Tasting Drakness

Chapter 4

Darius Wraith POV

I stared out the window overlooking the castle grounds. This place was older than dirt and passed down through the generations, though we had renovated the castle to our taste. My father was old-fashioned, and I would not miss the gaudy drapes and the ugly furnishings he had throughout this place. We had made it more functional for our needs and that of the army we were building here.

Tobias would handle Aleera until I could get over my shock and anger at her calling on us after all this time. All this fucking time, and then she suddenly wants us to save her. Not a fucking call, not a letter, nothing.

Nothing for six bloody years. To say I was angry was an understatement. I wanted to hurt the girl, strangle the life out of her. She needed to feel the agony she caused us. She would regret running from me from us.

Kalen and Lycus didn’t say a word, yet I could feel their eyes on me, watching me and waiting for the explosion that would come, yet despite hating her, every goddamn thing about her, I have never felt so relieved at the same time. She would pay for betraying us, for nearly destroying us. Hearing the door open, I look over at it to see Tobias walk in. His anger was as hot as mine.

He hated her just as much and, with good reason, what she took from him, what it had cost him, pained me still. She took so much from us, more than she could ever or would ever realize, but she would pay; Aleera would pay for what she had done.

We would have loved her, we already did, we would have looked after her, but she threw it in our faces.

“Well?” I ask him as he drops into the armchair next to the fireplace, his shirt all creased, and he looked unkempt for the first time in ages.

look on his face, the look he had when he re-lived that

to the floor as if embarrassed he asked, no he is embarrassed because he still cared for her, and he should

her school, she was gone. We thought she needed time to get her head around the idea of

down his face like he was tired, and he was. The anniversary is coming up, and this time of the year, he never slept much, and I would have to exhaust him or put him under when he went too long without sleep. Tobias would become unstable and driven by his instincts. We had lost a few men to his grief. Having her here was going to

mistake. He was our weakness, and we couldn’t drop our guard around her. I nod to Lycus, and he pats Kalen on the shoulder and nods toward the door. Kalen reluctantly gets up and follows him. I will have to pull him in line later. We won’t lose

kill her,” Tobias mutters. He reached for the bottle that sat on the coffee table between the armchairs that circled the fireplace. Moving toward him, I watch as he twists the cap off the bottle before bringing it to his lips, swallowing down the amber

pay for what she has done,” I tell him, and he drops his head back to look up

her to hurt, and I want her to bleed

make her,” I tell

reflecting oddly from the flickering light of the flames. His expression darkens as his mask slips back in place. The same icy demeanor that made people run just at the sight of him. He could be cruel, he was nearly as sadistic

from him, making him growl at me. His drinking had become worse, making me worry

do

as I stare at the flames, my mood plummeting further. Sometimes I hated the mate bond,

ruined all of us; Aleera nearly killed Kalen. We almost lost him because of

her.