“Oh-my-god, I can’t even with you,” I complained, giggling against my better judgment. “Okay. Back to the issue at hand. Hera. You said she made me to defeat you guys?”
“That’s what I have theorized, yes. Not you specifically. Perhaps an army of hybrids of three or more kinds of blood, but you were certainly the first of that plan—and immeasurablypowerful. I don’t doubt that she intended to replicate your creation and build upon it. Humans are much easier for her to control with pheromones and mind-reading. It’s where her power grew the most, under the adoration and worship of your realm’s humans. She was their god for a long time, and I suspect it’s why she thought she could control you.”
I grinned. “Joke’s on her, no one controls me.”
His laughter was annoyingly sexy. “That’s been made quite clear, yes. But Hera is crafty. She’ll use your greatest weakness against you. She already has.”
Lyra had known to go after Kate and I’d thought it was because of the Organization, but it’d make sense it was someone like Hera instead. That kidnapping was what started this whole mess.
Eyes wide, it dawned on me. “That’s why you brought Kate here.”
“In part, yes. But she makes you happy, and I didn’t want you to be alone here without an ally you could trust.” Aram’s affection was a warm embrace. “It’s much easier to have your weakness by your side rather than vulnerable to attack.”
Another lightbulb. “So that’s what this whole contract was about? You said I’m your weakness.”
He folded his arms and glowered down at me. “You are my greatest strength, but yes, until our bond is fully formed, it could be exploited.” Whispers of thoughts were in my head before he said the words aloud. “But make no mistake, a king is nothing without his kingdom.”
I swallowed, suddenly invaded by such an intense feeling of affection it was making it difficult to give the giant Fae a hard time about how sappy the statement was. So, I clung to one statement that confused me instead.
“Fully formed?”
Thinking, Aram gestured to the sofa by the window. I walked over to it and sat down. It was immediately dwarfed the second he took the seat next to me, but he leaned back like the god he was and aimed his body toward mine, torso muscles highlighted by light and shadow and totally distracting.
“Do you believe that I’m not your enemy, little mate?”
I crossed my arms, annoyed. “You already know that answer.”
“I do, but perhaps your human kind is influencing me more and more these days. I’d like to hear you say it.” His sultry baritone was full of goading, but there was an edge of uncertainty to it. He doubted his observations, and it was a strange sense of superiority that came over me as I kept him waiting.
After a minute, I finally relented. “You’re not my enemy.”
His breathtaking smile stole a couple beats of my heart. “Yes,Nioche. I’m not.”
Nioche?
His eyes swept down my body, and it was everything I could do to remain calm and unaffected. “Nether Fae bonds differ from the rest. They’re rare but powerful. Except, unlike the one you share with that undeserving Hand of Death, ours can be rejected. Broken.”
He waited to see if I’d speak, but I was too afraid of him stopping that I didn’t dare utter anything before he finished.
“Our bonds only fully form when both mates accept it in body, mind, and magic. But once they’re fully formed, it can’t be broken.”
“I’m surprised you’re telling me this,” I admitted after a quiet pause. “Doesn’t it benefit you more to keep it from me?”
His smile faded. “No, V, that would hurt me. I want you to choose me knowing what it means, not because you’ve been swindled into it.”
Okay, well, damn.
“So, our bond is vulnerable?”
He didn’t look away or move. “It is, and Hera will exploit it if given the chance.”
I opened my mouth, but my neck was struck with such an intense jolt of pain I gasped. I slapped a hand over the side of my throat that had Cash’s rune, hissing. Aram leaned forward and pulled my hand away. Another jolt of pain hit my wrist, and I lifted it. Jo’s magical bond mark was flickering. After another rush of pain, it was gone.
“What the fuck?”
Aram’s jaw was strained, and I heard the thought in his head that sent me into a full panic before he tore my heart to pieces with his words. “The bonds have been broken.”
My throat closed up, but I still forced the words out. “But that means…”
