a level three. In fact, most of them would shit themselves.”
His gaze drifts up and down me. “Be at the courtyard at five a.m. I will be waiting. You are dismissed.”
I climb to my feet and walk to the door. I open it and I turn back. “Thank you.”
“Get out of here before I change my mind,” he warns.
I don’t think about it before opening the door and rushing out into the corridor.
I think being kicked out would have been better than this. The last thing I need is to be close to the alpha’s son because his father might find out. It would take one photo, one mess-up from me, and this is all over.
I’ve messed up. Royally. Fuck.
I rush back to my apartment and walk in, locking the door behind me. I run to knock on Caspian’s bedroom door.
“Something bad happened, Caspian.”
He opens the door, looking like he has seen a ghost himself. I pause when he places his hands on my shoulders. “What happened? Did Alaric not help you? The fucker punched me out of nowhere, and I didn’t see it coming.”
“No, it’s not that. Alaric helped me and likely saved my life from the fall—”
“Yeah, the fall we can talk about later,” he cuts in. “But tell me what has you freaking out.”
I shake my head. “The prince wants to personally train me every day,” I tell him. “He might know who I am if we get close. I’m scared.”
“Eziel doesn’t play games, and he occasionally takes on a new student to train every few years,” he tells me, looking a little relieved. “I was the last one he trained. Don’t worry, he doesn’t know.”
I bite on my lip. “Okay.”
“Songbird, I’ve got to tell you something,” he says. He takes my hand and pulls me over to the sofa, sitting at my side.
I really panic when I see his worried eyes.
“I asked a friend to find Leo and get a coded message to him… but Leo is missing. His place was raided and covered in blood.”
My heart feels like it drops into my stomach. “The alpha must have him. Or he killed him.”
“I don’t know,” Caspian softly replies.
I turn away from him and drop my face into my hands before I sob. “The alpha is going to kill everyone I love and never stop hunting me! My life is over, and I don’t know why I’m still fighting for the scraps I have left.”
Caspian moves in front of me and pulls my hands from my face. He holds them tightly as I look up. “You’re stronger than you look, songbird, and you’re not alone. I’m going to make sure you find a way to escape him, and we are going to start working together. I’ve been trying to save you on my own, and it’s not working, but together, we can do this. We can trick the alpha and every hunter here. We will win our place and your freedom.”
“Why help me?”
“Fuck knows.” His mouth tilts into a crooked smile. “Maybe I’m going crazy.”
“There are pills for that, you know,” I reply, making him laugh.
I lean forward and wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly. Eventually, he embraces me back, and I seek comfort from him I didn’t know I desperately needed.
“Leo will be okay,” he says after a moment. “That man is a master at surviving. You’ll see.”
Crescent Mother, please save my brother.
I can’t lose anyone else.
Chapter 15
Lilith Thornblood
My time in Japan feels like a quickly fading dream once I return to Hell.
A small part of me wished I could’ve stayed in that onsen with Alaric forever, but life doesn’t work like that, and I have an alpha to teach a lesson.
Alright, kill.
I step out of the portal and descend the stairs with Alaric at my side. He escorts me to the courtyard where the prince waits for our delightful little training session. I glance at the leaderboard, amazed to find my name so close to Alaric’s. Caspian is going to be livid.
“You’re late,” he grumbles, pushing off his throne.
“I humbly beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty,” I say with an innocent smile, bowing at him. I know he hates when people use his title. “I was a little predisposed capturing a level four demon.”
“Where is it?”
I set the bell on the blood-stained stone. “All snug in his new home.”
Eziel tilts his head, his lips hinting at a smile. “Not bad. That puts you, what, three points behind Alaric? You’re in the running now