment quickly into cold features. "Maybe I will." And he turned and left.

I wore a tight pair of jeans and a black sports bra. It was the most comfortable attire the Ruined City had to offer me under the circumstances. If we were going to waltz into the old Hybrid Laboratory, I wouldn't have felt comfortable in leather pants and a vest. I needed something I could move around in.

I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in Akir's bedroom. The pants rounded along my ass and were swung low. A thick belt and holster were attached to it and through the holster, a handgun. There were a few daggers sheathed in it as well.

I wasn't sure how I felt about having a gun. Though my aim was great, the gun didn't give me the same confidence a bow and arrow did.

My hair was braided on the sides and tied behind my head. Helga had painted dark kohl around my eyes again. I couldn't help but think that I looked like a warrior. A Ruined City warrior.

"You look beautiful, lass," Akir whispered from behind me.

I turned to face my fiancée. He was dressed in his usual attire of tight jeans and leather jacket. But instead of being naked beneath it, he'd put on a tight black T-shirt. He stood with his back leaning against the wall. Danger incarnate. "Beauty won't help me save the royals," I replied.

Akir smirked. "No," he admitted. "Stealth and cunning will." He detached himself from the wall. "A decent weapon will as well." He walked over to his collection of weaponry and reached up to pull down the bow and arrows I'd had my eyes on that first day. My breath caught when he brought them over to me. "Arm," he demanded lowly, gesturing at it. I held my arm up to him and he took it. His skin was calloused and warm. He trailed his fingers down the length of my forearm a moment, sending heat igniting in my veins. And then he was placing a leather arm guard over the length of my skin just before passing off the bow and quiver of arrows to me.

The metal was cold and heavy in my palms. It was foreign, this weapon. But new and exciting. I pulled a long arrow from the quiver, notching it on the string and drawing it back. As I did, Akir disappeared from my side. He went behind me. His chest covered my backside, filling me with warmth. He held up the length of my arm with his own, fingers tight on the underside of my wrist.

"Aim," he whispered darkly in my ear.

Shivers coursed down me at the rasp in his voice. I did what he asked, concentrating despite his distracting heat. I aimed low at the wall and fired. The arrow whizzed through the space and lodged itself deep into the wall. It hit the exact spot where it'd been hanging earlier with a resonating thwack.

"Let's hope that perfect aim of yours does not falter, lass," Akir said darkly, removing his hands from me. "Gods help us if it does."

"I don't trust him," River whispered in a low voice. We were packing weapons and armory into the back of a white van. We were about to set out to the Hybrid Laboratory and needed as much weaponry as we could take. If there was even a chance-and I thought there was a high one-of us running into one of those creatures, we'd need heavy artillery.

We were hoisting up a box of guns and rounds when he said it. I looked at him quizzically. "Who?" If he said Akir, I was going to scream. There was a lot of distrust regarding him going around lately, apparently.

"Braxtyn," he replied. River reached out for me, taking my hand in his and squeezing it. The gesture was comforting and protective. "We need to be careful around him, Keanna. I'm not really buying his whole 'I got knocked out' story."

I squeezed his hand back before letting him go and turned to the back of the van and pushed the box further in. "I don't trust him either," I admitted. There was something about his gaze, something about the air around him that gave me a bad feeling. Cole seemed normal enough, as normal as anyone could be in the Ruined City. But there was something wrong with Braxtyn and I wasn't exactly sure what. "He's definitely hiding something." Maybe if I could catch him off guard, catch him in a lie or spy on him…

"No," River snapped firmly. "I know what you're thinking, Keanna. Don't even."

"But if I watch him closely…"

"I said no."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You aren't the boss of me, River."

"No. But I am your guard, charged with protecting you. And I won't have you put in danger."

I sighed loudly, throwing my hands up with exasperation. "You don't have to protect me forever, River. I'm capable of doing it myself."

"I never said you weren't." Then he leaned forward and ruffled my hair in that affectionate manner of his. I pushed his arm away with annoyance. Helga had taken a long time to style my hair and I didn't think she'd appreciate River's manhandling it. He laughed but sobered up in an instant. "Promise me you won't go near him alone, Keanna." When I didn't answer right away, his thick eyebrows furrowed angrily. "Keanna..." His voice was stern.

"River," I countered, equally serious.

He looked to the sky and muttered under his breath before looking me in the eyes again. "If I promise that I'll keep an eye on him, will you back off?"

I raised a brow. "Don't count on it."

"Gods, what am I going to do with you?"

At those words, I felt my lips curl up into a sly smile. Ideas, an infinite amount of ideas ran through my mind of all the things he could do with me. Things he hadn't already done. "There are a few things I can think of," I told him, pulling him towards me by the T-shirt.

He seemed content enough with the change of subject, with the course my mind wandered towards. He smiled radiantly as he pressed himself against me, leaning over me to press a kiss against my lips. I opened my mouth in his, my tongue pushing past locked lips to tangle with his.

The kiss was different from the others he'd given me. It wasn't desperate, erratic. It was almost as if he were saying goodbye. And the sadness of that cracked my chest in two.

I pulled away from him quickly and he pressed his forehead to mine, breathing out a breath. "We must be insane," he whispered. "We're going straight into the hybrid den." There was a silence as we let those words sink in. The gravity of them weighed my heart to my toes like an anchor. This was a dangerous mission. It would be like nothing we'd ever faced before. The hybrids weren't just wild boars. They were massive. Violent. Thirsty for blood. "Stay safe, Keanna." His grip tightened on me, hand going to the back of my neck to pull me closer. He would probably pull me straight into his body like a phantom if he could and keep me safe within him. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you, Keanna."

"Ssh," I wrapped my arms around his waist. "We can't think that way. We have to go into battle as if victory is certain."

River chuckled. "You sound like your mom."

My heart clenched at that, as I realized that I did sound like her. For so long, she'd drilled lesson after lesson on royalty, on behavior, politics and battles. Lessons I swallowed both eagerly and bitterly. Lessons I needed as heir but that I also wished I could throw away at the same time.

And now I'd have to apply everything I'd ever learned if I wanted to get her back.

Chapter Seven

"Ready to go?" Akir asked, interrupting us. We pulled away from each other slowly before I turned to nod at Akir. "Good." He gestured to a parked black van. The back of it had no doors, as if they'd been ripped off to expose the seatless inside. There were two seats in the front and a window to separate it from the back. "Get in," he commanded.

Already, his two brothers were hopping into the back, weapons in hand, and getting into a comfortable position.

River tightened his hand against my lower back at the sight of them, at the sight of people he didn't trust. He paused too long, his face hard unreadable lines. Akir was staring at him as if he could read every word and feeling etched onto my guard's face.

I sighed and went forward, hopping into the back with his siblings. I trusted Braxtyn about as much as River did, but it was wise not to make it known. I'd pretend to like him and spy on him, try and catch him in some sort of malicious act. Maybe he'd been the one to sell his own father out. But why? To be king? It's not as if he could have been king anyway. Akir was next in line. I only hoped he wouldn't try and remove his own brother from the throne. I'd come to like my fiancée, despite myself. And if Braxtyn had planned anything that would put him in harm's way, well…

I pulled the gun from my waist holster and cocked it.

Braxtyn and Cole looked at me warily, their own fingers skimming along their waists to their own weapons. River jumped into the back of the van and sat beside me. I didn't need to look at him to see. I knew he was shooting mutinous glares in Braxtyn's direction, his hand tightening near his own weapon, ready to spring and protect me at any moment.

"Is there a problem?" Braxtyn asked, his tone hard and annoyed.

"One can never be too careful," River replied smoothly.

I chuckled.

Cole threw his head back and laughed. "If you wanted to measure dicks, Stream, all you had to do was say so." He started unbuttoning the tops of his extremely tight leather pants. Braxtyn rolled his eyes and placed a hand over his younger brother's wrist to stop him from foolishness.

"My name is River," my guard said from between clenched teeth.

Cole laughed again. The sound broke the tension and I found myself joining in. It eased the tightness in my chest, and had me putting my gun back into my holster. The brothers eyed the movement and moved their own hands far away from their weapons.

Good.

We could at least fake civility.

The front door to the van opened and Akir hopped into the driver's seat. Helga hopped in to the passenger's side and immediately put her feet up onto the dashboard. She appeared calm and cool on the outside, but I had no doubt that she was alert to any and every threat around Akir.

Akir started the van. Just as he did, Kael appeared in the back and jumped in, taking a seat beside River in a cross-legged position. His face was grave and a little sad. I leaned over River to whisper, "Did you talk to Lex?"

Kael looked at me and offered up a tight smile. "I tried. He didn't want to even see to me."

The van started forward at a slow pace. I felt my heart lurch with it. Both at the fear of the technology and hurt for Kael and Lex. "There's still time, you know," I said sadly. I didn't want to let him go. I didn't want to let any of them go. But I would not hold them here if they did not want it. "You can go catch up to Lex."

Kael gripped my hand tightly and then let go. "Lex made his choice. I'm making mine, princess."

I swallowed the lump in my throat but nodded and sat back against the wall of the van. It started to pick up the pace, going faster and faster on the streets of the Ruined City. There were two other vans following at the sides and one large truck leading the front. One filled with ammo and provisions and one filled with guards and soldiers. There weren't many, but they were the amount that Akir thought we'd need for this mission.

I closed my eyes and listened as those around me fell into whispered chatter. I tried not to think about what loomed ahead, about what could possibly be waiting for us at the Hybrid Laboratory. Hybrids, for sure. But why had the royals been taken there, of all places? Whoever was running that whole operation had brought the hybrids back, had used them as bodyguards or protection as they went kidnapping royals from the outskirts of their homes.

To what end?

My mind turned the questions over and over through invisible hands.

A shout brought me out of my head.

I turned to look out of the back of the van to see Lex.

Running towards us as fast as he could.

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline as took him in. River exclaimed loudly, and Kael had crawled to the edge of the back to yell out to his friend. "Run faster!"

Lex was breathing heavy, his arms pumping at his sides as he fought to catch up. I turned, ready to tell Akir to slow the car down but stopped when I realized that he was going faster, watching in the mirror as Lex fell behind.

It was a test.

I'd been tested so often that I knew when someone was facing one. And Akir was the teacher, watching Lex fail. I turned back to stare with wide eyes. We were all watching as his long legs moved beneath him. As he struggled to catch up. I held my breath, worry and the hope that he'd make it flooded into my chest. Had this been what they'd felt when they'd watched me jump onto a moving train?

The feeling was slightly terrifying.

I was losing hope fast, watching him fall behind. He wouldn't make it. He wouldn't make the jump. But with a fierce cry, Lex ran harder and gave a powerful jump…

His body flew into the van. His arms were splayed out onto the floor, the bottoms of his legs dangling out of the side. Kael let out a whoop of joy and helped his friend in. Lex leaned against the wall beside Braxtyn, his breathing erratic and heavy.

Joy threatened to overwhelm me, but I kept my face into a hard mask as I looked him over. "Decided to join us, then?" I asked, my voice steady, almost emotionless.

Lex looked at me then, his brown eyes shining and the side of his lip quirking into a sly sort of smile. His chest heaved up and down and still he answered, a little breathlessly. "You need your guide, don't you?"

I hid my smile behind a snort. "The only thing you'll guide us into is a trap."

Lex laughed. "Probably," he agreed. "But you'd still be lost without me."

I scoffed and turned my head away to look into the mirror. Akir's bright eyes were on me. He winked before focusing them on the road again.

I smiled and leaned my head back to close my eyes once more. I felt less muddled now. Now that I had them all with me. Together, I felt a surge of power through us, like an invisible chain linking us.

With all of them here, I felt complete.

We made camp a while later, deep in the woods after driving for hours. It was already nightfall and we needed rest before we continued the next morning to the lab.

The vans were parked close together and provisions had been taken out. Tents, sleeping bags and whatever food they'd packed were brought out. Akir's men were pitching up the temporary resting places while River and I gathered up wood to build a fire. It was a chilly night, and it would do no good for us to freeze to death without having ever making it to our destination.

We built the fire with ease from scratch. Akir watched me the entire time with an expression I couldn't quite read. I wondered if it was fascination at the medieval way in which we accomplished things. We had no use for lighters or matches or even their electric heating. We were used to harsh winters. We were used to things taking longer to get done.

After everything was done and ready, I sat beside the fire. Akir began posting guards around the dark woods, ordering shift turns and other things before he joined me, taking a seat on my right. River, ever my faithful guard, took a seat to my left.

"The Ruined City isn't what I thought it would be." I confessed quietly to Akir. River pretended he hadn't heard. He was quite good at blending into the background. He always had been. He feigned he wasn't there but kept a close eye on me while I chatted. He used to do that back at home as well. If I'd been in meetings or in class, River would be behind me or at my side.

"What did you expect?" Akir asked, stretching his long legs out before him.

I shrugged, poking a long stick into the embers to keep the fire going. The flames flicked and danced. Kael and Lex were across from us. Kael staring at the flames, the yellow and orange light casting tones and shadows against his dark skin. Lex openly eavesdropped on our conversation.

"I expected you all to be...different."

"Different…" Akir mused.

I shoved my shoulder against his. "I mean, violent. Crazy. Savages."

He chuckled, the sound low. "We are all of those things, lass." His fingers casually trailed down my bare arm, leaving hot desire in his wake. I fought back a shiver. I must have failed because Akir smirked at me and asked, "Cold?" I shook my head, but he still scooted closer to me. "Shall I warm you?"

His words rang more of a threat, and the fingers suddenly pushing the hair away to expose my neck were a promise. And then his lips were against my flesh there and it brought my blood to life. Indeed, it warmed me.

"Is that better, lass?" His breath and tongue were there now to send shivers down the length of my spine.

I groaned, closing my eyes against the feel of him. But then River's hands were on me as well, fingers going up the length of my arms, lips pressing against my shoulder. The feel of them was bliss. Pure, satisfying bliss.

I peeked my eyes opened to glimpse at the flickering yellow tendrils of the fire. My gaze roamed up, eyes settling on Kael. He was watching me, his dark eyes dancing, a smile on his lips. I turned to Lex beside him and froze. Lex glanced at me once and his cheeks flushed. His expression was all awkward lines and discomfort. When he caught me looking, he bit his bottom lip and stood up abruptly.

"I'm gonna-uh-look for traps," he stammered and turned to walk away.

I sighed and pushed River and Akir away with reluctant slowness. "I should go talk to him."

Akir snorted. Not unkindly but sort of mockingly. "By all means," he said, gesturing with his hand towards the direction Lex wandered off to. "Follow the young pup."

I glowered at him and rammed my elbow into his side before standing up. "Be nice," I ordered.

"I can't be nice. I'm a savage, remember?"

I gave him a pointed look before walking away and going to catch up with Lex. He'd gone away from the campsite and through the treeline. It was dark around me but not too dark to where I couldn't see a thing. Besides, I'd hunted animals in the dark before. Hunting down Lex would be easy.

And then I heard him cry out.

My feet were suddenly moving on their own, pumping beneath me and rushing to find him. To save him. I had no weapons on me except the gun holstered on my hip. I'd left my bow and arrows back at camp to settle in for the night. I cursed my stupidity.

I heard the cries of Lex's cursing. I knew I was close. I ran faster until I burst through a line of trees to find Lex…

Swinging from a trap.

His ankle was caught on a rope that was swung over a high branch. He was letting out a rapid string of creative curses, his jostling movements causing him to swing rapidly back and forth. "Son of a hybrid mother lover!" He groaned and tried reaching his hand up to untie the rope from his foot himself.

I sighed loudly, causing him to suddenly still and drop his arms to dangle over his head. His body turned slowly and then he was facing me. "Hey, little red," he gave a small wave. I crossed my arms against my chest to wait for an explanation. "I found a trap." I raised an eyebrow. His face flushed deeper at my silence. "Who knew they'd be out here?" He let out a trill of nervous laughter. "I mean, we're so far from civilization, right?" He swung his body lightly and then groaned. "I mean, who puts random traps in the middle of nowhere?"

"Do you need help getting down, nomad?" I asked seriously.

"If you wouldn't mind…"

I walked forward until we were face to face. He was still going around in slow circles. I grabbed his cheeks between my hands to still him and look him in the eyes. "I should leave you dangling here," I said tightly. "I should let the hybrids have you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Our gazes locked in a staring match and neither one of us seemed to want to break it. He was infuriatingly stubborn. It made me want to slap him. Instead, I pressed his cheeks together so that his lips puffed like a fish.

"You need to be more careful around traps, Lex," I lectured. "Why did you even leave the campsite?" I eased my grip on his face so he could answer. His face just flushed in response. I saw his usual open expression begin to shutter, as if he meant to lock me out. "Does it disgust you that much to see me with them? To see me so free?"

His eyes widened. "Disgust?" he asked incredulously. "Why would that disgust me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me! You've been acting like what I do-what we do-is so repulsive to you."

Lex snorted. "Trust me, red. Nothing you did was repulsive. It was…" His whole face went red, and I wasn't sure if it was because he'd been too long upside down or because of embarrassment. "It was actually pretty rad."

I blinked at the unfamiliar terminology. "Rad?"

He nodded. "Yeah, rad. You know, awesome, amazing, cool. You country folk seriously need to expand your slang."

I waved off his babble with my fingers and a frown. "Then why did you leave?"

He sobered up a little then loosed a sigh. "Because," he said, "you have these successful, beautiful men at your beck and call. Kael is a very good healer, sculpted like a damn god. River is your oldest friend, your protector who will always be there for you. Hell, Murtaugh is a goddamn king. What am I? I have nothing to offer you, red. Except this..." He gestured at his tied foot. "Nothing but a lifetime of falling into traps."

I blinked at his words. At the raw emotion in which he spoke them. He really believed that. Really believed that he wasn't good enough for me and that's why he'd been acting so weird. Why he'd walked away.

"You really are an idiot."

My words must have shocked him. He let out an indignant huff and cried out, "Excuse me?"

I laughed. "Gods, Lex. You are the biggest idiot I know. You thought you weren't good enough so you acted like an ass? That was your solution?"

He looked at me with indignation. "But-"

I interrupted, taking a step forward until the tips of our noses were touching. The laughter died down from my throat and in its place there was anger. "Who are you to decide what or who is good enough for me? I am old enough to make my own decisions and to decide that for myself, thank you very much."

Lex looked nervous at my sudden burst of anger. As he well should be. His tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip nervously. "Is that all?" he asked in a shaking voice.

"No. That is not all, Alexander O'Riley. Next time, don't just assume all of that nonsense without asking me my opinion on it first." Then, in a frustratingly impulsive move, I pressed my mouth to his in a breathtaking, angry kiss. He opened his mouth to me. The kiss was slightly awkward with him in his upside down position but that didn't matter. None of that mattered. His lips were soft, his tongue warm and willing against mine. And he let me take control. He let me vent out my frustrations at his foolishness in the kiss. But it wasn't just anger showing through my lips. It was desire. It was a secret between us. It was me telling him that despite what he thought, he was good enough for me. Finally, I tore my lips from his to take a breath. "I do want you, nomad. Maybe if you got your head out of your ass you would have realized it sooner and joined in on the fun."

"Well then…" He swallowed and looked me over. "That's nice to know. Uh, red, could you please cut me down now? I'd like to kiss you properly."

I rolled my eyes. "This is the last damn time I help you out of a trap, Lex. I mean it." I went over to the tree trunk, to the thick rope tied around it. Making quick work with the knots, I untied it and Lex fell to the ground with a series of yelps. I turned to see him standing up and dusting his clothes off.

"That'll be the last time I get caught in a trap, red. I promise you that."

I snorted. "Right, I highly doubt that."

"I swear it. Now..." His voice suddenly dropped to low, seductive tones. "Can I kiss you properly?"

I tapped my finger against my chin. "Hm, I'm not sure," I teased. "I find myself rather tired suddenly and-"

But I didn't get the rest out because Lex was suddenly there. Desperate and eager, pushing me up against the rough bark of a tree trunk. The wood dug into my skin, making me gasp. And then his lips were on my mouth and there was nothing awkward about it this time around. There was no possession in it or anger. It hadn't been what our first kiss had been. This one was a happy realization. It was fun and quirky. Lex put everything that he was into the kiss and held onto me as if he feared losing himself if he let go.

And then he was kissing the side of my mouth, trailing his lips and tongue down my jawline to the exposure of my neck. His mouth seemed to be everywhere at once. Maybe he didn't quite know where to start. But I did.

Slipping my hands into his shirt, I let my hands roam over the smooth skin of his stomach. A flat surface met my fingertips. He was warm, eager beneath my touch, doing exactly what I wanted him to do as if he could read my mind. I let my fingers trail down to the waistband of his jeans and I slipped inside.

He jumped, letting out a surprised yelp and the sound invigorated me; made me want more, made me want to do more. I smiled and ran a fingernail along the side of his shaft. He jumped again, hips slamming into me. The restrictions of his pants were too much. I wanted them gone. I wanted free reign to touch him how I wished without annoying barriers holding me back…

He seemed to read my want. Pulling away, he undid the top button of his jeans and slid the zipper down. I watched with hungry half lidded eyes as he pulled his boxers down until he was free for my ministrations.

I grabbed him in my palm and squeezed tightly. He sucked in a painful breath as my hand worked against him, up and down. His hips thrust against my hand, heightening the rhythm, the pleasure.

His hands were against me again, roaming down my sides, to my hips and behind to grip my ass. He grinded himself against me before letting one hand go to my front and press against my mound.

My knees buckled at the action and I gasped. The pressure somehow built to a painful peak with clothes between us. But it was oh, so fun. I let my head fall back against the tree trunk as his fingers dug almost painfully into me, trying to pleasure me through my jeans. I kept up my movements against his warm flesh.

The quiet, dark woods was filled with our heavy breathing, with our desperation for release.

And then there were the voices.

I stilled my movements immediately. Lex hadn't heard. He was still touching me, still moving his hips against my hand.

"Lex," I whispered urgently.

"Red," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I want you."

"Lex, be quiet," I hissed. I took my hands from him and gripped his wrists tightly. He stilled and looked at me in questioning. I jerked my head to the side and he stopped and listened. The voices were growing closer. I didn't want to be caught this way. Maybe I shouldn't have been embarrassed at the thought of getting caught when I'd participated in an orgy the night before but that was an entirely different matter.

I let go of Lex and he quickly righted himself. When he finished, I pulled him deeper into the shadows of shrubbery and shoved him to the ground in a kneeling position, following after him.

I don't know why I hid. But I also don't know what had come over me. Fornicating in the woods, so far from camp and so close to the Hybrid Laboratory? We could've been attacked at any moment. It had been foolish. Too foolish.

I peeked over the edge of the bushes and watched as silhouetted figures walked into the clearing Lex had been hanging from. I could slightly make out their forms. But I didn't need the light to see them and know who they were.

I recognized their hushed voices immediately.

Akir's brothers.

Cole and Braxtyn Murtaugh.

Chapter Eight

I held my breath and strained an ear to listen to what they were saying.

"This whole endeavor is a waste of time," Braxtyn complained.

I didn't miss his cranky tone or the anger there. The bastard. If he was so against it then why had he come? Because he's a traitor… I leaned forward further.

"Our brother doesn't seem to think so," Cole replied, a little louder. His voice was more cheerful, not so weighed down by anger or hardships. He was young. So young he hadn't yet seen the horrors of life. Even if he did, I doubted it'd ever change him. He seemed too naive for his own good.

"Our brother is a fool. Bringing all of our men out here on the whim of some country whore."

My skin bristled at those words. Even Lex beside me stiffened defensively.

"Careful how you speak of the princess. Soon, she'll be our queen."

Braxtyn scoffed at that. "Queen, my ass. She killed ten of our city officials and she didn't get a word of punishment for it."

My heart hurt at that. I'd killed them to survive. Not because I wanted to. And that had been before I knew Akir. Before I knew of the freedoms of the Ruined City.

"That's because Akir is in love with her," Cole said simply, as if the matter and the whole conversation were already boring him. "You saw how quickly he ran to redecorate his room when he found out they were to be married. He also gave up all women. Helga seemed pretty upset about that." He laughed, the sound was high pitched and pleasant. But his words had me flushing.

Akir. In love with me? He'd redecorated the room for our marriage, sure but did that mean he was in love? It's not like he knew me aside from what his spies had gathered. And Helga? He'd been with his guard? I tried to ignore the jealousy that seared through me at that little bit of information. He had been free to do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted. I couldn't be mad about that. I definitely couldn't be mad about it when I also had Lex, River and Kael.

Besides, Helga didn't seem to be too upset with me and Akir. She was ever so careful when doing my hair, with helping me dress. She was nice with gentle and encouraging smiles. Maybe she was over it. Or maybe she was still with Akir…

That thought hurt more than it should have.

I shook my head back and forth to clear the emotions away.

"He hasn't known the bitch long enough to love her." Braxtyn waved Cole's comment off with a flick of his wrist.

Bastard.

"I don't think time matters when it comes to love, big brother," Cole replied absently.

Of the two, I liked him best.

"Since when did you become a philosopher, Cole?" Braxtyn snapped impatiently. "Our brother has gone soft in the head ever since he got engaged to that bitch princess. I hope we at least find a hybrid or two in that lab. If only so it could rip the whore in two."

That's it.

A growl rumbled deep in my chest as I burst through the shrubbery and made myself known. The gun from my holster was in my hand before I even blinked as if my body's instinct had taken over. Lex let out a curse as he followed behind me. I walked straight up to them, startling them both by shooting and aiming inches from their feet.

"What the fuck?" Braxtyn yelled, jumping back. He looked up, finding me a few feet away from him with my gun now pointed at his lower region. "What the fuck is your problem, princess?" he demanded. Already he was reaching for his own weapon and pulling it out, cocking it.

"Oh, it's 'princess' now, is it? What happened to 'whore' and 'bitch'?" I let sarcasm slip through between the spaces of my anger.

They didn't have to like me. Hell, I didn't like them. But I also wasn't shit talking as badly as they were. If they had something to say, they could look me in the eyes and do so. I would not be talked about by a traitor to his own blood.

Braxtyn held his own gun up. But he didn't point it at any of my limbs. He pointed it straight at my forehead. And there was murderous rage in his eyes that let me know that he was more than willing to pull the trigger.

But his intent didn't make me nervous. It made a thrill spiral down the length of my spine. It made adrenaline rush through the blood in my veins. It made my hands tremble with anticipation. My finger brushed against the trigger. I itched to squeeze it.

"Is that any way to speak of your future queen, Braxtyn?" I taunted.

Akir's brother let out a harsh laugh and then spat on the ground in front of me. "Queen? You are no queen of mine."

Lex stepped closer to me. I could feel the tightness on him. Could feel the nerves radiating off of him. Even Cole looked nervous. He stepped forward and put a hand on Braxtyn's arm. Braxtyn shook him off angrily.

"Your brother, the king, seems to feel differently."

Braxtyn snorted. "Some king he is. A foreign slut of a princess comes into his kingdom and kills his men and he doesn't even bat an eye because he's too busy panting after her." He laughed harshly. "If our father were here, he would have had you killed where you stood."

I smirked. "Well, the fact of the matter is that your father isn't here. I'm sure we have you to thank for that."

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me...traitor."

His face paled even in the darkness. "How dare you-" he broke off with a growl. "Stupid bitch!"

And then he squeezed the trigger.

It all seemed to happen so slowly.

Beside me, Lex shouted my name. But his voice was so far away. I stared down the barrel of the gun. Saw a burst of fire and light. And then I felt the fire trail a painful path against the curve of my cheek. The gun fell from my hand.

Blood trickled down my face. Numbly, I put my fingers to it, felt its warmth. I looked back up in time to see Lex become a blur rushing towards Braxtyn. There was another gunshot and Lex grunted but still, he tackled Braxtyn.

I watched, nearly numb with shock as Lex toppled him down and began throwing punches. There was the sound of flesh pounding painfully against flesh.

It was my awakening.

I snapped out of it and pushed Cole-who had somehow ended up beside me, frantically asking me if I was okay-aside to rush forward. Lex wasn't stopping. It was like some demon had taken over his body and was fueling violence inside of him. He pounded against Braxtyn's face with his fists. And Braxtyn was immobile beneath him.

"Lex," I yelled. "Please stop!" But he didn't seem to hear me. He punched violently. I grabbed his elbow from behind and tugged with all of my might, pulling him towards me. He fell back against my chest and that seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he'd found himself in.

"Keanna," he turned around, his eyes blank for a brief moment before looking over me. His hands were there, touching every inch of me to assure himself that I was okay. But his eyes went to my cheek and his gaze darkened. "We need Kael. We need to-" he winced.

"You're hurt." My hands went to his abdomen. It came away stained with blood. "Damn it, Lex. You've been shot. Why would you jump in front of a damn gun?"

Lex didn't smile. "I had to protect you, red."

I didn't have a retort so I helped him up. I threw his arm over my shoulder and started to walk away. I turned back to get one last glance at Braxtyn. Cole was kneeling on the grass beside him. "He's alive," Cole whispered.

"And he'll stay that way. If only because he's my fiancée's brother." I glared at Cole. "Don't tell Akir what happened."

And then we walked away.

"I'll kill him." River said viciously.

"You will not."

"I'll fucking kill him."

I sighed loudly. River was pacing back and forth inside our tent. It was a big enough structure to fit ten people. But we were only four. I sat among a mound of pillows, holding a cold compress against my burning face.

We'd arrived at the tent and Lex had immediately made Kael tend to me. My wounds weren't as bad as his were but Lex had refused any help unless I'd been treated first. So Kael cleaned and disinfected the graze wound and taped a square piece of gauze to my cheek.

The healer now tended to Lex, who dealt with the removal of the bullet and the stitching with minimal complaints.

River was the one stressing me out.

He marched back and forth from one end of the tent to the other. His hand would go to his weapon, pull it out, then put it back in again. It was like his physical instincts as my bodyguard were trying to override his common sense.

"I'll kill the bastard," he said again. He'd mentioned that about fifty times already.

"You can't. No matter how badly you want to."

River went on as if I hadn't even spoken. "I told you, Keanna. I told you not to go near him without me. Didn't I tell you?"

I rolled my eyes. He was starting to sound a lot like my mother. "I didn't go looking for him, Riv. We happened on him by chance."

River stopped pacing to narrow his eyes at me. "And you had to get involved, didn't you? You always have to get involved."

I dropped the compress from my cheek and frowned at my best friend. This argument was all new to me. We never fought like this before. Our fights were always over trivial things. About who ran faster, about who'd won the race. I'd never really snuck off without him because he always wanted to be behind me. He always wanted to compete. And he always wanted to protect despite the fact that I could very well protect myself. And perhaps he was just so used to a life by my side that he couldn't fathom why I'd ever run off without him.

"I don't like people talking shit about me."

"You should have let him talk shit!" River shouted. His patience entirely gone now. I flinched at his tone. "Your inability to look the other way, your inability to stay silent nearly got you both killed, Keanna. Look at Lex!" He gestured to the nomad. Lex's face was pale as Kael fixed up the last of his stitching. He started at his name and tried changing his expression into one of bravery.

"I'm fine," Lex said. It was obvious he was lying. He was in pain. Not just from the bullet wound but the skin along his knuckles were split open and bleeding as well.

"You're not fine. You were nearly killed. Keanna was nearly shot in the head!"
Lex's face suddenly went grave. "I'd never let anything happen to her, River. Never."

For a heartbreaking second, River's face went raw with vulnerability but he shook it off to glare and grind out from between clenched teeth. "But the fact is, you did Lex. You let her go into that clearing and get you both shot."

Lex tensed and both men stared each other down. It was obvious an argument was about to ensue. But Kael, level headed Kael, broke it up. "Have you ever tried stopping the princess from doing something she'd set her mind to?" River tensed. That was response enough. Kael began putting his instruments into bowls of disinfectant and continued, "It is completely unfair for you to put the blame on Lex for that. Yes, the princess should not have done what she did, but she is a human. She made a mistake. Luckily nothing worse happened. What's important now is that we all learn from this mistake and move forward."

Kael was truly a wizard. His words had all of us relaxing our tense postures and calming. We put the arguments behind us. River sighed and plopped himself onto a sleeping bag. "So how do we move forward from this?"

They all looked to me for answers.

"We pretend it didn't happen."

"How?" Lex asked. "I don't think I could look him in the eyes without wanting to punch them to the back of his skull."

"I'd like to wring his traitorous neck."

"I wouldn't mind hurting him, either," Kael added. "But the princess decides."

"Whatever happened can't get out. Akir can't find out because we need him and his men and weapons to get into the lab," I explained.

"And how do you know Braxtyn will keep the secret?" River asked, a little skeptical.

I shrugged. "I don't. But how would he explain to his brother that he shot his fiancée in the face? Just like I can't explain how I started it by shooting at their feet. He wouldn't want to take sides."

The men before me looked at each other with a slight bit of doubt before muttering their agreements.

"So, it's settled," I said with finality. "Akir can't find out."

"Akir can't find what out?"

My entire body tensed at the sound of my fiancée's voice. I turned to see him closing the tent flaps behind him. His blue gaze ignored the other men and focused solely on me. Reading me. Assessing me. His eyes flickered to the gauze over my cheek.

"Where have you been?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I could ask you the same. I heard gunshots and as king, had to check on my people. Are you okay, lass?" His eyes flickered to Lex and the blood on his clothes and then back to me.

We were done for.

He knew.

"I'm fine." I started throwing pillows about to the guys before settling into my sleeping bag. I was in full clothes. In case an unexpected battle broke out. "I've been waiting for you to get back, actually." I patted the spot next to me in invitation. "Come to bed."

Akir looked over the medical kit, Kael's bloody hands, the gauze on my cheek. But he said nothing. He just smiled, the side of his lip lifting up with the action. "Lights out," he commanded. "We have a long, long day tomorrow." He stripped off his leather jacket and tossed it to the floor.

I was captivated by the movements.

River snorted. Lex sighed heavily. Kael chuckled lowly.

My own face flushed. But they all got ready for bed, taking their own spots and sliding into their sleeping bags. They were all to my left and I watched as they turned their backs to me as if they meant to give me and Akir privacy.

Akir pulled his boots off before he went over to turn off the lamp. It was dark, and I couldn't see him but I felt his body as he slid into the sleeping bag next to me. My body was tense, and he seemed to notice. He pulled me into the circle of his arms and I curved my back into his chest. His warm breath was against the top of my head, steady and calming.

"Goodnight, lass," he murmured.

And within moments, I was asleep.

Chapter Nine

Akir knew something had happened but he was silent about it.

I mean, the signs were all but obvious. There had been gunshots last night and Lex, though strong and showing no signs of having been wounded the night before, had been covered in blood. I'd taken the gauze from my cheek, as it bothered me more than helped, and the graze there was like a sign pointing out my guilt.

And Braxtyn's face looked like hell.

The next morning as we were packing up camp to leave and eating breakfast, Braxtyn walked slowly over to the campfire alone. His eye was blackened, his nose crooked and he had scrapes and dried blood on his face.

The bastard didn't look at me once.

Akir, however, did.

His eyes were heavy on me throughout the morning. And when I caught him staring, he wouldn't even look away. His eyes just flickered to the wound on my cheek before going over to Lex, to the split skin at his knuckles and then to his brother's messed up face.

The fact that he knew and said nothing about it made me nervous.

Finally, he came up to me and asked darkly, "Where's your gun, lass?"

Shit. I'd dropped it in the grass last night after I'd been shot. What could I tell him? What lies could I make up that he'd believe? My crossbow I still had, at least. I was better with it, anyway. I fidgeted with it a moment before answering. "I seem to have misplaced it."

He frowned. "Misplaced it?"

"Misplaced. Lost. Don't have it anymore." I was standing beside our own tent. River was helping put supplies away, all the while his gaze kept following Braxtyn distrustfully. I was sure Akir didn't miss that, either. Kael was next to River, placing his medical kit inside the van and Lex...Lex was sauntering over to Braxtyn, a smile on his lips. What was the idiot doing?

"Lass, are you going to tell me what happened? I can read the lies all over your pretty little face." His hand went to cup my injured cheek, but he was careful not to touch my wound. His thumb caressed the line of the graze just below my high cheekbone. I listened to his heavy breathing. Soon, my own began matching his.

"Nothing happened," I began.

His face grew dark with anger. "Don't. Lie. To. Me."

I pushed his hand away from me. He dropped it, but I didn't miss the way it curled into a fist. "I don't want to get into it with you right now, Akir. We have things to do."

"Keanna," his hand gripped my wrist tightly. He didn't squeeze hard enough to hurt but hard enough to keep me in place. "Talk to me, lass." His voice was soft, and it made my throat tighten up. It made my heart melt. "I don't want there to be secrets between us."

"Secrets," I breathed. I hated having to do this, but it was necessary. I hardened my gaze even if my heart was pounding nervously in my chest. "You want to talk about secrets? Let's talk about the fact that you've been fucking Helga." I watched his reaction with a heavy heart. I watched him release his hold on me and stagger back a step.

"Helga?" he asked incredulously. "Who told you such nonsense?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Doesn't matter."

He frowned, the crease between his eyebrows growing more prominent. "It bloody well does matter." He reached for me again, this time he pulled me against his chest and held me in place around the waist. I wriggled against him. A part of me wanted him to let go but another part just wanted to be closer. To stay like this if only a moment longer. "You have to know that I ended that months ago. She's nothing to me but my guard now."

I believed him but still I scoffed. "Right. Nothing but your guard."

"You have to believe me." His usual dark voice was gone. There was no danger in him now. There was soft desperation, pleading, a violent urge to keep me. To make me his forever. It sent a wild thrill through me. "I'd never betray the woman I love."

I stilled at that, my entire body going taut at his confession. Love. Cole had mentioned it last night. That Akir loved me. But how could he when he knew nothing about me? He knew nothing beyond what his spies had reported back to him.

"Let go of me," I demanded suddenly.

Akir looked at me darkly. "No."

I pressed my palms against his chest and pushed him away. My chest was suddenly heaving, my breathing too erratic as panic nestled into place. I placed a palm against him, keeping him arm's distance away. I needed to think, to clear my muddled thoughts.

Akir had never held anything back before. Every word he spoke to me, he spoke with honesty. I knew. Somehow, I knew that he'd never lied to me. That he always seemed to bear his soul in that dark, dangerous way of his. I believed him when he spoke of his father. I believed him when he spoke of Helga. Hell, I'd probably even believe him if he told me the sky used to be purple.

But this, this I did not want to believe.

Akir couldn't love me.

"You don't love me," I managed past the lump in my throat. As if denying it aloud could have made me feel better. A thousand reasons he couldn't love me popped into my mind. We'd only just met. He'd been with Helga. He'd had women draped over him like curtains just to infuriate me.

"Lass," he whispered.

But he didn't get a chance to finish.

Because at that moment there was a scream.

We whipped around, my weapon poised, Akir's gun already cocked in his hand. And we saw Helga along the edge of the treeline. Her body seemed frozen with fear. And then she took a step back and another, slowly.

And then we saw it. Saw them.

We all saw the big, black monstrosities walk out of the trees and make their way towards our camp.

Helga screamed again.

And the creature before her, the biggest and ugliest of them all, swiped an enormous paw forward, its claws raining down against Helga. Her body flew backwards as blood spurted and tainted the grass. She landed on the ground with an ugly thud and didn't get back up again.

We stood frozen in our shock as the beast stood on its hind paws, threw its head back and roared. The sound shook the sky, caused the ground beneath us to vibrate. And it moved the other beasts into action.

Six of the things detached themselves from the trees and shadows to make themselves known. Each of them a different size than the last. The smallest beast came through last. This one different than the rest. This one's skin and fur was immaculate. There was no scarring on flesh, no signs of battle.

I didn't get a chance to observe the creatures further, because they began to attack.

Paws began swiping, digging into flesh of guards and soldiers. Roars and gunfire thundered in echoes throughout the sky and soon, my focus was lost in the melee. Bodies and blood flew and the creatures raged down upon us like fury given form.

I sprang to action, Akir beside me. We ran to an oncoming beast as it snapped at a soldier. I didn't think twice as I shot an arrow towards the thing. It pierced its head, but it still didn't go down. My little weapon looked like nothing but a thorn in its body. It screeched and turned its attention to me instead. But Akir was there, blasting bullets onto it. The hybrids seemed to be made of steel. Nothing pierced them. Nothing seemed to slow them down.

"Run!" Akir screamed, pulling me alongside him by the wrist as the thing charged after us. "We need to get to the ammo van!"

We ran as fast as we could, our legs pumping beneath us. The van had only been about twenty feet away, but the span of that space suddenly felt like miles. The creature was after us, gaining on us. I focused solely on the weapons ahead. I tried not thinking about Lex, Kael and River who were suddenly nowhere to be seen. Had they rushed into the battle and gotten hurt? No! I couldn't think about that now. I had to help take the beast down.

And then there was an explosion behind me.

The force of it tripped me. I skidded through the grass, scraping my hands on dirt and rocks. The scar on my back throbbed, the stitches on my arm seemed to tear loose. I groaned as I lifted myself up. Debris flew all around me. Ash and smoke and blood rained down and in that moment, I imagined what the hybrid wars had been like back then. The chaos that had ended everything.

It was terrifying.

I stood to my shaking feet and turned. The creature had fallen to the ground and half of its face had been blown off. The smoke cleared and behind it, I saw River holding a massive, unrecognizable weapon in his hands. There was blood running down his temple, matting his curls against his cheeks. His face was tight with the stress of battle. Our eyes met for a brief second before he nodded.

I turned and ran to the van.

Akir was there already, pulling out enormous guns and a weapon similar to River's. He tossed weapons of all kinds to me and to River, who had followed behind me. We said nothing as we took and loaded them. When we were done, we turned back to the battle.

It was chaos.

I didn't think as I ran forward among the screaming bodies. I held two guns in my hands, aimed and shot them both at a creature. It turned to me and let out a fierce cry to the sky before charging. It ran at me on all fours, its massive head shaking, mouth gaping open to shriek murder.

I dodged as it came near, running off to the side. The action confused it and made it even angrier. It turned again and when it eyed me, charged once more. I shot at it. Dodged. Shot. It was a dance with death and I was so close to losing.

The beast let its claw fall towards me with a vengeance. I was close, too close to it. It would get me.

But then I felt strong hands push me aside just as the claw came down. I fell to the ground as I heard a painful scream. I scrambled up and turned…

Only to find River in the jaws of the monster.

"No!" The scream that tore through me was inhuman. I tried to run forward, to save my best friend and guard. But then there were arms around my waist, locking me in place. I thrashed and fought and tried to get to him. But the arms holding me were adamant.

"Stop, princess. You can't!" Braxtyn's voice screamed in my ear.

But there was nothing. Nothing beyond the scene in front of me. River screamed and thrashed as the creature took him between enormous paws and pulled him closer. Massive jaws gaped open to reveal sharp teeth and slime. The hybrid's lip curled back to reveal blackening gums, a leathery tongue.

A sob wrenched out of me at the sight. "River, no!" If I could get its attention, if I could get it to come for me instead…

But the thing seemed fixated on the meal before it. Its nails were curving down River's body and dug into his leg. He screamed out his pain and the sound shattered my very soul.

"Riv!" I clawed at Braxtyn's hands. "Let me go!" But he only squeezed me tighter. "Riv! River!" I was shrieking now. The thing still ignored me, but I was a good shot. Maybe I could… I stopped struggling and tightened my hand on the gun. I aimed it at the creature, stared down into the hole of its disgusting throat.

And I fired.

The hybrid let out a screeching choke and then dropped its massive body on top of River. Dead. I'd killed it. But I felt no joy at what I'd done.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" I brought my head slamming back into Braxtyn's face. I didn't have time to feel the pain of stars behind my eyelids, because Braxtyn let out a curse and immediately released me. As soon as I was free of his caged prison, I ran towards River. Only his head was exposed. His entire body was being crushed. "River," I said gently. But he wasn't moving. His eyes were closed, unblinking. He didn't even appear to be breathing. "River, come on. Wake up." The tears fell from my eyes, stinging my wound before falling onto River's face.

If this had been one of the fairy tales I'd read as a little girl, my tears would have brought him to life. He would have opened his dark eyes slowly, smiled and made a joke. He would have told me that princesses weren't supposed to whine before ruffling my curls.

But River didn't wake up.

Because River was dead.

I threw my head back and screamed at the sky in raging fury. River. River. River. He couldn't be. It couldn't be true. But it was. The truth was staring me in the face. The truth lied in his unmoving, unbreathing body.

In my rage I stood up, cocking my gun and I turned. The battle was still ensuing. Everyone was in their own world, oblivious to what had just happened. To what I'd just lost.

Well, the entire camp would now hear me scream.

I ran towards the monsters and shot until the bullets ran out. When that happened, I readied my bow and aimed for their throats. One went down easily. They were faster than me. But I was enraged. And when I eyed the biggest creature of them all, the obvious leader of the group, I couldn't help myself. Someone needed to pay for what had happened to River. And that hybrid would be the one.

I reloaded my bow, pulling my string back and ran towards the thing. It was close to me and entirely too oblivious that its death was at the end of my aimed arrow. I let it fly. It buried home into its neck. The hybrid roared and turned. The eyes that stared at me were rage filled, murderous and terrifying.

It charged at me.

I let another arrow fly straight but it seemed to zig zag across the field.

Aim where it will be, not where it is. River's voice filled my mind. Edged me on. I focused. I aimed. I fired.

The arrow landed in its neck but it didn't go down. This one was made of stronger stuff.

It raged towards me and I didn't run away. I held my arms out to my sides. "Come on!" I yelled. It could try but it would not bring me down. I wasn't going to die today. I screamed at it as it barrelled towards me. I waited for a closer shot, waited for it to open its disgusting mouth.

But my moment never came.

Because suddenly, another beast, the smallest of them all, saw it coming towards me and let out a massive roar that chilled me down to my toes. I watched with jolted surprise as the small hybrid lunged forward, seeming to come out of nowhere, and lock its jaws onto the bigger one's neck.

The small hybrid tore at it with claws and teeth. The bigger one defended itself, pushing and scratching but the smaller one was determined. It held on, shrieked and growled and fought. Their bodies collided painfully together, the noises smacking and loud. They snapped their muzzles and clawed. Black fur became an enormous blur before me in this sudden match to the death.

My throat caught as I watched and I wondered, why was the small one attacking the larger one? Why did it seem like it was protecting me?

I held my breath as I watched the battle. The larger one had the smaller hybrid pinned to the ground, paw digging deep into its throat. I gasped, fearing what would happen to it, not really knowing why. But the smaller one pulled through, slipping out from under and jumping onto its back. I watched as it lashed out with surprising swiftness and pulled the hybrid's throat out with its teeth.

Their leader fell to its death.

I loosed a tight, painful breath and watched with wide, surprised eyes as the smaller hybrid spat out the blood from its tongue and turned to me. My hands tightened, my body tensed distrustfully. Maybe it hadn't wanted to protect me at all. Maybe it wanted to kill me itself.

I took a fearful step back even as it stepped forward.

It was in front of me before I realized. I gasped and held out my weapon. To shoot it? But it wasn't attacking. The hybrid was just standing there on four paws, looking like a pretty large bear. Its eyes were big and brown, the fur was dark and smooth. When it opened its mouth, I took another step back and pointed my arrow in the direction of its throat but the hybrid didn't lunge. It didn't try to bite me. It let out a series of low growling noises.

Almost as if it were trying to speak.

I lowered my weapon and stared. I stared into those big, round eyes questioningly. There was something about them… something about them that was all too familiar but I couldn't quite place what.

The hybrid lifted a paw to my face. I flinched briefly but otherwise stayed still. Somehow I knew, I knew it wasn't going to hurt me. If it wanted to, it would have done so by now. This one seemed more intelligent than the others. Less crazy. The hybrid's paw went to my face. The touch was as light as the brush of a feather. It flicked my hair from my shoulder and I jolted.

The action...the eyes...the way it was looking at me.

My heart crashed to the pit of my stomach as I realized what-rather, who-the hybrid was.

"Mom?"

*The End*

Turn the page to get an exclusive first unedited look at the third and final installment of the Hybrid Trilogy!!!

The air was tainted with smoke and the tips of flickering flames of angry fire. Gunshots rang out, each piercing bullet that resonated around the clearing was no match to the pounding of my own heart. Bodies became a blur around me, both of the living and dead. My whole body throbbed in the aftermath of the battle between us and the hybrids, but that pain became nothing, dissipating entirely as I gazed upon one hybrid in particular.

This hybrid was different than the rest. Smaller, with fur that looked newly groomed and shining and brown eyes that looked at me with gentleness.

Eyes that I recognized.

The eyes of my mother.

"Mom?"

Her ears perked up and she let out a grunt, as if she'd tried to form a word. My mother. My mother, who had been kidnapped when she'd gone beyond the walls of our kingdom to follow me. My mother, who I thought to be captive of the Ruined City. My mother, who was taken to the Hybrid Laboratory. My mother, who was now a hybrid.

I let my bow and arrow fall to the ground. I nearly fell as well but somehow, I managed to keep myself upright. Ever since she'd been taken, my mind had conjured up image after image of all the terrible things that could have happened to her. But I never could have imagined this.

I never could have imagined that my mother would become one of the creatures that had broken our world so long ago.

I placed my hand out in front of me, palm open. My mother looked at it, almost with uncertainty before she walked forward and pressed her forehead against my skin. I ran my fingers through the roots of her fur. It was coarse and thick beneath my calloused fingertips. She nudged me with her muzzle. A muzzle. My mom had a muzzle now. It was long and her whole body was bear-like in appearance. Nose elongated and leathery, teeth wide, sharp and dangerous.

But she wasn't dangerous. Not to me. She'd just taken down the leader of the hybrid creatures to save me from getting killed.

"Mom, who did this to you?"

She let out a low growling noise almost as if she'd meant to answer me. "Keanna!" There was the shout of my name and before I could blink, strong hands were shoving me away. I nearly tripped over my own feet but righted myself easily enough, turning just in time to see Akir pointing a large gun straight at my mom's face.

"Akir, don't!" I shouted. He ignored me and in my adrenaline rush, I did the only thing I could think of doing. I charged.

In my mind I heard River's instructive voice, telling me about feet placement and the angles of my upper body. I crouched low as I ran, and the surprise of the impact from my body colliding with his, knocked Akir to the ground. Our feet tangled as we both went to the dirt. I fell on top of him with a grunt and he let out a curse as his gun was knocked sideways.

His glare at me was mutinous. In a quick, swift motion, Akir flipped me over so I was beneath him. The press of his body was hard and warm against mine for a fraction of a second before he was standing up, whirling his gun again.

Cursing, I jumped up and stepped in front of my mom. He would not shoot me to get to her.

Akir was covered in black ash and dirt. Bright blood was prominent on his face, dripping down the length of his beard. His eyes looked red, the fire reflecting in his blue depths. There was anger etched deep into the lines of his scowl. But there was something else there as well. Worry.

"What are you doing, lass?" He ground out tightly.

"You can't kill her," I shouted firmly.

He cocked his gun. "Like hell I can't." His finger tightened slightly on the trigger as he aimed. "Move aside before that thing kills you!"

"Akir, please just listen to me!"

I wasn't sure what exactly I'd be telling him, what words I could say that would make all of this seem less crazy. Less like a fantasy and more like the reality of the Broken World we lived in. But my fiancée gave pause at my words. Almost as if he'd listen to me. As if he'd believe anything and everything I had to say.

I sighed my relief and opened my mouth to speak…

When all at once, every remaining hybrid roared.

Their cries were a violent screeching that shook the sky. The sound was a dangerous symphony, their voices rising in painful song that sent a chill down the entirety of my back. I whipped around and Akir pulled me towards him, strong arm wrapping around my stomach to hold me in place against his chest. I didn't feel his usual heat in that touch. I felt nothing but worry as I watched my mother join in, letting loose animalistic sounds, one after the other.

She began whimpering first and looked to me, her brown eyes wide and frightened. I knew then that something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly, in quick violent movements, she began pawing away at her face, growling as she began running her face against the dirt. She looked like a demon possessed as she thrashed around uncontrollably, painfully. She screeched and cried, enormous paws flattening out her ears.

"Something's wrong," I cried out. I tried taking a step forward but Akir held me firmly.

"Look, lass," he said in my ear.

I looked up and gasped. All of the screeching hybrids were suddenly dashing away from the melee of the battle, running towards the tree lines and disappearing completely. As if they were answering some call they couldn't ignore. And my mother appeared to be fighting that call with every fiber.

Her movements were jerky as she struggled around on the ground, almost as if she were trying to physically push aside some hybrid instinct that threatened to override who she was. And she could fight it. I knew she could. She was a Ferguson and we Ferguson's did not break beneath the conquering pressure of these creatures.

She could do it.

I knew she could.

But when my mother stood on her back paws and cried out, I knew that I was wrong.

She couldn't.

In an instant, her entire being seemed to change and the eyes that had looked on me with such tenderness just a moment ago, vanished entirely into something else and she truly became a hybrid.

She began swinging her paws around at anyone that dared get too near. Men suddenly came at her from every angle, pointing guns, metal spears with electric ends and bombs. She cried out her rage at their proximity and made a move to deliver death blows…

And then the net went over her.

She fell to the ground, more from surprise than anything else, and growled as a smoke bomb was thrown in front of her face, exploding into a dense cloud of gray. The men got to work around her, rushing to hammer the net down and keep her in place.

The smoke cleared quickly, revealing her struggling form beneath. She had gone more still and her brown eyes darted to me. She was herself again.

And then Akir was letting me go, rushing towards her to help his men. The end of his gun pointed straight at her face and I had no other choice. I threw myself over her body, between them.

Akir appeared startled by the sudden move and lowered his gun a fraction before tightening his grip on it. I wondered briefly how angry he'd be with me later, since I'd undermined him in front of his people. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered now except saving my mother from death.

"Move." Akir demanded tightly.

I looked him in the eyes and didn't blink. "No."

"Do I need to shoot you to get to that beast, lass?" His voice didn't make me doubt that he would. But his eyes were what gave him away. He didn't have it in him to shoot me. Not even to save his men from what he thought was a monster. And that was when I realized, with a sudden jolt, that he hadn't been lying earlier when he'd told me he loved me.

"You can't shoot her, Akir." I said firmly.

He lowered his weapon. There was resignation on his face. And anger. We could get into that later, though.

Around him, his men seemed to snicker in disapproval at me. I ignored them and looked only at Akir. At my fiancée and hoped that he would ignore the men around him. Ignore his people. For me.

"Akir," I whispered. He looked at me with uncertainty. I knew what truth would give him pause. Give them all pause. I only hoped they would believe me. "I know what they've done to the royals."

About the author

Aleera Anaya Ceres is an Irish-Latina romance enthusiast who loves reading, drawing, mermaids, movies and heavy fangirling. A proud Slytherin from Kansas, she currently lives in Mexico with her husband and son. Author of the Blood Novels, you can find her on her Facebook page or on Twitter.

Other books by Aleera Anaya Ceres

The Blood Novels:

Blood Drug

My Master

Last Hope

The Hybrid Trilogy:

Braving the Beasts

Escaping the Beasts