Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“My husband and I couldn’t be worse for each other, but we’re bound for all eternity.”
She looked at me again.
“Ryker broke all the rules when he came after you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he broke more…”
12
HUNTLEY
As if an arrow had struck me in the heart, I gripped my chest and slumped forward over my horse. My world became blurred just for a moment. I saw a man. I saw teeth. And then it was gone—but my body was broken.
Ian noticed my collapse and grabbed the reins of my horse, bringing it to a halt. All the men behind us did the same, stopping the entire army in the middle of the plains. “Huntley.”
I slipped off the horse entirely and fell to the ground.
“Huntley!” Ian was at my side instantly, his hands feeling me for injury. “What is it?”
“I’m fine.” I shoved him off and writhed on the ground, the explosion in my heart leaving me incapacitated.
“You just fell off your fucking horse. You aren’t fine.” He grabbed my water canteen and splashed it on my face.
I smacked him away. “Not helping.”
“Then tell me what the problem is, so I can help.”
I rolled to my stomach and slowly pushed myself up, the pain still white-hot in my veins. “It’s Ivory…”
“What?” His hand gripped my shoulder to steady me. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s her… I know it is.”
“It’s her, what?”
I stared at the grass, felt the breeze move through my hair, forced myself to focus. “I feel her pain.”
His hand remained on my shoulder.
I breathed through the agony, waited for it to pass—prayed that it would pass.
We stayed that way for a long time, everyone silent, staring at me on the ground.
Minutes later, it began to fade.
My hand left my chest, relieved that her suffering had concluded. My vision cleared, and I could finally distinguish the features of my brother’s face. “They’re feeding on her.” Feeding on my fucking wife. “I could kill her right now…”
Ian seemed to know who I was talking about because he didn’t ask.
“How do you know this?”
“I don’t know. I feel things…see things.”
“That’s not something husbands and wives just do…”
“I know. But that’s what’s happening.”
It was too dark to see, so we camped for the night. Since we were no longer in yeti territory, it was safe to risk an open fire. If the Teeth saw, it didn’t matter, because they would know of our coming eventually anyway.
I still felt a dull pain in my chest. Now it seemed permanent.
Ian sat across from me, full because he’d just finished his roast boar. He sat on the log with his arms on his knees, his eyes on the fire. “Mother must have been livid when you told her.”
“Try heartbroken.”
His eyes lifted to mine. “What do you see in her?”
I held his gaze, the words not coming to me right away.
“She’s pretty. I’ll give you that.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
If he expected me to give some grand answer, he would be disappointed. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? We’re declaring war on the Teeth because…you don’t know.”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t know because it’s complicated. When shit is complicated, it doesn’t have an easy answer, alright? Her father destroyed our lives, so it’s really fucking complicated. Leave it at that.”
“You don’t see him when you look at her?”
My answer was immediate. “No.”
“So, she helps you with the dragons, helps you take Delacroix back, helps you take the Kingdoms. In exchange for what?”
I stared at the fire.
“I asked you a question.”
“I’ll be king—and she’ll be my queen.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “She would betray her own father to have the throne. Guess she’s just like him.”
I wanted to defend her honor but couldn’t, not when I wanted to keep our plan a secret.
“And what about her father?”
My eyes returned to the fire again.
“She’s fine with you killing him?”
If I answered his question, he would never forgive me. Never.
“Huntley.”
I could tell he already knew, just by the tone of his voice. I lifted my gaze and faced him like a man. “I promised to spare his life.”
The seething anger spread into his face, made his eyes burn hotter than the fire.
“It was the only way.”
“He killed Father.”
“I know—”
“He raped Mother—”
“Like I’d ever forget, asshole. I was the one who was forced to sit there and watch the goddamn thing. Don’t sit here and remind me of the horrors we’ve endured, because I’ll never forget that shit as long as I live. But without her help, we have no chance. It was necessary.”
“You better break that promise.”
“I’m a man of my word.”
“Well, when you see that motherfucker, that’ll change. When you see the scratches on his face from Mother’s nails, that will change. And if it doesn’t, you can’t stop me. And you sure as hell can’t stop Mother.”