Page 248 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“No. Tell me what is bothering you.”

Eduard huffed again, shoving Draco harder this time. “My cousin died, you insensitive prick. What do you think is bothering me?”

“You’re lying to me. I want to know why.”

Eduard growled, his eyes flashing black and his features beginning to shift. “I’m not lying to—”

“I have failed as your mate. You do not trust me with your heart, with your truth.”

Eduard snarled, shoving at Draco’s chest again. His hands had become talons and they scraped across Draco’s chest, little pinpricks of pain in his skin. “This isn’t about you. Why are you being such an asshole?”

“Why are you lying to me? Why did you not come to us when you returned?”

Eduard heaved, his breath coming in angry bursts.

“Do not feel bad for killing her,” Draco commanded. “I forbid it. She tried to kill your mate. There is no worse crime—”

“I don’t!”

His heart had skipped again, that little flutter of a lie. “You do. Why? She hurt him, wanted him raped and tortured. She put her mark on our mate. She wanted to murder him horribly. You may not feel bad for that!”

“I don’t!”

“You do. You’re lying to me! I would have slit her throat the moment we arrived back if you’d allowed it. But you did not. She shouldn’t have been allowed to breathe the same air as my mates for one moment longer! Her life was forfeit the moment we learned of her treachery!”

“I know! She had to die!”

No lie. Draco cocked his head to the side, and then pushed closer. They breathed the same air then, the hot puffs of Eduard’s frantic breaths brushing over his face. He searched the eagle’s eyes, looking for some clue, but he found nothing. “Tell me,” he whispered desperately. “Please, Eduard. Trust me.”

Eduard threw back his head and roared, his lion as close to the surface as Draco’s dragon.

“Tell me, love. Tell me what is eating this hole in you.”

The dam broke and Eduard’s breath caught in his chest. “I killed her.”

“Yes.”

“But she wasn’t the bad guy, Draco. She was but… there was something else there and instead of trying to figure it out, instead of using my damned brain and trying to find out who is after our mate, I was impatient and just… slit her throat. I didn’t even try! I could have stopped this if I’d—”

“No.”

Eduard snarled again, but when he tried to push against Draco this time, Draco caught his wrists in a tight grip.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Eduard threatened.

Draco tilted his head to the side, smirking at Eduard and infuriating him further. “I’d like to see you try.”

Eduard tried to pull his wrists away, but Draco held firm. It was his turn to push, but he used his foot to tuck around Eduard’s ankle in a move Andvari had taught him. He had Eduard flat on his back across the desk in seconds. He trapped his wrists against the dark wood, leaning over him as Eduard struggled. “You’re going to hurt yourself, love.”

“Don’t call me that! I don’t deserve—”

Draco tutted then leaned in and nuzzled Eduard’s cheek. “You protected our mate. I’ve never been so proud of you. You kept him safe. You did that. You were brave in a moment of horror. You faced her down.”

“I should have—”

“You did what you should have done. You did what none of us could have. You confronted her, you learned more, but Eduard, there were others in the room. Andvari told us what happened, how strong she became. Would you rather have cost your father his life? Or Andvari his? Or would you rather Sawyer face this world without you in it? Is that what you hoped?”

Eduard snarled again, but it wasn’t as fierce. “No. Of course not.”