stench of rotting flesh. My chest tightened with frustration. Freya. That name again. What the fu

the outer perimeter. If even a shadow moves beyond t

to attention and sc

d like she might collapse at any second, barely holding herself up. For a moment, I noticed it-that frail, pathetic image of someone

d the women a glance be

isely said nothing. Alaric only nodded. Freya, howe

t before she could

y," I sa

. I saw it-the fear, the exhaustion-but it didn't m

his voice sharp. "She doesn't need to be

ocking onto her father with something close to defiance

y. The next second, his palm conne

went de

ined gasps, and for a fleeting moment, I wanted to rip Alaric apart for putting his hands on h

call me that. Get out of my sight." His voi

"I'll take her back," he said, voice tight with restraint. He didn't wait f

rest

. Maximilian sat down at the head of the table, pouring himself a drink. "S

.. a disgrace to my bloodline," he admitted, voice bitter

. "And how's tha

ughter," he finally said, his voice hollow. "Demetra, my chosen mate, carried h

pped into st

snap. "Lucius?" The name was foreign on my tongue, yet something about it

orrow, when she turns eighteen, we'll know where s

d. "And if she'

without hesitatio

g my teeth. Something in my gut twisted,

onfession. Freya. Not his daughter. A hal

, in mi

der every glare, who barely managed to keep her head down without stumbling, wa

said lazily, though there was nothing lazy about the way his eyes gleamed

ened, but he nodde

s laugh. "Yeah, that's why Tiberius is breathing down ou

em, but I didn't give a damn. He had played thi

ey. "Tell me, what exactly d

cker of something unrea

fucked up by hiding this. If you keep dodging an

aw jumped. "Freya

le

y eyes. "A k

the hunters ever lost control of the war, they needed something-someo

y head. "You're telling me she's som

now what she is. I only know that if s

e of us... she wasn't just some stray bloodline mistake. S

s against his glass. "Well.

ed, my tone devoid of anything but indifference. "She would've been

e sharpened, but

less beneath my skin. The Beast inside me barely stirred, unimpressed. I wasn't the ty

id coolly. "And problem

d. "Tomorrow will

alking away. "If she