“I don’t want to marry your sister,” I declare, realizing how desperate I have become for Lilith.
He tightens the hold he has on the glass in his hand. “You will marry Maya.”
It’s a foolish thing to go against the Lord. No matter how much money and influence I think I have—and it’s a hell of a lot—Soren holds a ten-fold level of power. And we both know it.
“I’d suggest you go and make up with Maya before I do something you will regret.”
He leaves without me saying another word, and I want to follow him. Instead, I walk straight to my car and go home. And when I get there, the first thing I do is open my computer, and I search for her…
I search for my caterpillar and come up empty.
A knock comes on my door the following day. When I open it, I find Maya standing there with a suitcase next to her. Her gaze roams my chest, and I remember I forgot to put on a shirt.
“Maya.” I don’t move from the door to let her in. Frankly, I don’t want her here.
“I’m moving in,” she says with excitement.
“Sorry, I misheard you. What did you just say?” My forehead scrunches in disbelief. What the fuck is actually happening?
“I have her other suitcase,” Soren announces as he comes up behind her. Maya turns to look at him, and I can already see the hard glare he is pointing my way. “Do you plan to let us in or block the door?”
I step to the side and let them both enter.
“Smart choice,” he says, pushing past me. “Maya, go to the car and collect the other bag. I want to speak business with Reon for a moment.” She nods and happily obeys him.
Once she’s gone, Soren shuts the door. Dressed in his black suit and ready for work, Soren embodies a business mogul. He runs a media empire, and his presence exudes power and authority. His stride across the room is purposeful, and it’s evident he commands respect from the confident set of his shoulders and the unwavering focus in his eyes. His every movement is deliberate, and every gesture is calculated, getting ready to make the next strategic move in his relentless pursuit of success.
“Respect. It will be given to Maya.”
“Why, because you say so?” I ask, crossing my arms over my bare chest.
“Reon, I respect you. I do. It’s why I thought you would be the perfect match for my sister. Do you think I would have given her to anyone?” I say nothing. No, I don’t think anyone would have been good enough for her. “You’ve been off for at least a year, Reon. Off your game. Just off, period.” He shakes his head. “People are noticing. You haven’t participated in a Hunt for a while. Why is that?”
The Hunt.
We are assigned a target and a set of instructions. Then we hunt them and kill those who are chosen. Sometimes in teams, sometimes as individuals. It’s a game. The game is strategic, so it shows our loyalty to the Society and creates a bond—because killing someone with others creates a trust that can’t be broken. Most of the people who have been killed are chosen because they’ve done the Society dirty in some way or another. It is also about manipulation because when it comes to killing for game, if trust and loyalty are forgotten, blackmail will always win out for the Society.
“I’ll be at the next one.”
“You’ve missed both this year,” he states, clearly not impressed.
“I was busy.”
Soren shakes his head. “You and I are the same, Reon. We both crave the Hunts. They are exhilarating, and most of the time, we are the winners. Your absence has been noted…” He runs a hand through his hair. “Frankly, I’m tired of it.”
“I’ve been busy,” I repeat.
“Yes, so you said.”
“With your sister. Would you prefer me not to be with her?”
His jaw clenches at my words.
At first, I hated Soren. I think it all went to his head when he was chosen as the leader of the Society. His great-grandfather was a leader, but then he lost it to someone else before Soren took over. The thing is, while we are all powerful men, Soren and I hold the most weight, even though I am not second-in-command. I run the guns, and he owns the media.
The two of us being at odds is not what anyone would want. I believe it’s one of the reasons he paired me with his sister—to keep a careful eye on me, as the saying goes. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
“You know I want her happy,” Soren says.
