Series: Lords of Rathe Series by Meagan Brandy
Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Haide wasn't raised at all. Born on Exile Island, where the royals of Rathe toss their most vile creatures, chaos isn't all she knows. It's
When their worlds collide, the king's ancient magic calls to her.
The bond ignites instantly, volatile, undeniable, dangerously wrong
She isn't the mate he expected. Her power is stunted by the cursed land that shaped her. Yet she sets fire to his veins, the only person who makes his fractured soul feel whole. So, Legend takes her to Rathe University to awaken what lies beneath her skin.
His brothers warn him against her. His people detest her very existence. He doesn't care. He wants her at his side, on her knees, and in his bed. She is his.
Then the murders begin. The gifted fall without warning Bloodlines vanish. And with every death, Legend's magic begins to die with them. Something ancient, violent is rising in Rathe, and every accusation points to the king's fated mate.
If she truly is his at all
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Haide
“Run, little rabbits,” I whisper, drawing back the bowstring, each step calculated against the soft forest floor.
The bow in my hands feels like an extension of my body. Exile Island pulses around me, its strange consciousness brushing against my mind like fingers through hair. It’s as if no time at all has passed since I returned from Rathe and all of London’s drama.
Three figures dart between the twisted trees ahead. Newcomers to the island. Fresh meat. They don’t understand anything yet. Don’t know that everything here is a game without consequences.
Distant wingbeats cut through the air above. I exhale as I tighten the bow further.
I track the first one. He’s tall with panic written across his face. The arrow tip follows his frantic movements. I could pierce his throat before he takes another breath.
I smile and shift my aim.
The second target stumbles over a root and falls to her knees. Terror makes people clumsy. She looks up, somehow sensing my presence, and our eyes lock through the foliage. I wink and draw the string tighter.
“Please,” she mouths.
I shift my aim again.
The third one is smarter.
He moves in a zigzag pattern, making himself a harder target. But not hard enough. I track him easily, the arrow finding his heart.
“Which one dies first?” I ask the forest. The trees don’t answer, but I feel the island’s hunger ripple through the soil beneath my feet.
I release the tension in the bowstring, lowering my weapon just enough to let them believe they’ve escaped. They’ll run deeper into the island’s embrace. The game is always better when they think they have a chance.
“You’re toying with them again.” Zevryn’s voice comes from behind me, rich and deep.
I don’t turn. “Took you long enough to catch up.”
He steps beside me, brown skin gleaming with sweat from the hunt. “Not all of us were born part animal.”
“Excuses.” I nock another arrow, tracking the fleeing figures through the trees.
Zevryn grabs my wrist, forcing the bow down. “Do you need a recap on how to pull this bow, Luda?”
“Fuck you!” I jerk away from his grip. “I’d still be able to beat your ass.”
“Bullshit.” His eyes narrow. “What’s the matter, Haide?”
Okay, now he’s pissing me off.
He sighs in clear boredom. “You had three clean shots. You didn’t take any of them.”
I bare my teeth. “I was savoring the moment.”
“You were giving them a chance.” His mouth quirks up. “The great Haide secret softie.”
I swiftly draw my knife and press it to his throat. “Call me soft again.”
He doesn’t flinch, his mouth spreading wide. “Sof—”
My blade melts into his skin, blood spraying over my face. Life dies from the pits of his eyes, not with shock, but something else.
He smirks before his body hits the ground with a thud.
“Asshole!” I snap, cleaning my blade on my shoulder and slipping it back into the holster.
Lifting the bow again, I crack my neck and find my first target. “Looks like we’re gonna have to keep this one short.”
I release the bow right into her panicked face. It splits in half from the force.
I smirk, grabbing the next one and quickly finding the smartest newcomer.
He zigzags again. The moment he peers over his shoulder, I aim my arrow right into his eye.
Ten points to Haide!
I barely have the third locked in when the sound of wings beats through the air.
With a thud, boots hit gravel just as I unload the next arrow.
“Booyah!” I yell, smile wide just in time for Zev to swing at me.
I dodge his punch and swing behind him, wrapping my arm around his throat. “Nah, uh, bestie! You know you love me.”
“Fuck you, Haide. You know I hate cracking through those damn fucking things.”
I release my hold when I feel the tension leave his body. Only a pool of blood remains in the spot where I killed him.
“You can get me next time,” I tease, the sound of large wings bashing through the air once more.
“Bullshit,” Zev murmurs, plucking scales off his neck. “You damn well know I won’t get one on you.”
Actually, he could. He just chooses not to.
A blue dragon slams into the cliff with enough force to send rocks tumbling into the darkness below. His massive claws scrape deep grooves in the stone as he lands.
I turn over my shoulder just as the beast flings two fresh borns off his talons like they’re nothing more than garbage. They hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop near the blood pool from Zev. Smoke curls from the dragon’s nostrils in thick, angry streams while he stomps his foot again, making the whole cliff shake beneath us.
“Aw, come on!” I bat my lashes up at him, knowing full well he can see through my bullshit. “You know you love that I keep you guys busy! What would you do without me? Nap all day?”