Chapter 15 · Whispers in the Dark

"You’re looking at her like she’s a miracle, Kane. Don’t forget she’s just a pawn I handed you."

Silas’s voice cut through the room like a blade. He was leaning against the heavy oak door, smug grin plastered on his face, clutching those damn files like a winning lottery ticket.

I felt Kane’s grip on my waist tighten. Not a hug. Never a hug. It was a claim. His fingers dug into my skin, pulling me flush against his chest. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the low, dangerous hum of bloodlust still simmering under the surface.

"Get out," Kane growled. The sound made the hair on my arms stand up.

"Now, now. We’re all family here, right?"

Silas stepped forward, boots clicking on the marble. He didn't look at me. Not really. He looked at me the way a butcher looks at a piece of meat he’s already priced.

"I thought you’d want to know what you’re keeping in your bed," Silas sneered. "That 'worthless' blood of hers? Not worthless. Stolen. Her mother didn't just die; she was erased because she held the key to the very thing you’re fighting."

I stiffened. I forgot how to breathe.