Hotbloods 5: Traitors

“I’d also like to apologize for kissing Riley,” Sarrask announced suddenly. I whipped around to glare at him. Ronad looked just as shocked, glancing between me and Sarrask. Kaido didn’t seem bothered, but that was just his way.

What the hell did he think he was doing? We had an agreement never to bring it up ever again, and yet here he was, casually announcing it to the one person who really didn’t need to know. My decision to keep it from Navan hadn’t been a selfish one; I just didn’t want to be the cause of a brawl between brothers.

“What did you say?” Navan asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I said, I’m sorry for kissing Riley, too. That’s another sin I wish to atone for.”

For a moment, Navan said nothing, though there was ice in his eyes. Then, the look of anger dissipated, leaving a still calm that unnerved me more than an expression of rage ever could. “Fair enough. I’m sure accidents can happen, and you’ve been honest enough to tell me to my face,” he said.

“Thanks for being so cool about it. It wasn’t something I intended to happen. I just got caught up in the moment and kissed her. I shouldn’t have done it, and I’m sorry.” I really wished Sarrask would just shut his mouth before someone shut it for him.

Navan smiled. “I accept your apology.”

Sarrask’s shoulders relaxed. “I’ve got to say, Brother, that’s a bit of a relief. I really thought you’d—” A sharp right hook caught him square in the nose before he could finish his sentence. Blood trickled from his nostrils. He pinched the bridge of his nose and gaped at Navan. “I guess I deserved that.”

Navan glowered at him. “You deserve a hell of a lot more than that, but I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of getting a punch in,” he spat. I held on to Navan’s arm.

“I really am sorry, Brother,” Sarrask muttered, tilting his head back as he moved toward the front gate of his cottage, which had lavender-painted walls and a white picket fence. “I’ll be inside, fixing this mess.”

Kaido frowned, folding his arms across his chest. “What did you gain from punching him, Navan?” he asked. “Riley has selected you as a mate, not Sarrask. Even in your absence, Riley was not attracted to other potential mates, such as Sarrask or Ronad. So, in this way, you are already the winner. Did you hit him as a display of strength, to reinvigorate Riley’s ardor for you? Or, perhaps, to make him look even less desirable to Riley, who might be swayed if she thought you were no longer the alpha male?”

I stifled a laugh, knowing it would only annoy Navan. His temper was running high, and I knew he wouldn’t take kindly to me making fun of the situation. No doubt he already thought Kaido was mocking him, even though Kaido was only trying to make sense of it all by comparing it to what he knew of the animal kingdom.

“Why don’t you go inside and help Sarrask with his nose, Kaido?” I suggested, looping my arm through Navan’s.

“Have I said something offensive again?” he asked, looking to me for guidance.

I smiled kindly, wanting to reassure him. “Not at all, Kaido. It’s just not a good time.”

Apparently satisfied with my response, he turned around and headed through the gate, walking up the path and through the front door of Sarrask’s cottage. Not wanting to be the third wheel, Ronad took his cue and made himself scarce by heading back up into the ship.

“I’ll start unpacking some of the things we brought with us from the house,” he called back, before disappearing into the belly of the ship. He was using it as an excuse to hide, and I didn’t blame him.

“Sarrask kissed you?” Navan muttered, turning to me with furious eyes.

I kept my expression calm. “It was nothing, Navan. He’s already apologized to me for doing it. I think he was just confused, or something.”

“How did you end up in that position?” he hissed.

I felt a prickle of anger inside me, but I held on to my rationality. “I didn’t put myself in any position, Navan. I don’t appreciate you saying something like that, as though it was my fault,” I said calmly. “Sarrask and I were having a heated argument. He must’ve gotten carried away, because he lunged toward me. I pushed him away as soon as he did it, and that was that. You’re making something out of nothing.”

“You let him kiss you. I don’t think that’s making something out of nothing.”

“I didn’t let him kiss me, Navan! You’re already angry, and you’re not thinking clearly. If you were, you’d realize how silly you’re being,” I insisted, wrapping my arms around him. He moved his face away, refusing to look at me. “Navan, you should know this by now—I only have eyes for you!” Proving my point, I grabbed him and pulled him toward me, pressing my lips against his with all the pent-up frustration I’d been feeling since the moment we were separated. I pressed my body against him, letting my tongue explore his mouth as my hands ran through the soft buzz of his dark hair. I wanted to feel every single part of him, and had we not been out in the open, I would have.

Breaking away with a gasp, I left Navan reeling, his eyes glazed over, his mouth set in a goofy grin.

“Do you believe me now?” I asked.

He smiled, scooping me up into his arms. “I believe you.”

I wished we could have stayed like that a while longer, but there was too much work to do. I stared into his eyes, leaning in to kiss him deeply, savoring one last moment of pure, selfish joy.

“There’s a lot we need to discuss,” I said, shattering the fantasy. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

He set me down, his fingers intertwining with mine. After telling Ronad where we were going, and throwing a blanket around my shoulders, the two of us set off down the winding trail that led to the edge of the glistening lake, before veering off toward the trees, sticking to the shadows. I was still waiting for Queen Gianne to come for us after the blast that destroyed the mansion, but something seemed to be keeping her away. At least here, hidden by the canopy, she wouldn’t be able to see us from the sky.

I turned my gaze to the lake. Water always soothed me, and I hoped it would give me the strength I needed to get through the things I had to tell him. It would mean pushing away everything I wanted for myself, but this wasn’t just about me anymore. It wasn’t even about me and Navan anymore.

The weight of Seraphina’s fate loomed over me. The time had finally come to get it all off my chest.





Chapter Twenty-Four





“My father… and Aurelius?” Navan had repeated the same words twice already, but I could tell they still weren’t sinking in.

We’d walked halfway around the perimeter of the beautiful lake, and I’d managed to get him mostly up to speed with what had been happening, and what we had to face from Queen Gianne. It was cowardly, perhaps, but I was building up to the Seraphina stuff. Every time I felt like I could start talking about it, a sick feeling twisted in the pit of my stomach, forcing me to switch subjects.

“I suppose it makes sense. Despite everything, he’s a smart man,” Navan continued, feeling out the news. “Of course he’d want to ally himself with the successor to Gianne’s throne, putting himself at his right hand, the way he did with the queen herself before the coronation. Plus, nobody wants to be associated with a leader who’s losing their mind. Even to a loyalist, having an insane, immortal queen would be a freaking nightmare.”

“So you agree with him?”

He shrugged. “I don’t agree with his choice, but I can see why he’s doing it. As long as he doesn’t get our family killed as a result. Aurelius is a snake. I wouldn’t trust that old coot as far as I could throw him.”

“Yeah, but you could throw him pretty far,” I teased.

“You know what I mean. He’s not to be trusted, especially not when so much is at stake.” Navan sighed. “A coldblood like that has no backbone. I wouldn’t be surprised if he buckled under the pressure way before anything could be done to overthrow Gianne.”

“With your father in prison, things might start going awry sooner than anticipated,” I mused.