Chapter 24 · The Forgotten Throne

"Get the hell away from me, Sia!" Kane's snarl hit harder than the shove.

His hands slammed into my shoulders. I flew backward and hit the cracked stone floor, pain shooting through my palms and ribs.

"Kane!"

He stood over me, breathing like he'd just fought through a fire. His eyes had gone wrong. Gold bled into red until the man I knew was buried beneath something feral.

And he wasn't looking at me.

He was staring at the rusted iron bars across the inner chamber.

"Look at me," I said, forcing myself up. "Kane, look at me."

His lips pulled back from his teeth.

"Run."

"No."

"Sia, run before I—" His claws scraped over the stone. "Before I rip your throat out just to see if you taste better than the dirt in this hole."

A slow clap echoed through the ruins.

Justin stepped out from beneath the broken archway, smiling like he'd already won.

"Touching," he said. "Truly touching. The Great King of the North, snarling at his own mate like a chained animal."

Kane's head turned.

Justin's smile sharpened. "Welcome home, Kane. Still remember the dark? The chains? Being forgotten?"

"Shut your mouth," Kane growled.

"Or what?