Chapter 7 · Price of Betrayal

"You really think he cares about you, Elara?"

Silas stepped closer. He held a small glass vial, the poison catching the light. He smirked, his voice dripping with a pity that made my skin crawl. "He doesn't want a bride. He wants a sedative. You're just a fancy pill with a heartbeat."

I tried to step back. I couldn't. Kane’s hand was a vice around my waist, hauling me flush against his chest. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the low, dangerous thrum of his heart hammering against my shoulder blade.

"Get out, Silas," Kane growled. It was the kind of sound that usually ended in a slaughter.

"Now, now," Silas chuckled. He held the vial up like a trophy. "We haven't discussed the price. I gave you the girl, but I kept the cure. Or rather, the kill-switch. One more dose of this, and your little pet doesn't just get sick. She stops breathing. Permanently."

The air left my lungs. I looked up at Kane. His eyes weren't full of love—they were dark, possessive. He wasn't looking at me like a person. He was looking at me like a piece of property someone was trying to steal.