Series: Lords of Rathe Series by Meagan Brandy
Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“He did what they did.” Legend looks to me, not needing Creed to explain what he saw when he looked into her head this time, because he had the chance to look her in the eye himself. “He stole a part of her for his own selfish reason—”
“I didn’t steal—”
“Yes. You fucking did. You took from her what our parents took from her, or whoever the hell left that girl alive and tossed her to the human world like she was nothing. She’s not.”
“She murdered our fucking sister.” Sinner speaks through clenched teeth, stepping up to Legend. “Our fucking triplet! Deveraux blood! Your fucking blood!”
“Actually,” I shove my hands into my pockets, stepping closer to the edge of where the garden ends over the cliff face. The ocean down below crashes against sharp rocks. “She didn’t.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Creed steps closer to me, and I side-eye him when I feel the heat of his body.
Creed. The hothead brother who acts on impulse, well, not usually, but did with her. Now all I want to do is crush his fucking head and bang it against a wall that has London was fucking innocent graffitied all over it. I turn to face all of them, bouncing between Creed and Legend. Legend, because I know deep down he thought something was off with London. He wanted to like her, and he hated that.
I should have seen that as my first sign. “You’ve lost the fucking plot to your mating, brother...” Creed seethes, baring his teeth. “Why should we save her? She. Murdered. Temperance.”
Part of me wants to keep pushing him just to see how much I can get out of him. It’s amusing how much she gets to him. Creed has a button stamped with London’s name over it, and I’ll probably make it my mission to flip it every now and then whenever I want.
“Knight, he’s right. You’re being a fuckwit.” Sinner this time, and he brings his hand to my arm. I don’t move, staring down at the connection. “Do I need to push your dumb ass off this cliff for you to wake the fuck up! She killed our fucking sister! We need to punish her forever. Fuck your mating bond.”
“How much did you take from her?” Legend demands.
Anger licks down my spine, making my blood boil and I rub my finger over my lower lip. “Why do you care, little brother?”
Creed interferes, eyes narrowing. “Fuck you.”
I stay on Legend. “You worried my girl forgot all about you?” I step closer, my shoulder tightening. “That she has no recollection of your lips on hers? Your hands on her flesh under her dress?”
“I should punch you in the fucking face,” he growls, meeting my advance with his own. “You keep playing these games and things will only get worse. Keep fucking with ‘your girl’ and next time she tries to off herself she’ll be sure to find someone to help her do it so there’s no chance of saving her. We both know how easy that would be, considering she’s standing in the way of another bitch and the crown they’re after.”
“Let her die!” Sinner screams, throwing a hand out and suddenly the bubble we’re within turns a vaporous gray. Demonic smoke has come to protect us from prying eyes. “She doesn’t deserve our loyalty.”
“Man, fuck you!” Legend barks. “You’re just pissed cause you like her, and you hate everyone, and now you’re just a guy she kissed at a party thinking you were your fucking twin!”
Sinner growls, darting forward, but Creed grips him by the neck before he can snap our little brother’s.
“Enough,” he hisses. “Not here and not over her.” He says ‘her’ with more disdain than I’d have thought possible. “She’s not worth it, and soon enough, she’ll go out with the rest of the trash.”
Sinner tears from Creed’s hold looking at me, and I see it then. In my twin's eyes is a hint of uncertainty.
His emotions have always given me whiplash.
All of this is giving me fucking whiplash.
“That girl is the rightful Queen of Rathe.” Legend frowns. “You can’t just throw her to the Monsters for what she did when she was a child. You might not want her, she might not be able to be Queen, but you have to protect her!”
“What do you think I’m doing, huh?!” I finally fucking break. “We got it all wrong.”
My chest heaves, a deep ache starting at the center of my ribs, and I press against it, about to drop to my fucking knees. All she is, is a fucking weakness.
I had caved for her. I let her in in ways I never had anyone, ways I swore I never would. It took a hard ass minute but finally, I was ready. Ready to be her mate, to claim her as mine, and wear her mark proudly. Indefinitely.